English Standard Question Thread

[Natasha.97]

Hello, quick question about quoting in an essay. my quote directly from the novel is '... WE'RE JUST ALIKE...' do I keep that in capitals?
Thank you!!!

If that's what is written in the novel, go for it!

[12070]

Hello, quick question about quoting in an essay. my quote directly from the novel is '... WE'RE JUST ALIKE...' do I keep that in capitals?
Thank you!!!

Yes. Also a good opportunity to use it as a technique and discuss the effect and meaning.

[Aussie1Italia2]

Hi I've been reading through the marking center notes for previous HSC papers. and they constantly mention textual detail also more specifically what do they mean by drawing specific conclusions from the examples chosen rather than using textual detail without purpose

Thank you!

[elysepopplewell]

Hi I've been reading through the marking center notes for previous HSC papers. and they constantly mention textual detail also more specifically what do they mean by drawing specific conclusions from the examples chosen rather than using textual detail without purpose

Thank you!

Hey there
Textual detail is the quotes or references from the text! So, they are saying that instead of just using quotes and other references for the sake of showing you understand the text on a macro level, you need to draw very specific conclusions from the quotes/references. So, not just identifying a metaphor is at play, but exactly what the metaphor is intended for and also the ramifications of this metaphor for the way the text is received.

So basically, they are saying that we need to choose the parts of the texts we talk about judiciously, and we need to be specific, as opposed to general, in the "effect" of the techniques at play.

[Daniyahasan]

hey guys,
does anyone use the checkpoints standard english book?
i got it because apparently it has band 6 sample essays, but im reading through the Billy Elliot essay now and tbh it doesnt sound badn 6 to me..
anyone have an opinions or something about those books and essays?

[Natasha.97]

hey guys,
does anyone use the checkpoints standard english book?
i got it because apparently it has band 6 sample essays, but im reading through the Billy Elliot essay now and tbh it doesnt sound badn 6 to me..
anyone have an opinions or something about those books and essays?

Hi!
I agree with you, these honestly aren't the best out there. It seems like it is more retelling of the plot rather than analysis

[Daniyahasan]

Hi!
I agree with you, these honestly aren't the best out there. It seems like it is more retelling of the plot rather than analysis

omg so true, i guess the essays just ramble on and dont stick to the point

[fantasticbeasts3]

hi guys!

i've been looking for new related texts since the end of trials and considering my rank went out the window because of trials, i really need to up my game in the hsc to somehow get a decent atar. anyway, for exploring transitions, i'm doing billy elliot and i'm thinking of doing mao's last dancer, and if it works, i might use it for discovery. i'm unsure whether this text is complex enough because teachers at my school are very picky about related material (jamon do you remember when i asked about this? hahahah)

i reckon i could do the novel for both exploring transitions and discovery... thoughts?

[Natasha.97]

hi guys!

i've been looking for new related texts since the end of trials and considering my rank went out the window because of trials, i really need to up my game in the hsc to somehow get a decent atar. anyway, for exploring transitions, i'm doing billy elliot and i'm thinking of doing mao's last dancer, and if it works, i might use it for discovery. i'm unsure whether this text is complex enough because teachers at my school are very picky about related material (jamon do you remember when i asked about this? hahahah)

i reckon i could do the novel for both exploring transitions and discovery... thoughts?

Hi

From what I've seen on the web, it seems like a pretty good RT! I also have one text for both Discovery and Exploring Transitions as they are pretty much the same thing 

[JaymesJimmy]

Anyone got any notes on "Of Mice & Men" ??

[fantasticbeasts3]

Anyone got any notes on "Of Mice & Men" ??

sorry i just saw this!! i did this novel in year 10, but had a crap teacher so don't have any notes :-/

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too lazy to send that as one post then post a question as another (that did not make any sense) aaaaanyway, i was wondering if there's any restrictions or guidelines for swearing in creatives? quoting texts in essays with swear words is fine, but i'm unsure about the creative :-)

[jamonwindeyer]

i was wondering if there's any restrictions or guidelines for swearing in creatives? quoting texts in essays with swear words is fine, but i'm unsure about the creative :-)

You can definitely swear! It's a technique (profanity), so you can absolutely use it to serve a purpose! If it is just there for the sake of it, it won't go down well though - Use it sparsely for dramatic effect or tension.

Oh, steer clear of the c-word, in general there is nowhere to use that appropriately

[fantasticbeasts3]

You can definitely swear! It's a technique (profanity), so you can absolutely use it to serve a purpose! If it is just there for the sake of it, it won't go down well though - Use it sparsely for dramatic effect or tension.

Oh, steer clear of the c-word, in general there is nowhere to use that appropriately

oh alright that's good :-) the creative is about my personal discovery, and i swear a lot in my mind (was only planning to use it once in my creative anyways!)

of course, i could never bring myself to say the c-word :-)

[daniel.strozek]

Hi, do you have any tips on preparing for a Module C listening task?

[elysepopplewell]

Hi, do you have any tips on preparing for a Module C listening task?

I've realised that everyone's experiences of writing tasks are very diverse! This is a response I wrote to someone who asked about Module B (Advanced) listening task advice. This might give you a hand, or it might not if your task is entirely different. If it doesn't seem to ring true to how you expect your listening task will be then post back with more specific details of your task

Hey Krystelle! this sounds like a really tricky listening task to me! My suggestions for studying are...:

-Know the content of the poems well. What are the themes being treated in each? This is important to know because each speaker may present the themes differently: one could speak of Yeats' ageing poems as an elegy to youth, whereas another speaker could be using his or her voice to suggest the beauty of the ageing process. So knowing the themes of each will be an important link to the tone of the speaker's voices.

-Study some words for vocal techniques. Tone, diction, and pace are easy places to start. Volume, even! If the speaker clearly gets softer in one section, they could be expressing a mourning, or concealing content. Take note of upwards or downward inflictions in your everyday conversations leading up to the exam. Typically, females use upwards inflictions more, just a warning. So, notice how when we ask a question we usually end the last word, or the last syllable, at a higher pitch than the other words in the sentence? Think of a small child saying, "Can I have some ice cream...pleaaaaase?" If you're imagining it as I hope you are, you'll hear a little upwards infliction at the end. If someone is stating something, they're more likely to use a downwards or monotone infliction. If someone is questioning something, or playfully toying with an idea, they'll likely use upwards inflictions. So if you can pay close attention to the way we speak using inflictions at the end, it could come in handy when you're listening to your speakers. Also, there's a stark difference between someone speaking monotone and someone using their voice to mirror the lulls of wording. Perhaps if we are looking at a poem like Leda and the Swan, someone speaking forcefully and using their volume to add to the crescendo of the violence, we could feel a passion from the speaker. But if someone speaks of Leda and the Swan softly, and perhaps quietly and smoothly, they could be interpreting the poem as a eulogy.

So, good words to use: tone, monotone, inflictions, volume, pitch, diction. If you can have a look at the rhyming scheme of each poem too and commit that to memory, then perhaps you could use that to your advantage too. Is the speaker leaning in to the rhyming scheme and playing along joyfully, or are they using their tone to suppress the rhyming.

Good luck!