English Advanced Question Thread

[left right gn]

IS anyone just memorising prepared essays for HSC? if so, what are your techniques?

[dancing phalanges]

IS anyone just memorising prepared essays for HSC? if so, what are your techniques?

I was going to and I have a weirdly good memory so my essays are still practically memorised in my head word for word from trials which is great hahah (probably the best part of the hsc is my memory is amazing) but to save time and be more effective I'm just going to memorise my quotes for everything because since I already have a really good idea of what to discuss in relation to each of these quotes, there is no need for me to memorise stuff that may not be relevant to the question. That way, you will always use the quotes in your HSC but you won't always use the same explanation. If you struggle with articulating yourself well maybe memorise but make sure you can easily adapt to the set question because by know you should have a good enough understanding of significant ideas so that all that you need to worry about is the quotes and little details!

[elysepopplewell]

Hey just a quick question for unseen texts in Paper 1 Section 1. I've done 2 past papers now where Friedrich's 'Wanderer above the sea of fog' has come up. From my studies in Ext 1 I know heaps and heaps about Friedrich and this particular piece. However, if it is on topic, how much is too much to include in a discovery short answer response? For instance, the question was on how it demonstrates an aspect of discovery and I talked about how discoveries can transform our understanding of the world. Now, from Ext 1 I could analyse this artwork as a discovery of the sublimity of nature, man's insignificance in nature/lack of control over nature (linking to it being a criticism of the Industrial Revolution) yet obviously this is way too much haha! So would saying it links to a discovery of a new perception of the world and then talking maybe about the discovery of the sublime powers of nature or something similar be ok? Thanks

I know what you're saying! I was given a Margaret Atwood piece (trials or HSC - I can't remember. I think trials) and I knew a lot about the work even though I had never studied. What ultimately stopped me from launching into that was the low mark allocation of say, 3 marks, or something small like that. So for that reason I was making sure that I was only doing what would get me 3 marks and nothing more. Where it did help me, was that I found it quite easy to understand the text whereas other students might have needed a second reading to grasp it. So you definitely could draw on the knowledge you have about thematic concerns, provided that they are presented in the extract and not just something you know from the general oeuvre - because you won't be able to bring that back to the text with examples!

[jamonwindeyer]

hey ,
with creative writing stimuli ( e.g.  “Had I not opened the door…") can you change it to 'you'
Thanks heaps

I personally think this is okay - The key aspect of the stimulus is making a choice to initiate a Discovery. In general changing a pronoun probably won't affect things drastically

Hi So I was just editing my Mod C thesis (it's just a general one to memorise) and I was wondering if my edits make it better?

This is my original: Through presenting confronting political models regarding the human experience, a composer is influential in providing provocative yet anthropological truths relevant to society

This is my edited, the main reason I changed it is because I though about how a composer's perspective is not necessarily a truth but a belief:

Through presenting confronting political models regarding the human experience, a composer is influential in persuasion via provocative yet anthropological conclusions relevant to society.

Have I improved it? My texts are BNW and I met the Walrus. Thankyou so much!

I'd say they are both saying pretty close to the same thing, the word change isn't hugely consequential imo! You could even use 'perspectives' in the place of conclusions if you wanted, I feel that would sound better than conclusions - But that's just my personal preference

IS anyone just memorising prepared essays for HSC? if so, what are your techniques?

This could be worth a read

[theblackswan]

Hi, is lexical density a sort of technique?

[dancing phalanges]

Hey guys, I do Robert Gray for discovery and am really confused on how to answer this as none of his poems are really deliberate or carefully planned discoveries 
Discoveries can emerge from a process of deliberate and careful planning evoked by curiosity, necessity or wonder.

[cxmplete]

So I've written an essay, and this sentence is bugging me because i don't know how to break it up without it losing its meaning. This is for Module C: Representation of people and politics, and the text is Brave New World.
This exaggerates the impact of political powers on individuals, and Huxley effectively uses this ending characteristic of dystopic novels to expose us to the impacts of a seemingly ‘utopic’ world where political acts of resistance in a society where political dialogue no longer are futile, and ultimately forces us to confront our increased dependence on convenience and conformity

[justwannawish]

Hey guys, I do Robert Gray for discovery and am really confused on how to answer this as none of his poems are really deliberate or carefully planned discoveries 
Discoveries can emerge from a process of deliberate and careful planning evoked by curiosity, necessity or wonder.

I agree with you, it's not very explicit in Robert Gray. You could always disagree with the question and argue that a more meaningful discovery is something that occurs unexpectedly, maybe link how the persona in Flames and Dangling Wire began exploring the city out of curiosity but experienced a deeper discovery. I think perhaps Journey: North Coast has some moments of deliberate planning, because of the ending implying he had a strong desire to return home? As well as that, there's some careful planning within Diptych- the persona had to come to a decision to reappreciate his father.

