English Advanced 2017 HSC exam pack (archive)

Students should:

• engage with all parts of the question and the stimulus items
• apply knowledge and understanding of the concept of discovery
• write a brief plan to help structure and organise the response – clearly mark this section as a plan.

Students should expect to:

• write a complete response in 40 minutes
• respond to one question in an original way
• demonstrate a conceptual understanding of discovery through a sustained, imaginative piece of writing
• demonstrate a sustained and skilful control of language, structure and ideas.

Students can be better prepared for this examination by:

• understanding the HSC examination rubrics for the Area of Study: Discovery
• engaging metaphorically with the concept of discovery
• crafting a range of imaginative pieces
• practising the manipulation of form and structure.

In better responses, students demonstrated:

• complex insights into the concept of discovery
• seamless exploration of the concept throughout the response
• metaphorical use of stimulus, often as a carefully chosen central motif
• consideration of, and reflection on, larger, more universal human experiences
• manipulation of narrative form and structure
• subtle, restrained and often elegant use of language.

Students should:

• explore all aspects of the question
• evaluate how the accuracy of the statement reflects their understanding of the two texts
• analyse rather than describe texts
• develop and sustain an argument which engages with the question
• demonstrate that the process of discovery is dynamic and diverse
• support and extend their understanding of the process of discovery with aptly chosen related material
• control expression throughout the response
• respond with a purposefully structured and thoughtfully integrated argument.

In better responses, students were able to:

• focus on a conceptual exploration of the transformative impacts of discovery
• use a variety of terms from the rubric in their evaluations of the discovery process and its capacity to transform
• interpret the notion of transformation using a range of terms
• recognise the motivations for different discoveries
• recognise that there are different approaches to the question including:
  • dealing with a singular motivation or choosing a combination determined by the ideas central to the texts
  • arguing that one motivation is more prominent in one text, while another is more prominent in the other text
  • accepting that need, curiosity and wonder could be motivations, but offer alternative influences that triggered discoveries.

General feedback

Students should:

• engage with and directly answer all aspects of the question
• interpret and apply knowledge of the module and their chosen elective
• demonstrate a holistic understanding of the texts through detailed and well-chosen textual references and effective and accurate contextual examples
• demonstrate a sustained and skilful control of language and ideas
• develop a strong and sustained argument in response to the question
• write clearly and legibly.

Students should expect to:

• write a complete and coherent response in 40 minutes.

Students can prepare for this examination by:

• developing a deep and personal knowledge of their texts
• practising answering a range of past HSC examination questions
• preparing a selection of apt quotations and a discerning choice of textual references
• practising constructing clear and effective topic sentences
• reading a wide range of academic literature on their texts, not just easily available crib notes
• practising balancing contextual and textual knowledge in their responses.

In better responses, students demonstrated:

• a skilful command of language and structure
• a clear and controlled argument
• a personal and thoughtful engagement with the whole question
• detailed understanding of context, including where composers may have criticised or rejected aspects of their own context
• a deep and individual understanding of the texts and apt use of effective references to their text
• a strong understanding of the connections between texts
• extended and comprehensive analysis of texts and context, avoiding sweeping generalisations
• a clear understanding of the module and elective rubrics
• a broad understanding of the whole text.

Elective 1: Intertextual connections

In better responses, students demonstrated:

• a strong understanding of how and why a concept was reimagined. This may refer to how form reflects meaning in King Richard III and Looking for Richard, changed concepts of class in Pride and Prejudice and Letters to Aliceon First Reading of Jane Austen or context in John Donne: A Selection of His Poetry and, W;t.

Elective 2: Intertextual perspectives

In better responses, students demonstrated:

• a strong understanding of the important words in the question. This may refer to understanding how ‘commitment’ is portrayed differently in Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s Aurora Leigh and Other Poems Sonnets from the Portuguese and F Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby,or ‘leadership’ as an aspect of the cautionary tale in Fritz Lang’s Metropolis and George Orwell’s, Nineteen Eighty-Four,or the differing types of ‘manipulation’ represented in William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar and Niccolò Machiavelli’s, The Prince.

General feedback

Students should:

• specifically address all aspects of the question
• support and develop responses using aptly chosen and detailed textual references from the prescribed text
• demonstrate sustained and skilful control of language and ideas
• consolidate and demonstrate a detailed knowledge of the prescribed text
• develop a strong and sustained argument in response to the question.

Students should expect to:

• respond to a variety of question types without memorising a prepared extended response
• write a complete response in 40 minutes.

Students can prepare for this examination by:

• understanding the HSC rubric and requirements for Module B: Critical Study of Texts
• ensuring that their knowledge of the prescribed text is thorough and detailed
• practise writing responses on all the poems or speeches set for study using past HSC papers
• developing an informed understanding of textual integrity in relation to their prescribed text.

Shakespearean drama – William Shakespeare, Hamlet

In better responses, students demonstrated:

• skilful exploration of context and how this influenced Shakespeare’s work
• clear understanding of the text’s form
• insightful understanding of contextual values to explore the notion of conventional heroes and the extent to which Hamlet and other characters were ‘conventional’ according to Elizabethan expectations
• discerning use of relevant textual examples to support their argument.

Prose fiction – Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre

In better responses, students demonstrated:

• an understanding of passion and control as constructs in Victorian England
• insightful evaluation of the statement
• an exploration of Jane’s evolving nature through the binary opposites of passion and control
• sophisticated understanding of the ‘unique’ voices employed by Brontë
• a clear interpretation of the notion of ‘privilege’ to form a strong argument.

Prose fiction – Michael Ondaatje, In the Skin of a Lion

In better responses, students demonstrated:

• strong understanding of the historical context and Ondaatje’s purpose in creating a disconnected narrative in order to fuse the voices of groups ignored by history
• an ability to create a strong argument around the idea of ‘fusion’
• insightful understanding of how disconnected narrative relates to the novel’s textual integrity.

Film – Orson Welles, Citizen Kane

In better responses, students demonstrated:

• insightful and confident evaluation of the question
• a clear focus on the idea of ‘highly constructed cinematic experience’, acknowledging Welles’s revolutionary vision/style
• skilful understanding of Welles’s role as composer and the strengths and weaknesses of his work
• sophisticated understanding of the text’s original 1940’s context and the messages that Welles was conveying.

Poetry – TS Eliot, T S Eliot: Selected Poems

In better responses, students demonstrated:

• insightful understanding of Eliot’s Modernist context and his use of dramatic monologue to create unique interior voices and evaluate the extent to which he privileges personal reflection over social commentary
• critical evaluation using an informed understanding of how contextual values impact on the way that ideas are received in order to come to a personal judgement
• sophisticated understanding of the ‘strength/weakness’ aspect of the question as a means by which to evaluate the significance of Eliot’s social critique
• a balanced discussion of the prescribed poem ‘Journey of the Magi’ and one other poem
• skilful evaluation of the poetry through a wider lens by moving beyond the persona of the poems when considering ‘strength and weakness’.

Poetry – William Butler Yeats, WB Yeats: Poems selected by Seamus Heaney

In better responses, students demonstrated:

• clear understanding of Yeats’ contextual and personal concerns to evaluate the extent to which he employs unique voices to explore the tension between the real world and the ideal world he imagines
• balanced discussion of the prescribed poem ‘Among School Children’ and one other poem
• critical evaluation and personal judgement.

Nonfiction – Speeches

In better responses, students demonstrated:

• clear understanding of how audience, context and purpose are integrated
• skilful discussion of the power of speeches to persuade and the rhetorical devices used
• balanced discussion of the prescribed speech ‘Speech to the Israeli Knesset’ and one other speech.