This part of the Secondary 5 Ministry Exam is a written production graded with the Ministry Rubric. The following are some tips to help meet the Rubric’s requirements for as many points as possible.
It is separated into 3 parts:
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the introduction
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the body paragraphs
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the conclusion
A section on the Language Repertoire also provides tips and tricks for the evaluation.
Elements to include in the introduction
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Title with a clear connection with the introduction
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Hook to grab the reader's attention
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Thesis statement that contains: a direct connection to the topic, an opinion and arguments
Tips on building a good introduction
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Keep it short, approximately 40 to 65 words
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Avoid using the pronoun “I”
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Make sure you are writing for the right audience (teenagers-young adults)
A title must be centered on the page and capitalized. It needs to be short, generally between 3 and 8 words. It must grab the reader’s attention and link directly to the topic.
Example 1 (Adequate title):
Title: Teens Are Dangerous Drivers
Cars, in the hands of teenagers, can be more dangerous than guns! Teen drivers are reckless, immature, and untrained behind the wheel. In 2019, almost 2,400 teenagers died in car accidents.
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Centered |
Yes |
|
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Capitalized |
Yes |
Teens Are Dangerous Drivers |
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On topic |
Yes |
Teens mentioned in title and in text introduction |
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Does the title grab the attention? |
Yes |
Teens Are Dangerous Drivers using the word "dangerous" catches the attention. |
Example 2 (Inadequate Title)
Title: Adult Truck Drivers Are Good Drivers
Cars can be more dangerous than guns! Teen drivers are reckless, immature, and untrained behind the wheel. In 2019, over 2,400 teens died in car crashes in the United States of America and several hundred thousand were injured.
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Centered |
Yes |
|
|
Capitalized |
Yes |
Adult Truck Drivers Are Good Drivers |
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On topic |
No |
Truck drivers are mentioned in the title, and teens are mentioned in the introduction |
|
Does the title grab the attention? |
No |
"Good Drivers" is very general and offers little interest. |
Every introduction needs an attention-grabber, also called the hook. The following are some tips and tricks to write a good hook:
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using a question
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using a powerful statement
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using a quote
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using an anecdotal story or a personal experience
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using a current event
For more details on the introduction and how to write a Hook, watch part 3 of the Crash Course.
The introduction can start with a question that surprises the reader or that causes them to think.
For a topic like:
“Is it important to teach handwriting in schools?”
Possible introduction questions:
Pro
→ Isn’t handwriting absolutely necessary when technology isn’t available?
Against
→ Why waste time learning handwriting when you can use a computer?
For a topic like:
“Is year-round school better for students?”
Possible introduction questions:
Against
→ Have you ever been in a classroom during the summer heat?
Nuanced - Mainly Against
→ Will we be able to maintain a building properly with year-round school?
Shocking the reader with an exaggeration is an excellent technique to grab attention.
For a topic like:
“Should final exams be abolished?"
Possible powerful statements:
Against
→ The high level of stress involved with final exams increases prescription drug use and requests for counselling.
Pro
→ Final exams demonstrate your ability to handle stressful situations.
*Make sure to use solid verifiable evidence such as facts or statistics. When unsure of the specific statistics, using a formulation like more than or around can help, since it is more general.
Quoting a famous person or a celebrity is excellent. It requires more preparation and some memorization, because bringing notes to the exam is not allowed.
After reading the Preparation Booklet (watch part 1 of the Crash Course for a short description of the Preparation Booklet), you will have a general idea of what the subject will be. Therefore, there will be enough time to do some research before the written production.
For a topic like:
“Should schools offer perseverance classes?”
Possible quotes:
Pro
→ “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” -Nelson Mandela
→ “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” -Benjamin Franklin
→ “I can do that all day.” -Steve Rogers
For a topic like:
“Should all junk food be banned from school cafeterias?"
Possible quotes:
Pro
→ “Everyone would be healthier if they didn’t eat junk food.” -Robert Atkins
→ “I am very concerned about junk food in schools.”-Teresa Heinz
The objective of this technique is to get the reader involved emotionally by telling a personal anecdote or an anecdotal story.
It needs to be directly linked to the topic, because this attention-grabber might be a little longer than the others. It should be under 60 words.
For a topic like:
“Do negative life experiences help the creative process?”
Possible personal story:
Pro
→ When my friend Tabitha wrote her first book, she never would have thought that her difficult childhood could produce such creativity. She knows she never had it easy, but looking back now, her negative life experiences helped develop her creativity.
At 39 words, the personal story helps readers get into it.
Against
→ My older brother used to be a great musician. He played in two different bands and enjoyed his music so much. Being also in the army, he was deployed for the first time last year. He came back just a few months ago absolutely crushed. He can barely sleep anymore and hasn’t picked up his instrument in weeks.
At 58 words, this clearly indicates where you’re going with the rest of the text.
For a topic like:
“Is an Olympic dream worth all the sacrifices?”
Possible personal anecdote:
Against
→ Seven days a week, 3 times a day, my friend Ibake had to train for track and field. Sweat, blood, and pain welcomed him every time he stepped onto the field to train. Now, standing in the crowd looking at the gold medal that should have been his, he finally believes it wasn’t worth it.
At 55 words, you are still within the target for the number of words.
Daily events can be an excellent inspiration for a text. Pay attention to the news so you can rephrase news stories and use them for the introduction.
