HSC English (Paper 1) Discussion, Questions, Potential Solutions

[Joseph41]

Good luck everybody!

When the exam has finished, use this thread to chat all things Paper 1.

[spnmox]

It was pretty good! The section 2 question was nice and broad

[rirerire]

how'd everyone go??? im personally a bit disappointed with the way I tackled the long response... I didn't really answer the question and only wrote 4-5 pages...
I talked to a couple people in my year who spent all their time on the short answers and others completely left out some short ans questions however I felt that section 1 was pretty easy? How'd you guys go with that section?

[Viktoriak_]

I thought it was overall pretty good. I finished on time, which is honestly a miracle haha

[LoneWolf]

I have forgotten the essay question and I think I have answered wrong.

[spnmox]

It was something like How does the composer of your text effectively tell stories to reveal both personal and shared experiences?

[Coolmate]

Hey 2020 gang!
I hope everyone went well today and congratulations on finishing Paper 1!

Section 1:
The short answers were ok, and I was happy to see a variety of forms of texts, like an image and articles

Section 2:
I found the essay question really good and pretty broad, but there was lots of meaning you could draw from not only the question but the text also. The essay question for the 2019 paper specified a specific theme, but this year it didn't, which I thought was good.

Good luck for tomorrow everyone

Coolmate

[sarah10123]

The essay question was STUNNING I had written practice essays for the exact question so that was good but the short answers... not good at all - I didn't realise that the boat guy was holding a pencil, never knew there were so many synonyms for 'laughter', thought it was a mother and son (everyone else thinks its a father), and I thought Normal Phantom was Aboriginal soooo

[BakerDad12]

Oh wow, I did think it was a father. Now that you mention it, though, I don't think the poem specified whether it was the mother or father watching the play, so I think you're fine there, unless we are all deducted marks for assuming and not writing the 'narrator'.

I also assumed Normal Phantom was about an Aboriginal man, although I didn't include that in my response? What could it be otherwise?

[rirerire]

The essay question was STUNNING I had written practice essays for the exact question so that was good but the short answers... not good at all - I didn't realise that the boat guy was holding a pencil, never knew there were so many synonyms for 'laughter', thought it was a mother and son (everyone else thinks its a father), and I thought Normal Phantom was Aboriginal soooo

I think you're right in that it was a mother tbh (although I thought it was a father lmao). In the end I don't think it matters it was a parent either way and meaning is subjective anyways! I think Normal Phantom was an indigenous person as the text said he was a "tribal elder" I'm pretty sure??? I personally didn't end up talking about that though cus I was so confused about the whole text ahahaha

I think everyone had a part in the paper that they feel iffy about and I feel like your essay will totally balance out your short answers cus for me personally and most people I've talked to we completely messed up our essays hahah. good luck tomorrow!!!

[sarah10123]

yes hahah I'm pretty sure they didn't specify what parent but I assumed it was his mother and ran with it lmao
Oh no way you guys thought he was an Indigenous person too! No one I've spoken to thought so and I used that as a link between his identity and place idek
and thank you rirerire! good luck to you too!!!

[BakerDad12]

I think that's really interesting that a lot of people assumed it was a father. I didn't even consider that it mightn't be until you brought it up. I wonder if there was something in the text that could have triggered that?

[layelliie]

i definitely thought section 1 was tricky. was looking forward to do well since I'm usually amazing in short answers but they really stumped me today and Idk how its gonna go.
as for the essay, i was so happy bc my prepared essay was pretty similar, and i finished right as the supervisors said pens down

[Natasack]

Did they actually ask for language techniques, NOT visual techniques in regards to the picture of a man in a boat?

[HS26]

Did they actually ask for language techniques, NOT visual techniques in regards to the picture of a man in a boat?

I think so, because Q1 was to discuss the language techniques in the text excerpt and the picture, that's what threw me off in the exam because I didn't know what techniques would be relevant...