English Advanced Question Thread

[Lauradf36]

Hey hey! Ouch!! That's a nasty situation, can't believe your school would make you do that, absolutely absurd, you should just be doing the two you know well and replacing Module C with some other response. Anyway...

Okay! So, first off, Sparknotes is your best friend. Use it to get your notes on themes/quotes/techniques/analysis all from one spot (I just linked you to the Crucible page) 

Following that, just focus on remembering as much as you can from your notes: Make summaries, etc etc, do what you need to do.

Then, do some practice dot point essays. Write a Thesis and dot point how the rest of it will be structured. This is a great way to practice essays when time is tight 

The idea of Advanced Module C is Representation and Text. You are exploring the connection between technique and meaning. That is, how is technique used to create meaning for the audience, this is a massively audience and composer focused module. What does the composer do, what choices do they make, to communicate meaning to me as a responder    more detail at the syllabus, but this is the main idea!

Just for reference, the Module C Marking Rubric:

- demonstrate understanding of and evaluate the relationship between representation and meaning
- organise, develop and express ideas using language appropriate to audience, purpose and form

Good luck! Work hard and you'll smash it! 

Thanks Jamon. Real MVP right here everyone.

And I know right. It's ridiculous - I don't know how other schools do it, but I'm sure they structure their year better than this!

[jamonwindeyer]

Hey Jamon,  for section one of discovery. Do you have any tips for tackling it. E.g. how do you structure a response for a two marker? Three marker? 4 marker? And the last big one. How much are you meant to write, i've heard sources say that two and a half pages for the last 5 or 6 marks are needed :$ and sometimes even a full page is needed for a two marker.

Full Page for a 2 Marker: Bogus. Let's just start with that first off 

So a 2 marker is basically just wanting a few ideas of yours about the text! To be safe, a quick conceptual sentence, then a few techniques with analysis, no conclusion. Both of my 2 markers in my CSSA Trial were 2 sentences (long ones, both big chunks in a writing booklet), got 2 marks for both. Never listen to the source that said a full page again (kidding) 

3 and 4 marker is where you start doing proper paragraphs: Thesis statement, a good three to five sentences of analysis, then possibly a conclusion. 3 marker is a decent body paragraph, 4 marker is a big one. My CSSA had two 3 mark questions, one was four sentences one was five. Again, big sentences, so you might need more! To give you an idea, answering the 10 marks of 2/3 markers took just over 2 writing booklet pages.

5 and 6 markers are the extended responses. No intro needed, just multiple body paragraphs! Mine was 2 writing booklet pages for a 5 marker, you might stretch to 2.5 if your handwriting is bigger! But it should be substantial, at least 1-1.5 writing booklet pages for a 5 marker, possibly more for a 6 marker 

I got 15/15 doing it this way, so I stand by it, ahaha 

Sorry but i saw this and just have to say that is the biggest load of rubbish ever!!
For 2 marks you should be writing no more than 6 lines
For 6 marks, maximum 2 pages.
Rumour says that in addition to having a seperate source booklet, 2017 -> English HSC Students will also be limited in the amount of space they have to write
Eg Answer Q1 (all the unseen texts and the big one) on Pages 4-7.
Answer Q2 (creative) on Pages 8-12
Answer Q3 (essay) on Pages 13-17.

But then again, this was addressed to jamon not to me, so feel completely free to ignore everything (except this para lol :p) that i just said.
Cheers

I've also heard this! It would be a good change I reckon, thanks for jumping in! Please do so anytime!

I totally agree, 1 page for a 2 marker is rubbish. I like your 2 page max limit too, but some people do have big handwriting, my friend wrote huge in the HSC and always went into extra booklets but we wrote similar amount of words, so I suppose it's tricky 

[jamonwindeyer]

Thanks Jamon. Real MVP right here everyone.

And I know right. It's ridiculous - I don't know how other schools do it, but I'm sure they structure their year better than this!

Ahaha cheers! Yes that's absurd, how poorly organised!! Other schools definitely wouldn't spring it on you like that 

[Spencerr]

Thanks for the reply Jamon!
Another question on the short answers. Now that I know more about the length. WHAT should I write in the answers themselves? Should I answer the questions conceptually i.e. use words from the syllabus or differently? If it would be possible could you give us an example of a sentence (one of the long ones that you would write).

Here's the discovery paper for 2015 HSC
https://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/hsc_exams/2015/exams/2015-hsc-english-p1-std-and-adv.pdf. Would you be able to help out by showing how you would answer one of the quicker easier questions? Sorry for all the bother!

[jamonwindeyer]

Thanks for the reply Jamon!
Another question on the short answers. Now that I know more about the length. WHAT should I write in the answers themselves? Should I answer the questions conceptually i.e. use words from the syllabus or differently? If it would be possible could you give us an example of a sentence (one of the long ones that you would write).

