English Advanced Question Thread

[clocker]

In exams, should we be writing a title for our essays? Or is this just a waste of time??

[jamonwindeyer]

In exams, should we be writing a title for our essays? Or is this just a waste of time??

Hey clocker, welcome to the forums! Definitely a waste of time, no title necessary

[TheFreeMarketeer]

Hello!
I'm struggling slightly with my thesis statements for Mod C. Should I go for a more general approach, or be specific?
For instance,
General: In “Moving South”, Wright represents the capacity for specific landscapes to directly influence the lives and experiences of individuals.
More specific to the text: In “Moving South”, Wright challenges individuals to embrace change by aligning their experiences with the shifting landscapes. (Does this sentence make sense by the way?)
Just a summary on Moving South, it's a text on Wright "moving to south" of Australia, where she realises that she is no longer attached her youth (northern, warmer regions), and learns to embrace the process of aging.

I would definitely go for a more general and overarching thesis, than one that limits you and prohibits how extensively you can analyse and draw connections between your prescribed and related. I'm not too sure what the essay question is, but the general statement has a good amount of potential and remember - you can hone in on the specifics of your thesis within your arguments.

By having a more general thesis, it's much easier to find a related that works well, whereas, if it were specific, you'd have to find a text that basically explores the same themes as that of your prescribed - which makes for a less enticing paper that doesn't broaden the horizons of the reader.

Remember, with Module C, it may not always be a bad idea to find a piece that, in one way or another, contrasts with your prescribed. Just a suggestion. Good luck!

[Graceful]

Hey guys,
I'm looking for some help with essays on module C (People and Landscapes). My perscribed text is the Art of Travel by Alain De Botton which I really enjoyed and my related is The Kew Gardens by Virginia Woolf. Firstly is it true that you need more that one related text for module C?
My teacher addressed this module very broadly and it has a very nonspecific rubric so I'm unsure how to prepare essays for it. Would it be better to be base my essays around an evaluation of the concepts in my texts i.e the capacity of familiar landscapes to act as a catalyst for introspection and nostalgia, or themes i.e The liberating power of nature.
Also could you help me developing my thesis? So far I've used something along the lines of "People and landscapes are inextricably linked through a relationship that has the capacity to be both...(inserted a phrase that related to the question i.e enriching and injurious tp individuals and larger society)," but I just feel like I'm quoting the rubric.
Thank you so much for all your help, all of your threads and notes have already been so helpful

[Jash16]

Hey there! I'm sorry that I haven't studied either of these texts. Could you post the essay question and maybe I can assist a little more? And if you can, tell me any ideas you have at the moment, even if you think they're weak, and I can try and strengthen them

Hey, the practice question that i have been given is 'The 'alien self' is uncovered through confronting and provocative discoveries about the ambiguity of humanity. Explore how this statement is accurately portrayed in Joseph Conrad's 'Heart of Darkness' and Francis Ford Coppola's 'Apocalypse Now'. My two ideas/themes that i am going to be talking about are the colonisation and erosion of native rights and the dichotomy of human morality.

Thanks

[theblackswan]

Hey, do you have any tips for the reading task? How many techniques are we supposed to put down in order to gain full marks for the ones that are out of 2 and 3? Thanks 

[jamonwindeyer]

Hey, do you have any tips for the reading task? How many techniques are we supposed to put down in order to gain full marks for the ones that are out of 2 and 3? Thanks 

Hey! We'll be releasing a guide on the short answer section very soon, but to answer your second question: I always put two techniques for two markers. For 3 markers, three really strong ones, I add a fourth if I think it needs it

[jamonwindeyer]

Hey guys,

Welcome to the forums Graceful!!

I'm looking for some help with essays on module C (People and Landscapes). My perscribed text is the Art of Travel by Alain De Botton which I really enjoyed and my related is The Kew Gardens by Virginia Woolf. Firstly is it true that you need more that one related text for module C?

It is handy to have something ready for an emergency, but the chances you'll need it are really slim. I personally just had a rough plan of how I'd use my AoS related text if I needed a second related

My teacher addressed this module very broadly and it has a very nonspecific rubric so I'm unsure how to prepare essays for it. Would it be better to be base my essays around an evaluation of the concepts in my texts i.e the capacity of familiar landscapes to act as a catalyst for introspection and nostalgia, or themes i.e The liberating power of nature.

You should try and prepare broadly so that you can handle a wider range of questions (ie - Don't lock yourself into rigid concepts), but in general concepts work better than themes when formulating paragraphs

Also could you help me developing my thesis? So far I've used something along the lines of "People and landscapes are inextricably linked through a relationship that has the capacity to be both...(inserted a phrase that related to the question i.e enriching and injurious tp individuals and larger society)," but I just feel like I'm quoting the rubric.
Thank you so much for all your help, all of your threads and notes have already been so helpful

Quoting the rubric isn't necessarily a bad thing!! Module C is about representation, so perhaps you could add some flair to your Thesis by considering how composers represent the relationship in their texts? Understanding the module aims will be key here - Have you read our Module C essay guide?

