VCE English Question Thread

[One Step at a Time]

Hi Lauren 

Thank you so much, I think I understand where you are coming from.

If I'm not wrong, the contention itself is the challenge and all the TS are the arguments stemming from the contention.

I wrote the contention and 4 topic sentences as practice for Gattaca, which I studied last year, to the topic below.
It is individual acts of defiance that makes Gattaca so engaging. Discuss.

Contention: Although the vignettes of individual defiance depicted complicate the film's portrayal of morality, ultimately these actions are an integral part of Niccol's attempts to communicate his fascination with the engaging stories of individuals who are affected by the defiance of social construct.
1. Niccol delves into the way in which the omnipresence of defiance against authority renders Gattaca engaging.
2. Coalesced with a fixation on the ubiquity of defiance to oppose authority, viewers are exposed to individuals coming to terms with the corollary effects of their acts of resistance against society’s morals in an engaging manner.
3. Whilst the struggles faced in satiating pursuits are inevitable in a controlled society, Niccol may foster audience engagement in crafting those who harness such defiance to fuel their aspirations, as ultimately being rewarded.
4. Despite the engaging nature of the defiance perpetrated by individuals, viewers are also confronted with the conflicting notions of defiance and morality which permeate the plot, hence divulging Gattaca as engaging in a different manner.

Would love to hear your feedback! I feel like I'm getting the gist of what to do when given the topic 

[Syndicate]

Hey,

Just have a quick question. Is it good to use colloquial language in creative pieces?

For example: My family will pull off another embarrassing moment.

I am just somewhat confused as my criteria states:

Spoiler

Highly expressive, fluent and coherent written language that employs the skilful and accurate use of appropriate conventions for stylistic effect. <--any recommendations?

Thanks,
Syndicate

[Swagadaktal]

Hey,

Just have a quick question. Is it good to use colloquial language in creative pieces?

For example: My family will pull off another embarrassing moment.

I am just somewhat confused as my criteria states:

Spoiler

Highly expressive, fluent and coherent written language that employs the skilful and accurate use of appropriate conventions for stylistic effect. <--any recommendations?

Thanks,
Syndicate

Haven't done context in a while so I'm a bit rusty here - Lauren (or anyone else) could probs give you a more in-depth answer, but a part of the context criteria is something along the lines of "using language that is specific to the form and audience" (maybe something else but i forgot). So if colloquial language relates to your form or your audience then sure. I.E a personal letter to a loved one doesn't have to be formal (it'd be quite weird if you used formal analytical language to your lover) - yeah this is about the extent of my understanding soo

hope this helps

[tashhhaaa]

Hey,

Just have a quick question. Is it good to use colloquial language in creative pieces?

For example: My family will pull off another embarrassing moment.

I am just somewhat confused as my criteria states:

Spoiler

Highly expressive, fluent and coherent written language that employs the skilful and accurate use of appropriate conventions for stylistic effect. <--any recommendations?

Thanks,
Syndicate

to my understanding it's fine since I wasn't ever penalised for it (obviously in the SAC you can do an explanatory piece/statement of intention/whatever so you can explain why you're using that language)

basically

So if colloquial language relates to your form or your audience then sure. I.E a personal letter to a loved one doesn't have to be formal (it'd be quite weird if you used formal analytical language to your lover)

I'd argue that colloquialisms could make your writing more realistic since we don't all use proper syntax in conversation. Also, your characters might be more interesting to read about if they don't all sound like they're reading a textbook :p
Don't overthink it

Need help tackling this prompt: "When confronted by Conflict, it is always better to take a side". Any advice would be of much appreciation.

