Hi,
Sorry I just had a few questions but I'm not sure if they have been previously answered on here:
1. Do you get marked down for having long paragraphs that go over like 2 pages? When its typed and I submit it for feedback teachers don't say anything but comment on it on my papers?
2. Would you recommend having pre-prepared essays to go in?
3. Is it better to analyse every quote in the paragraph or is it better to have more quotes and have then 'integrated' as part of the argument?
4. How do you best prepare for Mod C?
Hey, pine-apple01320!
Never apologise for asking too many questions
That's how you get answers and learn! Here are my thoughts
- It is a common myth that markers will do this but I can guarantee you will never marked down for anything. HSC markers are trained to
give, not deduct, marks. Some schools don't follow this and deduct marks for things like handwriting, long paragraphs etc. but I can assure you that you will not be marked down for anything in the HSC. That being said, paragraphs that go over 2 pages are a bit extensive for Advanced English (going over 2 pages was normal for me in Extension but most of my paragraphs in Advanced were a page long or just a bit over). See if you could structure your essay with more paragraphs. If, for example, you have two super long body paragraphs, you might consider splitting it into three or four paragraphs and introducing two other themes for discussion. As long as your paragraphs are balanced in length and quality (so not having one ridiculously long and the other with barely anything), I doubt there will be a problem with it.
- Absolutely not. The new syllabus is designed to completely negate pre-prepared essays. I would recommend constructing flexible essay plans and notes for your textual evidence but the majority of your practice and study in lead up to your Trials and HSC exams should be application-based. Try to expose yourself to as many different questions as possible and simulate timed conditions when attempting responses for them. This is how you can best figure out your areas of strength and in need of improvement for the subject. Submit those responses as well to your teacher for feedback or engage in peer marking so you and your friends can hold yourselves accountable.
- I'm not entirely sure what you mean by this question but I'm assuming that you're asking about how quotes should be used. Your quotes are being analysed in order to prove an argument that has stemmed from your thesis. Your analysis needs to support the idea you are exploring in the paragraph and be integrated within it in a way that when you read it aloud, it sounds like a flowing discussion. I've attached a sample below to illustrate what I mean using
Great Expectations from Module B. I hope this illustrates it effectively!
Sample Body Paragraph (Great Expectations)
Central to the text’s enduring value is the empowering portrayal of personal memories. Reflecting on one’s history in retrospection can reveal the impact of one's experiences over the duration of their life. Dickens facilitates this exchange between past and present with his masterful manipulation with tense as Pip narrates what “was a memorable day to me, for it made great changes in me.” Distinctively highlighted with the epistrophe “me”, the recollection Pip shares to the reader creates a foundation for the commonality of memory to arise. A successive shift to what “is the same with any life” orients readers with present tense to the immediate context, transcending the Victorian era of the text’s conception and manifesting his words in our own context. With authorial intrusion, “Pause you who read this”, the second person plural pronoun engages the readers in a dialogue Dickens has intentionally constructed with his reflective protagonist. The author successfully motivates readers to consider the metaphorical “long chain” of memories and their lasting impact on the individual currently. This alliance with the past, in turn, “invites readers to anticipate the future of the story and... is capable of raising the reader’s feeling for the future as well.” (Daniel Tyler, 2011) Thus, the academic longevity of Great Expectations invariably lies in how Dickens illuminates the continual significance of our personal experiences and the empowering quality of introspection today and across time.
- Even if you have prepared a creative/discursive/persuasive/informative piece of writing for this module, I would argue the same with Module C in that you should expose yourself to a variety of stimuli and attempt practice questions. Doing this can enable you to consider alternative angles for your writing and prepare for different scenarios. You can actually use past HSC creative writing questions in the Discovery Area of Study module for practice; it's just important to remember that you need to remain fixed on a "craft of writing" mindset when attempting them. I have also linked the Trials and HSC Revision Practice Questions I wrote for Standard
here if you wanted to attempt either the Common Module or Craft of Writing questions
Hope these help but let me know if there was anything you wanted me to elaborate more on!
Angelina