Unseen Texts

[GabeB]

Is there any kind of guide of how to answer unseen texts depending on marks (number of techniques, sentences etc.)

Thanks 

[jamonwindeyer]

Is there any kind of guide of how to answer unseen texts depending on marks (number of techniques, sentences etc.)

Thanks 

Hey! We've had a lot of people suggest this so I think we'll put together a short answers guide soon! In the meantime, roughly:

1-2 Marks: A couple of good sentences
3-4 Marks: A decent length MATES/PEEL (whatever scaffold you use) paragraph
5+ Marks: Extended response!

[bowiemily]

Is there any kind of guide of how to answer unseen texts depending on marks (number of techniques, sentences etc.)

Thanks 

Hey there Gabe!

I generally used this guide. It was not so much sentence based, but rather, dependent upon the amount of quotes you use:

1-2 Marks: one quote
3 marks: one fantastic quote, or two mediocre ones
4 marks: definitely two quotes, three if you're really struggling for substance/conceptual basis within your quotes
5-6 marker/the mini essay: two paragraphs, with at least one quote from each quote in them. Of course, if you feel you need more to strengthen your analysis, you can use more. However, refrain from writing a full essay, or even, a third paragraph. You've still got your creative and essay to write!

[olr1999]

Is there any kind of guide of how to answer unseen texts depending on marks (number of techniques, sentences etc.)

Thanks 

Here's some unseen text advice I received in a recent lecture:
2 minutes, 40 seconds per mark
5-6 mark question is a third of an essay (my teachers say intro, body1,body 2 and small conclusion)
A 1 mark question should have 1 reference to the text and 1 explanation
A 3 mark question should have 2 references to the text and 2 explanations
A five mark question is essentially a three mark question plus a judgment
A six mark question is a three mark question plus further justification of the judgement
'Don't double dip' - don't write the same answer you did in the shorter response, in the longer response; they try and write the question so that you are unable to do this, so don't risk it!
Always evaluate your references to the text, they are not self-explanatory
Hope this helps!
My question is: Should we read the questions before we read the text? I have heard many different opinions...

[elysepopplewell]

Here's some unseen text advice I received in a recent lecture:
2 minutes, 40 seconds per mark
5-6 mark question is a third of an essay (my teachers say intro, body1,body 2 and small conclusion)
A 1 mark question should have 1 reference to the text and 1 explanation
A 3 mark question should have 2 references to the text and 2 explanations
A five mark question is essentially a three mark question plus a judgment
A six mark question is a three mark question plus further justification of the judgement
'Don't double dip' - don't write the same answer you did in the shorter response, in the longer response; they try and write the question so that you are unable to do this, so don't risk it!
Always evaluate your references to the text, they are not self-explanatory
Hope this helps!
My question is: Should we read the questions before we read the text? I have heard many different opinions...

Thanks for sharing the knowledge you've been given! In response to your question at the end: definitely. You can save a lot of time by reading the questions first - it means you're actively looking and searching for the answers as you read, rather than just absorbing plot. I think this allows you to view the text through the lens you need to answer the question, rather than guaranteeing yourself the need for a second reading to search for answers!

[olr1999]

Thanks for sharing the knowledge you've been given! In response to your question at the end: definitely. You can save a lot of time by reading the questions first - it means you're actively looking and searching for the answers as you read, rather than just absorbing plot. I think this allows you to view the text through the lens you need to answer the question, rather than guaranteeing yourself the need for a second reading to search for answers!

I think that's defintiely the best way to go! Thank you!

[12070]

What should you write if you have no idea what a text is about after reading it? I find a lot of poems difficult to grasp their meaning (especially under the pressure of an exam) I then proceed to keep on thinking about it which can be a detriment to other questions.

[elysepopplewell]

What should you write if you have no idea what a text is about after reading it? I find a lot of poems difficult to grasp their meaning (especially under the pressure of an exam) I then proceed to keep on thinking about it which can be a detriment to other questions.

I relate to this - poetry is always really difficult for me to grasp initially. Usually the question will give you some hint as to what it's about, like..."How does the metaphor work to mirror the painful experience of discovery." So then you know something's painful, and you can acutely look for this in the text. If not, I find that I've just got to read the text twice, if not three times, and try take away the fancy language and work out the essence of the plot. Sometimes it's easy to get carried away looking for the techniques that we forget there's a process of discovery behind it that we need to understand. So for me, it's about recognising I'm not gripping it, stepping back, and then going in for a second reading, focusing purely on understand the plot as opposed to the techniques.