The way I always broke down prompts was a bit basic... Nevertheless, the following method worked for me:
1. What are the 'key words' of the prompt? Also note any absolutes/qualifiers like 'never' and 'always', as well as words like 'better', 'damaging', 'harmful', whatever
In this case we've got confronted, better and side as keywords while always is an absolute
2. Think about the key words again -- what does 'confronted' mean in this prompt? What could it mean? eg. is the conflict a challenge to confront? A burden? Something to deal with or handle? Or is it just a synonym for 'faced'? o.O What it means is up to you though
3. Note any connections between the words. For me, confronted and side call to mind an argument, disagreement etc, but it could for everyone else too -- any ideas are welcome.
A few ideas I just had (I actually did identity and belonging so I hope this is still relevant):
- Conflict between who someone is (eg. culture, sexual orientation) and who they 'should' be (expectations), herein the side being what/who they choose to be
- A scenario where taking sides is/isn't advantageous
- An expository essay with some examples of real life stuff when confronting conflict did or did not work (yes this is very superficial but hopefully you catch my drift)
4. Keep thinking, probably try to challenge the prompt at this stage -- something like "What if I don't want to confront conflicts? What if confrontation is bad? What are sides anyway? What if the best way to approach conflict is by doing your own thing and not taking any side? susefoiewifguiesiues"

not sure if I confused you even more but try out my weird thinking pathway and you might get some ideas

someone plz pull me up if I give dodgy advice lol

[literally lauren]

Need help tackling this prompt: "When confronted by Conflict, it is always better to take a side". Any advice would be of much appreciation.

Tasha covered this nicely, so all I have to add is ASK "WHY?" It's not the most extensive of processes, but if you're ever lost in Context, look at the prompt or the last sentence you've written and ask "but why??"

So, apparently it's always better to take sides in Conflict? --> WHY?
Or, if you're mostly disagreeing, then I guess it's not always a good idea to pick a side. --> WHY?

Then, if you can come up for an answer for that question and get stuck again, repeat the process. Just keep asking "why" until you get to a point where you're like '...because...that's just how things are!!@!' At that point, you've gone far enough. Everything up till that point is stuff you can include in your essays though, because the assessors like to see students following their train of thought rather than making random, unsubstantiated claims about conflict and the way the world is.

Can be kind of frustrating at first, but once you're used to it, this is a fairly foolproof method for unpacking your ideas

If I'm not wrong, the contention itself is the challenge and all the TS are the arguments stemming from the contention.

Yep!

I wrote the contention and 4 topic sentences as practice for Gattaca, which I studied last year, to the topic below.
It is individual acts of defiance that makes Gattaca so engaging. Discuss.

Hmm... prompt sounds familiar

Contention: Although the vignettes of individual defiance depicted complicate the film's portrayal of morality, ultimately these actions are an integral part of Niccol's attempts to communicate his fascination with the engaging stories of individuals who are affected by the defiance of social construct.
1. Niccol delves into the way in which the omnipresence of defiance against authority renders Gattaca engaging.

Wording is a little bogged down here, but I get what you're going for. The text shows how omnipresent defiance is, which makes it engaging, yeah? It sounds a bit odd to say 'Niccol delves into how X renders the film engaging' since that's kind of like saying 'the author explores how readers enjoy the novel.' And be careful with how you're using 'vignettes.' I'd say it's appropriate in Stasiland, but Gattaca has a more straightforward plot. Aside from those little concerns, this is all good.

2. Coalesced with a fixation on the ubiquity of defiance to oppose authority, viewers are exposed to individuals coming to terms with the corollary effects of their acts of resistance against society’s morals in an engaging manner.

Ditto regarding your word choices; 'coalesced' doesn't quite work here, but this is also fine in terms of relevance.

3. Whilst the struggles faced in satiating pursuits are inevitable in a controlled society, Niccol may foster audience engagement in crafting those who harness such defiance to fuel their aspirations, as ultimately being rewarded.

Here, 'satiating' is the odd word, and be careful not to talk about what the author 'may' be doing. Same rule goes for Language Analysis - just assume the author is successful and talk about what they intended to achieve - don't evaluate whether or not it works.

4. Despite the engaging nature of the defiance perpetrated by individuals, viewers are also confronted with the conflicting notions of defiance and morality which permeate the plot, hence divulging Gattaca as engaging in a different manner.

And this time 'divulging' is your weird word. Divulging has to be used in the sense of 'X divulges Y to Z' as in, 'He divulges his secrets to me.' You seem to be using it as a synonym for 'suggests' or 'positioning' which isn't 100% right even if most people would know what you meant.

