Justifying a hardware recommendation

Name:

Date:

Class:

Quick Questions

Shade in the A or B circle for each question.

1. Which opening line of a recommendation names the TASK?

A This laptop is really good and shiny.

B Mia needs a laptop for editing school videos.

2. Mia edits videos. Which spec should the recommendation focus on?

A A fast CPU, 16 GB of RAM and a dedicated GPU

B A bright colour and a thin case

3. Which sentence follows the reason structure (spec + because + task)?

A I picked 16 GB of RAM because editing video uses lots of memory.

B I picked 16 GB of RAM because it is a big number.

4. Sam only needs a laptop for typing essays and browsing. Which justification is better?

A Buy the most expensive gaming laptop, just in case.

B A cheaper laptop with 8 GB of RAM is enough, so the budget is saved.

5. Which recommendation compares two options properly?

A Laptop A has an SSD and costs $900. Laptop B has an HDD and costs $850. A is better for fast loading.

B Laptop A is better than Laptop B.

Match the Pairs

Draw a line connecting each item on the left to its match on the right.

Left column		Right column
1Task: edit school videos		AThe spec does not match the task and ignores the budget. A top GPU is not needed for typing essays.
2Spec: 16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD		BLaptop A: $850, 8 GB RAM. Laptop B: $880, 16 GB RAM. Pick B.
3The reason links a spec to the task and the budget		CReason: an SSD loads files fast and fits the $900 budget
4Comparing two options shows why one is the better choice		DThe reason is vague. It does not name the task or any spec that matters for it.
5I recommend the Zeta laptop because it is good.		EPicks the specific parts of the hardware that matter for the task
6Buy the $2500 gaming PC for typing essays. It has the best GPU.		FNames the job the computer must do, which is the first step of a recommendation

Definitions

hardware recommendation

Fill in the Blanks

Complete each line of code by filling in the missing parts.

____: edit school videos

Choose Laptop A _______ it has 16 GB RAM.

A has 16 GB RAM, ___ B has only 8 GB.

Within budget: $900 __ $1000

Task: gaming at 1080p Spec: ___ matters most Reason: smooth frames within budget

Spot the Error

Shade in the letter of the line that contains an error.

Question 1

A Task: edit school videos

B Budget: $1200

C Spec: 2 GB RAM and no GPU

Question 2

A Task: write essays and email

B Spec: 8 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD

C Reason: needs a gaming GPU

Question 3

A Task: play online games

B Spec: large HDD only, no GPU

C Reason: smooth frame rates

Question 4

A A: $950, 16 GB RAM

B B: $750, 16 GB RAM

C Pick A: fits the $800 budget

D Reason: same RAM, lower cost

Question 5

A Task: store lots of photos

B Option A: 256 GB SSD, $90

C Option B: 2 TB HDD, $90

D Pick A: more space, same cost

Answer Key

Justifying a hardware recommendation

Section A: Quick Questions

B — Mia needs a laptop for editing school videos.

A — A fast CPU, 16 GB of RAM and a dedicated GPU

A — I picked 16 GB of RAM because editing video uses lots of memory.

B — A cheaper laptop with 8 GB of RAM is enough, so the budget is saved.

A — Laptop A has an SSD and costs $900. Laptop B has an HDD and costs $850. A is better for fast loading.

Section B: Match the Pairs

Task: edit school videos → Names the job the computer must do, which is the first step of a recommendation

Spec: 16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD → Picks the specific parts of the hardware that matter for the task

The reason links a spec to the task and the budget → Reason: an SSD loads files fast and fits the $900 budget

Comparing two options shows why one is the better choice → Laptop A: $850, 8 GB RAM. Laptop B: $880, 16 GB RAM. Pick B.

I recommend the Zeta laptop because it is good. → The reason is vague. It does not name the task or any spec that matters for it.

Buy the $2500 gaming PC for typing essays. It has the best GPU. → The spec does not match the task and ignores the budget. A top GPU is not needed for typing essays.

Section C: Definitions

hardware recommendation — A hardware choice backed by reasons: name the task, pick the specs that matter for it, and explain why they fit the budget, often by comparing two options.

Section D: Fill in the Blanks

Task: edit school videos

Choose Laptop A because it has 16 GB RAM.

A has 16 GB RAM, but B has only 8 GB.

Within budget: $900 <= $1000

Task: gaming at 1080p
Spec: GPU matters most
Reason: smooth frames within budget

Section E: Spot the Error

C — Video editing needs plenty of RAM and a GPU. 2 GB RAM and no GPU does not match the task. It should be something like 16 GB RAM and a GPU.

C — Essays and email are light tasks, so a gaming GPU is not needed. The reason should say the cheap specs are fast enough for the task.

B — Gaming needs a strong GPU for smooth graphics. A big HDD with no GPU is the wrong spec for this task. It should be a strong GPU and enough RAM.

C — Option A costs $950, which is over the $800 budget. Option B costs $750 and has the same RAM, so the pick should be B.

D — Option A has only 256 GB, while B has 2 TB for the same price. The task needs lots of storage, so the pick should be B.