VEPT Summary and Opinion Writing 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which revision improves this vague opinion: 'Social media has good and bad effects.'
- Social media is something that many people use every single day in their lives.
- While social media fosters global connection, its role in spreading misinformation poses a significant public health risk. (Correct answer)
- Social media affects people in different ways depending on how they use it.
- Some people think social media is good and others think it is bad.
Correct answer: While social media fosters global connection, its role in spreading misinformation poses a significant public health risk.
Naming specific benefits and harms creates a concrete, arguable opinion rather than a vague both-sides statement.
Question 2: What is the purpose of a concluding sentence in an opinion paragraph?
- To introduce new evidence
- To restate the paragraph's main point and reinforce how the evidence supports it (Correct answer)
- To ask a question for the reader to answer
- To summarize the entire essay
Correct answer: To restate the paragraph's main point and reinforce how the evidence supports it
A concluding sentence ties the paragraph's evidence back to its central claim, completing the argument before moving on.
Question 3: When two sources disagree, how should a summary handle this?
- Ignore the source you disagree with personally
- Present both perspectives accurately and note the disagreement (Correct answer)
- Choose whichever source supports your opinion
- Only summarize the most recent source
Correct answer: Present both perspectives accurately and note the disagreement
An objective summary of conflicting sources presents both viewpoints fairly without letting personal bias determine what is included.
Question 4: Which of the following best describes the 'claim-evidence-reasoning' structure?
- State your opinion, give a fact, and then change your opinion
- Make a claim, provide supporting evidence, and explain how the evidence supports the claim (Correct answer)
- Summarize the source, add a quote, and end with a question
- Write an introduction, a summary, and a counterargument
Correct answer: Make a claim, provide supporting evidence, and explain how the evidence supports the claim
Claim-evidence-reasoning is a core argumentative pattern where each element builds logically on the previous one.
Question 5: A summary that uses 'I think' and 'In my opinion' throughout is problematic because:
- It makes the summary too short
- It inserts subjective judgment into what should be a neutral account of the source (Correct answer)
- It uses informal vocabulary
- It fails to cite the source
Correct answer: It inserts subjective judgment into what should be a neutral account of the source
Opinion markers shift the focus from the source's ideas to the writer's reactions, breaking the neutrality required of a summary.
Question 6: Which strategy helps vary sentence structure in opinion writing?
- Starting every sentence with 'I believe'
- Using only simple sentences for clarity
- Mixing short declarative sentences with longer complex ones (Correct answer)
- Repeating the thesis word-for-word in each paragraph
Correct answer: Mixing short declarative sentences with longer complex ones
Varying sentence length and structure improves readability and demonstrates writing sophistication valued in placement tests.
Question 7: In VEPT opinion writing, which response would score highest for task completion?
- A response that restates the prompt question without answering it
- A response that clearly states a position and supports it with at least two specific reasons (Correct answer)
- A response written entirely as bullet points
- A response that summarizes the prompt but avoids giving a personal view
Correct answer: A response that clearly states a position and supports it with at least two specific reasons
VEPT scoring rewards responses that directly address the prompt with a clear stance and adequate developed support.
VEPT Summary and Opinion Writing 5
Which revision improves this vague opinion: 'Social media has good and bad effects.'