English Advanced Question Thread

[Einstein_Reborn_97]

Afternoon,

Wondering what are peoples views of the first sentence of paragraphs:
should they mention texts or should they be conceptually focused essay rather than text focused!

Anyones views or comments re. what their teachers/tutors have said would be great!
getting really confused!

In my opinion, opening sentences should be conceptually focused, however they can refer to your prescribed texts depending on your chosen essay structure. For example, if you are writing a Textual Conversations (Mod A) essay and choose to have 4 body paragraphs, discussing a particular concept in the first 2 and a different concept in the last 2, whilst analysing only 1 text in each paragraph, then it would be appropriate to link the opening sentence to the text you are discussing. I prefer to integrate both texts in each of my body paragraphs, therefore I would write a conceptual thesis statement encompassing what I'll be discussing, expand upon it and then provide the text-specific analysis (TQEs or TEEs or whatever you call them). Whatever you choose, I think it'll look better if your opening sentences clearly identified the idea that you will be analysing in the paragraph, i.e. are conceptual.

[LoneWolf]

Legend!
True to the name!

You are awesome.

Thanks. may you not get the rona!

[angewina_naguen]

Afternoon,

Wondering what are peoples views of the first sentence of paragraphs:
should they mention texts or should they be conceptually focused essay rather than text focused!

Anyones views or comments re. what their teachers/tutors have said would be great!
getting really confused!

In my opinion, opening sentences should be conceptually focused, however they can refer to your prescribed texts depending on your chosen essay structure. For example, if you are writing a Textual Conversations (Mod A) essay and choose to have 4 body paragraphs, discussing a particular concept in the first 2 and a different concept in the last 2, whilst analysing only 1 text in each paragraph, then it would be appropriate to link the opening sentence to the text you are discussing. I prefer to integrate both texts in each of my body paragraphs, therefore I would write a conceptual thesis statement encompassing what I'll be discussing, expand upon it and then provide the text-specific analysis (TQEs or TEEs or whatever you call them). Whatever you choose, I think it'll look better if your opening sentences clearly identified the idea that you will be analysing in the paragraph, i.e. are conceptual.

Hey, LoneWolf!

Einstein_Reborn_97 has already answered it perfectly but will also second this. I always tell students to keep the first sentence an answer to the question and that it should be conceptual. You have the rest of the paragraph available to you to explore the text/s. I also discourage mentioning the texts in the thesis since you have the entire introduction to do it and the topic sentences are essentially mini theses in themselves so I would apply the same logic to them 

Angelina 

[LoneWolf]

Smashing Thanks a mill.

Further - heading into trial season, is it reasonable to say i should be sitting full timed papers of is that insane!

Can i have a general depiction of where i should be sitting, i am stressing about trials

[kauac]

Smashing Thanks a mill.

Further - heading into trial season, is it reasonable to say i should be sitting full timed papers of is that insane!

Can i have a general depiction of where i should be sitting, i am stressing about trials

Hi!

I would say that you shouldn't expect to be doing full timed papers just yet. Most schools have trials usually around July/August, right? So that would mean you still have at least 3 months to prepare for them. As well as this, if you haven't finished going through the modules in class, it would be hard to write essays for the modules you haven't completed yet.

Should you do timed essays? Sure, there is nothing wrong with practicing your time-management and thinking/writing on the go. But there will be plenty of time to practice full timed papers when you have finished all the content.

Keen to hear what other users and year 12's think on this as well. 

[angewina_naguen]

Smashing Thanks a mill.

Further - heading into trial season, is it reasonable to say i should be sitting full timed papers of is that insane!

Can i have a general depiction of where i should be sitting, i am stressing about trials

Hi!

I would say that you shouldn't expect to be doing full timed papers just yet. Most schools have trials usually around July/August, right? So that would mean you still have at least 3 months to prepare for them. As well as this, if you haven't finished going through the modules in class, it would be hard to write essays for the modules you haven't completed yet.

Should you do timed essays? Sure, there is nothing wrong with practicing your time-management and thinking/writing on the go. But there will be plenty of time to practice full timed papers when you have finished all the content.

Keen to hear what other users and year 12's think on this as well. 

I'm seconding kauac here! Your Trials aren't until July/August and you still have one more module left to do so you've got plenty of time to work towards timed papers. I didn't start studying officially for Trials until the end of Term 2 (or your Term 3 because of HSC) and I wouldn't recommend any students to start preparing for those exams until their last in class assessment is over.

