Agreed, great work, added link to English Guides, Sample Pieces, Tips and ResourcesCheers Vege, I'd put off doing that haha (it's sad because it's really not that much effort).
I might fix it up later when I decide to procrastinate again from revising genetics haha.
You're a legend, this is epic!
I never considered looking into the author for my context book, after 2 minutes of research I just found a wealth of information about her - and I can see plenty of parallels between her and the main character. All of you should get onto this!
I never considered looking into the author for my context book, after 2 minutes of research I just found a wealth of information about her - and I can see plenty of parallels between her and the main character. All of you should get onto this!
Good tips but can you post me your essay so I can have an example to look at?
Good tips but can you post me your essay so I can have an example to look at?
I'll type one up and post it up here if anyone's interested but probably not now, or for a while.
Good tips but can you post me your essay so I can have an example to look at?
I'll type one up and post it up here if anyone's interested but probably not now, or for a while.
That would be a great help. :)
are you going to make tl;dr version perhaps?If you read it, then you'd have noticed he did provide a bit of tl;dr at the bottom :P
I would just say for now that it's not always that 'simple' to get a 20/20. It's relatively straightforward to practice to the point where/learn how you can write a very very good Context piece, but markers are extremely volatile creatures, and will often preference different things, to the extent that small technicalities can cut you down.
As an example of this, VivaTequila, your style of mentioning all of your texts in your introduction is a method I personally abhor and strongly discourage students from - I feel as though it is completely unnecessary in a style which emphasises ideas, and is even detrimental in the sense that introduction is better served elaborating upon the themes you will develop (and for me, this is enough to question whether or not a piece is actually 10/10 - it has to be the best of the best, after all). A lot of teachers I know agree with me on this. In balance, given that you wrote in this style and did well in it, I assume a lot of teachers also approve. Cool beans.
I say this not to discourage people from taking VivaTequila's word for things; this is a great thread, and a lot of the advice is top tier stuff. Instead, I just want people to be aware that the mechanics of the VCE system mean that getting full marks in ANYTHING humanities-based is always more complicated than it might seem, and that you should always be critical from as many differing perspectives as possible - along with learning to write well, THIS is how you potentially achieve a 20/20.
Well, IMO, it's more that you shouldn't even mention anything related to examples/texts/authors at all in the introduction - I would rather the introduction be a purely ideological/philosophical exploration and only that. The rationale for this is that IMO, the texts are only there to support your ideas, and are comparatively insignificant to the markers in terms of what is most important for marks; therefore the ideas themselves always come first, and they are what should get by far the most focus. Here is an example of the style I prefer from a 50-scoring student:
Prompt: People can never be sure that they share the same understanding of the truth
"In the sea of multiple perspectives in which we exist, an absolute grounding is something which becomes almost impossible to find. Truth is an inaccessible objective reality, and we can only ever get some sense of it. Moreover this sense does not necessarily complement the point of view of others, and it is dangerous to assume that everyone shares the same opinion. For depending on our character, history and emotions, we are affected in unique ways by different events, both at the time and in our future recollections as well. Our differing responses shape our understanding of an overall reality, and since no-one shares an identical journey through life, there are almost always slight disparities. This is especially likely when we deal with perceptions of ourselves, as human beings are prone to tampering with their personal sense of identity to place themselves in a more flattering light. The nature or extent of these differences in perception are not always clear, however, since disparate outlooks on the reality of the world often remain hidden unless specific events occur to draw out different interpretations. Something which appears to be understood in a single way on the surface may in fact have interpretations of the finer details which differ. This potential for a false sense of unity only adds to the uncertainty associated with the idea of a single truth. It also allows the possibility that we become too self-assured that everyone shares the same understanding of the truth, which can allow problems to arise. While the appearance of cracks in a cohesive surface reality can be devastating for some, for many others, a different perspective allows a greater understanding of the world. Thus when we become too sure that there are no other realities, we miss the opportunity to frame our understanding with that of others. There is no guarantee that everyone sees the truth as we do, and it is foolish to falsely assume that there is."
