Grade by Grade
Writing · Writing: Planning, Drafting, Revising and Publishing

Persuasive Writing and the OSSLT Opinion Essay

2.1 1.1 1.4About 70 minutes
Learning goals
  • I can explain what the OSSLT opinion essay asks for and how it is scored.
  • I can state a clear, consistent opinion and support it with reasons and specific details.
  • I can explain how each detail supports my opinion and answer an objection.
  • I can plan and write a three-or-more-paragraph opinion essay under time limits.

Words to know

opinion essay
A short persuasive essay that states and supports the writer's own position.
OSSLT
The Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test, usually first written in Grade 10.
OSSLC
The Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course, which can meet the literacy requirement after unsuccessful OSSLT attempts.
reason
A because that supports your opinion.
specific detail
A concrete example, fact or experience that makes a reason convincing.
objection
A reasonable point someone might make against your opinion.
topic development
How clearly an opinion is developed with specific, well-organized support.

One essay that counts toward graduation

Sometime in Grade 10, most Ontario students write the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT). Passing it (or the course that can replace it) is a requirement for the Ontario Secondary School Diploma. Part of the test asks you to write an opinion essay on a topic that is familiar to teenagers.

The good news: an opinion essay is just a well-organized persuasive piece, and the skills it needs are the same ones you use in English class, in letters to decision-makers and in everyday arguments at the dinner table. This lesson teaches persuasive and opinion writing, then shows how to use those skills on the OSSLT.

Remember from Grade 9

In Grade 9 you wrote argumentative essays with a claim, counter-argument and rebuttal, and you learned the appeals ethos, pathos and logos and common logical fallacies. An opinion essay is a shorter, more personal relative of the argumentative essay.

What the OSSLT is (as of 2026)

According to EQAO, the agency that runs the test:

  • Students working toward the OSSD are expected to write it for the first time in their second year of secondary school (usually Grade 10).
  • It is taken online, in person at school, in two sessions (Session A is about 65 minutes and Session B about 75 minutes).
  • It has 37 questions: 35 selected-response questions (multiple choice and similar formats) and two written open-response questions. One is a short written answer about a reading selection; the other is the opinion essay.
  • For the opinion essay, you write a series of paragraphs (an introduction, supporting paragraphs and a conclusion, so at least three) of about 500 words. Your opinion must be clear and supported with reasons, examples or facts.
  • The essay is scored as first-draft writing: markers know you did not have time to polish it. It is scored for topic development (a clear, consistent opinion; specific, well-chosen supporting details; organized ideas) and use of conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation that do not get in the way of meaning).
  • Students who are not successful can write it again, and after two attempts (with at least one unsuccessful), they can usually take the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course (OSSLC) instead.

Your school will tell you your test date. Details can change from year to year, so check EQAO's website or ask your school.

Persuasive writing in four moves

  1. State a clear opinion. Pick one side. I believe our school should... is fine in an opinion essay, which is more personal than a formal argumentative essay.
  2. Give reasons. Each reason is a because that supports your opinion. Two or three strong reasons are better than five thin ones.
  3. Support each reason with specific details: facts, examples, personal experiences, statistics (only real ones you know to be true) or expert views. On the OSSLT you cannot research, so examples and experiences are your best evidence. Never invent statistics.
  4. Explain how each detail supports your opinion. This is the step most writers skip.
Blueprint for an opinion essay (about 500 words)INTRODUCTIONcontext sentence + your clear opinion + preview of reasonsREASON 1topic sentence → specific detail → explain how it supports the opinionREASON 2 (+ answer an objection, if you can)topic sentence → specific detail → explainCONCLUSIONrestate the opinion in new words + a final thought or call to action
A simple, reliable structure. Each body paragraph develops one reason. Stay consistent: every paragraph supports the same opinion.
Make your support specificGENERAL"Phones are distracting."MORE SPECIFIC"Notifications pull students out of conversations at lunch."SPECIFIC + EXPLAINED"When my friend's phone buzzed six times during one lunch,the conversation stopped every time, and no one finished a story."
The more specific the detail, the more convincing it is. The last version gives a concrete example and shows its effect, which is what markers mean by specific supporting details.

Making it persuasive, not just organized

  • Stay consistent. If you say phones should be banned at lunch, do not end with but maybe phones are fine. A clear and consistent opinion is one of the scoring criteria.
  • Answer one objection (if you have time): Some students might say they need phones to reach their families. However, the office phone is always available, and messages can wait 40 minutes.
  • Know your audience. The OSSLT tells you who you are writing for, often an adult interested in your opinion. Be respectful and reasonable.
  • Use transitions that show logic: because, therefore, for example, as a result, however, most importantly.
  • Avoid insults, all-caps shouting, and vague words like stuff and things.
Time stepWhat to do (suggested plan)
Plan (5 to 7 min)Read the prompt twice. Choose your side quickly. Jot two reasons and a specific example for each.
Draft (most of your time)Write the introduction, body paragraphs and conclusion in order, following your plan.
Check (3 to 5 min)Reread once for missing words, clear opinion and obvious errors.
A suggested way to manage time on any timed opinion essay. These times are a guide, not EQAO rules.
Worked example

Let's plan and draft an opinion essay

Prompt (practice, in the OSSLT style): Should students be required to complete volunteer work in the community? Write an essay of three or more paragraphs giving your opinion and supporting it with reasons and specific details.

