HSC Stuff > HSC English Extension 1
English Extension 1 Question Thread
elysepopplewell:
--- Quote from: arleee on July 07, 2016, 07:43:14 am ---Hey,
I'm trying to get ready for Trials at the moment and I have no clue how to study for this subject! Do you have any hints about how to make them? Also, what are your tips for writing essays in exams - its my downfall!
Thanks a bunch,
Arlee
--- End quote ---
Hey! Are you hoping to use a planned essay/creative? This was my approach. So I spent these holidays polishing off my work. Making sure my analysis was strong, I touched on all of the right things, and had a thesis statement prepared. I did the same for my creative. Then, in the two weeks leading up to the exam, I was whipping out past papers to see what would throw me and what I was prepared for. Ext 1 is notorious for being the "unpreparable exam" but that didn't stop me from trying, and I think it proved effective!
If you aren't the kind who wants to use a planned essay, make sure you have plenty of evidence from your ORTs and set texts that you can apply to various themes and perspectives to create a really cohesive and well-supported essay in the exam!
If you're looking for tips for memorising essays, I wrote about how I did that here!
Let me know what you think. What areas are you particularly thinking about?
cmbarnes:
Hi,
I'm doing Romanticism for Texts and Ways of Thinking, and my teacher recommended doing an artwork as one of my related texts. My analysis of the prescribed texts (Frankenstein, Bright Star and Coleridge's poetry) is generally really well done, I just struggle with the related texts, especially the artwork. With the trials coming up I'm concerned about making sure the integrity of my argument isn't let down by my analysis of the artwork, so I was wondering if anyone had any feedback or advice on how best to analyse an artwork and its use as a representation of (Romantic) Ways of Thinking.
The artwork I'm using is The Raft of Medusa by Theodore Gericault.
I was also wanting to know how many texts I should be talking about in an essay. I know that generally, the question will ask for two prescribed texts and two ORT's, but should I talk about more than this in order to achieve a Band 6 response? And does one of Coleridge's poems count as one prescribed text, or should I be doing two of his poems?
Thank you,
Chelsea
Jess S:
Hey there!
Where do you begin to improve an ATB creative?! / how do you write a good ATB creative and how many prepared creatives should we have for trials?
Thank you.
Lauradf36:
In general with English Extension essays, just wondering how much of the essay should be based on prescribed texts and how much should be on related texts? One of my teachers said they are just as, if not more, important. Which makes me freak out because I feel like I have prioritised them a lot less... :-\ :-\ :-\ thoughts?? Advice??
Thanks so much! These discussion boards are a life saver xx
elysepopplewell:
--- Quote from: cmbarnes on July 13, 2016, 11:56:10 am ---Hi,
I'm doing Romanticism for Texts and Ways of Thinking, and my teacher recommended doing an artwork as one of my related texts. My analysis of the prescribed texts (Frankenstein, Bright Star and Coleridge's poetry) is generally really well done, I just struggle with the related texts, especially the artwork. With the trials coming up I'm concerned about making sure the integrity of my argument isn't let down by my analysis of the artwork, so I was wondering if anyone had any feedback or advice on how best to analyse an artwork and its use as a representation of (Romantic) Ways of Thinking.
The artwork I'm using is The Raft of Medusa by Theodore Gericault.
--- End quote ---
Hey! I'm so sorry I missed this and it's been like a week! With the influx after the lectures we held last week, I missed a bunch of comments and unfortunately this was one! I promise to be more on the ball next time! So, I didn't study romanticism, so take what I'm saying with a grain of salt. The image sounds like a great idea for a related text. If you feel really uncomfortable studying a visual image, then I suggest against it. You need to play to your strengths! But, if you are willing to have a crack at this, then by all means! So, with a visual text, I think it is important to go beyond the classic technique=effect. I mean, try linking techniques, or try acknowledging a technique, and then recognise the several effects that the technique has. Essentially, be willing to break out from the one technique = one effect notion, and be ready to be linking and joining things all over the place! Which leads me to the next section...
--- Quote ---I was also wanting to know how many texts I should be talking about in an essay. I know that generally, the question will ask for two prescribed texts and two ORT's, but should I talk about more than this in order to achieve a Band 6 response? And does one of Coleridge's poems count as one prescribed text, or should I be doing two of his poems?
Thank you,
Chelsea
--- End quote ---
I don't recommend talking about more than 4 texts in an Extension essay in detail. I think if you do more, your scope will be limited and you won't be able to dive into each text in the same way that other students may be able to. But, don't limit yourself to 4 texts if you want to bring in a fifth text for a comparative purpose, but not necessarily to completely analyse. So, you have two prescribed, two related, and there's another related in the back of your mind that is a testament to similar values, ideas, etc. If you are studying poetry, you're likely to focus on maybe 2 or 3 poems, but you want to bring in a fourth just for a sentence or two to enhance your ideas. How many poems are there for Coleridge? I had 6 (I think) poems for my module as the single "prescribed text" and I talked in depth about 3 to show that I understood not just the individual poem, but the oeuvre.
But, that's getting more complicated.
I stuck to two prescribed texts and two related texts and that was plenty for me! I really enjoyed that structure because it was balanced, and I wasn't kidding myself about how much I could fit in an exam, it sat perfectly.
I hope this makes sense! If not, please ask back and I can think of this in a new light :)
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