OSSLT Writing an Opinion Piece 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A student includes a brief personal story to open their opinion piece about the importance of after-school programs. This technique is called:
- A rhetorical question
- An anecdote (Correct answer)
- A counterargument
- A statistic
Correct answer: An anecdote
An anecdote is a short personal story used as an engaging introduction or illustrative example.
Question 2: Which sentence BEST demonstrates a concluding call to action in an opinion piece about environmental responsibility?
- 'In conclusion, the environment is important and we talked about three reasons.'
- 'Therefore, students, educators, and policymakers must commit to sustainable practices that protect our shared future.' (Correct answer)
- 'That is why the environment matters, and those are my points.'
- 'In summary, the environment is a big issue that I have written about today.'
Correct answer: 'Therefore, students, educators, and policymakers must commit to sustainable practices that protect our shared future.'
A call to action urges specific stakeholders to take concrete steps, making the conclusion more powerful and purposeful.
Question 3: The OSSLT opinion writing task expects students to write for a GENERAL audience. This means the writer should:
- Use technical jargon to show expertise on the topic
- Write only about experiences that specialists would understand
- Explain ideas clearly so any educated reader can follow the argument (Correct answer)
- Address the response only to people who already agree with the position
Correct answer: Explain ideas clearly so any educated reader can follow the argument
Writing for a general audience requires clear, accessible language that does not assume specialized knowledge.
Question 4: A student argues: 'We should ban junk food from schools because students who eat healthy food get better grades, stay more alert, and develop lifelong wellness habits.' This thesis is effective because it:
- Uses emotional language to engage the reader
- States a position and previews three distinct supporting reasons (Correct answer)
- Acknowledges the opposing viewpoint before stating a position
- Avoids making any claims that could be disputed
Correct answer: States a position and previews three distinct supporting reasons
A multi-reason thesis signals a well-organized argument and gives the reader a roadmap for the body paragraphs.
Question 5: When revising an opinion piece before submitting on the OSSLT, a student should FIRST check for:
- Whether the piece is long enough to fill the page
- Clarity of position, logical flow of arguments, and correctness of conventions (Correct answer)
- Whether the handwriting is neat and evenly spaced
- Whether every sentence starts with a different letter
Correct answer: Clarity of position, logical flow of arguments, and correctness of conventions
Revision should prioritize content clarity, argument logic, and mechanical correctness — the three scored criteria.
Question 6: Which sentence contains a COMMA SPLICE error that would lower the conventions score?
- 'Schools should extend recess periods, and students would benefit greatly.'
- 'Although many disagree, evidence supports longer recess.'
- 'Longer recess improves focus, it also reduces stress.' (Correct answer)
- 'Students who play outside tend to perform better academically.'
Correct answer: 'Longer recess improves focus, it also reduces stress.'
A comma splice incorrectly joins two independent clauses with only a comma; it should be corrected with a conjunction or semicolon.
Question 7: A student writes an opinion piece but ends each body paragraph with a new question rather than a concluding statement. What is the main problem?
- Ending with questions makes the paragraphs too long
- Questions signal analysis, which is not appropriate for opinion writing
- The paragraph lacks closure and leaves arguments feeling unresolved (Correct answer)
- Questions should only appear in the introduction
Correct answer: The paragraph lacks closure and leaves arguments feeling unresolved
Body paragraphs should end with a concluding sentence that reinforces the paragraph's point, not a question that leaves it open.
OSSLT Writing an Opinion Piece 5
A student includes a brief personal story to open their opinion piece about the importance of after-school programs.
This technique is called: