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March 29, 2024, 09:52:59 am

Author Topic: 50 in English, available for queries :)  (Read 339049 times)  Share 

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yang_dong

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Re: 50 in English, available for queries :)
« Reply #285 on: May 28, 2014, 09:07:14 pm »
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how do i upvote?

hey lauren,
i was wondering how would i structure a feature article? any tips?

thanks

Paulrus

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smile+energy

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Re: 50 in English, available for queries :)
« Reply #287 on: May 29, 2014, 07:19:05 am »
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Remember to upvote her, people.

Certainly will.
Lauren's advice is beneficial :D
2014: English(EAL)   Methods   Biology   Health and human development   Accounting

walkec

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Re: 50 in English, available for queries :)
« Reply #288 on: May 29, 2014, 08:55:57 pm »
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Hi Lauren,

We are in the middle of studying Stasiland at the moment for text response, and I was just wondering how you got to know you text inside out besides reading a lot? I currently have a Word document with a table for each chapter, with a column for important quotes, then another column for notes on that quote, then another column linking those to a larger idea in the text. Do you think this is a good idea or is there something else you could suggest that might be more beneficial?

Thanks  :)

literally lauren

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Re: 50 in English, available for queries :)
« Reply #289 on: May 30, 2014, 12:33:58 pm »
+5
yang_dong:
Are you writing a language analysis on a feature article, or actually writing a feature article?
Also the voting function is in the top right hand corner of every post; the little plus and minus buttons :)

Paulrus:
I have no idea what you're talking about *shifty eyes*

walkec:
It sounds like you're doing fine. One thing I would recommend is ordering quotes/discussion points by themes rather than chronologically. Chapter summaries are always good, and you'll need to be able to place events in the text (especially if a prompt contains a quote; you have to know where it's from) but in terms of essay planning, most Text Responses can be structured by either themes or characters, so ordering your notes accordingly is probably best.
Personally I found I rarely annotated any of my english texts (as opposed to my lit books, which were covered in scribbles) but it's up to you. It's usually easier to revise when you have notes in front of you rather than having to go searching through the text.
I'd definitely be working from the text --> out. ie. starting with a quote from the text, relate that to an idea/ character/scene, and then link that to a thematic concern (eg. for Stasiland: memory, delusion, nostalgia, courage, heroism, extremism, etc.)
Apart from that, scour the internet. You'll find heaps on Stasiland, and although some will be very surface level stuff you will have covered already, you might find some interesting ideas or alternate interpretations to discuss. You can't go too far outside the texts in your essay, but some historical socio-cultural details about the text or the author's life can add some sophistication to your discussion. Don't feel you have to force this in, though, since some prompts don't really allow for it :)

smile+energy

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Re: 50 in English, available for queries :)
« Reply #290 on: May 30, 2014, 03:58:18 pm »
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I'd say generally an expository essay should aim for a 50:50 ratio between explaining examples and actually talking about the context in an abstract way.

 Also - make sure each example is telling us something new; don't use multiple cases to illustrate the same point. This is where deconstructing the prompt can be helpful

Hi Lauren

I have a few questions wanna ask you. What are the differences between explaining examples and actually talking about the context in an abstract way?
Why I can't use multiple examples to illustrate the same point in expository essays?
How can I deconstruct the prompt?

2014: English(EAL)   Methods   Biology   Health and human development   Accounting

literally lauren

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Re: 50 in English, available for queries :)
« Reply #291 on: May 30, 2014, 04:56:07 pm »
+6
Explaining the examples is when you're discussing the text, or some external evidence eg. talking about the asylum seeker debate. Then, of course you have to link this to the context. But your essay should be more than 'example-link-example-link.'
You should also try to write some abstract/theoretical stuff about the context. Talk about the nature of conflict (for example) and how this is relevent to the prompt. You can't just point to an example and leave it at that, it's like writing a formula in maths and expecting full marks when you haven't shown your workings!
For example, the prompt: 'Our identities are always changing'
My paragraph might begin by looking at the idea of change, rather than just assuming the reader knows what I'm talking about. Obviously you don't have to give definitions, but it can be helpful to clarify
eg. 'Change is an inevitable part of our lives, but that is not to say all things are changing all the time. Often there are parts of our personas that remain stagnant until external events prompt us to reconsider ourselves, or to react in different ways.' {I haven't used any examples yet, I'm just breaking down some theory. Then I'd work on linking it to a specific idea or piece of evidence}: 'Nowhere is this change more obvious than in adolescence; a time of transition when we are forced to consciously reevaluate our selves in relation to society. In Bruce Beresford's Paradise Road, the majority of the cast are adult actors dealing with adult concepts, and it is easy to forget the children and teenagers that were likewise subject to the harsh conditions of POW camps in WWII. Following one of the choir's productions, we see boys as young as 15 and 16 being sent away to the men's camp as their mothers cry in the background 'no, please, he's just a child!' {I'm paraphrasing here, it's been ages since I saw the movie :P} One can only imagine the irreparable psychological damage this caused the boys. The separation of a child from their mother is incredibly traumatic, and a further indictment of how the brutality of war pervades all aspects of life. Who we are is, of course, a fluid concept, but our identity as a whole isn't entirely self-determined - we cannot ignore the role of external factors.'

