Literacy Blitz:

Short Writing Tasks

& Multiple Choice

Short Responses

There are two types of short responses:

1. Open Responses

2. Short Writing Tasks

Open Responses (Typically 1-2 on

the OSSLT)

Open responses are based on a specific reading selection. First, you must carefully read the selection.

Your reading selection will typically be one of the following: an information paragraph, a news report, or a dialogue.

After you read the selection, you will write a response that demonstrates reading comprehension with supporting ideas or specific examples from the reading you just did.

Must read

carefully!

Open Responses

• On the next slide, you will see an example of a dialogue reading selection from the sample online OSSLT.

• By the way, have you visited the EQAO website yet to try out practice OSSLT? Visit https://goo.gl/58coL1

• When we get to the next slide, take note of the 4 important highlighted points that can help you with your reading comprehension and writing.

Make note of any images that are provided as this will give you a hint as to what you are about to read.

Lines are numbered to help you understand who is “speaking” in the dialogue.

Once you’ve read the reading selection, read the question(s) in the response area carefully.

1

3

2

4

Make sure you use the ‘ROUGH NOTES’ section so you can organize and plan your answer before you begin writing.

P-P-A: Point-Proof-Analysis – FIRST

Reminder

Think back to your Suzuki English class from grade 9…

Point-Proof-Analysis is a great tool to help you structure your

paragraphs, so make sure you use this when writing your responses.

POINT The first sentence should be a clear topic sentencethat tells the reader what the paragraph is about.

PROOF Detailed proof (either from the reading selection or your experience) that supports the topic sentence.

ANALYSIS Expand - you must explain how your proof helps develop your argument and explains your point.

Use P-P-A!

So we understand Open Responses now?

GREAT!

Let’s move on to Short Writing Tasks…

Short Writing (Typically 1-2 on the

OSSLT)

Short Writing Tasks involve answering a question by using your

own knowledge and personal life experiences.

Each answer requires clear topic development with specific

and relevant information from your life.

Each answer also needs to demonstrate competent control

of conventions (syntax - creating well-formed sentences,

grammar, spelling, punctuation), so make sure you review

and proofread your answers at the end.

Short Writing Tips

Every written response section

has a character limit – if you

are too short in your answer,

you will lose marks, but if you

try to go over the character

limit, you will be cut off!

Short Writing Tips

Always review and

edit your responses

at the end.

Remember: syntax,

grammar, spelling,

and punctuation

count!

If you skip a question,

make sure you go

back to answer it at

the end.

Use appropriate

content and language

in your written

responses – be aware

of your audience.

If you are stuck and are

having trouble thinking of

what to write, leave it for

the time-being and move

on to the next question.

P-P-A: Point-Proof-Analysis – SECOND

Reminder Again, use the P-P-A structure when writing your short answer

response!

Here’s a super quick review of it:

POINT The first sentence should be a clear topic sentencethat tells the reader what the paragraph is about.

PROOF Detailed proof (either from the reading selection or your experience) that supports the topic sentence.

ANALYSIS Expand - you must explain how your proof helps develop your argument and explains your point.

Use P-P-A!

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3Read the writing task carefully before you begin. Don’t forget that

you will be required to fill up all the lines when you are writing! Don’t leave any lines blank and don’t go past the lines, either.

Remember to make notes in the “ROUGH NOTES” area. Nothing you write in this space will be scored, so use the space to get your ideas down!

2

On the next several slides, you will be shown examples of both UNSUCCESSFUL

and SUCCESSFUL responses to the same open response and same short writing task

questions.

Take note of what is missing (P-P-A) in some cases, and read through the ‘Annotation’

for each sample to discover why the response was given that score.

Open Response Example 1

An UNSUCCESSFUL written response

Point Proof

Analysis

What’s the

reasoning

for this

score?

Open Response Example 2

A SUCCESSFUL written response

Point Proof

Analysis

What’s the

reasoning

for this

score?

Short Writing Task Example 1 An UNSUCCESSFUL response

Point Proof

Analysis

What’s the

reasoning

for this

score?

Short Writing Task Example 2 A SUCCESSFUL response

Point Proof

Analysis

What’s the

reasoning

for this

score?

So now we understand both Open

Responses AND Short Writing Tasks. Phew!

Let’s take a few minutes to review Multiple

Choice Question tips

Reading and Grammar

On the OSSLT, you will be given a series of Multiple Choice Questions that have to do

with a reading selection and grammatically correct sentences.

Reading selections can come in one of two ways:

1. Actual written text (information text, dialogue, news report, narrative)

2. Graphic text (map, diagram, charts, pictures)

1

2

3Read the reading selection carefully.

Read each question carefully. Eliminate all the answers you know are not correct. Circle/highlight the one you think is right; draw a line through the ones that are not.

On the answer sheet, fill in the correct bubble.

Grammar Multiple Choice

Questions

The following two slides show you some examples of the types of

grammar questions you will see on the OSSLT. These are taken right

from the sample online test.

Sample Grammar Multiple Choice

Questions

Grammar Multiple Choice

Questions – A Recap

These are the questions you may be asked when it comes to grammar:

a) Which sentence does not belong in the following paragraph?

b) Choose the option that best combines all the information in the following sentences.

c) Choose the sentence that is written correctly.

d) How should the sentence below be revised to make it correct?

e) Choose the best closing sentence for the following paragraph.

f) What revision is needed to improve the organization of this paragraph?

g) Which sentence is written correctly?

Graphic Texts

Don’t underestimate the graphic text reading selection!

Graphic texts present ideas and information using graphic features such as diagrams,

photos, drawings, sketches, timetables, patterns, maps, charts, or tables.

The following two slides show you an example of a graphic text you will be required to

read through and examine before you answer the multiple choice questions that

follow.

Graphic texts need to be carefully examined before answer questions.

a) Read all titles, headings, captions.

b) Read labels and figure out how they’re connected to the graphic.

c) Follow all arrows and lines.

Graphic Texts

Graphic texts will have multiple choice questions to follow, so be sure to examine the graphic carefully and read the questions carefully.

So we understand how to answer Multiple Choice Questions now, right? Also, you understand the types of readings that you will be required to

examine in order to answer those questions, right?

AWESOME!

Let’s review some key tips…

Short Writing Tips

Don’t leave any answers

blank. Don’t know the

answer? Guess!

Multiple Choice Tips

Make sure you

select the right

answer before

moving on.

Don’t rely on your

memory. Double-

check the reading

selection!

Rule out answers

that you know are

wrong.

So…now we understand how to write the News Report (that

we learned yesterday).

And today…we learned how to write Open Responses and

Short Writing Tasks, and also how to answer Multiple Choice

questions.

Only one day left! Tomorrow (Thursday), we will look at our

final topic of Writing a Series of Paragraphs!

Now it’s time for you to explore some of the practice OSSLT

at home and prepare yourself for the test. Scan the QR

code or visit: https://goo.gl/58coL1