Here's the discovery paper for 2015 HSC
https://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/hsc_exams/2015/exams/2015-hsc-english-p1-std-and-adv.pdf. Would you be able to help out by showing how you would answer one of the quicker easier questions? Sorry for all the bother!

No no you are right! Okay, so the longer ones (the ones with paragraphs), treat them like a body paragraph in an AoS essay. Technique, quote, link to Discovery, etc etc.

2 markers are a little more to the point. Here is how I answered a 2 marker in my CSSA Trial (it was on a visual text, the question was on how it portrayed connections, or something like that):

The large social distance between the subjects accentuates a sense of disconnection between them. This is complemented through a demand by female subject (sic) in the foreground, as our attention is garnered to empathise with her lack of connection with the non-salient, anonymous figures in the background, made most effective through a long shot.

For the first question in that paper for example, I'd literally just do two sentences on how techniques are used in conjunction with dialogue to accentuate the reactions of the subjects. No conceptual statements, because the question isn't conceptual 

[Spencerr]

Yup! Thanks alot Jamon  for making section one alot clearer!

[Aliceyyy98]

Hello,

My teacher says I could be a lot more precise with my writing, what does this mean? does it mean I can say what I'm saying in less words or?

Cheers heaps

[jamonwindeyer]

Hello,

My teacher says I could be a lot more precise with my writing, what does this mean? does it mean I can say what I'm saying in less words or?

Cheers heaps

Hey Alice! That's a really vague piece of feedback to be honest, it could mean a variety of things. Yes, it could mean being more succinct with what you say, it could mean that you are actually writing incorrect things, or even something else.

I'd think it means being more succinct (less words), but I think you should check with your teacher to confirm! 

[Aliceyyy98]

Hey Alice! That's a really vague piece of feedback to be honest, it could mean a variety of things. Yes, it could mean being more succinct with what you say, it could mean that you are actually writing incorrect things, or even something else.

I'd think it means being more succinct (less words), but I think you should check with your teacher to confirm! 

I see! Thank you!

[MarkThor]

Hi Jamon,
Just a question regarding your post about your Module A essay with which you received 20/20 in the CSSA Trials:
I was wondering if you memorised most of you essay and then slightly adapted it to the question; or if you memorised a specific set of adaptable quotes, techniques and context; or if you simply knew a ton of quotes, techniques and context of which you could pull out any depending on what the question asked?

[jamonwindeyer]

Hi Jamon,
Just a question regarding your post about your Module A essay with which you received 20/20 in the CSSA Trials:
I was wondering if you memorised most of you essay and then slightly adapted it to the question; or if you memorised a specific set of adaptable quotes, techniques and context; or if you simply knew a ton of quotes, techniques and context of which you could pull out any depending on what the question asked?

Hey Mark! Probably the closest to Option Three, definitely not memorised, I'm pretty anti-memorisation for all but a few cases 

For Module A, I took 36 pairs of quotes and techniques into exam, plus detailed contextual knowledge and a good general knowledge of the texts themes and purpose. I knew my text really really well. While I did have my quotes and stuff memorised with specific themes in mind, there was nothing set, I made up that essay on the spot (I'd never written that Thesis before, for example). The question asking you to start with Shelley and then show how Scott expanded threw me a little so I had to do something a bit new 

[MarkThor]

Hey Mark! Probably the closest to Option Three, definitely not memorised, I'm pretty anti-memorisation for all but a few cases 

For Module A, I took 36 pairs of quotes and techniques into exam, plus detailed contextual knowledge and a good general knowledge of the texts themes and purpose. I knew my text really really well. While I did have my quotes and stuff memorised with specific themes in mind, there was nothing set, I made up that essay on the spot (I'd never written that Thesis before, for example). The question asking you to start with Shelley and then show how Scott expanded threw me a little so I had to do something a bit new 

Cool, thanks heaps Jamon. And with your integrated paragraphs, did you have a basic idea of what the main theme discussed in each would be, or did you come up with them on the spot as well?

[jamonwindeyer]

Cool, thanks heaps Jamon. And with your integrated paragraphs, did you have a basic idea of what the main theme discussed in each would be, or did you come up with them on the spot as well?

I had written a few practice essays, so I had used versions of the themes as well for sure!! Changed a little, but yep, I was able to use themes that I'd used before in other essays, which helped immensely  you're welcome! 

[elysepopplewell]

Posting this here in case we have anyone managing to read leisurely outside of the HSC life! Some awesome people on ATAR Notes have set up a book club for ATAR Notes members. You can ask to join here!

[brontem]

Hey  Someone has probably asked this before but for Mod B I'm doing poetry, and since the question can specify certain poems or 1 and another which you pick etc, how do you study for that? Do I memorise quotes and a snapshot of each poem and find the links between? We've only done 3/5 so that makes it slightly easier to do something like that, but my last module B essay didn't go down too well and I want to get it right this time 
Thanks