I feel like I'm getting the gist of what to do when given the topic 

Good to hear! If you do get a bit frustrated with this process - as most students will at some point - just know that the fact that you're able to work through these problems and reformulate your arguments is putting you way above the vast majority of the state who just blindly follow the 'agree+agree+disagree' or 'TEEL' methods without even thinking

Hey,

Just have a quick question. Is it good to use colloquial language in creative pieces?

For example: My family will pull off another embarrassing moment.

I am just somewhat confused as my criteria states:

Spoiler

Highly expressive, fluent and coherent written language that employs the skilful and accurate use of appropriate conventions for stylistic effect. <--any recommendations?

Thanks,
Syndicate

Believability matters. If your character would believable use this phrase, then you can use it in your writing.

In fact, it's often worse to stick with a ridiculously formal/ 'essay-ish' tone if you're writing a creative or hybrid piece. Otherwise, you end up with clunky lines like: 'My family are indelibly flawed, and as a consequence of their somewhat neglectful parenting, I am left with an insufficient understanding of the world.' No one talks like that, right? So you shouldn't write like that if you're trying to encapsulate a believable voice for your character

[Syndicate]

Thank you all for your valuable responses

[michael leahcim]

Hi guys, I was wondering how you might go about doing an encountering conflict repository for revision. I'm a little stuck on how I should outline my evidences and how I might organise it, so that by the end of the year it wouldn't be so much of a hassle.

Thanks!

[literally lauren]

Hi guys, I was wondering how you might go about doing an encountering conflict repository for revision. I'm a little stuck on how I should outline my evidences and how I might organise it, so that by the end of the year it wouldn't be so much of a hassle.

Thanks!

Most of my students have found a simple word doc that goes through each example to be sufficient. Then under each one, you'll have a brief description (in case you come back to one after a few months and think wtf was I on about??) and a few key dot points for discussion purposes. I'd also recommend linking each example to some of the major 'themes' within your Context (e.g. for Conflict, you might have areas like 'cause vs. consequence,' 'fear/negative effects' 'strength/growth/positive effects,' 'our response to conflict and our true values' etc.) Basically go through as many prompts as you can find (& there's a fairly conclusive list here unless your school has a bunch of weird ones) and collate all the similar words and ideas you come across. That way, if you get a SAC/exam prompt like 'Conflict brings out the best in people' you go to your mental happy place and think 'k, cool, so I can use examples X, Y, and Z because they relate to our response to conflict and the notion of positive consequences.'

You'll usually have to end up merging categories since it's rare that exam prompts correspond with a single concept/theme, but this should enable you to find which examples are most flexible, and which have more narrow applicability.

Since this is a resource that's basically just for you, though, you should work out what things are going to be most helpful to you. So if connecting your examples with the prompt is an issue, then the stuff I outlined above will probably be your best bet. But if you struggle to adequately explain the connections between your examples and your ideas, then that should be your priority. Or, if you always struggle to summarise the example quickly, then write a nice, efficient one/two word statement in your repository which you can wheel out in your essays. Or, if you can never find links between your examples, then add a section to each piece of evidence where you try and forge connections to other stuff in your list. etc. etc. Structure it based on whatever you believe your weaknesses to be. And you can always add/change stuff as you go

Brilliant work on starting to compile a repository right now though - a lot of students will wait till waaaay later on the year and they'll miss out on that more gradual collection/documentation process, so you're definitely taking some of the strain off your Semester 2 self

[tashhhaaa]

Most of my students have found a simple word doc that goes through each example to be sufficient. Then under each one, you'll have a brief description (in case you come back to one after a few months and think wtf was I on about??) and a few key dot points for discussion purposes. I'd also recommend linking each example to some of the major 'themes' within your Context (e.g. for Conflict, you might have areas like 'cause vs. consequence,' 'fear/negative effects' 'strength/growth/positive effects,' 'our response to conflict and our true values' etc.) Basically go through as many prompts as you can find (& there's a fairly conclusive list here unless your school has a bunch of weird ones) and collate all the similar words and ideas you come across. That way, if you get a SAC/exam prompt like 'Conflict brings out the best in people' you go to your mental happy place and think 'k, cool, so I can use examples X, Y, and Z because they relate to our response to conflict and the notion of positive consequences.'

