Information transfer means moving facts from a text into another format, such as notes, a table or a form. The meaning must stay the same, so every number, condition and time word must survive the move.
This lesson is part of gapped text and information transfer. The same discipline helps when you turn bullet points into a coherent plan in guided writing.
What must stay the same?
Four things carry the meaning of a fact. Check each one before you write.
- Who or what the fact is about.
- The quantity, such as a number, “only”, “at least” or “about”.
- The condition, such as “if”, “unless” or “provided that”.
- The time, such as “before”, “until”, “after” or a date.
If all four match the source, your note is accurate, even when the words are shorter.
Worked example: a notice into a table
Here is an original notice.
“The school library is open from 7.30 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. on weekdays. Form 5 students may borrow up to four books at a time.
Form 4 students may borrow two books unless they have an overdue book. All books must be returned before the school holidays begin on 12 December.”
Here is the table filled in from the notice.
| Item | Form 5 | Form 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Books allowed | up to 4 | 2, unless an overdue book is held |
| Return deadline | before 12 December | before 12 December |
| Opening hours | 7.30 a.m. to 1.30 p.m., weekdays | same |
Notice what was kept.
“Up to four” is a maximum, so “4” alone would lose the limit. “Unless they have an overdue book” is a condition, so it stays. “Before 12 December” means the return must happen earlier, so “on 12 December” would be wrong.
The mistake: a small word that vanishes
Suppose a student writes the Form 4 entry as “2 books”. The number is right, yet the note now promises two books to every Form 4 student.
| Source | Student note | What went wrong |
|---|---|---|
| two books unless they have an overdue book | 2 books | the condition was dropped |
| up to four books | 4 books | the maximum became a fixed number |
| return before 12 December | return on 12 December | the time word changed |
The fix is to underline every quantity, condition and time word in the source before you write.
Do you ever need to rephrase?
Sometimes the task asks for your own words. Keep the meaning and change only the wording.
“Students must bring a pen” can become “Students are required to bring a pen”. It cannot become “Students should bring a pen”, because “should” is weaker than “must”.
Check yourself
Source: “The workshop costs RM15 for members. Non-members pay RM20 unless they register before Friday.” Complete the note: “Members: ___. Non-members: ___.”
Answer
Members: RM15. Non-members: RM20, unless they register before Friday.
The text says “RM20 unless they register before Friday”, so the condition must stay. The source does not give the lower fee, so write the condition and do not invent an amount. A made-up price adds information the passage does not contain.
What to study next
Continue with checking distractors against the whole passage, which uses the same quantity, condition and time checks on answer options. Use the English writing task checklist for your own written work.
To go through your own notes with a teacher, see online one-to-one English tuition.