English Advanced Question Thread

[RuiAce]

Keep in mind that more words doesn't always equal better marks! I can still clearly remember my English teacher (also a HSC marker) warning my class about the countless scripts he had read that "wrote themselves out of a Band 6" because they waffled on for ages without clear direction.

Will reinforce this.

I bought my papers back. I only wrote 4 pages for Mod C and I got 16/20 for it. I wrote 6 pages for the other two and only around 13/20 for them.

[bowiemily]

How many words do you need in each essay in order to get full marks?

Though you've been answered, I thought I would jump in as well, because this was something I used to stress about a lot during my HSC!
Between my Trial and HSC exams i jumped 2 marks whilst still writing the same amount of material. This was usually between 900-1000 words. The best way to do this is to improve you vocabulary, so you can analyse your text accurately and concisely.

900-1000 words is your goal. Once you succeed 1000, you are potentially taking up time from your other essays. Under 900 words, you are potentially not covering enough ground. This is particularly true in Module B, where the critical study implies an extensive range of analysis and contextual detail (not that you would be explaining context, but it must be included in much of your analysis)

However, there are many with an absolutely brilliant vocab and a knack for hitting the nail on the head in terms of the question. These may be the people writing around the 800 word mark. I would assume that it becomes more difficult to receive full marks in this range though.

[tissue]

any recommended related texts for Life of Pi? 

[jamonwindeyer]

any recommended related texts for Life of Pi? 

Hey! I can't recommend anything specifically (I never studied that text for school but I still really like it); buuuut you might find something that suits your analysis here! It's a big list of ORT options - You should give it a read

[Kirri Rule]

Hi with half yearlies coming up im really struggling to know how to prepare for these exams? Any tips? Thanks in advance xx

[jamonwindeyer]

Hi with half yearlies coming up im really struggling to know how to prepare for these exams? Any tips? Thanks in advance xx

Hey Kirri! The best advice I can offer for preparing for an English Exam is to write - Practice essays, creatives, sample exams, whatever you can get your hands on and as many as you can do in whatever time you assign to studying for English. That extends generally too - Practice makes perfect and practice is the best way to prepare for an exam block such as half yearlies. There is no better way to consolidate and refresh your knowledge than actually using it in a simulated exam environment and seeing how you go. Then, you can devote time to doing extra work on problem areas and not wasting time with stuff you find a little easier

I recommend you start setting aside time to do one practice paper every week, every few days, every day - Whatever works. Do the paper, then mark it and see how you went (for English it is a little tougher to actually mark, but still helps to read over your own work)! If you struggled a lot in say, creative writing, then do extra work there however you feel works best. The key is to invest time in the areas that give you trouble

You should check out some of the resources in this list to help you prepare for your half yearlies too! best of luck!

[kb123]

Though you've been answered, I thought I would jump in as well, because this was something I used to stress about a lot during my HSC!
Between my Trial and HSC exams i jumped 2 marks whilst still writing the same amount of material. This was usually between 900-1000 words. The best way to do this is to improve you vocabulary, so you can analyse your text accurately and concisely.

900-1000 words is your goal. Once you succeed 1000, you are potentially taking up time from your other essays. Under 900 words, you are potentially not covering enough ground. This is particularly true in Module B, where the critical study implies an extensive range of analysis and contextual detail (not that you would be explaining context, but it must be included in much of your analysis)

However, there are many with an absolutely brilliant vocab and a knack for hitting the nail on the head in terms of the question. These may be the people writing around the 800 word mark. I would assume that it becomes more difficult to receive full marks in this range though.

Thanks! its just that my teacher is always like 1200 words = A range, but I can't write that much in 40 mins! The most I could write would be around 1100!
And do you think the 800 word creative and 1200 essay for AOS is better than having around 900-1000 words for both?

[kb123]

Hey kb123! I think most would agree that there isn't an exact word count that will guarantee full marks. Some students can write a killer essay using 800-1000 words, others need more. I would recommend that you aim for the 1000 mark to start off with and then test if you can actually write your essay in 40 minutes.

Keep in mind that more words doesn't always equal better marks! I can still clearly remember my English teacher (also a HSC marker) warning my class about the countless scripts he had read that "wrote themselves out of a Band 6" because they waffled on for ages without clear direction.

Thanks for the advice My teacher is just saying that 1200 is 'A' range but I was highly doubting that...

What do you think of having a 800 word creative and a 1200 word essay for AOS??

[bowiemily]

Thanks! its just that my teacher is always like 1200 words = A range, but I can't write that much in 40 mins! The most I could write would be around 1100!
And do you think the 800 word creative and 1200 essay for AOS is better than having around 900-1000 words for both?

I would advise 1000 words for both, as they are worth an equal amount of marks.
To put you at ease, the most I ever, ever wrote for an essay was 1200 words. But this was for an essay I wrote in an hour! In forty minutes I was much like you, only getting out around 1100 words - these were typically module responses. This was how much I was writing my the end of the HSC though, so you shouldn't be too worried about your speed right now. It will get better throughout the year!
In saying this, I was awarded 15/15 for a discovery essay that was only 1000 words. Once again, it is critically important that your content is strong within your essay.
If you're really looking to cut down on time in another section to devote more time to the essay, I would look at the short answers. This is how I had an hour to spend on my essay in the exam. 3 marks should be no more than 1/2 a page - really, you can earn the marks in three/four sentences! In the end, I was able to complete all short answers in 20 mins, giving me plenty of extra time for the essay

[bananna]

Hi !

