English Standard Question Thread

[angewina_naguen]

Hey guys, I studied Pygmalion this term so I have to write an essay tomorrow as part of my assessment and we just got the question today "Analyse how language can reveal significant ideas about culture". Can someone tell me specific concepts i can use?

Hey, ss67!

I haven't studied Pygmalion but based on the question, there are a few concepts you could consider exploring 

- Class division and social structures.
- Manipulation and control.
- Gender roles and norms.
- Personal and collective identity.

Once you have selected which concepts best resonate with your understanding and appreciation of the text, you would then magnify language features and forms that represent these effectively. Techniques to consider include dialogue, diction, stage directions, props, costuming and tone. Here's a fantastic, concise guide to dramatic techniques which you can refer to for more ideas! Hope this helps 

Angelina 

[kiwii]

Hello! I was just wondering how long a creative should be in terms of word count.

[stella_atarnotes]

Hello! I was just wondering how long a creative should be in terms of word count.

Hey! With your creative stick to how much you can write within the time limit. I personally found that I could write my creative a little bit quicker than my essay so base it off how many words you usually have for an essay give or take maybe 50 words. Everyone is going to be different in terms of writing speed. The best thing to do is make sure your handwriting is legible, and when you have finished writing your creative, give it a test run under timed conditions.

Good luck!

[kiwii]

Hey! With your creative stick to how much you can write within the time limit. I personally found that I could write my creative a little bit quicker than my essay so base it off how many words you usually have for an essay give or take maybe 50 words. Everyone is going to be different in terms of writing speed. The best thing to do is make sure your handwriting is legible, and when you have finished writing your creative, give it a test run under timed conditions.

Good luck!

ohhh okay! Thank you.

[angelina.osis]

Hi there I am graduating in 2020, I am doing the new Preliminary English Standard course, I have found that I lack in basic writing skills such as me struggling to write a descriptive paragraph and at times not knowing the best way to structure a sentence, how do I work towards improving my writing skills to a senior student standard.

[InnererSchweinehund]

Hi there I am graduating in 2020, I am doing the new Preliminary English Standard course, I have found that I lack in basic writing skills such as me struggling to write a descriptive paragraph and at times not knowing the best way to structure a sentence, how do I work towards improving my writing skills to a senior student standard.

Hey!

Practice makes perfect!!

Although it might sound tedious, the more time you spend answering practice questions and handing them to your teacher for feedback or posting them on AN for feedback, the better you will get!

For improving sentence structure, make sure you understanding the different types of structures and they best times to use them.
SIMPLE: A simple sentence consists of one main (or independent) clause. These are good to use when you are making a direct point and to build tension.
              Eg. She was dead.
COMPOUND: A compound sentence has at least two main (or independent) clauses, connected by coordinating conjunctions (such as and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet).   These are good to use to provide more information to the main idea.
COMPLEX: A complex sentence has one main (or independent) clause and one or more dependent (or subordinate) clauses. These are good for when you are explaining and idea of action, but can easily become too long and messy (this is normally when you feel like you don't know how to structure a sentence anymore).

The best thing to do is to include a variety of different types of sentences in your writing. This helps to keep your writing clear and concise, and is also useful in building atmosphere.     

For your descriptive writing, start practicing by writing about themes / ideas that you enjoy. This way it won't be so boring and therefore you will be more likely to do it! 
Work of trying to build atmosphere, and showing what your character is feeling / thinking, rather than stating it specifically.
Eg. She rubbed her hands together vigorously for warmth     vs     She felt cold

Also, as you are only in term 2 of year 11, make sure you keep up with your notes. That will give you an advantage over those who are in year 12 and struggling to churn out their notes now!

Good luck and enjoy!!
 

[boulos]

Hey, so recently my english standard class had an assessment to create a piece of writing. I created quite a creative, and had positive feedback from advanced students prior to submission. It was one of my best pieces, however after submission I checked over again and realised I had 2 or 3 small grammatical errors. So entirely I'd like to know how much do small grammatical errors cost you in regards to marks, and any tips on nullifying these small errors?

