• Congratulations to the Class of 2024 on your results!
    Let us know how you went here
    Got a question about your uni preferences? Ask us here

English advanced paper 1 Short answer Tips? (1 Viewer)

athena.

New Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2023
Messages
8
Gender
Female
HSC
2024
During reading time, are you looking for specific techniques or just focusing on understanding the text? (or both) and how do you go about answering comparative questions? Like if you have to choose one of the previous texts how do you say something different about it?
1. both, this comes naturally with practice so don’t overthink this too much
2. depends on the number of marks for the question, but generally, i simply outline a broad similarity between the texts in terms of the question, and then delve into the nuances of each text in regards to the question, and this is where the techniques and analysis come in. note that the nuances/differences that you do discuss still have to be relevant to each other and the question. also may be obvious but don't restrict your analysis to your texts - teachers like it when you make a smart sounding statement linking your analysis to some overarching message about society (and your module, of course).
 

abelsj01

Member
Joined
Mar 19, 2022
Messages
87
Gender
Male
HSC
2023
what are some really good to know, fairly common visual techniques?
 
Last edited:

Cardscook77

New Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2020
Messages
8
Gender
Male
HSC
2022
  • Always fill out the lines they give you.
  • Answer the question directly in the first sentence.
  • BE SPECIFIC. E.g. 'the author conveys emotions' SHOULD BE written as 'the author conveys emotions of loneliness and isolation through his depiction of...'.
  • EVERY quote must be supported with a technique to explain it.
  • You DO NOT have to understand the text. But you always must ANSWER THE QUESTION.
  • Markers love sophisticated sounding answers so simple things like changing 'the personification shown in' to 'the personified representation of' 'Quote...' highlights/reveals/demonstrates/emphasises/elucidates/conveys/exhibits.
  • Essentially: Answer the question in the first sentence BEING SPECIFIC. Find a quote with a technique. Explain the techniques effect LINK IT BACK to your first sentence (which answers the question). With this framework you won't go wrong.
  • When in doubt, make an idea up. As long as it ANSWERS THE QUESTION and you explain the idea with relevant techniques and quotes, it is fine.
  • Kiss your full marks goodbye if you don't USE UP ALL THE LINES WHICH HAVE BEEN PROVIDED. I cannot stress the importance of this enough.
Good luck!
 

its_ace21

/æɪs/
Joined
Sep 7, 2022
Messages
4,015
Location
smelling cadavers
Gender
Female
HSC
2023
  • Always fill out the lines they give you.
  • Answer the question directly in the first sentence.
  • BE SPECIFIC. E.g. 'the author conveys emotions' SHOULD BE written as 'the author conveys emotions of loneliness and isolation through his depiction of...'.
  • EVERY quote must be supported with a technique to explain it.
  • You DO NOT have to understand the text. But you always must ANSWER THE QUESTION.
  • Markers love sophisticated sounding answers so simple things like changing 'the personification shown in' to 'the personified representation of' 'Quote...' highlights/reveals/demonstrates/emphasises/elucidates/conveys/exhibits.
  • Essentially: Answer the question in the first sentence BEING SPECIFIC. Find a quote with a technique. Explain the techniques effect LINK IT BACK to your first sentence (which answers the question). With this framework you won't go wrong.
  • When in doubt, make an idea up. As long as it ANSWERS THE QUESTION and you explain the idea with relevant techniques and quotes, it is fine.
  • Kiss your full marks goodbye if you don't USE UP ALL THE LINES WHICH HAVE BEEN PROVIDED. I cannot stress the importance of this enough.
Good luck!
ily
 

SadCeliac

done hsc yay
Joined
Sep 23, 2021
Messages
2,490
Location
Sydney <3
Gender
Male
HSC
2023
  • Always fill out the lines they give you.
  • Answer the question directly in the first sentence.
  • BE SPECIFIC. E.g. 'the author conveys emotions' SHOULD BE written as 'the author conveys emotions of loneliness and isolation through his depiction of...'.
  • EVERY quote must be supported with a technique to explain it.
  • You DO NOT have to understand the text. But you always must ANSWER THE QUESTION.
  • Markers love sophisticated sounding answers so simple things like changing 'the personification shown in' to 'the personified representation of' 'Quote...' highlights/reveals/demonstrates/emphasises/elucidates/conveys/exhibits.
  • Essentially: Answer the question in the first sentence BEING SPECIFIC. Find a quote with a technique. Explain the techniques effect LINK IT BACK to your first sentence (which answers the question). With this framework you won't go wrong.
  • When in doubt, make an idea up. As long as it ANSWERS THE QUESTION and you explain the idea with relevant techniques and quotes, it is fine.
  • Kiss your full marks goodbye if you don't USE UP ALL THE LINES WHICH HAVE BEEN PROVIDED. I cannot stress the importance of this enough.
Good luck!
THANK YOUUUU

