English Advanced Question Thread

[armtistic]

Hey guys

I've received feedback on my module A draft essay and the teacher seems to strongly oppose the use of a 3 body paragraph, fully integrated essay structure. She claims that a full Integration structure only allows shallow exploration of the ideas although most people recommend it as it's better to create links.
I'd like to know whether anyone would recommend the linear block essay structure (2 ideas, 2 paragraphs on each text)  because I feel like my teacher would favour that style when marking the trials and the split between first and second is too​ close for me to risk any subconscious prejudice or something 

[jamonwindeyer]

I was wondering what the difference between active and passive voice? Also, how would you go about writing both of them in an essay?
Thanks 

Hey! So I've always had a little trouble with this idea, but active voice (to my understanding) is when a sentence is constructed such that the subject of the sentence performs the verb. For passive voice, it is when the verb is performed on the subject. So essentially, active voice has the doer as the subject, whereas passive voice has the recipient of the doing (lol how do I describe that?) as the subject. Some examples:

Active: Jamon browsed the ATAR Notes forums.
Passive: The ATAR Notes forums were browsed by Jamon.

Active: They completed the HSC with style.
Passive: The HSC was completed in style.

Active: ATAR Notes held free lectures.
Passive: The free lectures were held by ATAR Notes.

As you can see, active voice tends to be a little more sophisticated/direct, you should aim for it when you can! I don't think there is a requirement to write in both for an essay though

[jamonwindeyer]

From the speech ‘A Home in Fiction’ (Geraldine Brook 2011) and ONE other speech of your own choosing, discuss how the speaker’s exploration of the complex nature of human experiences contribute to the enduring value of the speech.

Can someone please help me deconstruct this question..I don't completely understand what it means. What would be a sample thesis for this? Also I was thinking of doing Brooks and Lessing for this essay..what themes do both these speeches share?

On the question itself, I interpret it this way: The speech will be exploring aspects of the human experience. It is in covering these ideas that the speech becomes universally relevant, because all audiences can relate to the themes. It's not a contextually specific topic, it appeals fairly equally to all audiences and all contexts. So essentially, you need to say, "Yo, it talks about stuff that is relevant to all audiences, and this is how those are explored." Exactly what those ideas are is up to you, the idea of 'human experience' is very broad

[jamonwindeyer]

Hey guys

I've received feedback on my module A draft essay and the teacher seems to strongly oppose the use of a 3 body paragraph, fully integrated essay structure. She claims that a full Integration structure only allows shallow exploration of the ideas although most people recommend it as it's better to create links.
I'd like to know whether anyone would recommend the linear block essay structure (2 ideas, 2 paragraphs on each text)  because I feel like my teacher would favour that style when marking the trials and the split between first and second is too​ close for me to risk any subconscious prejudice or something 

Howdy! This is interesting - I disagree with your teacher as a start, I think an integrated essay is far more abstract/conceptual, is less likely to go back to retell, and just allows the argument to dominate the evidence and not the other way around. But of course there is more than one way to get the job done, and I see what your teacher is saying too

If your teacher is strongly for the block structure, and they are marking, I'd go for it! You might find that you end up preferring that structure - You can absolutely score a 20/20 with either or

[Klutjz]

Hey, I was wondering how did you study for English throughout your HSC year, I am having trouble finding ways to study. Thankyou in advance 😊

If you write one or two essays every week you'll be set, espescially if you de-construct those essays (before or after) in terms of themes, quotations, context and techniques. In this way you can re-use your techniques and quotations when the correct themes appear and tighten your analysis.
Another great thing is wide reading. If you read widely in the subject area you are studying it can be hugely beneficial.

[hansolo9]

How do I write a speech? What are the differences between it and an essay?

[elysepopplewell]

How do I write a speech? What are the differences between it and an essay?

A speech puts the recipients of the piece you construct at the forefront of it's construction. With a speech, you can manipulate language through expression to convey things in a way that you wouldn't do with a written essay. With an essay, you want to be able to connect with your marker and display your ideas, of course. But with a speech, you put your expression and body in the middle of the response and the audience - your voice, your presence, your actions, is what changes an essay to a speech

You could take on all of the analysis you would put in an essay, and more or less even address the most of it the same way, but breathe life in its body with rhetoric questions, gestations, your tone, and so on

[1937jk]

Hey! So I've always had a little trouble with this idea, but active voice (to my understanding) is when a sentence is constructed such that the subject of the sentence performs the verb. For passive voice, it is when the verb is performed on the subject. So essentially, active voice has the doer as the subject, whereas passive voice has the recipient of the doing (lol how do I describe that?) as the subject. Some examples:

Active: Jamon browsed the ATAR Notes forums.
Passive: The ATAR Notes forums were browsed by Jamon.

Active: They completed the HSC with style.
Passive: The HSC was completed in style.

Active: ATAR Notes held free lectures.
Passive: The free lectures were held by ATAR Notes.

