OSSLT: The opinion essay

All 17 questions in this test

Every question and its answer choices. The correct answers and explanations appear when you take the test above.

1. According to the OSSLT conventions rubric, what happens to an essay of fewer than 30 words (not counting prompt words)?

   1. It earns a bonus for being concise
   2. It receives the lowest conventions code
   3. It is scored only for topic development
   4. It is sent back to the student to finish

2. Prompt: Should students be required to complete volunteer hours to graduate? I think volunteering is good and also maybe not. Volunteering is a thing lots of people do. My neighbour volunteers and she likes it. Volunteering can be good because it is good to help. People should help other people. Helping is important in life and in the world. But sometimes students are busy. They have homework and things. Also some people like soccer. Soccer is my favourite sport and our team won last year. So volunteering is good but students are busy. In conclusion that is my opinion about volunteering.

   What is the biggest problem with the opinion in the weak essay on volunteer hours?

   1. It uses too many statistics
   2. It never takes a clear side on the prompt
   3. It argues too strongly for one side
   4. It is longer than the test allows

3. Which rubric description best fits the weak volunteer-hours essay's topic development?

   1. A clear opinion with mechanical but logical organization
   2. A coherent essay with a thoughtful progression of ideas
   3. The opinion is unclear and the details are too few or repetitive
   4. A clear opinion with thoughtfully chosen specific details

4. Prompt: Should high schools start classes later in the morning? High schools should start classes at 9:30 a.m. instead of 8:30 a.m. A later start would help students learn, stay healthy and arrive safely. First, students learn better when they are awake. In my first-period math class, at least five people yawn through every lesson, and our teacher often has to repeat instructions. One more hour of sleep would mean that students actually take in what they hear. Second, teenagers need more sleep than most of them get. My family doctor told me that people my age need eight to ten hours a night, but many of my friends stay up late finishing homework or working part-time shifts. A later bell would let them rest without falling behind. Finally, a later start would be safer in winter. At 7:45 a.m. in January, the sky is still dark when students walk to the bus stop or drive to school. By 8:45 a.m., it is light, and drivers can see pedestrians more easily. Some people worry that a later start would push sports practices into the evening. However, many teams already practise after supper, and a rested athlete plays better. For all of these reasons, a 9:30 a.m. start would help students do their best in class and stay safe on the way there.

   In the model essay on later start times, which sentence states the writer's opinion?

   1. At 7:45 a.m. in January, the sky is still dark when students walk to the bus.
   2. Some people worry that a later start would push sports practices into the evening.
   3. High schools should start classes at 9:30 a.m. instead of 8:30 a.m.
   4. Teenagers need more sleep than most of them actually get on school nights.

5. Which detail in the later-start essay is the most specific support?

   1. Students learn better in the morning when they are fully awake
   2. A later start would help students do their best in class and stay safe
   3. A rested athlete plays better than one who stayed up very late
   4. At least five people yawn through every first-period math lesson

6. Which plan would best prepare a student to write a high-scoring OSSLT opinion essay?

   1. Two opinions, one for each side, given equal weight
   2. Opinion, three reasons each with an example, and a conclusion
   3. A single long paragraph with no breaks
   4. A list of every idea about the topic in any order

7. Prompt: Should students be required to complete volunteer hours to graduate? I think volunteering is good and also maybe not. Volunteering is a thing lots of people do. My neighbour volunteers and she likes it. Volunteering can be good because it is good to help. People should help other people. Helping is important in life and in the world. But sometimes students are busy. They have homework and things. Also some people like soccer. Soccer is my favourite sport and our team won last year. So volunteering is good but students are busy. In conclusion that is my opinion about volunteering.

   Why is "Helping is important in life and in the world" weak support in the volunteer-hours essay?

