Writing / Composition (作文)
Writing / Composition (作文) tests whether you can state a position, support it, and organize it within the paper's conditions. The prompt may ask for a 意見文 or a 体験に基づく作文 with a fixed 字数, often several hundred characters. Examiners reward a clear 結論, 理由, 具体例, and 再結論; they penalize 話し言葉, missing paragraphs, and 字数違反.
Build a visible structure
- Open with a direct 結論 that answers the question, not with a long background.
- Give one main 理由 per paragraph. Support it with a 具体例 from school life, reading, or society.
- End with a 再結論 that restates the position in different words and explains its significance.
- Use だ・である体 throughout unless the prompt specifies です・ます体.
- Follow 原稿用紙 conventions: indent the first line of each paragraph, place 句読点 correctly, and count characters including punctuation.
Worked example
Prompt: 「高校生活で成長した点を一つ挙げ、その理由を具体的に述べなさい（200字程度）」
A workable skeleton: 結論「私は粘り強さを身につけた。」 理由「文化祭の準備で、最初は意見がまとまらなかったからだ。」 具体例「私は毎週の話し合いで議題を整理し、反対意見も記録した。」 再結論「この経験から、続ける力が成長につながると学んだ。」
Reasoning: the prompt has two requirements - 成長した点 and その理由. The skeleton answers both, uses one concrete episode, and keeps the 再結論 from introducing a new topic. If the draft only narrates the festival, it fails the 理由 requirement.
Traps that cost marks
- Writing a 体験談 with no explicit 意見.
- Using 抽象語 such as 「いい経験になった」 without explaining how.
- Ignoring one half of a two-part prompt.
- Exceeding or falling far below the 字数 limit.
- Switching between だ・である and です・ます within one essay.