[Rimshakhan]

hey, im currently preparing for my english hsc exam. Im very confused about common module, I have chosen 1984 by George orwell. I really dont know where to start my essay from as a final piece for hsc, bt I have fully understood text, its just I dont know where to start that will help me in my hsc and trails and if u have any tips for this module would be great. thnks alot!

[Rimshakhan]

hey, im currently preparing for my english hsc exam. Im very confused about common module, I have chosen 1984 by George orwell. I really dont know where to start my essay from as a final piece for hsc, bt I have fully understood text, its just I dont know where to start that will help me in my hsc and trails and if u have any tips for this module would be great. thnks alot!

[idabulloch]

Hello,
Just wondering whether you would have tips on how to memorise all the quotes i need to memorise- it is quite daunting as i have never really bothered but i want to do well this time around
thanks in advance

[owidjaja]

Hey, so recently my english standard class had an assessment to create a piece of writing. I created quite a creative, and had positive feedback from advanced students prior to submission. It was one of my best pieces, however after submission I checked over again and realised I had 2 or 3 small grammatical errors. So entirely I'd like to know how much do small grammatical errors cost you in regards to marks, and any tips on nullifying these small errors?

Hey there,

Welcome to the forums!

Small grammatical errors shouldn't impact your marks significantly. Your markers understand that you only have around 40 minutes to write your creative or essay so they're not too fussed if there are small spelling mistakes or grammatical errors. They'll start deducting marks when those mistakes are consistent throughout your writing (e.g. if you're constantly spelling "were" instead of "where"). I'll also mention that if you misspell a title (e.g. a prescribed text in your essay), the marker will have a bad impression on your essay.

Hope this helps!

hey, im currently preparing for my english hsc exam. Im very confused about common module, I have chosen 1984 by George orwell. I really dont know where to start my essay from as a final piece for hsc, bt I have fully understood text, its just I dont know where to start that will help me in my hsc and trails and if u have any tips for this module would be great. thnks alot!

Hey there,

Welcome to the forums!

I'd say go back to the rubric and try and find ways you can link the text with the rubric. The marking criteria will be based on the rubric so if you can align your notes and understanding with the rubric, you're essentially ticking off a section in the marking criteria. Using some key terms from the rubric can also help you show that you know your rubric. Once you've seen how you can relate the text to the rubric, practice essays are the way to go! Put your notes and knowledge into words so you can find better ways to articulate yourself.

Hope this helps!

Hello,
Just wondering whether you would have tips on how to memorise all the quotes i need to memorise- it is quite daunting as i have never really bothered but i want to do well this time around
thanks in advance

Hey there,

Welcome to the forums!

When I first started making notes, I'd put my quotes in a table and have three columns: technique, quote, analysis. By Trials, I would've figured out which quotes I've used the most. Using the commonly used quotes, I'd organise them by themes or rubric statements so it makes it easier for me to write essays- essentially, you're creating essay plans for each module. This made it easier for me to cram because I could bring a sheet of paper and re-write my quotes over and over again. When it came to memorising a significant number of quotes (e.g. learning quotes for a handful of poems), I'd take the time to read them out loud. I'd print our my quotes and read them when I was brushing my teeth, showering or on public transport. I also created a playlist of people reading the poems and I'd play them on loop for hours so by the time the exam comes around, the quotes would be stuck in my head.

Hope this helps!

[Kombmail]

Guys! Does anyone know how I should prepare for paper 2? For the trials? It’s for composing a novel primarily but since it’s  the new syllabus... ps can someone explain to me how to write a discursive text?

[mani.s_]

hi
I'm writing an essay on Wilfred Owens Poem on the question 'How does Owen explore the horror of war through the power of poetry?'. What would be a good thesis statement I could use??? The two poems I'm talking about are 'Anthem for Doomed Youth' and Dulce Et Decorum Est'.

[LoneWolf]

Hello Ppl

In the Common Module Rubric there is a line that is "...examine how human quantities and emotions associated with, or arising from these experiences.".

Can some1 please explain/define what human qualities are, and what the markers are looking for if this is addressed?

[boulos]

Hey, i'm just wondering how would you structure a response when your prescribed text has multiple poems. My teacher said to primarily structure it based on 3 poems, and i've done pretty well that way. Will this approach work for the hsc? Or should I study the others?