English Advanced Question Thread

[taylorlucy]

Hello! How would you guys answer this discovery extended response Q? It is very confusing.
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Hi! This is a very specific question indeed, and is much harder to answer than a generalised question such as 'How do an individual's discoveries shape their understanding of the world around them?". However, you could answer it with a response that may be built around that kind of generalised question by centering your focus around the individual. I find for AOS that basing a generalised essay plan around the figure of the individual means that you can always talk about the effects of discovery on the individual, regardless of whether that is a positive or negative circumstance. This one individual can also reflect the context around them, which allows references to society/the world to be made. The word 'alienation' in the question implies that somebody is isolated, so focus in on the central figure in your texts and figure out how they may be isolated from the world around them, or conversely how they may be not isolated.

It would be ideal to present an opinion for both points of view, ie. each half of the question. So initially, you may discuss how it does lead to connection with others. Then, perhaps in the next paragraph, present how it doesn't do this - meaning how a discovery may lead to the persona's isolation (either in pursuit of discovery, or as a consequence of it) 

Rubric points that would be good to focus on would be:
- 'discovering can offer new understandings and renewed perspectives of ourselves and others'
- considering the 'ramifications of particular discoveries'.
- 'discoveries may be confronting and provocative'
- discovery has the 'potential to affirm or challenge individuals' or more widely held assumptions and beliefs about aspects of human experience' (this is an important one?)

Overall you may discuss how "discoveries may be questioned or challenged when viewed from different perspectives". This kind of question really depends on your texts; perhaps one of them presents a discovery about the isolation of human experience and the presents a discovery of human unity and understanding. Perhaps each texts provide both points of view. To give an example, my prescribed text is Robert Frost's poetry. In my planned response I discuss one poem where the persona discovers a connectedness with humanity and one poem that is antithetical; that is, it presents an isolated view of the world.

Hope this helps!

[winstondarmawan]

Hi! This is a very specific question indeed, and is much harder to answer than a generalised question such as 'How do an individual's discoveries shape their understanding of the world around them?". However, you could answer it with a response that may be built around that kind of generalised question by centering your focus around the individual. I find for AOS that basing a generalised essay plan around the figure of the individual means that you can always talk about the effects of discovery on the individual, regardless of whether that is a positive or negative circumstance. This one individual can also reflect the context around them, which allows references to society/the world to be made. The word 'alienation' in the question implies that somebody is isolated, so focus in on the central figure in your texts and figure out how they may be isolated from the world around them, or conversely how they may be not isolated.

It would be ideal to present an opinion for both points of view, ie. each half of the question. So initially, you may discuss how it does lead to connection with others. Then, perhaps in the next paragraph, present how it doesn't do this - meaning how a discovery may lead to the persona's isolation (either in pursuit of discovery, or as a consequence of it) 

Rubric points that would be good to focus on would be:
- 'discovering can offer new understandings and renewed perspectives of ourselves and others'
- considering the 'ramifications of particular discoveries'.
- 'discoveries may be confronting and provocative'
- discovery has the 'potential to affirm or challenge individuals' or more widely held assumptions and beliefs about aspects of human experience' (this is an important one?)

Overall you may discuss how "discoveries may be questioned or challenged when viewed from different perspectives". This kind of question really depends on your texts; perhaps one of them presents a discovery about the isolation of human experience and the presents a discovery of human unity and understanding. Perhaps each texts provide both points of view. To give an example, my prescribed text is Robert Frost's poetry. In my planned response I discuss one poem where the persona discovers a connectedness with humanity and one poem that is antithetical; that is, it presents an isolated view of the world.

Hope this helps!

Thank you so much! That was super helpful.
Just a question, what if my texts don't embody the question too well? Especially my related - which is about self-discovery.
Would it be advisable to try and change the focus of the question to a feeling of isolation within oneself rather than with others?

[julies]

Hey there! Just wondering how to approach Mod B questions that give you a specific scene from Hamlet...
Would you pull out quotes from the scene and add them to your intro or do you go through it in the body paragraphs? Or am I on the wrong track completely... Let me know if you guys have any ideas!
thanks

[katie,rinos]

Hey there! Just wondering how to approach Mod B questions that give you a specific scene from Hamlet...
Would you pull out quotes from the scene and add them to your intro or do you go through it in the body paragraphs? Or am I on the wrong track completely... Let me know if you guys have any ideas!
thanks

Hey,
I'm doing Hamlet too! I don't think that you'd put quotes into your introduction however, you may have to reference the scene if it is a major part of the question. I think that you'll have to go through the scene and quotes from it in the body paragraphs.
However, I'm not too sure-maybe Jamon or Elyse will have better ideas.

[jademessih]

Hi,
I was wondering how to reference and talk about textual integrity for Mod B. I'm doing speeches and not sure how to intertwine it in or even what its purpose is. Also how should I reference context for Mod B too?