You'll usually have to end up merging categories since it's rare that exam prompts correspond with a single concept/theme, but this should enable you to find which examples are most flexible, and which have more narrow applicability.

Since this is a resource that's basically just for you, though, you should work out what things are going to be most helpful to you. So if connecting your examples with the prompt is an issue, then the stuff I outlined above will probably be your best bet. But if you struggle to adequately explain the connections between your examples and your ideas, then that should be your priority. Or, if you always struggle to summarise the example quickly, then write a nice, efficient one/two word statement in your repository which you can wheel out in your essays. Or, if you can never find links between your examples, then add a section to each piece of evidence where you try and forge connections to other stuff in your list. etc. etc. Structure it based on whatever you believe your weaknesses to be. And you can always add/change stuff as you go

Brilliant work on starting to compile a repository right now though - a lot of students will wait till waaaay later on the year and they'll miss out on that more gradual collection/documentation process, so you're definitely taking some of the strain off your Semester 2 self

can confirm that I did this (although I was one of the people who rushed it/did it before exams and thus didn't gain the full benefit) & it was extremely helpful, definitely worth your time.

[kimmytaaa]

Does anyone have notes or summary on Brooklyn?

[literally lauren]

Does anyone have notes or summary on Brooklyn?

Some stuff here

[HasibA]

how do i go about improving my confidence for english? i know this is a bit of a random question, but even if i'm gettign really high scores for essays and such, i always feel like there's something wrong with my essays (lack of coherency, stylistic vocab, analysis etc.)
idk if this is the right place to even post such a question haha i mean , i do the assigned homework and write essays to the best of my ability, but i just don't feel quite 'there' yet
thank you!

[Swagadaktal]

how do i go about improving my confidence for english? i know this is a bit of a random question, but even if i'm gettign really high scores for essays and such, i always feel like there's something wrong with my essays (lack of coherency, stylistic vocab, analysis etc.)
idk if this is the right place to even post such a question haha i mean , i do the assigned homework and write essays to the best of my ability, but i just don't feel quite 'there' yet
thank you!

TBH i dont think you want to feel quite there. As long as you keep feeling like you aren't 'there' you'll keep striving to improve. I guess you'll need your confidence in tact during the end of year exam, but till then it's an extremely healthy thing to have.

[HopefulLawStudent]

(it'd be quite weird if you used formal analytical language to your lover)

Psh. Fairly sure I'd be the sort of person who'd write uber formal letters to my boyfriend just for giggles. Full disclosure: This might be one of the reasons I don't date... I'm too crazy.

how do i go about improving my confidence for english? i know this is a bit of a random question, but even if i'm gettign really high scores for essays and such, i always feel like there's something wrong with my essays (lack of coherency, stylistic vocab, analysis etc.)
idk if this is the right place to even post such a question haha i mean , i do the assigned homework and write essays to the best of my ability, but i just don't feel quite 'there' yet
thank you!

Honestly? I think you're never gonna be quite "there". I have the same feeling re: english. I could write 10 practice essays before a SAC (Have actually done this before, don't recommend doing it) and do okay in them and I'd still obsess over the "what ifs" (e.g. what if the topic we get in the SAC/exam is something I've never ever ever seen? What if my brain quits on me just before? What if I don't know what to write?!). I have never gone into a SAC thinking "I'm gonna smash this". I've always been a nervous wreck before and after (more after than before which makes no sense but whatevs). I feel like it's the sort of thing you just have to deal with unfortunately (if there's some secret to instantly feeling confident, please share). At the end of the day, just trust that you've done everything you possibly could and more than likely, your hard work will be converted in your essay and in your grade.

[HasibA]

yeah , i see where you guys are coming from! thanks for the input- i think i'm going to just try do as much as i can to the best of my ability to prepare for English- no other subjects make me feel this inadequate other than English T_T *sigh*
thanks!! )