As you can see, active voice tends to be a little more sophisticated/direct, you should aim for it when you can! I don't think there is a requirement to write in both for an essay though

Ohhh thank you so much! That helps so much! Loved your examples haha
So would you suggest that writing in active voice throughout an essay would be stronger than if you were to combine active and passive voice in your writing?

[jamonwindeyer]

Ohhh thank you so much! That helps so much! Loved your examples haha
So would you suggest that writing in active voice throughout an essay would be stronger than if you were to combine active and passive voice in your writing?

I would say to write whatever feels natural! Usually the active voice will be a little bit more effective imo, but it's not anything to fuss over meticulously, just keep it in the back of your mind

[Rathin]

On the question itself, I interpret it this way: The speech will be exploring aspects of the human experience. It is in covering these ideas that the speech becomes universally relevant, because all audiences can relate to the themes. It's not a contextually specific topic, it appeals fairly equally to all audiences and all contexts. So essentially, you need to say, "Yo, it talks about stuff that is relevant to all audiences, and this is how those are explored." Exactly what those ideas are is up to you, the idea of 'human experience' is very broad

Do you know any values that I could talk about that is common between them in my essay?

[emilybrooks99]

I have an assessment that is basically a speech on speeches. This is the assessment notification:

I'm unsure which 2 speeches to pick.

The choices (which most of you probably know but I'll say anyway) are:
- Anwar Sadat - Speech to the Israeli Knesset
- Paul Keating - Redfern Speech
- Margaret Atwood - Spotty-Handed Villainesses
- Noel Pearson - An Australian History for us all
- Sir William Deane - It is still winter at home
- Doris Lessing - On not winning the Nobel Prize
- Geraldine Brooks - A home in fiction

If anyone has studied these speeches before or has done a similar assessment, could you recommend which of these speeches pair well together?

Right now I'm leaning more towards the speeches that are politically centred (the Redfern speech especially) but I'm still open to focusing on the other less political speeches.

So if anyone has any suggestions on which speeches work well together, or which speech works best when paired with the Redfern Speech, your input would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you so much!

[MisterNeo]

I have an assessment that is basically a speech on speeches. This is the assessment notification: (Image removed from quote.)

I'm unsure which 2 speeches to pick.

The choices (which most of you probably know but I'll say anyway) are:
- Anwar Sadat - Speech to the Israeli Knesset
- Paul Keating - Redfern Speech
- Margaret Atwood - Spotty-Handed Villainesses
- Noel Pearson - An Australian History for us all
- Sir William Deane - It is still winter at home
- Doris Lessing - On not winning the Nobel Prize
- Geraldine Brooks - A home in fiction

If anyone has studied these speeches before or has done a similar assessment, could you recommend which of these speeches pair well together?

Right now I'm leaning more towards the speeches that are politically centred (the Redfern speech especially) but I'm still open to focusing on the other less political speeches.

So if anyone has any suggestions on which speeches work well together, or which speech works best when paired with the Redfern Speech, your input would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you so much!

Hi! The Redfern speech is definitely a great choice for a speech because of the significance it has on current society. The only political speeches that I can think of are Martin Luther King's "I have a Dream", which also related to racial discrimination in the Redfern speech. The other speeches I have not heard of before :/
Hope this helps

Also...it says at the bottom that your school is PHS. Does that stand for Penrith High? (my school!)

[Jyrgal]

hello! I have an upcoming assessment for Mod B (citizen kane) within the next few week and I was just rounding up my ideas etc... My teacher when teaching this content emphasised the role of 'personal opinion' in the mod B essay. She suggested to write a 4th body paragraph after our 3-main body, which is dedicated solely on our own perception/critique of the film which does not include any quotes (i tried this out, it made my essay extremely clunky) Her alternative suggestion was to have a sentence tacked on to the end of the bodies that address our own personal insight.

I was just wondering, what exactly does this 'personal opinion' mean in terms of content, as I wouldve thought the essay itself integrated the 'personal' side already without having to dedicate certain sections in the body to address this.

Thanks

[bsdfjnlkasn]

Hey, wasn't sure where to post this question but I was just wondering how much better does English Extension 1 scale than English Advanced? I'm convinced that one unit of Adv won't count (considering I absolutely bombed both Discovery assessments) and so am trying to compensate through Ext because 2 units of English have to count.

Any insight into this would be greatly appreciated (and hopefully reassuring)
Thank you!

[jamonwindeyer]

Hey, wasn't sure where to post this question but I was just wondering how much better does English Extension 1 scale than English Advanced? I'm convinced that one unit of Adv won't count (considering I absolutely bombed both Discovery assessments) and so am trying to compensate through Ext because 2 units of English have to count.

Any insight into this would be greatly appreciated (and hopefully reassuring)
Thank you!

Hey! In 2016, the difference was marginal. I'd say a difference of about 1/50 (since each unit is out of 50) at most - They seem to scale very similarly

The average mark for EX1 is slightly higher, however