[winstondarmawan]

Hello! Just a question for those who did Module B Speeches.
So I was doing a practise question which required me to do 3 speeches, and I was completely stumped. I didn't know how to spread my analysis over the 40 minutes, and I ended up not finishing because I was so confused on what to do. I'm so used to writing about two speeches.
Can anyone please give me insight into this?

[helenyousif]

Hey guys!
So my trials begin in less than 2 weeks and I'm stressingggg!
I've always memorised prepared essays and maybe a few extra quotes to be able to adapt to the question. During the prelim course, I wasn't reliant on prepared essays, however for the HSC course, I regurgitate essays and attempt to make changes to suit the question.
I don't know if I should stick with the prepared essays or just go into the exam with my key ideas and quotes. I don't know if I'm capable of writing a band 6 response in the space of 40 mins under exam conditions. This is really bugging me because I really don't know how to effectively prepare for the English exams, especially Paper 2.
Any advice would be great! Thank you! 

[TheFreeMarketeer]

Hey guys!
So my trials begin in less than 2 weeks and I'm stressingggg!
I've always memorised prepared essays and maybe a few extra quotes to be able to adapt to the question. During the prelim course, I wasn't reliant on prepared essays, however for the HSC course, I regurgitate essays and attempt to make changes to suit the question.
I don't know if I should stick with the prepared essays or just go into the exam with my key ideas and quotes. I don't know if I'm capable of writing a band 6 response in the space of 40 mins under exam conditions. This is really bugging me because I really don't know how to effectively prepare for the English exams, especially Paper 2.
Any advice would be great! Thank you! 

Shlama,

If you memorise prepared essays aren't you also memorising key ideas? Ultimately, I think, if need be, it's better to have a better handle on the different ideas you can pursue and arguments you can flesh out, than it is to have the ability to regurgitate an essay in the hopes that it is adaptable to the question you're presented. Also, ensure that you remember your analysis and make sure in doing so, you have analysis for all types of discovery and how your prescribed can link with your related.

With my trials, I'm probably going to memorise one essay and a bunch of analysis and key ideas.

[jamonwindeyer]

Hey guys!
So my trials begin in less than 2 weeks and I'm stressingggg!
I've always memorised prepared essays and maybe a few extra quotes to be able to adapt to the question. During the prelim course, I wasn't reliant on prepared essays, however for the HSC course, I regurgitate essays and attempt to make changes to suit the question.
I don't know if I should stick with the prepared essays or just go into the exam with my key ideas and quotes. I don't know if I'm capable of writing a band 6 response in the space of 40 mins under exam conditions. This is really bugging me because I really don't know how to effectively prepare for the English exams, especially Paper 2.
Any advice would be great! Thank you! 

Hey! In addition to the great response above, let me link you these two guides:

Why Memorising Essays MIGHT Be a Bad Idea
A Guide to Memorising Essays

There is no right or wrong answer - Pick what works best for you!

[Snew]

Any feedback on my intro for this Mod B essay would be very much appreciated, I'm really not happy with it cheers!

Great speeches have the ability to challenge the events of history and make insightful appeals for future solutions. This is explored in both Paul Keating’s 1992 Redfern Speech and Noel Pearson’s 1996 speech ‘An Australian history for us all.’ Keating explores the importance of acknowledging past injustices and beginning the process of reconciliation with Indigenous Australians, highlighting their contributions to shaping the complex and diverse Australian national identity. Analogous to this, Pearson demonstrates the importance of recognising Australia’s colonial history in reconciling and developing an inclusive national identity, challenging those who refuse to acknowledge their part in this process. Both Keating and Pearson employ effective rhetoric in challenging their audience and conveying these ideals.

[elysepopplewell]

Any feedback on my intro for this Mod B essay would be very much appreciated, I'm really not happy with it cheers!

Great speeches have the ability to challenge the events of history and make insightful appeals for future solutions. This is explored in both Paul Keating’s 1992 Redfern Speech and Noel Pearson’s 1996 speech ‘An Australian history for us all.’ I think this second sentence lets you down after a first great sentence. In your first sentence, it's really strong. Your second sentence looks like a compulsory add on... "this is explored" and then the identification of both texts. The sentence is there because it has to be, not because it offers a whole lot for your expression Keating explores the importance of acknowledging past injustices and beginning the process of reconciliation with Indigenous Australians, highlighting their contributions to shaping the complex and diverse Australian national identity. Analogous to this, Pearson demonstrates the importance of recognising Australia’s colonial history in reconciling and developing an inclusive national identity, challenging those who refuse to acknowledge their part in this process. Both Keating and Pearson employ effective rhetoric in challenging their audience and conveying these ideals. The rest of the introduction is quite good, it makes sense and you've ticked the boxes for all things module B. I will point out that "analogous to this" sounds odd to me, and not because of the word analogous, but because of "to this" - it sounds similar unimpressively to the "this is explored in both..." It just sounds basic, especially when paired with a great word like analogous. Not to fear, though - I'm only being picky because you're not happy with it, so just in case these expression issues are the problems you're seeing, hopefully it gives you a new look at your work

[Snew]

I'm only being picky because you're not happy with it, so just in case these expression issues are the problems you're seeing, hopefully it gives you a new look at your work

Thanks Elyse very appreciative! I definitely want it to be stronger