[dancing phalanges]

Hey guys, so pretty much every question asks 'how' in other words for techniques. There was a practice one I did a couple of days ago, which asked Explain how the author represents how discovery can stimulate new ideas. There were some things I thought I could include but was hoping you guys could help me work out if they are a technique and if so what technique because it had me confused.
1. He was surprised by the calmness he felt at the idea - so here he discovers a different aspect of the aboriginal culture that he had previously not known and I thought surprised shows how it is a new idea linking back to the question but dont think that is a technique?
2. He saw that they were not simply watching a man dance, as people might sit at the Cherry Gardens and watch folk do a jig. - so this also referred to the man discovery a new idea/perspective of aboriginal culture, he realises the deep meaning of it. however, i dont know what techniques the bold would be ie. simply shows that he recognise it was worth something more than he first thought, while the second bit in bold i dont know if its a simile?
thanks a tonne

[taylorlucy]

Hi - how should I go about analysing a non-fiction extract? I find that these are often articles, and the literary techniques (metaphor, symbolism, etc) I would always know to look for in a a poem or fiction extract don't exactly apply to non-fiction texts. What techniques can I pinpoint to use in that case? I feel like I have no clue what I'm looking for. Thanks!!!

[12070]

Sometimes it's easy to get carried away looking for the techniques that we forget there's a process of discovery behind it that we need to understand. So for me, it's about recognising I'm not gripping it, stepping back, and then going in for a second reading, focusing purely on understand the plot as opposed to the techniques.

Ahhhhh... Thank you! I always go back looking for techniques and then try to write how they shape meaning= Poor analysis.

[elysepopplewell]

Hi - how should I go about analysing a non-fiction extract? I find that these are often articles, and the literary techniques (metaphor, symbolism, etc) I would always know to look for in a a poem or fiction extract don't exactly apply to non-fiction texts. What techniques can I pinpoint to use in that case? I feel like I have no clue what I'm looking for. Thanks!!!

Often some kind of imagery is used...but also looking at the narrator's voice. First, second, or third person? High or low modality? Sentence length: truncated, or more stream of consciousness?

Often in these texts we can't use the same creative techniques we use for the other texts, and instead we need to look at the very specific construction of sentences, and paragraphs.

[dancing phalanges]

Often some kind of imagery is used...but also looking at the narrator's voice. First, second, or third person? High or low modality? Sentence length: truncated, or more stream of consciousness?

Often in these texts we can't use the same creative techniques we use for the other texts, and instead we need to look at the very specific construction of sentences, and paragraphs.

Hey Elyse! Off the use of first person... I was analysing an unseen text yesterday in which the question was on what she discovered in relation to the quote (i dont have the quote but it basically emphasised how the lady realised that even though she is old, she should live her own life and not care about other's opinions/judgement). you had to analyse in relation to the quote what she discovers and bring in other techniques which show this in the text. it was written in first person - is it a stretch to say the use of the 1st person displays the lady's new found confidence in herself and the emphasis she now places on enjoying her own life as she uses 'i'? haha i know might be a stretch just wondering

[elysepopplewell]

Hey Elyse! Off the use of first person... I was analysing an unseen text yesterday in which the question was on what she discovered in relation to the quote (i dont have the quote but it basically emphasised how the lady realised that even though she is old, she should live her own life and not care about other's opinions/judgement). you had to analyse in relation to the quote what she discovers and bring in other techniques which show this in the text. it was written in first person - is it a stretch to say the use of the 1st person displays the lady's new found confidence in herself and the emphasis she now places on enjoying her own life as she uses 'i'? haha i know might be a stretch just wondering

Hey! It depends. So, if she was constantly starting her sentences with "I" then she's privileging herself in both her writing and her life, so that's a nice connection to make. If it was more of a casual use of I, my analysis would be more geared to the personal nature of her discovery as indicated by the personal nature of her writing style. So you can definitely draw analysis from the first person, but it will depend on its use as to what you would say

[dancing phalanges]

Hey! It depends. So, if she was constantly starting her sentences with "I" then she's privileging herself in both her writing and her life, so that's a nice connection to make. If it was more of a casual use of I, my analysis would be more geared to the personal nature of her discovery as indicated by the personal nature of her writing style. So you can definitely draw analysis from the first person, but it will depend on its use as to what you would say

Okay thank you