Free Writing / Composition
What the composition task asks
The free writing item asks for a short English response, often three to five sentences, on a familiar topic: your school life, a club, a trip, a person you respect, or an opinion with a reason. Nagano scoring rewards clear content, correct basic grammar, and answering every condition.
Core rules
- Read the conditions and number them: topic, number of sentences, reason, example. Cross them off as you write.
- Plan three lines: topic sentence, reason or detail, closing sentence.
- Use grammar you can control. A simple present-tense sentence with correct agreement scores better than an ambitious sentence with broken structure.
- Connect ideas with because, so, for example, also. Do not start every sentence with 'I.'
- Leave one minute to check: capital letters, periods, third-person -s, past tense, plural -s.
Worked example
Prompt: 'What club do you want to join? Write three sentences, including one reason.' Model: 'I want to join the tennis club. I like playing sports with my friends. Also, I want to become stronger.' The first sentence answers the topic; the second gives a reason; the third adds a related detail without changing the topic. Each sentence has a subject and a finite verb.
Traps
- Writing four or five sentences when the prompt says three; extra sentences can add errors.
- Forgetting the reason, which is a required condition.
- Translating a long Japanese idea into English word by word.
- No closing sentence, so the response feels incomplete.
Exam habit
Before writing, say your three sentences in your head. Write them in simple English. Then check only the errors you know you make: tense, articles, and plurals.