   1. It contains a spelling mistake in its key word
   2. It is far too long to be a single sentence
   3. It is a general statement with no specific detail
   4. It argues against requiring volunteer hours

8. The OSSLT opinion essay receives two separate scores. What are they?

   1. Creativity and use of humour
   2. Overall length and rare vocabulary
   3. Topic development and conventions
   4. Handwriting and spelling accuracy

9. Which closing sentence best ends an essay arguing that schools should offer cooking classes?

   1. Cooking classes would give every student a skill they will use for life.
   2. There are also many other subjects that students take at school.
   3. My aunt once burned toast on her first morning in her new kitchen.
   4. Some people like pizza, while others would rather order sushi.

10. Why are OSSLT essays scored as first drafts?

    1. Spelling is never counted on the test
    2. A timed test does not allow a full revision process
    3. Students are not allowed to reread their work
    4. Only the first sentence of each paragraph is read

11. Which sentence would make the strongest opening for an opinion essay on banning phones in class?

    1. Phones should be banned during class because they pull attention away from learning.
    2. Phones are small, useful devices that many people of all ages own today.
    3. Have you ever stopped to think about how often people use their phones?
    4. There are many different opinions about phones, and all of them have value.

12. What form does the OSSLT ask students to use for the long writing task?

    1. A friendly letter to a classmate or teacher
    2. A series of paragraphs supporting an opinion
    3. A poem with at least three rhyming stanzas
    4. A news report with a headline and quotations

13. Prompt: Should students be required to complete volunteer hours to graduate? I think volunteering is good and also maybe not. Volunteering is a thing lots of people do. My neighbour volunteers and she likes it. Volunteering can be good because it is good to help. People should help other people. Helping is important in life and in the world. But sometimes students are busy. They have homework and things. Also some people like soccer. Soccer is my favourite sport and our team won last year. So volunteering is good but students are busy. In conclusion that is my opinion about volunteering.

    Which sentence in the weak volunteer-hours essay is off topic?

    1. But sometimes students are busy with homework and things.
    2. Soccer is my favourite sport and our team won last year.
    3. People should help other people when they are able to.
    4. Volunteering is a thing that lots of people do every year.

14. Which change would most improve the weak essay on volunteer hours?

    1. Write the same paragraph a second time
    2. Add the word 'important' to more sentences
    3. Choose one side and support it with specific examples
    4. Move the conclusion to the start of the essay

15. Prompt: Should high schools start classes later in the morning? High schools should start classes at 9:30 a.m. instead of 8:30 a.m. A later start would help students learn, stay healthy and arrive safely. First, students learn better when they are awake. In my first-period math class, at least five people yawn through every lesson, and our teacher often has to repeat instructions. One more hour of sleep would mean that students actually take in what they hear. Second, teenagers need more sleep than most of them get. My family doctor told me that people my age need eight to ten hours a night, but many of my friends stay up late finishing homework or working part-time shifts. A later bell would let them rest without falling behind. Finally, a later start would be safer in winter. At 7:45 a.m. in January, the sky is still dark when students walk to the bus stop or drive to school. By 8:45 a.m., it is light, and drivers can see pedestrians more easily. Some people worry that a later start would push sports practices into the evening. However, many teams already practise after supper, and a rested athlete plays better. For all of these reasons, a 9:30 a.m. start would help students do their best in class and stay safe on the way there.

    In the later-start essay, what job does the paragraph about sports practices do?

    1. It summarizes all of the earlier reasons
    2. It answers an objection to the writer's opinion
    3. It introduces the writer's main opinion
    4. It gives a fourth reason for the change

16. Which rubric description best fits the later-start model essay's topic development?

    1. An opinion with some ideas but no supporting details at all
    2. A response that only restates the prompt in the writer's words
    3. An opinion that is unclear or that changes partway through
    4. A clear, consistent opinion with specific, well-chosen details

17. How are the three body paragraphs of the later-start essay organized?

    1. They compare two different schools point by point from start to end
    2. They tell one long story in the order that the events happened
    3. Each one repeats the writer's opinion again using different words
    4. Each begins with a transition and one reason, then gives details