VCE English Question Thread

[Daliaradosevic]

Could someone please explain to me the differences of syntax sentence structure) eg. polysndenton syntax, asyndeton etc??

[Rob16]

I know there is no uniform essay structure in language analysis but if there are two articles given, have u guys been taught to always have one paragraph comparing the two articles or is it okay to have for example paragraph 1: Article A Analysis, Paragraph 2: Article B analysis, Paragraph 3: Image analysis + link to article

[taylorjj57]

Hi
i have a question my teacher said that we won't get awarded if we compare the language analysis in the exam, is that correct?

I'm of the understanding that if there are multiple pieces in the LA then you have to mention them all otherwise you will lose marks. I've also been told that you should comment on how the reader is swayed after reading everythig at the end of your response so yoyou sstill hahave to compare in some mode .

There are two ways you can go, either compare throughout each body or compare iin a fifinal body. Markers still reward each way as long as you have explained how techniques influence the reader. I'm pretty sure I've been told by an exam marker that as long as you do this for each piece you're  pretty good.

That being said including comparative phrases like 'in contrast', 'however' and 'alternatively' when moving between pieces will deepen your response and hence gain higher marks

[nadiaaa]

Hiii just have some questions for context
Im writing about 4-4 and a half pages in a hour, is that normal? or too short? How long is everyone elses?
Also do we have to talk about our chosen text the same number of times as our external examples?
SO like in my essay i have like 3 external and 2 invictus (my chosen text) ideas - is that alright?
Thanks guys

[HopefulLawStudent]

Hiii just have some questions for context
Im writing about 4-4 and a half pages in a hour, is that normal? or too short? How long is everyone elses?
Also do we have to talk about our chosen text the same number of times as our external examples?
SO like in my essay i have like 3 external and 2 invictus (my chosen text) ideas - is that alright?
Thanks guys

Perfectly normal. Think quality of your writing over quantity.* i.e. 4 hella good pages are waaaay better than 8 half-assed idk-what-I'm-doing pages.

Think less "ratio of text to external" and think more about how you're using the text.

[nadiaaa]

Perfectly normal. Think quality of your writing over quantity.* i.e. 4 hella good pages are waaaay better than 8 half-assed idk-what-I'm-doing pages.

Think less "ratio of text to external" and think more about how you're using the text.

Sweet, thanks heaps

[dylan862]

Is a context paragraph important to include or can I go without it? I feel it's not relevant but I've been told I need one

[Coffee]

I know there is no uniform essay structure in language analysis but if there are two articles given, have u guys been taught to always have one paragraph comparing the two articles or is it okay to have for example paragraph 1: Article A Analysis, Paragraph 2: Article B analysis, Paragraph 3: Image analysis + link to article

Hi Rob16

You might find this helpful: Re: Comparative Language Analysis - Essay Structure It outlines a few different ways you can approach structuring a comparative language analysis essay. Take a look and see if that helps and if you still have questions, let us know.

[YellowTongue]

In Burial Rites, Hannah Kent has included an 'author's note' at the conclusion of the text. Is this something that I can refer to in my essays?

Also, this may be a ridiculous observation, but I think their are some elements of a Shakespearean tragedy contained within the novel. That is, Agnes is "cursed" by a mysterious "traveller" as a young maid, and she attempts to "escape" her "destiny" but ultimately succumbs to her inevitable "fate".

Would it be okay to comment on this as a structural element in my essays? If so, how would I refer to it?

[IDK]

Doing Burial Rites on the exam. Obviously considering last year was the first year it was on the TR list, we have two prompts to look at. Anyone doing this text will know that the first prompt last year on the exam was about 'Life and Death' and the second about Agnes 'freedom and internal thoughts'.

How big a risk am I taking in assuming that the next two prompts would likely encompass two completely different sets of themes or concerns in the novel. The novel has a vast array of themes and concerns, and the next two logically appropriate and most important themes to me are the Landscape and Patriarchal Society.

How much am I gambling by directing my focus primarily to these two themes. I operated on this assumption on my sac and trial exam as well, these two themes are just so large in the book and I would almost argue that they are as big as the two themes in the prompts for last year.

Anyone comments on the reward for risk here?

I'm honestly of the opinion that prompt luck plays a massive role in exam scores, especially Text Response, so it may be worth it.

[molecular.]

Doing Burial Rites on the exam. Obviously considering last year was the first year it was on the TR list, we have two prompts to look at. Anyone doing this text will know that the first prompt last year on the exam was about 'Life and Death' and the second about Agnes 'freedom and internal thoughts'.

How big a risk am I taking in assuming that the next two prompts would likely encompass two completely different sets of themes or concerns in the novel. The novel has a vast array of themes and concerns, and the next two logically appropriate and most important themes to me are the Landscape and Patriarchal Society.

How much am I gambling by directing my focus primarily to these two themes. I operated on this assumption on my sac and trial exam as well, these two themes are just so large in the book and I would almost argue that they are as big as the two themes in the prompts for last year.

Anyone comments on the reward for risk here?