What you should be doing though is revising parts of the modules you might be finding tricky and attempting to write essays and/or making study notes for those aspects to make sure you cover them properly. This will always make your Trials study later down the track easier because you won't have to go back and revise everything in detail. A good place to start is taking on board feedback from your teachers from your assessment tasks and seeing what you need to improve on. Their suggestions and advice are your greatest resources for success so send them practice responses and keep working hard. Hope that helps!

Angelina 

[angewina_naguen]

Could someone pleeease help me on how to approach this question (it is a homework task that is due in 2 weeks time- we are required to write roughly 800-1000 words). So the task requires us to compose a discursive speech for a Writer's Conference that we are attending. The theme of the conference is 'The past is powerfully present.' The speech will be based on HAG SEED and THE TEMPEST.

I usually struggle ALOT with writing a good thesis statement, so if someone could provide some assistance that'll be GREAT!

THANK YOU IN ADVANCE!

Hey, jasminerulez9!

Since this is a discursive speech task, I would recommend approaching it similarly to a TED-talk where you discuss the idea with reference to Hag-Seed as an example of a text that has intertextually incorporated The Tempest and transformed Shakespeare's play for a "present" audience to engage in. These are some great examples of talks exploring the relevance of Shakespeare today which you can use as inspiration!

Shakespeare is everywhere
Why Shakespeare? Because it's 2016.
The power of imagination: Lessons from Shakespeare

As for how you compose the speech itself, you can see from these talks that you're not analysing the technical features of the texts like you would be in an essay. Your aim is to illuminate the ideas of both texts and how Shakespeare continues to "live" in Atwood's appropriation. You can use quotes to support your discussion but avoid analysing them; instead, draw out the key values we can take from them and how within your study of the texts, you activate and engage with the past and present simultaneously.

To start off the speech, address the statement you have been provided. Simply restating it won't do; you need to add an extra layer to it that illustrates your direction of discussion for the speech. This can then launch into a discussion on the role of appropriations, particularly of canonical texts, in allowing the past to resonate in contemporary society. Hopefully that helps and let me know if you have any further questions!

Angelina 

[jasminerulez9]

Hey, jasminerulez9!

Since this is a discursive speech task, I would recommend approaching it similarly to a TED-talk where you discuss the idea with reference to Hag-Seed as an example of a text that has intertextually incorporated The Tempest and transformed Shakespeare's play for a "present" audience to engage in. These are some great examples of talks exploring the relevance of Shakespeare today which you can use as inspiration!

Shakespeare is everywhere
Why Shakespeare? Because it's 2016.
The power of imagination: Lessons from Shakespeare

As for how you compose the speech itself, you can see from these talks that you're not analysing the technical features of the texts like you would be in an essay. Your aim is to illuminate the ideas of both texts and how Shakespeare continues to "live" in Atwood's appropriation. You can use quotes to support your discussion but avoid analysing them; instead, draw out the key values we can take from them and how within your study of the texts, you activate and engage with the past and present simultaneously.

To start off the speech, address the statement you have been provided. Simply restating it won't do; you need to add an extra layer to it that illustrates your direction of discussion for the speech. For example, you could say something along the lines of this; "We often think of the present as moving into the past, that every moment we experience immediately goes by and fades out of existence. It is because of the way our world works that we often forget that the past, too, can move into the present." This can then launch into a discussion on the role of appropriations, particularly of canonical texts, in allowing the past to resonate in contemporary society. Hopefully that helps and let me know if you have any further questions!

Angelina 

THANK YOU!!

[Coolmate]

Hi Everyone!

I have a task where I have to create a persuasive speech based on T.S. Eliot's poems and was wondering how you write a strong introduction and conclusion for persuasive style assessments?

Thanks in advance
Coolmate

[alice343]

Hey guys, I was just wondering whether using a set essay structure would diminish from the overall quality of my response in the HSC. I keep hearing that integrated structure allows for a more balanced discussion of ideas, especially in Mod A with two texts. However, my teacher insists that it is easier and clearer with a set structure and that students have used it without any trouble.

[angewina_naguen]

Hi Everyone!

I have a task where I have to create a persuasive speech based on T.S. Eliot's poems and was wondering how you write a strong introduction and conclusion for persuasive style assessments?

