F.A.M.E.
Fletcher's Arrows Model Excellence
(on the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test – OSSLT)
OSSLT Workshop #4
Tuesday, March 31st,
2009
• Reading and Responding to Graphic Texts
• Answering Grammar-Based Questions
• Answering Multiple Choice Questions
Reading and Responding
to Graphic Texts
Steps for Reading Graphic Texts
1. Look at the GRAPHIC
TEXT first.




Read the title
Scan all headings
Examine any illustrations
Read the content of all
boxes
 Ask yourself, “What is the
general topic of the text?"
2. Read the QUESTIONS.
 "Mark-up" (Identify, highlight
or underline the key words
in the questions)
3. Return to the GRAPHIC
TEXT.
 Scan for the key words, and
then read carefully to seek
out the answers
Other OSSLT Graphic Texts
Tips for Answering Multiple Choice Questions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Read all instructions carefully before beginning, “marking up” the text as you read.
Underline the action words in the instructions, to remind yourself of your task, and any
adjectives (describing words) to make sure that you are answering the question
completely.
Read the multiple choice questions and answers before reading the actual text to
familiarize yourself with what to look for in the text itself.
“Mark up” the text as you read it, and try to identify the text’s 5WH (who, what,
where, when, why, and how). Again, highlight, underline, circle, and make notes in the
margins, in an attempt to identify the key words, phrases, and ideas of the text.
Read the entire section, including all answer choices, before choosing an answer. If
more than one choice seems to answer the question to a certain degree, choose the one
which seems to be most correct.
Beware of “distracters,” deliberately incorrect answers which are designed to lead you
away from the correct answer.
Use the “process of elimination” method to select the correct answer; rule out the
answers that you know cannot be correct before marking your answers on the answer
sheet.
If you have no idea what the correct answer is, make an “educated guess”:
1. If two of the options are very similar except for one or two words, one of these options is usually
the correct answer.
2. If two options mean the same thing, both options are probably wrong.
3. An option that is longer and more specific than the others is often correct.
4. The option “all of the above,” is often correct.
5. If all else fails, answer b or c are more likely to be correct than a or d.
6. NEVER leave a question blank!
Answering GrammarBased Multiple Choice
Questions
Types of Questions to Expect
Punctuation Questions:
• Proper Comma Placement
• Proper Apostrophe Placement
Grammar Questions:
• Proper Subject-Verb Agreement
• Proper Pronoun Usage
• Proper Phrase Placement
Sentence Content Questions:
• Choosing the Best Topic Sentence for the Paragraph
• Combining Several Sentences into one
• Choosing the Sentence that Does Not Belong
Punctuation Questions:
Proper Comma Placement
1. Choose the sentence that has correct
punctuation.
a) According to a recent census Canada has a
population of over 30 million people.
b) According to a recent census, Canada has a
population of over 30 million people.
c) According to a recent census Canada, has a
population of over 30 million people.
d) According to a recent census, Canada, has
a population of over 30 million people.
Punctuation Questions:
Proper Apostrophe Placement
2. Choose the sentence that has correct
punctuation.
a) Kathys brothers grew up in Sudbury, but
they didn't play hockey on the towns team.
b) Kathy's brothers grew up in Sudbury, but
they didn't play hockey on the town's team.
c) Kathys' brother grew up in Sudbury, but they
didn't play hockey on the town's team.
d) Kathy's brothers' grew up in Sudbury, but
they didn't play hockey on the towns' team.
Grammar Questions:
Proper Subject-Verb Agreement
3. Choose the sentence that is written
correctly.
a)
b)
c)
d)
Six cookies is lying on the table.
Three miles is not too far to walk.
Half the students wants to go by bus.
Two cups of cornflakes and three glasses of
juice is served for breakfast.
Grammar Questions:
Proper Pronoun Usage
4. Choose the correct option to fill in the
blank.
__________ got wet when it rained.
a)
b)
c)
d)
He and I
Him and I
He and me
Me and him.
Grammar Questions:
Proper Phrase Placement
5. Choose the correct option to fill in the
blank.
Long Point, __________ the Graveyard
of Lake Erie, has had numerous
shipwrecks.
a)
b)
c)
d)
Often called
Often is called
Often has been called
Which had often been called
Sentence Content Questions:
Choosing the Best Topic Sentence for the
Paragraph
6. Choose the best topic sentence for the paragraph.
_________________________________ . Two
attempts, one is 1925 and another in 1948, had failed
to get the Canadian Parliament to agree on a design
for a new flag. Some Members of Parliament wanted
the Canadian flag to include Britain's flag, the Union
Jack, in the design. Other Members of Parliament
could not agree on what colours should be on the flag.
Finally, on June 15, 1964, a bill was passed in
Parliament to accept the flag that we have now.
a)
b)
c)
d)
The Canadian flag has a red maple leaf.
Canada didn't have its own flag until 1964.
Britain did not want Canada to have a new flag.
Britain's flag is the most beautiful of all national flags.
Sentence Content Questions:
Combining Several Sentences into One
7. Choose the option that best combines all the information
in the boldfaced sentences.
John is an artist.
He is called a mixed-media artist.
Mixed-media artists use many materials for art.
Some materials may be trash or newspapers.
a)
b)
c)
d)
John is an artist, he uses mixed media, the materials are trash
and newspapers.
As a mixed-media artist, John uses many materials, such as
newspapers and trash, to make art.
Trash and newspapers are materials that John uses to make
art and since he is a mixed-media artist.
When John is a mixed-media artist who uses many materials,
such as trash and newspapers for his art.
Sentence Content Questions:
Choosing the Sentence that Does Not Belong
8. Choose the sentence that does not belong in the
paragraph.
(1) Many people are afraid of spiders. (2) They think
spiders can give them a poisonous bite. (3) Spiders
are not really insects, because insects have eight legs.
(4) Some spiders do have a poison that can kill flies
and other insects. (5) However, this poison is not
harmful to humans.
a)
b)
c)
d)
Sentence 2
Sentence 3
Sentence 4
Sentence 5
How to Achieve F.A.M.E.
• Fill in all lines
• Answer all stuff
• Mark up the pages
• can't Edit enough!
Fill in all lines
• The lines provided for you outline the expected
length of your answers; therefore, fill all of the
lines without going over.
• Going over the prescribed number of lines will
lead to a mark of zero on that question.
• Use the rough work areas to ensure that you
plan your answer before writing it in the lines
provided for you.
• Write as clearly and as concisely (i.e. "to the
point") as possible.
Answer all stuff
• Do not leave any of the questions blank!
• You do not lose marks for incorrect
answers, but you will receive failing marks
for unanswered questions.
• Even if you do not know the correct
answer…GUESS!
• When answering short answer questions,
answer in complete sentences.
Mark up the pages
• Mark up the questions to ensure that you
understand what you are being asked (i.e.
underline and circle important instructions
and key words)
• Mark up any texts that you are asked to
read as you go along, identifying the 5WH
and the topics of each paragraph
can't Edit enough!
• You will have plenty of time to complete your test and
many students finish early; if you find that you are one of
these students, ensure that you edit every single section
of your test:
• Mark up the questions to ensure that you have answered
the questions fully.
• Mark up the texts to ensure that you answered the
questions correctly.
• Search your answers for grammatical errors, for spelling
errors, and for punctuation errors.
• Add to your long writing tasks if you have not filled in all
of the lines.
• Review your multiple choice answers to see if they make
sense.
With all of these tips in mind,
all of you
Fletcher's Arrows will Model Excellence!
Good luck on the 2009 OSSLT!