Orange: abstract discussion
Purple: specific examples, from the text or otherwise

Like I said, aim for a ratio of roughly 50:50 since an essay with too much purple feels like just a list of examples with no purpose, and an essay with too much orange has no evidence to back it up.

With regards to using multiple examples to illustrate the same point: suppose I was writing on the prompt 'Conflict shows us who the real heroes and villains are' and my contention was: people who are heroes can never be villains, we're either one or the other. If I just wrote an essay filled with the different examples that all said the same thing, I wouldn't actually be exploring ideas, I'd just be exploring one idea. Put in colourful terms: I've got plenty of purple, but my orange discussion is always going to be the same thing, therefore I can't get many marks for it. Your evidence can support your contention, but it should support it in different ways:
eg. para 1 might deal with examples of flawless heroes who have done nothing but good for everyone around them
para 2 would talk about instances when heroes have turned into villains, then I could talk about how they were never truly 'heroes' in the first place
para 3 deals with villains who turn good, and why this makes them heroes instead
para 4: villains who will never change and beyond redemption
All of these paragraphs are arguing the same thing, but using different examples to talk about different ideas.

If you're still having trouble with deconstructing the prompt, go back through this thread and read some earlier posts, I've provided quite a few examples and explanations already.

[Edit] just realised I linked a conflict text to an identity and belonging prompt :P <--incentive not to copy?
I hope this goes to show just how vague these contexts are; you could easily write an essay that deals with all four. And by the end of the year, with any luck you'll be so accomplished in linking ideas and discussion that this will seem completely natural to you :)
« Last Edit: October 25, 2014, 04:30:55 pm by literally lauren »

smile+energy

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Re: 50 in English, available for queries :)
« Reply #292 on: May 31, 2014, 11:21:21 am »
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Your explanation's really good. THANKS HEAPS. :D :D

And I am struggling with the abstract ideas or the nature of the conflict. I'm doing conflict and Paradise Road. I can work out the basic stuff like the causes, people's responses, its effects and consequences; how can I go beyond that to think about the abstract ideas?
2014: English(EAL)   Methods   Biology   Health and human development   Accounting

yang_dong

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Re: 50 in English, available for queries :)
« Reply #293 on: June 01, 2014, 06:57:54 pm »
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thanks Lauren, you really do deserve these votes :)

I'm planning on writing a feature article for my context piece on the quiet american - encountering conflict.

Einstein

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Re: 50 in English, available for queries :)
« Reply #294 on: June 01, 2014, 07:28:03 pm »
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Hey Lauren, how to tell difference between editorial and letter to the editor? and if theirs anymore what would they be? i cant tell the differnce between and them and we have to do a LA exam very soon.

If you had any examples that would be terrific :)
Thanks

literally lauren

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Re: 50 in English, available for queries :)
« Reply #295 on: June 01, 2014, 07:38:01 pm »
+2
smile+energy:

It depends on the prompt, but try to ask as many questions as possible, then use your discussion to answer them. I've posted quite a bit on this already, so go back and read some of those examples if you're still confused.

yang_dong:

Check with your teacher to see if s/he has any specific criteria. Otherwise read some articles online in newspapers/magazines to get a feel for what they're like.
If all else fails, go through the VCAA Past Exams Assessor's Reports and see if there are some article formats in the sample response section.

Skyline:

Editorials are usually longer, and sometimes they won't come with an author's name.
Letters to the editor will be shorter, always come with a name, and occasionally a location (eg. Robert, Sunbury) Any newspaper will have examples of this. Some SACs will have these labelled as well, or at least the photocopy might have 'Editorial' or 'Letters to the Editor' at the top. Tbh the form is not too important. so long as you can distinguish between different authors/articles you should be fine.

Einstein

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Re: 50 in English, available for queries :)
« Reply #296 on: June 01, 2014, 07:49:48 pm »
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do any of them contain opinions or bias? statistics?

literally lauren

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Re: 50 in English, available for queries :)
« Reply #297 on: June 01, 2014, 08:43:26 pm »
+3
do any of them contain opinions or bias? statistics?
...that's kind of like asking do any of them contain the letter 'g'
It depends on the article, of course.
Editorials tend to have the same bias as the newspaper, since its editor (the person writing the article) is also in charge of the company as a whole. So The Age and The Australian will be pretty left wing while The Herald Sun is a lot more... extreme
see: 'READING THIS PAPER GIVES YOU CANCER!' and other such journalistic gems.

Any piece you get for L.A. will have an opinion. Bias depends on the issue, and statistics are just one of many different persuasive devices that might be there.

hyunah

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Re: 50 in English, available for queries :)
« Reply #298 on: June 01, 2014, 10:55:27 pm »
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Hi Lauren,

did you do the Quiet American for context: encountering conflict?
I was just wondering why is Fowler so persistent in being a bystander at the very beginning?

Thank you

Cort

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Re: 50 in English, available for queries :)
« Reply #299 on: June 02, 2014, 12:32:57 am »
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Hallo. There is a common debate with the English community regarding the use of voicing. Just reading upon this I figure I can improve my writing slowly overall.

Do you recommend using active voicing? When would you use passive voicing? Which voice would suit what? I normally write formally (in text, context and ULP), and I'm wondering which one would be preferred more  by the examiners, as well as teachers in general.

Thanks,
Cort.
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