It's perhaps a little bit too long (I prefer intros in context ot be maybe 200-250 words), but you can see how there is absolutely nothing on anything apart from the ideas of the prompt.
Well, IMO, it's more that you shouldn't even mention anything related to examples/texts/authors at all in the introduction - I would rather the introduction be a purely ideological/philosophical exploration and only that.Yeah this is what I do; a bit of a philosophical discourse as my introduction and then link that to the author/texts/examples midway through my first body paragraph. But then again EZ, it's dependent on form/style as well.
So unless you actually are aiming for a definite 20/20, I think introducing the texts is perfectly fine for the majority of people.I'd be wary of phrasing it like that though, because it kinda sounds like you can't get 20/20 unless you do write a philosophical style introduction, which isn't true. It's just one method which I feel works really well because it demonstrates off the bat a really complex and thorough understanding of the prompt and the context and sets a really strong foundation for your discussion of the text, but of course it could easily come unraveled if you just rambled in the introduction (like I did in my most recent SAC) and confused the marker.
Some conflicts are unavoidable
Life is by no means fair, and there is no justification that could convince me otherwise. From the moment we as humans are born into this world, there are constant challenges to overcome. Our actions, no matter how great, will, more often than not, go unnoticed. We find that our fates are subject to the decisions of other, those who might be guided by a moral compass aligned on a different path to our own. And as such all humans will constantly find themselves caught by the inextricable ropes of conflict, actions subjugated until they untangle themselves from its exasperating grip. It is not a choice, to be submerged in the cauldron of conflict, but it is the decisions of a man or woman that will determine whether or not they emerge. Adversity, in its many forms, is the one constant in life. Whilst it would be erroneous and rather bleak to suggest that all conflict is unavoidable, those which are most important - most defining, most crucial - are sure to find their way into our lives. The path each person takes – or is lead on – is defined by not only how they are confronted by conflict, but also how they perceive it, and their belief that they can overcome.
In balance, given that you wrote in this style and did well in it, I assume a lot of teachers also approve. Cool beans.
In balance, given that you wrote in this style and did well in it, I assume a lot of teachers also approve. Cool beans.
A bit pedantic but you can't really assume "a lot" of teachers approve, since his exam piece would've been marked by two, obviously both the markers would've given him 10, but still 2 isn't a lot.
But yeah I can understand with what your saying in that, giving examples in intro almost always encourages a simple listing of more examples and not a thorough exploration of ideas, which is what such a philosophical piece is essentially all about :P
In balance, given that you wrote in this style and did well in it, I assume a lot of teachers also approve. Cool beans.
A bit pedantic but you can't really assume "a lot" of teachers approve, since his exam piece would've been marked by two, obviously both the markers would've given him 10, but still 2 isn't a lot.
But yeah I can understand with what your saying in that, giving examples in intro almost always encourages a simple listing of more examples and not a thorough exploration of ideas, which is what such a philosophical piece is essentially all about :P
Just quietly...
I was under the impression that it gets marked by no less than 5 people.
I definitely didn't have the top-tier writing prowess or skill like Viva or EZ
This is seriously good. Very good quality. Makes me glad that I didn't do English in Year 12 - my writing is nothing short of vapid compared to these masterpieces :)I'm sure you would have done just fine, Thushan :P There's really quite an overemphasis on how flamboyant your writing has to be in mainstream English - as long as it's reasonably sophisticated, a really high intellectual level of discussion is all you need to get full marks, unlike Lit where it's a lot of verbose sesquipadalian jargon.
Can I Inquire what texts that could be read for Identity and Belonging in order to draw links from them?
Brilliant.Carn Dees.
Doing very well in Text and Language Analysis, but lagging at a 7.5-8/10 on Context.
Doing 'Encountering Conflict' - had better spend the evening rethinking my idea.