I have quite a lot of trouble with writing topic sentences and concluding sentences for essays...they are usually my downfall

I often make them too simplistic or too long.

For example, these are 2 of my topic sentences in a practice module A essay :

"Joyce's An Encounter, frames the loss of childhood innocence as a result of the desire to escape from paralysis."

"Heaney's 'Blackberry Picking' too represents the loss of childhood innocence on entering mental adolescent early. Heaney manifests this notion in poetic form: its optimistic approach contrasts Joyce's direct cynical views of Ireland's socio-religious bearing"

Also, my concluding sentences need attention.

Can you tell me what is needed for a perfect topic / concluding statement

thank you!!!

[jamonwindeyer]

Hi !

I have quite a lot of trouble with writing topic sentences and concluding sentences for essays...they are usually my downfall

I often make them too simplistic or too long.

For example, these are 2 of my topic sentences in a practice module A essay :

"Joyce's An Encounter, frames the loss of childhood innocence as a result of the desire to escape from paralysis."

"Heaney's 'Blackberry Picking' too represents the loss of childhood innocence on entering mental adolescent early. Heaney manifests this notion in poetic form: its optimistic approach contrasts Joyce's direct cynical views of Ireland's socio-religious bearing"

Also, my concluding sentences need attention.

Can you tell me what is needed for a perfect topic / concluding statement

thank you!!!

Hey banana! Basically, a great topic sentence will do two things:

1 - Establish the theme/concept for the paragraph
2 - Link this new concept to the main Thesis for your essay

It can also introduce/link the idea to the text, but that can also be done in a second sentence (I call this an amplification). Provided you establish the idea and link to the Thesis, the sentence has done the job.

I haven't seen the question or Thesis, BUT I don't see any large issues with your topic sentences! The first one, I don't think links to a Thesis, but it definitely established an idea. The second one is good, the amplification even compares to the other text! Probably a link to the Thesis, but I don't think either of these are bad topic sentences. I wouldn't consider these a downfall at all! Might there be better sentences? Of course, but they seem to be in a good place already!!

Focus on linking to the Thesis a little more, as some immediate feedback, but on the surface I think you are doing a good job!

[kb123]

My teacher said that I cannot start my sentences with verbs such as "mirroring", or words such as "thus" and "hence". WHY??

[jamonwindeyer]

My teacher said that I cannot start my sentences with verbs such as "mirroring", or words such as "thus" and "hence". WHY??

Hey! I get "mirroring," starting a sentence with that feels a little awkward. For example, compare:

Mirroring this idea, Shelley uses quasi religious imagery to emphasise the ambitions of her protagonist.

Versus:

Shelley's use of quasi religious imagery mirrors this idea, emphasising the ambitions of her protagonist.

It is subtle, but the second one is a little less awkward I hugely disagree with "Thus" and "Hence" though - They are powerful connecting words and work well in conclusions at the end of each of your paragraphs. Perhaps clarify why she has given you that rule?

[jamonwindeyer]

Thank you, I think I get it know !!!!

Also, (this may sound really dumb for an ext 2 student) but can you explain what a good thesis looks like, because often when teachers compliment or criticise my theses, I don't know what they're talking about (lol)

I just know it establishes my argument, but what does a strong thesis statement look like? And can you give me an example?

thank you!!!!!!!!

No worries! Never dumb at all banana, the only dumb ones are the ones who have the chance to ask a question but let it pass them by

So my rough formula for a good Thesis is something like:

1 - Establish my big concept/idea, my main theme (EG - Discoveries are bad, something broad!)
2 - Give any extra detail required, and link this idea to the requirements of the Module.
3 - Introduce the text(s) as an example
4 - Briefly summarise the arguments you will make throughout the essay
5 - State the ultimate conclusion that you will reach

Here's one from my Module A essay I wrote for my CSSA Trials (under exam conditions) - The essay got a perfect score

Traditional opinions in regard to the nature of the human condition have not remained static, but rather, have developed and changed across contexts. Thus, composers across time will continue to consider what it means to be human in different ways, as to remain relevant to their contextual purpose and audience and to universal responders. Such can be seen in comparison of Mary Shelley’s gothic horror novel, Frankenstein (1818), and Ridley Scott’s postmodern tech noir film, Blade Runner (1982). Scott, in consideration of what it means to be human, has extrapolated on issues first considered in Shelley’s context, such as the natural order of humanity, the human emotional condition, and notions of mankind’s ambition. In comparing these two generic texts, we can determine that Scott has composed an effective consideration of these issues, appropriated for a contemporary audience and form.


Notice I play with the order above a bit, but you can see how in the first two sentences I introduce an idea (what it means to be human) and link it to the Module requirements (how texts change across time, in my case). Then I introduce the texts. Then I introduce the ideas I will explore - Note that in this case I say Scott built on the ideas of Shelley, because that was my question, how Scott built on Shelley's ideas. Then I state my conclusion, which also has my evaluation in there to satisfy the requirement of Evaluate which appeared in my question

Thesis paragraphs are tough! It takes lots of practice, but I promise if you write them a LOT, you will develop the skills you need to smash one out on the spot like this

[sophiegmaher]

Heeeey guys has anyone got notes on the poems of Judith Wright for Module C- People and Landscapes? Or any mad topic sentences/position statements? Thanks!