Sorry for not being very useful

[_____]

So I've written an essay, and this sentence is bugging me because i don't know how to break it up without it losing its meaning. This is for Module C: Representation of people and politics, and the text is Brave New World.
This exaggerates the impact of political powers on individuals, and Huxley effectively uses this ending characteristic of dystopic novels to expose us to the impacts of a seemingly ‘utopic’ world where political acts of resistance in a society where political dialogue no longer are futile, and ultimately forces us to confront our increased dependence on convenience and conformity

This [could replace "this" with a technique that you're referring to] exaggerates [accentuates might work here too] the impact of corruption [this word might not work here, are you looking for an abuse of political power?] on individuals, as Huxley employs dystopia [or "dystopic novel form"] to expose the responder to the ramifications [changed from impacts as you've used that word already] of futile political resistance in a superficially utopic world. Ultimately, pervasive moral atrophy [might be an inappropriate phrase, I haven't  studied the book] forces us to confront our increased dependence on convenience and conformity in our everyday lives [add something else here].

This will need changing a bit. I think two sentences works much better.

[dancing phalanges]

I agree with you, it's not very explicit in Robert Gray. You could always disagree with the question and argue that a more meaningful discovery is something that occurs unexpectedly, maybe link how the persona in Flames and Dangling Wire began exploring the city out of curiosity but experienced a deeper discovery. I think perhaps Journey: North Coast has some moments of deliberate planning, because of the ending implying he had a strong desire to return home? As well as that, there's some careful planning within Diptych- the persona had to come to a decision to reappreciate his father.

Sorry for not being very useful

No, no that is definitely very useful information! Thank you so much, your work recently has been so great keep it up

[_____]

Hey guys, I do Robert Gray for discovery and am really confused on how to answer this as none of his poems are really deliberate or carefully planned discoveries 
Discoveries can emerge from a process of deliberate and careful planning evoked by curiosity, necessity or wonder.

I agree with you, it's not very explicit in Robert Gray. You could always disagree with the question and argue that a more meaningful discovery is something that occurs unexpectedly, maybe link how the persona in Flames and Dangling Wire began exploring the city out of curiosity but experienced a deeper discovery. I think perhaps Journey: North Coast has some moments of deliberate planning, because of the ending implying he had a strong desire to return home? As well as that, there's some careful planning within Diptych- the persona had to come to a decision to reappreciate his father.

Sorry for not being very useful

Looking at this more broadly, what do we think the chances are of them asking something quite specific that might not apply too well to all texts? Like sudden/carefully planned or rediscovery? I think they like to choose something broader to give people a fair chance but I could be wrong.

[justwannawish]

No, no that is definitely very useful information! Thank you so much, your work recently has been so great keep it up

Glad to help in anyway I can! It's my way of spreading the love But if you have any other questions about discovery, let me know and we can discuss it. After all, it's rare to find someone else doing Robert Gray!

Looking at this more broadly, what do we think the chances are of them asking something quite specific that might not apply too well to all texts? Like sudden/carefully planned or rediscovery? I think they like to choose something broader to give people a fair chance but I could be wrong.

2015- The process of discovery involves uncovering what is hidden and reconsidering what is known. How is this perspective on discovery explored in your prescribed text and ONE other related text of your own choosing?
2016- to what extent do the texts you have studied reveal both the emotional and intellectual responses provoked by the experience of discovering?

I think it's fairly broad imo, so I'd agree. Most of the questions are open to interpretation as there is only one question for all the prescribed texts. I think school trials and examinations are more likely to have more specific texts as they go into the specifics of discovery too.

Worse comes to worse, just disagree if it doesn't support your interpretation of discovery!

[elysepopplewell]

Hi, is lexical density a sort of technique?

Yes absolutely! Props to you for thinking about techniques that aren't the standard imagery, metaphors, similes, and so on. This is definitely a choice made by the composer to cause a specific effect!

[armtistic]

Hey, I was reading the student response that was given as an example for a strong discovery essay for "Away" in the 2015 HSC exam workbook. Regardless of the text however, I was surprised to find that they only used two quotes per paragraph and, seeing as it was a fully integrated essay, it meant they only had one quote per text in each paragraph.

Even more surprising, he didn't even provide a technique when analysing some of the quotes, when there were already so few to begin with.

I've always thought that you were expected to have a bit more textual evidence and analysis than that?

[Mitchell.h]

Hey!
In Module A we are doing KRIII and Looking for Richard....
When I Quote one of the actors in the film, do i have to refer to a filmic device that is employed whilst the quote is being stated....?
For example, when Al Pacino states, "They canvas like politicians, complete with lies and innuendo", the action in the film doesnt add any depth to my argument of duplicity, but the quote fits.
aarrgghh.... this is really confusing... but i hope u get what i am trying to say....
PLMK

Cheers
Mitchell