Thanks, Jade 

[abachmid]

hey, trials are tomorrow, and i still don't know how to structure my essay for a 5 marker in section 1 of paper 1.
help?

[beau77bro]

Hey there!

They can definitely ask you to write a creative on rediscovery because it's there in the rubric

To distinguish between the two (which I think is important to do) you could use a flashback to show where else your character has encountered the object/experience  

but how would you rediscover something?

[dancing phalanges]

Hey guys,
When I start writing time in the exam tomorrow, would past HSCers recommend writing down all the aspects of discovery (at least 10) like unexpected, deliberate, transformative, fresh and intensely meaningful etc. so that when I am answering the comprehension questions I am fulfilling the rubric without constantly trying to think in my head how to do so?
Thanks

[bun00]

heyy!
i'm trying to brush up on giving depth to my analysis for my discovery essay tomorrow.
this is probly a dumb question but is it good to not only link back to thesis/question but also link the analysis to a specific dotpoint on the rubric?!..i.e: sudden/unexpected discovery..or provides new understandings and renewed perceptions..
tks hps and ATB everyone
chz

[dancing phalanges]

heyy!
i'm trying to brush up on giving depth to my analysis for my discovery essay tomorrow.
this is probly a dumb question but is it good to not only link back to thesis/question but also link the analysis to a specific dotpoint on the rubric?!..i.e: sudden/unexpected discovery..or provides new understandings and renewed perceptions..
tks hps and ATB everyone
chz

Hey, if it is not specified in the question and the question is vague like: Analyse how the texts demonstrate the impact of discoveries on the individual or something like that then definitely! But usually the question can specify a specific dot point eg. How the texts represent the unexpected nature of discoveries.... or how the texts show the confronting nature of discovery. In that case you should focus on that dot point but you can also talk about discoveries in terms of being spiritual/being sudden but it all must link back to being confronting. Hope that helps

[~BK~]

but how would you rediscover something?

i sure hope the creative writing isnt on rediscovering!!! 
do you do the CSSA papers/!?

[12070]

heyy!
i'm trying to brush up on giving depth to my analysis for my discovery essay tomorrow.
this is probly a dumb question but is it good to not only link back to thesis/question but also link the analysis to a specific dotpoint on the rubric?!..i.e: sudden/unexpected discovery..or provides new understandings and renewed perceptions..
tks hps and ATB everyone
chz

Hey,

I always include something from the rubric in my thesis and then link back to it at the end. It's always good to do this as it shows the marker you know what you're talking about. However, don't just throw away something from the rubric in your link or include something you didn't mention in your analysis as you will be punished. Hope that helps

[hansolo9]

Hi

In my trials, we have English Paper 1 and Paper 2 on separate days.
What's in Paper 1 and 2? Is there a set HSC thing, or does your school decide which modules in each?

[12070]

Hi

In my trials, we have English Paper 1 and Paper 2 on separate days.
What's in Paper 1 and 2? Is there a set HSC thing, or does your school decide which modules in each?

Paper 1(Discovery)- Unseen texts/Creative Writing/AOS essay-45 marks (15 each)
Paper 2- Module A/B/C- 60 marks (20 each)

[elysepopplewell]

Hi, I'm sure these questions have been answered somewhere deep in the ATAR notes forum so sorry if I'm repeating things that others have already asked...
1. For my essays should I be citing my quotes? For instance for Hamlet, should I write (1.4) or (act 1, sc. 4) or anything after referencing the text?
2. Does anyone have any tips for trying to remember 3 essays at once for modules? I'm concerned that while I'm cementing the techniques/quotes in my head for one essay, I'm forgetting the details of the other two.
Thanks! 

Hey there! No need to apologise No need to identify the acts and scenes. Sometimes it might be helpful to place it with..."In the wooing of Anne scene..." or something like that, but that's more for the purpose of contrasting aspects of the play in different plot spots. No need to go about the finest details

My best advice for this memorising, at this stage in the game, is to memorise your quotes and UNDERSTAND your techniques well enough so that you can manipulate the analysis to suit the question thrown your way. So focus more on memorising the quotes, but understanding the techniques, in order to be flexible in the exam

I was wondering how you went about pre-prepared responses with the possibility of being asked one or two related texts for discovery? Did you have your main response you relied on and just intertwined a second related text if need be?

Hey Olivia! To be fair - even though I memorised responses, I was always very ready to be flexible with whatever was thrown my way. So even with my only related text, I was flexy, but when in the occasion of two related texts, I was just going to pick one from the unseen texts and run with it to the best of my ability! There's only so much you can do in that situation, and that was my escape route

Edit!! I just realised bsdfjnlkasn already got to these questions. You, my friend, are a legend and a half!!!!