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Author Topic: VCE English Question Thread  (Read 847366 times)  Share 

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MathsNerd203

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Re: VCE English Question Thread
« Reply #420 on: June 16, 2015, 06:47:31 pm »
+3
(I'm not sure if this is the best way of approaching the context prompt, but it works for me, so it may work for you too  ;) )

My teacher said to ask questions of the prompt, to help form 'big' ideas that relate to the set context. I will show some example questions for the prompt you mentioned: The experience of conflict changes people's priorities.

I like to use the words, who, what, when, where, why and how to ask questions.

1. Who's priorities are affected by conflict?

2. What about conflict changes people priorities?

3. When can one's experience with conflict influence their priorities?

4. Where does conflict occur that influences the priorities of people?

5. Why does conflict influence peoples' priorities?

(These are pretty rubbish questions, but I'm just using them as an example for what you should try and do)

Once you've come up with these questions, answer them, and use your answers as your big ideas for your essay. (Of course, for expository, make sure you ask questions that will allow you to fully explore all sides of the prompt, don't write a biased expository essay)

Anyway, this is my strategy, and it works well for me. I'm sure there are other strategies out there that work well for others.

I hope this has been of some assistance  :)

literally lauren

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Re: VCE English Question Thread
« Reply #421 on: June 16, 2015, 08:30:40 pm »
+6
Wonderful, thanks!!

How do the assessors mark? Like say if you didnt have time to write the last essay, but like absolutely smashed the others as you devoted the 3 hours to it, would they really take off the whole 10 marks off the essay?

Also say you didn't have enough time to write up the conclusion of the last essay, what happens? In terms of marks :)

Your exam isn't just marked globally by one or two people. At the end of the year, you'll have (at least) six different assessors. None of them speak to each other; each essay is marked by two different people independently, then they add the two marks per essay together for all three essays to get a score out of 60.

For example:
Section A essay: {Assessor 1: 8/10} {Assessor 2: 9/10}
Section B essay: {Assessor 3: 7/10} {Assessor 4: 7/10}
Section C essay: {Assessor 5: 5/10} {Assessor 6: 9/10} --> this would be a special case. Since there is a disparity of three or more between the marks, this essay will be given to a third assessor to mark. If they said it was an 8/10, then they'd take the 8 and the 9 and add those together. But if they thought it was only a 6, then they'd take the 5 and the 6 since they're closer. In the rare event this third assessor also gives you a widely different mark, like a 2/10 or something, then your piece just goes to the Chief Assessor and he gets the final say.
So assuming that final piece got given an 8/10 by its third assessor, your overall exam score would equate to 48/60.


To answer your question, it doesn't matter how good a single essay is; if you've left a whole section blank, you can't get any marks for it. Don't think about it as 'taking 10 marks off;' you haven't done anything to earn those marks in the first place :p The assessors don't know how well you've done on your other essays - all they see is that one piece which might be brilliant or blank, and they'll mark it accordingly. I would think that if you do end up with vastly different scores for each one (eg. A:9+10/10, B:9+9/10, C:3+4/10) then the Chief Assessor might give things a look over just to make sure you weren't marked unfairly, but this is quite a frequent occurrence so they might not worry about it so much nowadays.

With regards to conclusions, they're structural requirements in T.R. and L.A. so if you leave them out, it's possible you could lose a mark, though usually only if you've done other things wrong as well (eg. vocab was mediocre, spelling was pretty bad, some parts were repetitive AND you were missing a conclusion)
Context has no formal structure, so if you're just writing a journal article or a speech or something, you don't have to have a specific paragraph that concludes your piece, but you should still be wrapping things up at the end. For the typical expository essay, not having a conclusion can sound a bit odd.

How would I respond to a context prompt in an expository essay? I was told not to answer the prompt like a question (yes/no) but rather 'explore'.

For example using the 2012 conflict prompt "The experience of conflict changes people's priorities", I was told not to write my expository essay using 'the experience of conflict changes people's priorities and the experience does not change people's priorities' as my points because I'm responding to the prompt as if I'm answering a question. But how would I explore? 

MathsNerd beat me to it, but questioning is definitely what I'd recommend too.

You never want to argue that something in Context is completely true or totally false; you can say something is often true or generally false however. Think about it - if you're reading an essay and a student writes: 'Conflict changes peoples priorities,' then it's as though they think that statement has no exceptions, which isn't necessarily the case (--> these exceptions are where we get the really interesting discussion! So what is it about a conflict or a person that determines whether or not the priorities change? Maybe we have to have an open mind, or be aware of our circumstances? Or maybe it is people who unintentionally become the victims in a conflict who are forced to alter their priorities?...) Likewise if someone says 'Conflict doesn't change priorities - ever,' you only have to think of one exception, and their whole argument falls apart. It's much safer to have a contention like 'Although conflict can bring about a change in our values, the degree to which this change affects us depends on much more...'

Apink!

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Re: VCE English Question Thread
« Reply #422 on: June 25, 2015, 11:15:05 am »
0
Hi Lauren (or anyone else)

I need help with this poem called "The owl and the pussycat" by Edward Lear, which is basically about a cat and an owl in love and getting married. Somehow I need to connect the poem (which is a pretty childish poem, I think) to the values of Victorian era such as marriage, courtship etc.

I'm completely blank. I was wondering if you could help me out?
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Apink!

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Re: VCE English Question Thread
« Reply #423 on: June 25, 2015, 11:25:19 am »
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These are the things I need to address:
- Consideration of the context of the poem: for example: era, gender or place.
*Understanding of the author’s message
*Analysis of how language is used to create meaning and the form of this particular poem
*Presentation skills: preparation, engagement of the audience, voice and eye contact
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heids

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Re: VCE English Question Thread
« Reply #424 on: June 25, 2015, 12:12:14 pm »
+2
Hi Lauren (or anyone else)

I need help with this poem called "The owl and the pussycat" by Edward Lear, which is basically about a cat and an owl in love and getting married. Somehow I need to connect the poem (which is a pretty childish poem, I think) to the values of Victorian era such as marriage, courtship etc.

I'm completely blank. I was wondering if you could help me out?

Aww, I love that poem!  (Yeah, it was written for kids, but it's so cute, right?).  Some ideas

Some ideas about the values of that era:
--> respect for each other is important in courtship
--> the point of courtship is the romance, love and joy they share, rather than a physical relationship
--> courtship and marriage were about becoming one and sharing together - unity and sharing were important, marriage wasn't there to fulfil their own individual needs, but to share together
--> courtship in that era was serious, not just a random date or two, and intended to end in marriage - they couldn't dance/hold hands/share completely until they were actually married

EDIT: didn't see your next post.  Message: emphasis on love, joy and sharing in relationships.  Just looked at the poem - this is most strongly shown in the bit
'And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand,
   They danced by the light of the moon,
             The moon,
             The moon,
They danced by the light of the moon.'

Sorry I can't give more, typing this in the middle of class when I'm kinda supposed to be reading about oedema ::)
« Last Edit: June 25, 2015, 12:15:50 pm by bangali_lok »
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Re: VCE English Question Thread
« Reply #425 on: June 25, 2015, 12:23:17 pm »
0
Thanks! (:
I think I have a clearer Idea now!
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Re: VCE English Question Thread
« Reply #426 on: June 25, 2015, 12:53:59 pm »
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Hi,

I have made some very good notes following your advice! Thanks!
However, I am having trouble figuring out the overall message/ contention that the poet was trying to say in this.

Could I have your help again?
Much appreciated!
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heids

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Re: VCE English Question Thread
« Reply #427 on: June 25, 2015, 02:10:59 pm »
+1
Hi,

I have made some very good notes following your advice! Thanks!
However, I am having trouble figuring out the overall message/ contention that the poet was trying to say in this.

Could I have your help again?
Much appreciated!

In reality, the author was writing a nice cute poem.  So your guess is as good as mine!
Stabbing randomly at it, I'd say something about love = unity, sharing and togetherness; love and relationships should bring joy, because of this love is worth waiting for.  Or something.  I'd draw this from the 'hand in hand on the edge of the sand they danced in the light of the moon' - like, 'hand in hand' suggests togetherness, 'danced' sounds beautiful  and joyful, 'in the light of the moon' sounds romantic, beautiful, shining etc.  Just think about how that line makes you feel!

(Can't be bothered thinking of good ways to express stuff so this is pretty basic, that's your job :P).

And, all that stuff about courtship I did draw (loosely) from the poem, I just didn't specify the links.
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chocolatecupcakes

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Re: VCE English Question Thread
« Reply #428 on: June 27, 2015, 02:13:42 pm »
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When researching external examples to use in my context essays what should I be looking for? My context is encountering conflict.

tashhhaaa

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Re: VCE English Question Thread
« Reply #429 on: June 27, 2015, 10:42:15 pm »
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Hey Lauren (or anyone else),

I read some of your language analysis essays that I found on AN a while ago and I was in absolute awe of your amazing vocabulary.

How do I expand mine to get to even a tenth of yours? Even though I'm averaging A+, I don't write anything like that. I know you did incredibly well in English, but I don't want to write mediocre essays in the exam -- I'd really like to impress my assessors with the language I use lol.

Teachers and the like always say read to have a better vocabulary but I find that a little passive I don't really learn anything from it. Do you have any other tips to improve?