I'm honestly of the opinion that prompt luck plays a massive role in exam scores, especially Text Response, so it may be worth it.

Hey mate,

I am doing the same thing for 'Medea'. Last year, the biggest theme was on there. And I'm guessing that this year their will be the other key theme and essentially, if I get it, I'll do well OR If it doesn't come up, I'm screwed. SO thats that risk I think. But I'm so sure its going to be on there; I just have a feeling.

[Sine]

Should I revise a little for a second text response text just in case the prompts for my preferred texts aren't what i expected?

[IDK]

Hey mate,

I am doing the same thing for 'Medea'. Last year, the biggest theme was on there. And I'm guessing that this year their will be the other key theme and essentially, if I get it, I'll do well OR If it doesn't come up, I'm screwed. SO thats that risk I think. But I'm so sure its going to be on there; I just have a feeling.

There are never gurantees though in reality. I've heard that the VCAA prompts are essentially randomly generated, but I'm not 100%, can anyone clarify?

My text has a lot of different themes which does mean I'm running quite a big risk too but I'm not sure. Perhaps it will be enough to just have enough knowledge of the whole text to write a decent response if it doesn't go my way.

[HopefulLawStudent]

There are never gurantees though in reality. I've heard that the VCAA prompts are essentially randomly generated, but I'm not 100%, can anyone clarify?

My text has a lot of different themes which does mean I'm running quite a big risk too but I'm not sure. Perhaps it will be enough to just have enough knowledge of the whole text to write a decent response if it doesn't go my way.

VCAA prompts are not randomly generated.

There isn't some magic VCAA machine that pumps out two prompts per text every year. From my understanding, there are a bunch of people who design the prompts every year.

My two cents:

-

It's Oct 26. You've been studying the theme of oranges for a text that deals with the themes apples, oranges, pears, tomatoes and zucchini for your Section A text. The main themes from this text are apples and oranges; apples was assessed last year so obv this year, it MUST be oranges. You're so ready; you're gonna write a killer text response essay on oranges because that's definitely gonna be what's on the exam. You're gonna write this hella awesome piece and then you're gonna get that 10/10 and that 50SS and become a millionaire selling oranges. You are so sorted.

Then you open the booklet.

Two prompts.

One is on zucchini, that thing you looked at once all year.
The other is on celery; how is celery in the text?!

You have two choices:
1. Write a piece on oranges when they asked for zucchini and be penalised for lack of relevance.
2. Write a piece on zucchini/celery/whatever with half-assed points and ideas because you didn't look over it and haven't written a single essay dealing with that all year.

"But I want to get my 50SS and become a millionaire selling oranges!", you say?

Well then, here's my advice:

Prepare for everything. Don't make assumptions. Focus on a particular theme if you want to take the risk but for christ's sake practice other ones. Don't assume anything. You can hope and pray for certain things but that shouldn't give you the freedom to not at least look at other things. If there's anything I learnt from failing methods and spec last year it's this: prepare for the worst case scenario while wishing for the best case scenario.

tl;dr: Oranges > Zucchini and Celery any day.

[TheLlama]

VCAA prompts are not randomly generated.

There isn't some magic VCAA machine that pumps out two prompts per text every year. From my understanding, there are a bunch of people who design the prompts every year.

Indeed: the idea is that the prompts are deliberately designed. More than that, they're meant to work in a few specific ways. For one, they are typically meant to be broad enough in nature that they provide you with an opportunity to show what you know about the text. Besides that, they need to be accessible so that the vast majority of students (ideally all of them) would be able to write some response.

So you'll often see prompts that look like: "Text is about big idea/theme" or "A key conflict/relationship/takeaway of the text is ____". The surprising or unexpected part of the prompt is often the specific quote that's selected, if one is used. Equally, you might find a prompt directing you more to specific characters and their relationship, which tends to narrow your focus. But...

Prepare for everything. Don't make assumptions. Focus on a particular theme if you want to take the risk but for christ's sake practice other ones. Don't assume anything. You can hope and pray for certain things but that shouldn't give you the freedom to not at least look at other things. If there's anything I learnt from failing methods and spec last year it's this: prepare for the worst case scenario while wishing for the best case scenario.

I would encourage you to think in different terms. Trying to prepare for everything is often a surefire way to stretch yourself thin in English. Instead, you might want to think about the interconnections between ideas. What are the main conflicts within your texts? What are the central themes its author is drawing to our attention? In terms of preparing, it's often useful to consider the ways in which you might adapt and alter smaller prepared pieces given a number of different topics. Given you've got a relatively short time left, it's often wiser focusing on flexibility.

Equally, remember the essay is an opportunity to show off. You don't so much want to show that you know a lot of details about everything. Instead, you're aiming to reveal some insight into really fascinating ideas. Or, to paraphrase HLS a little: you're looking to do more than spot the vegetables in a question. If they suggestion is, "in what ways is this text about zucchini?", and you can reveal the dichotomy or link between zucchinis and oranges, then you're likely creating a response that's relevant to the prompt.