Supported Opinion Essay
Supported Opinion Essay
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The supported opinion short essay consistently appears on the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT). The purpose of supported opinion paragraph is to persuade the reader of your point of view. To effectively convince the reader that your point of view is correct you may want to:
use a logical argument (e.g. make sure your ideas flow)
provide specific examples (e.g. quotations, personal experiences, observations)
appeal to the reader's emotions (e.g. pick evidence that the reader will understand)
use compelling speech (e.g. words or phrases that hook the reader).
Organization of a Supported Opinion Essay
Organization of a Supported Opinion Essay
Look at the Sample Supported Opinion Essay document lined to the left. In the left hand column you can see that each component of the essay is highlighted so that you can see how the parts fit together. In a group, review the introduction and body paragraph one to investigate the structure. Then, with a partner, go through body paragraph 2 and use the highlighter to locate each part. Lastly, on your own go through body paragraph 3 and locate each part with the highlighter. When you are done, check with your partner to see if yo were able to identify each component.
Planning Your Supported Opinion Essay
Planning Your Supported Opinion Essay
Once you have identified your essay topic and have chosen a clear position (either for or against the essay statement), gather your ideas through brainstorming. Perhaps a mind map or timeline can help get your ideas flowing.
Once you have a clear idea of what you want your points to be, create a rough outline. You can use a template like the one to the left.
Revising and Editing Your Writing
Revising and Editing Your Writing
Before you start the process of revising and editing your work, be sure to review the success criteria for what makes an effective supported opinion paragraph.
The checklist provided aligns with the assessment strategey used by EQAO to evaluate your work. You can see a summary of the coding that teachers will use when marking your supported opinion essay on the "How is the test scored?" page of this site.
Another strategy to help you as you prepare for the OSSLT is to have someone (a friend, a caregiver, or even a teacher) read a sample of your writing to help you identify what you are doing well, and where you might need to improve.
Just make sure you take some time to revise and edit your own work, so that you get used to identifying spelling, grammar, punctuation errors, as well as when the flow of your ideas might be improved!
Below are some tips to help in this process!
1) Revise - Make It Stronger: The goal is to improve clarity of your thinking, the flow of your ideas and make sure that your writing supports your stated opinion.
✅ Tips:
read your work slowly to make sure it sounds smooth
check to make sure you clearly state your points
make sure you have used transition words
don't just list reasons, explain them (i.e. why do your reasons matter)
2) Edit - Polish Your Work: Take the time to fix grammar, spelling, punctuation and formatting.
✅ Tips - check for:
capital letters
proper punctuation (e.g. use of periods, commas, etc.)
use of complete sentences
words are spelled correctly
your tone is formal (no slang or texting language)
look for repeated words or phrases - you want to avoid these
3) Final Tip - Think Like a Reader: You want to make sure that your essay is convincing!
✅ Tips - ask yourself:
"Is my opinion clear?"
"Did I support my opinion with strong reasons and examples?"
"Does my writing flow smoothly from start to finish?"
Go through this revising and editing checklist before you turn in your work!
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