Y10W34WR What Antibiotic Resistance Is
Part 1
How to Write
An explanatory text makes a concept, process or system understandable to a reader who is encountering it for the first time. It is written for someone who wants to genuinely understand how or why something works. The tone should be clear and patient — building understanding step by step without assuming prior knowledge.
- Ideas & content: Select the most important information needed to understand the topic. Focus on how and why — explanation is about building genuine understanding, not just describing what exists.
- Structure & cohesion: Move from the general to the specific. Introduce the concept, explain how or why it works, then give examples or consequences. Use cause-and-effect connectives to show relationships between ideas.
- Voice & audience: Write as a knowledgeable guide. Define terms as you introduce them. Avoid jargon without explanation. Your reader should feel guided through the topic, not overwhelmed by it.
- Language choices: Use precise vocabulary and define technical terms clearly. Write in the present tense for ongoing processes. Vary sentence length — shorter sentences help when ideas are complex.
- Conventions: Spell technical vocabulary accurately. Use commas, colons and semicolons to manage complex explanations. Keep sentences clear even when the ideas are demanding.
Common pitfalls: Describing what something is without explaining how or why it works — readers need to understand the mechanism, not just the label. Including too many facts without connecting them into a clear explanation that builds understanding progressively.
Part 2
Your Task Plan for Today
Question: Write a three-paragraph explanatory piece explaining what antibiotic resistance is, what is causing it and what the consequences and responses are. Select the most relevant material from the notes, organise it clearly and write entirely in your own words. You will need to decide what to leave out.
Stimulus: Read the following notes carefully. They contain more information than you can use.
Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria evolve mechanisms that allow them to survive exposure to antibiotics that would previously have killed them. It is one of the most significant threats to global public health identified by the World Health Organisation. Antibiotics work by targeting specific features of bacterial cells — for example, disrupting their cell walls or interfering with protein production. Bacteria can develop resistance through random genetic mutations. They can also acquire resistance genes from other bacteria through a process called horizontal gene transfer. Overuse of antibiotics accelerates resistance by creating selection pressure: bacteria with resistance genes survive and reproduce while susceptible bacteria are killed. Antibiotics are frequently overprescribed for viral infections, against which they have no effect. This contributes to resistance without providing any medical benefit. Agricultural use of antibiotics is a major contributor to resistance — antibiotics have historically been used in livestock not just to treat illness but to promote growth, though this practice has been restricted in some countries. Resistant infections are harder to treat, require longer hospital stays and are associated with higher mortality rates. Some infections are caused by bacteria resistant to all currently available antibiotics. These are sometimes called ‘superbug’ infections. New antibiotic development has slowed significantly because it is not as commercially profitable as developing drugs for chronic conditions. There are international agreements and national action plans aimed at reducing antibiotic use and slowing resistance. Resistance does not mean a bacterium is permanently resistant — if antibiotic use falls significantly in an environment, resistance rates can also fall over time. Proper completion of antibiotic courses matters: stopping early can leave partially resistant bacteria to multiply. Some countries have far higher rates of resistance than others, reflecting differences in prescribing practices, agricultural use and sanitation infrastructure.
Task Analysis: This task asks you to explain a concept or system clearly and completely. You must select relevant material, organise it logically and write for a reader with no specialist knowledge. A strong response helps readers understand not just how something works, but why it matters.
Quick Plan
Plan your explanation:
- Your main concept — what are you explaining and why does it matter?
- Key parts or steps — what are the main elements?
- Why it works this way — what’s the logic or reason?
- Real examples — what concrete examples clarify the concept?
- Why readers should care — what real-world significance does this have?
Define the key concept
Begin by explaining your core concept clearly. Avoid jargon without explanation. Help readers understand exactly what you’re about to discuss.
Background/context
Help readers understand why this topic matters. What real-world problems or questions does it involve? What makes this worth knowing about?
Causes/effects
Show how things work and what their consequences are. Trace cause-and-effect relationships explicitly. This helps readers understand not just what happens but why.
Examples that teach
Use specific, concrete examples that illuminate the concept. Real scenarios and applications make abstract ideas tangible and memorable.
Limits/nuance
Acknowledge what’s complex, uncertain or contested about this topic. What don’t experts fully understand yet? This intellectual honesty builds credibility and prevents oversimplification.
Check before you submit: Have you explained the concept clearly without jargon? Have you included relevant examples? Have you answered why this matters? Is your explanation accessible?
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