The main focus when using current events is to make sure they are accurate and applicable to the situation. Shocking news, scientific discoveries, and sporting events can be used appropriately.
Some events that happened in the not-too-distant past are good examples:
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Ukraine invasion in 2022
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MRNA vaccines in 2019
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Fukushima Nuclear Disaster in 2011
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Asimo the Robot in 2000
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Lance Armstrong’s Tour de France Scandal
Keep in mind that you need to use recent events.
A thesis statement is a sentence stating a position on any given topic.
It must:
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Express a clear position on the topic
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Be specific
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Give the reader the direction of the text
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Be short, usually a single sentence
For more details on the Thesis Statement, watch part 4 of the Crash Course
Every argument from the body paragraphs needs to back up the thesis statement.
In the current case, the thesis statement shows your position on the proposed question in the Student Booklet on the day of the evaluation.
Electric cars are the way to go in the future. An electric car’s upfront cost is rapidly dropping. Also, electric cars are cheaper and easier to maintain. Owning an electric car saves you time and money, because you don’t have to pump gas or spend money on filling it up.
50 words
3 arguments identified:
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Electric car’s upfront cost is rapidly dropping.
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Electric cars are cheaper and easier to maintain.
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Owning an electric car saves you time and money, because you don’t have to pump gas or spend money filling it up.*
*be careful not to explain/argue in the introduction.
Electric cars are the way to go in the future because their upfront cost is rapidly dropping, they are cheaper, easier to maintain, and owning one gives you more personal time.
31 words
Using because shortens the 3 arguments:
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their upfront cost is rapidly dropping
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they are cheaper and easier to maintain
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owning one gives you more personal time.
Electric cars are the way to go in the future because their upfront cost is dropping, they have easier and cheaper maintenance, and give you more personal time.
28 words.
3 arguments easily identified and concise:
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upfront cost is dropping
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easier and cheaper to maintain
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give more personal time.
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Title |
Clear connection with the introduction |
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Hook |
• A question |
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Thesis Statement |
• Direct connection to the topic |
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Other points to verify |
• Keep it short, approximately 40 to 65 words |
A good paragraph has a basic structure with three main components.
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A topic sentence: A topic sentence, or key sentence, is the first sentence of a paragraph that prepares the audience for the information to come. Each body paragraph must have its own topic sentence. The topic sentence must tell the reader what to expect in the paragraph.
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Supporting evidence: Body paragraphs contain information to back up claims with supporting points, examples, research, statistics, studies, and quotes.
Keep in mind that the access to the Preparation Booklet or to any personal notes is not permitted. Memorize information on the topic before the written production.
After the topic sentence, the rest of the paragraph should contain supporting sentences to back up the main idea. Fill the main body of the essay with a mixture of substance and analysis. -
A concluding sentence: Briefly summarize the information mentioned before moving on to the next section.
For more details on how to write Body Paragraphs, watch part 5 of the Crash Course:
How are They Graded?
According to the Ministry Rubric, to obtain a passing grade in your body paragraphs, keep things organized and developed. But most importantly, stick to the position taken in the introduction (thesis statement), provide evidence, and avoid repetition.
The conclusion has 2 parts:
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Summarize briefly the arguments presented in the opinion piece in 1 or 2 sentences.
To summarize briefly the arguments, you can rephrase the thesis statement from the introduction. -
Finish with a final thought
The final thought is the most important part of the conclusion: it needs to leave a lasting impression on the audience.
For more details on the Conclusion, watch part 6 of the Crash Course.
For a topic like:
“Will forcing children to read help literacy?”
The warning could be:
Making sure students have access to a variety of good books and the time to read and talk about them is a more efficient way to improve reading skills. Forcing students to read specific books will simply make them lose interest in reading more on their own.
The instructions could be:
Improving reading skills is a challenge for every teacher. One must try to offer as much variety and diversity as possible to ease the transition of knowledge. The classroom becomes a safe place for new readers when they can share and learn in it.
For a topic like:
“Will the aging population affect the global economy?”
The question could be:
What will happen to young people’s retirement plans?
For a topic like:
“Are mainstream ads filled with too many stereotypes?”
The recommendation could be:
Consumers have a role to play to stop companies from conveying such stereotypes, and it is to boycott them!
For a topic like:
“Is animal cruelty as punishable as human violence?”
The powerful statement could be:
Animals are not stuffed toys! They deserve to be treated with respect, like all living creatures.
Keep your conclusion short and do not add new information.
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First sentences |
Summarize the arguments presented in your essay: |
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Finish with a final thought |
Choose one option: |
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Keep it short! |
Around 40 words |
The language repertoire is the ability to use correct vocabulary, mechanics and grammatical structures in a selected language, in this case, English.
The language repertoire used in the opinion piece is worth 25 points out of a total of 50 points. That is 50% of the total score on the quality of your English. See the Ministry Rubric if needed.
Your text must be understood easily with minimal interpretation from the reader.
To be understood, the objective is to keep your sentences clear, organized and to the point.
Try to use the following tips and tricks.
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Make sure no sentences in your text are over 15 words long.
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Rephrase parts that are unclear.
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Always use English (never switch back to other languages in your text).
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Use transition words to structure your ideas.
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Use typical English forms.
For more details on the Language Repertoire, watch part 7 of the Crash Course