  1. Choose a side quickly. In Ontario, students already need 40 hours of community involvement to graduate, so I know the topic. My opinion: yes, required volunteering is worthwhile.
  2. Two reasons + specific details. Reason 1: it helps students discover interests and skills (example: sorting donations at a food bank taught organization and teamwork). Reason 2: it connects young people with their community (example: shovelling snow for older neighbours led to real conversations and thank-you notes).
  3. Objection to answer: Students are already busy. Response: the hours can be spread over four years and fit around school.
  4. Introduction: Every Ontario student must complete 40 hours of community involvement before graduating. Some people see this as one more chore, but I believe required volunteering is one of the most valuable things a high school asks of its students, because it helps young people discover their strengths and builds stronger communities.
  5. Body paragraph 1 (draft): First, volunteering helps students discover what they are good at. Last winter, I sorted donations at our local food bank every Saturday. I had never thought of myself as organized, but by February the coordinator asked me to train two new volunteers. That experience showed me a skill I did not know I had, and it is now something I can put on a résumé. A requirement gets students through the door; what they find there can shape their plans.
  6. Conclusion: restate (Required volunteering is worth keeping), synthesize (skills plus community), final thought (Forty hours is a small price for discovering what you can give.).

A clear, consistent opinion; two reasons, each with a specific personal example that is explained; one objection answered; three or more paragraphs; about 500 words when complete.

Hands-on activity

Dinner-table debate to opinion essay

You need: a family member, a timer, paper and a pencil.

  1. Choose a teen-friendly question (for example, Should cellphones be banned during lunch? Should schools have a four-day week? Should students choose their own seats?).
  2. Debate it for 5 minutes. You must take one side and give reasons with specific examples.
  3. Write down the two best reasons you used and one objection your family member raised.
  4. Set a timer for 40 minutes and write a complete opinion essay of three or more paragraphs, aiming for about 400 to 500 words.
  5. Count your words. Then highlight your opinion statement, each reason, and each specific detail.

What to look for: an opinion in the first paragraph and repeated (in new words) in the last; every body paragraph with at least one concrete example and an explanation; no change of side partway through.

Just for fun

The OSSLT asks for your opinion on a topic familiar to teenagers. Sadly, Is it reasonable to sleep until noon on a Saturday? has never been on it. Yet.

Your turn

1

Which two areas is the OSSLT opinion essay scored on?

2

Make this support more specific: Sports are good for you.

3

What is wrong with this opinion essay ending? So phones should be banned. But actually they are pretty useful, so maybe not.

4

Why are personal examples especially useful on the OSSLT?

5

Write one sentence answering this objection: A four-day school week would be hard for parents who work on Fridays.

6

How many paragraphs should the OSSLT opinion essay have, at minimum?

More practice: warm-up

1

What does OSSLT stand for?

2

In what year of secondary school do most students first write it?

3

Is the OSSLT opinion essay scored as a polished final draft?

4

Name two kinds of supporting details.

5

What course can students take after being unsuccessful on the OSSLT (after two attempts)?

More practice: on your own

1

Write an introduction (2 to 3 sentences) for: Should students be allowed to listen to music while working in class?

2

Here is a body paragraph: Music helps people focus. It is good. Lots of people like it. Diagnose two problems and rewrite it.

3

Explain why two or three strong reasons beat five thin ones in a 500-word essay.

4

Turn this into a conclusion with a final thought: That is why we should have a longer lunch.

5

An opinion essay says Studies prove 98% of students hate homework. The writer made up the number. Why is this a problem?

Challenge

1

Write a complete opinion essay plan (opinion, two reasons with specific examples, one objection with a response, and a final thought) for: Should high schools start at 10 a.m.?

2

Write a full body paragraph (5 to 7 sentences) that includes a reason, a specific example, explanation and a response to an objection.

3

The OSSLT scoring for topic development rewards a thoughtful progression of ideas. Explain what that means and how a writer can show it.

Check your understanding

Quiz

1.

According to EQAO, the OSSLT opinion essay is scored as:

2.

Which detail is the most specific support?

3.

What makes an opinion consistent?

4.

About how long should the OSSLT opinion essay be?

5.

Which is the best way to handle an objection?

6.

Since you cannot research during the OSSLT, the best evidence is usually:

For parents and teachers

Big idea: Expectation 2.1 includes persuasive and informational forms. This lesson connects them to the OSSLT, which most students write in Grade 10 and which (or the OSSLC) is required for the OSSD. Facts about the test come from EQAO's published materials; check eqao.com or your school for current dates and details, since they can change.

How to help: debate everyday questions at home and ask Can you give me a specific example? Encourage a timed practice essay; EQAO publishes a free online practice test. Reassure your teen that the essay is scored as a first draft: clear opinion, specific support and readable writing matter more than perfection.

Common difficulties: switching sides mid-essay; vague support (it's good, lots of people); inventing statistics; running out of time because of no plan; writing one huge paragraph instead of three or more.

Students with an IEP may be eligible for accommodations; speak with the school.