OSSLT OSSLT - Ontario Secondary School Literacy Writing a News Report

Question 1

What is the opening paragraph of a news report, which summarizes the most important information, called?

Accepted Answer

Lead

Answer

The lead (or lede) is the first paragraph of a news report and answers the most essential questions about the story concisely.

Question 2

Which structural format do news reports typically follow, placing the most important information first?

Accepted Answer

Inverted pyramid

Answer

The inverted pyramid places the most critical facts at the top and less important details toward the end of the article.

Question 3

A strong news report lead must answer which set of essential questions?

Accepted Answer

Who, What, When, Where, Why (and How)

Answer

Answering the five Ws (and H) ensures readers immediately understand the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the story.

Question 4

What is the bold title at the top of a news article that summarizes the story called?

Accepted Answer

Headline

Answer

The headline is a brief, attention-grabbing title that gives readers a quick idea of the article's main topic.

Question 5

News reports are primarily written in which verb tense?

Accepted Answer

Past tense

Answer

News reports use the past tense because they describe events that have already occurred.

OSSLT - Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test Practice Test