Recent content by Tacitus

Hi guys, I'm a relative geriatric (2007 HSC) who's studied English subjects at uni and spent 3-4 years tutoring in-house for a GPS school before I got bogged down in my degree. Have since graduated. I specialise in the technical aspects of essay writing, especially the structure that HSC...

Motivators, ranked by efficiency: 1. Ritalin* 2. Fear 3. Asian parents 4. No-Doz/coffee 5. Something worse to procrastinate about (cleaning your room, applying for jobs, studying for UMAT) 6. Having a point to prove to your asshole of an English teacher 7. Porn - either as a reward after you...

'This analysis contrasts heavily/compares compellingly to (title of related text) when one discusses relevant issues in (the question).'

Re: Advanced English essay writing guide, 2nd edition How much retelling of the plot was in there? That's the most common way to over-extend a paragraph or essay.

Just remember that techniques exist to explain how you understand quotes from the text. This understanding, phrased in a way relevant to answering the question, will be your best friend over this year. Excel study guides give huge amounts of material to memorize. Anyone can memorize a text...

If it's an obviously memorized response, your best bet is about 15-16/20. That would be a mind-blowingly good irrelevant essay though.

All three should probably be acknowledged in your essay, but you don't need to provide a comprehensive analysis on all three. Hell, you could focus exclusively on one character and explain how the other two play a role in his/her belonging process.

Absolutely not. If it's not on the official prescribed text list, then nobody will mind. HSC markers have a professional obligation to mark each essay as an individual piece and not compared to any other submission. Popularity (or simplicity) of a text will not drag down your mark at all if...

There's not really a lot to gain from going through the plot - the only important plot details you need are the ones that give background to your supporting evidence.

Answer the question! So simple, yet so tragically often overlooked. Oh, and eat breakfast. Something like low-GI cereal can do wonders in a long exam.

Are you getting that out in two hours? That seems like the crucial part.

Extension 1 is no different from Advanced except in a few select respects: 1. Essays are significantly longer (about twice as long as a standard Advanced extended response, although you only do two as opposed to five) 2. Marked slightly harder, although generally on less juvenile criteria...

Agree wholeheartedly.

The number of essays you write to 'ace' English won't matter at all if you've already memorised them. The most common reason for your question is because people find it very hard to adapt and apply the material they've learnt while under pressure. Practice essays and trial questions help you...

Re: What does explain EFFECTIVELY mean???? The key is to get into a 'which means/because' mindset. My thesis states A which means quote B is very relevant because technique C gives it a meaning of D which means this quote directly addresses the question because it means my quote embodies...