can you give us an example for like a three/four marker from HSC last year I just want to see it in action 😭
How do you stop whatever you're writing from sounding like disjointed random techniques one after the other??? I feel like I just go:

THESIS/ATQ. The metaphor of "quote" demonstrates ATQ. Similarly, the natural imagery of "quote" reflects the blah. The author's simile "quote" does this.

And that's it.... we don't need concluding "Hence this and this" statements... right?
 

stormii

Member
Joined
Mar 18, 2022
Messages
83
Gender
Female
HSC
2023
  • Always fill out the lines they give you.
  • Answer the question directly in the first sentence.
  • BE SPECIFIC. E.g. 'the author conveys emotions' SHOULD BE written as 'the author conveys emotions of loneliness and isolation through his depiction of...'.
  • EVERY quote must be supported with a technique to explain it.
  • You DO NOT have to understand the text. But you always must ANSWER THE QUESTION.
  • Markers love sophisticated sounding answers so simple things like changing 'the personification shown in' to 'the personified representation of' 'Quote...' highlights/reveals/demonstrates/emphasises/elucidates/conveys/exhibits.
  • Essentially: Answer the question in the first sentence BEING SPECIFIC. Find a quote with a technique. Explain the techniques effect LINK IT BACK to your first sentence (which answers the question). With this framework you won't go wrong.
  • When in doubt, make an idea up. As long as it ANSWERS THE QUESTION and you explain the idea with relevant techniques and quotes, it is fine.
  • Kiss your full marks goodbye if you don't USE UP ALL THE LINES WHICH HAVE BEEN PROVIDED. I cannot stress the importance of this enough.
Good luck!
Thank you!!!!
 

TankKuno

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 5, 2022
Messages
286
Gender
Male
HSC
2023
I was told that if n = number of marks, we need n-1 ETA's in our essay
but if it's 5/6+ marks you need a short intro
yeah but my internals some ppl did that, and they marked the n-1 down , it wasnt confirmed that was the case, but it was a common trend around the people who got n-1 for each question
 

its_ace21

/æɪs/
Joined
Sep 7, 2022
Messages
4,015
Location
smelling cadavers
Gender
Female
HSC
2023
yeah but my internals some ppl did that, and they marked the n-1 down , it wasnt confirmed that was the case, but it was a common trend around the people who got n-1 for each question
if its 4 marks, why would u do 4 quotes, u need space to elaborate so u do 3, ive heard that u can also do 2 in a lot of detail? not sure but i always do n-1
 

TankKuno

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 5, 2022
Messages
286
Gender
Male
HSC
2023
if its 4 marks, why would u do 4 quotes, u need space to elaborate so u do 3, ive heard that u can also do 2 in a lot of detail? not sure but i always do n-1
idrk, my school tbh
 

SadCeliac

done hsc yay
Joined
Sep 23, 2021
Messages
2,490
Location
Sydney <3
Gender
Male
HSC
2023
if its 4 marks, why would u do 4 quotes, u need space to elaborate so u do 3, ive heard that u can also do 2 in a lot of detail? not sure but i always do n-1
ace when did you hit 2000+ messages and why am i suddenly concerned for you -- go study english and memo your 1984 grr
 

synthesisFR

afterhscivemostlybeentrollingdonttakeitsrsly
Joined
Oct 28, 2022
Messages
3,312
Location
Getting deported
Gender
Female
HSC
2028
Some schools want n techniques- they force it onto students e.g ruse
It’s stupid
In HSC you don’t need more than n-1 otherwise it’s just not doable for many people unless u have a ton of practice
Bc obv u need space to have ur topic and time to think
That being said I think if ur unsure of a text just add in a bunch of extra techniques like I did 5 techniques for a three marker in trials cuz I had extra time just in case to secure the bag
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 0, Guests: 1)

Top