This is probably a very stupid question, but why is writing a pure imaginative piece (no hybrid stuff) such a big risk?
I always feel inclined to write creatively whether it be a short story / scene from a play / etc. I can write persuasively effectively if required, but it's not my preferred style for C&P responses - takes a bit longer to get it going.
Do you guys think I should continue with creative, or practise persuasive more?
Probably should add I get ~9s for either style... it's just this "risk" of creative pieces that worries me... =\
I think being able to write an expository essay is a skill everyone can have - it's the most adaptable on exam day, and you can achieve good marks on any prompt with an expository essay if you know the context well enough.Yeah, I've been told similar things. The only problem with my expository writing is that I make a bit too many technical errors which brings me down since a lot of C&P marking is (according to my teacher) based on how well you express yourself. My last expository essay I tried came back with the comment: "neologism", which was a bit of a worry :P
This is the exact sort of question I like because I feel like I can give real insight here.haha pretty much. my english teacher likes my style or flow... or something like that :P
I believe you think writing creatively comes naturally
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Your conundrum is that you are unsure of whether or not to go creatively (you are wondering what the dangers of such an approach are, if any), and you are erring on the side of safety - safety in the sense that you can virtually guarantee yourself a high mark writing persuasively, just because it's methodical and you can deal with that no problems.
So my advice, in short, is that creative has a bigger potential to go wrong but you can totally deal with that if you want to write creatively come exam time, and with no doubt get a high mark if you practice skills that will guarantee you marks on the exam in this study period.Is that the "only" danger? I heard that another danger would be if the story doesn't "click" with the examiner, do I need to be careful with that too?
Make sure that if you decide to write creatively, you play it smart. You know that there is the real danger of not being able to think creatively on the day, and you will be under pressure of knowing that it all comes down to this essay. You might be able to spin -a- story, but you have to make it as radiant as your other best ones.
.....
In other words, practice to the point where you can make up 5 stories in 5 minutes; worry about the framework, the detail can come as you're writing.
The assessors need to analyse three major things - how well your story works into the text, the context, and the prompt. They look at the relationships between your story and things in the book (these could be characters, people, places, plot twists, structure formats, alternate media likeHmm, this actually reminds me of another question (hope you don't mind Viva, but your answers have been awesome so far :))):
.....
They look at the relationship between your story and the context (what are the ideas in your context? how are they represented in the books? what were you supposed to pay attention to in class when they were discussing context for your chosen book on the exam?). What are the relationships between your story and the (highly generic, always easy-to-handle) prompt. If you figure out a way to connect the main ideas in your book (in other words, learn all of the main ideas in your book. all of them. then you've satisfied this step) and imbue them in your story, you'll be fine. And then you figure out a way to link that into the ideas that are in your context (you will discuss highly generic ideas in class that are widely applicable and "universal") and imbue them in your story, you'll be fine. And finally if you figure out a way to link the ideas that are in the prompt to your story, and maybe even give your own special take / interpretation / personal twist of the prompt, you'll be fine.
Practice making stories that you can do that super efficiently in. In other words, learn about the book, the context, and think about the prompt, then just make stuff up.What do you mean by "preloaded"? As in having written short stories before and can 'pull one out of the hat' to suit the prompt, or alter it so?
If you practice this enough and come pre-loaded with the ability to write well, you can guarantee yourself a 10... If you practice.
The other option is just getting bloody brilliant at persuasive writing, and if this is something that doesn't bring you dismay, then by all means master the art of persuasive writing. It is definitely more methodical and easier to work through if you have a writer's brain, and it's a lot harder to get lost for inspiration.
I'm super inebriated right now but you only live once. Let's see what I was thinking when I come back and read this tomorrow.
Even though this is an old post, I thought I'd let you know this helped me so much. Thankyou, thankyou thankyou! Its really helped me understand how to actually repsond to a prompt & given me some confidence in writing :)