HighTide

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Re: VCE English Question Thread
« Reply #430 on: June 28, 2015, 09:20:50 am »
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When researching external examples to use in my context essays what should I be looking for? My context is encountering conflict.
Look for stuff other than the standard war, physical brutality or the overused ones going around. You can use like any issue as a conflict but it depends on your text and the prompt given. Some ideas would be stuff like domestic violence, rivalries and arguments between individuals,societies or groups. Whatever you decide to use, remember that it does not have to effect wide scale.
I.e. You can have conflicts ranging from small scale to large scale. So like sibling rivalry, to the tension between countries.
Most people will research online to find conflicts. This would be good but, if you want to find smaller scale conflicts which give variety to your arguments, there's heaps in the newspapers.
Hey Lauren (or anyone else),

I read some of your language analysis essays that I found on AN a while ago and I was in absolute awe of your amazing vocabulary.

How do I expand mine to get to even a tenth of yours? Even though I'm averaging A+, I don't write anything like that. I know you did incredibly well in English, but I don't want to write mediocre essays in the exam -- I'd really like to impress my assessors with the language I use lol.

Teachers and the like always say read to have a better vocabulary but I find that a little passive I don't really learn anything from it. Do you have any other tips to improve?
Hi, not Lauren but I hope I can help.
I was in a similar situation at the start of the year. I needed to make my essays more sophisticated. It really helped to read the sample text responses, language analysis' and context pieces on both Atarnotes, VCAA past exams and on other websites. The best method of improving is through writing essays, trying out new words, and then asking your teachers or people on AN to read your essay.
However, saying that, in your attempt to impress the assessors by using new words and all that, it's probably not recommended to add new words just for the "flare" (as in, no thesaurus.com, but rather checking each and every word in a dictionary). Just consider, that by the time you do your exam, you want words that will stand out but also ensure that your arguments are short and concise.
Hope this helps  :)
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anat0my

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Re: VCE English Question Thread
« Reply #431 on: June 28, 2015, 01:34:35 pm »
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Hi what's the best way to go about reading/rereading a book?

tashhhaaa

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Re: VCE English Question Thread
« Reply #432 on: June 28, 2015, 02:52:30 pm »
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Hi, not Lauren but I hope I can help.
I was in a similar situation at the start of the year. I needed to make my essays more sophisticated. It really helped to read the sample text responses, language analysis' and context pieces on both Atarnotes, VCAA past exams and on other websites. The best method of improving is through writing essays, trying out new words, and then asking your teachers or people on AN to read your essay.
However, saying that, in your attempt to impress the assessors by using new words and all that, it's probably not recommended to add new words just for the "flare" (as in, no thesaurus.com, but rather checking each and every word in a dictionary). Just consider, that by the time you do your exam, you want words that will stand out but also ensure that your arguments are short and concise.
Hope this helps  :)

thank you for your advice :) Do you know where I could find really good samples to download? I'm fine with going through the forums but it's really time consuming (and fuels my tendencies to procrastinate), especially having to read everything to find quality work :s

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Re: VCE English Question Thread
« Reply #433 on: June 28, 2015, 03:06:51 pm »
+3
Hi what's the best way to go about reading/rereading a book?
Read the book first so you can take everything in. Don't take notes/highlight/etc, just focus on the material. Everyone has a different idea as to how many times you should read a book (because it really depends on you) but I think the majority would agree that 2-3 times is sufficient. The second and third time should be for highlighting key points/quotes/etc.

thank you for your advice :) Do you know where I could find really good samples to download? I'm fine with going through the forums but it's really time consuming (and fuels my tendencies to procrastinate), especially having to read everything to find quality work :s
I'm not HighTide but I thought I might just pop in and help you while I'm at it.
Here are some essays from the VCAA Examination Reports: http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Pages/vce/studies/english/englishexams.aspx
Sample High Scoring Responses: English Resources and Sample High Scoring Responses
There's quite a few essays there so hopefully it's enough to get you started. :)

tashhhaaa

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Re: VCE English Question Thread
« Reply #434 on: June 28, 2015, 03:21:23 pm »
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Read the book first so you can take everything in. Don't take notes/highlight/etc, just focus on the material. Everyone has a different idea as to how many times you should read a book (because it really depends on you) but I think the majority would agree that 2-3 times is sufficient. The second and third time should be for highlighting key points/quotes/etc.
I'm not HighTide but I thought I might just pop in and help you while I'm at it.
Here are some essays from the VCAA Examination Reports: http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Pages/vce/studies/english/englishexams.aspx
Sample High Scoring Responses: English Resources and Sample High Scoring Responses
There's quite a few essays there so hopefully it's enough to get you started. :)

thank you, you guys here are amazing  ;D