Thanks in advance
Coolmate

Hey, Coolmate!

Great question and very interesting task you've got there! A strong persuasive speech in my eyes has a clear objective which the introduction is responsible for establishing and the conclusion is for reinforcing. What you can do to create these effective bookends, as I would consider them, for your speech is to use rhetorical devices that suit the speech medium and enable you to present a convince, and compelling, argument. Here's a handy list of some to consider using when composing yours 

Do you perhaps have a question that you are working with for the task? That might help me provide some further suggestions!

Hey guys, I was just wondering whether using a set essay structure would diminish from the overall quality of my response in the HSC. I keep hearing that integrated structure allows for a more balanced discussion of ideas, especially in Mod A with two texts. However, my teacher insists that it is easier and clearer with a set structure and that students have used it without any trouble.

Hey, alice343!

There's no really correct structure when it comes to English, or any Humanities subject actually, so you won't be disadvantaged for using a set essay structure if it's what you're more comfortable with doing and have been taught to do. I would even encourage sticking with it if your teacher is your main marker for the rest of your HSC year because you want to work with what they insist is the "better" way.

That being said, there's no reason why you can't use an integrated structure if you feel like it'll enable you to discuss ideas more effectively. I found that the integrated essay structure is more helpful in facilitating comparison (hence why Module A would really benefit from you using it) and synthesising your ideas. You could always attempt an integrated essay structure and see if you, and your teacher, think it can work! There's no way of knowing without giving it a shot. Ultimately, work with a structure that works best for you and can help you organise and execute your writing cohesively  Hope that helps!

Angelina 
 

[twelftholmes]

hey!
quick question, for module C do we have to understand how to write an informative??
I think from what I've seen there will be no questions in the exam on it, so before I go ahead and not practice it ( ) I wanted to make sure that was the right thing to do.
thanks in advance!

[s110820]

Hi, twelfholmes,

Personally, I think that it would be beneficial for you to understand how to write an informative as it is important that trial/mock exams are not necessarily a reflection of the actual exam. Every year, the exams would change in one way or another, even if the questions look fairly similar! What I'm trying to say is that you should not depend entirely on the format of exams from previous years as you may never know if there's going to be a "curveball" question on your exam --> it's all based on chance which is why I would recommend that you should prepare for as many scenarios as possible! Extend yourself by venturing Into the Unknown (yes, I know, it's a Frozen II joke) as you may never know the "real" structure of the exam until the day.

Hopefully, that helps

Have a great week and kind regards,

Darcy Dillon.

[angewina_naguen]

hey!
quick question, for module C do we have to understand how to write an informative??
I think from what I've seen there will be no questions in the exam on it, so before I go ahead and not practice it ( ) I wanted to make sure that was the right thing to do.
thanks in advance!

Hey, twelfholmes!

I actually disagree to an extent with what Darcy's raised because I highly doubt NESA would specify you needing to write an informative response for Module C. The reason why the wording of the questions are usually "imaginative, discursive, persuasive OR informative" is because it provides you with options to work with. The likelihood of NESA asking for an informative, or any of the other forms specifically, is very slim.

That being said, I definitely agree that you should be prepared for the possibility anyway. When it comes to Module C, I always encourage working smarter and not harder. If you have, for example, a creative that is set in 1950's America, you could prepare ideas for an informative response on the Civil Rights Movement. If you have, as another example, a discursive on the impact of social media on women's body image, you could write an informative response on what body image is and how it has grown as a concept over time. By using the research that you conducted for your other forms of writing, you can save time on having to think of an informative response on the spot and can draw from what you are already familiar with.

As for just a side note, the structure of Module C can either be a full original response or an original response with a reflection. The weighting of each section will determine how much you should write but for a 20 mark question in Module C with 40 minutes to spend on it, I would aim for somewhere between 800-1100 words. Prepare yourself to approach either of these possibilities  Hope that helps!

Angelina 

[s110820]

Hi, angewina_naguen,

I'm really sorry - I'm a QCE student so I don't really know much about the HSC curriculum! However, I was just trying to give my advice of what I would do in this situation so hopefully, it does help to an extent but thanks so much for contributing to this question as I'm sure your response would be more in-depth and more related to the HSC curriculum than mine oops.

Hopefully, that clears my opinion up a bit.

Have a great week and kind regards,

Darcy Dillon.