English Extension 1 2021 HSC exam pack

Students should:

• demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the module Literary Worlds through close engagement with the given texts. This does not require reference to texts that do not feature in the exam paper, or to literary theory of any kind
• consider all aspects of the question and ensure that they address all the components specified
• demonstrate a strong conceptual understanding of Literary Worlds, including why they are constructed (purpose) and how they interact with the reader (audience)
• demonstrate control of language and form
• communicate clearly and take care with syntax, grammar, paragraphing and punctuation.

In better responses, students were able to:

• develop a personal voice to offer insight into their own understanding of Literary Worlds
• demonstrate an understanding of the diverse nature of Literary Worlds
• engage with the notion of ‘challenge’ consistently throughout the response
• evaluate the role of language in shaping meaning
• engage with all parts of the question
• judiciously select textual evidence
• coherently structure the response
• write with clarity and fluency using appropriate metalanguage.

Areas for students to improve include:

• engaging with the question conceptually, rather than just identifying literary devices
• avoiding naming literary theorists or describing literary theory without purpose
• being informed by, but not relying on, the extract to develop a personal response
• drawing insights from the extract rather than simply presenting a description  
• ensuring that analysis is focused on the value of techniques identified
• planning responses to avoid repetition of ideas or details
• developing cohesion between paragraphs to sustain an overall thesis
• integrating brief and well-chosen quotations into the response.

General feedback

Students should:

• develop a strong understanding of all aspects of the elective description, its central ideas and its directives in preparation for writing
• demonstrate detailed understanding of the studied texts, understanding how the concepts of the text can strengthen an argument
• read the exam question carefully and ensure all components are addressed in the construction of a thesis
• construct a clear and sustained thesis that demonstrates an understanding of the elective and their texts
• judiciously select related texts that connect clearly to the key concerns expressed in the elective description and provide scope to respond to the question with sophistication
• use a coherent structure that allows them to clearly express their knowledge and understanding of the texts
• carefully plan their response.  

Elective 1: Literary homelands

Students should:

• respond explicitly to the key elements of the question - ‘explore questions of difference’, ‘allow us to practise our own humanity’, and ‘reflect your experience of studying Literary Homelands’
• develop a strong understanding of the concepts shaped by the Elective and the interplay between contextual values, the author’s purpose and distinctive style.

In better responses, students were able to:

• craft purposeful introductions that signpost the argument and establish the relationship between the texts and the elective
• establish the argument in the thesis statement and topic sentences, and sustain the thesis with aptly chosen textual references
• integrate the role of textual form, structure and distinctive stylistic characteristics of each text in support of the argument
• consistently evaluate the patterns of analysis emerging from the discussion of evidence throughout the response, including in the concluding statements.

Areas for students to improve include:  

• explicitly addressing the terms of the question
• signposting the conceptual direction of the response within the introduction that includes the nature of the elective in response to the terms of the question, and the relationship between the elective and the texts
• establishing the link between context, form and authorial style
• maintaining a consistent argument  
• providing relevant supporting textual evidence and analysis
• providing a detailed, thorough and balanced examination of texts.

Elective 2: Worlds of upheaval

In better responses, students were able to:   

• articulate the role of liberty in societies in upheaval and how the act of writing and/or the act of reading was liberatory
• articulate how the texts invited readers to ‘practise their humanity’, rather than simply saying ‘and therefore the text allows the reader to practise their humanity’
• demonstrate a strong understanding of the ways writers representing times of upheaval challenge assumptions with their unique and new ways of writing
• analyse their texts in a way that advanced their thesis, rather than simply explaining the function of a device in a quote
• achieve an even treatment of all three texts, and establish a cohesive line of argument
• integrate an effective knowledge and understanding of the context of upheaval and how it contributed to the way a writer constructed meaning. 

Areas for students to improve include:   

• ensuring that the treatment of the three texts are not separate, but are a part of one argument
• making clearer links to history and/or context, with specific treatment of the catalysing factors in a writer’s purpose
• synthesise the texts conceptually, suggesting the ways that the texts are different or similar treatments of a unifying interest or challenge
• considering the related text and its usefulness; the related text works better when it offers a similar opportunity for deep and careful thinking and analysis, and its time period works well with the other texts.   

Elective 3: Reimagined worlds  

In better responses, students were able to:

• analyse how composers explore questions of certainty within their texts to encourage responders to ‘practise their humanity’
• consider how form (‘unique ways’) has been used by composers to explore questions of certainty, as well as considering the role of purpose in the construction of texts
• analyse their prescribed and related texts with clarity, using detailed textual evidence to support their arguments
• move beyond the ‘obvious’ examples/quotes from each of the texts to demonstrate a more perceptive and astute knowledge and understanding of the elective
• demonstrate sophisticated control of language by using varied vocabulary and paying close attention to register, spelling, punctuation and sentence structure.

Areas for students to improve include:

• selecting related texts that are substantial and deeply linked to the key ideas of the elective
• avoiding responses that simplistically analyse the themes of a text and do not meaningfully engage with the question
• understanding that the question required students to contemplate how composers encourage responders ‘to practise their humanity’, not to discuss how the concept of humanity is explored in the texts they have studied
• treating each text equally
• revealing a deep understanding of each text, rather than drawing only from the early stages of a text, such as the opening chapter, initial scene or the first line of a poem.

Elective 4: Literary mindscapes

In better responses, students were able to:

• provide a clear and insightful thesis, informed by their experience of the elective and texts
• integrate a sophisticated discussion of the way a text’s form shapes their understanding of Literary Mindscapes
• communicate their understanding of the way a text’s form is integral to representing interiority through a literary mindscape
• address the key word ‘enlightenment’ as well as ‘practise our humanity’ in a purposeful and thoughtful way.

Areas for students to improve include:  

• moving outside of the text to consider a composer’s purpose in the construction of a literary mindscape.
• avoiding lengthy descriptive passages that identify a character’s interiority without considering how it might relate to the composer’s purpose, the elective or the question
• elevating their analysis from the discussion of a text’s micro techniques to a more sophisticated discussion of form and purpose.

Elective 5: Intersecting worlds

In better responses, students were able to:

• respond to the key elements of the question: ‘explore the possibilities of renewal’, ‘allow us to practise our own humanity’, and ‘reflect your experience of studying Intersecting Worlds’
• use the details of their prescribed and related texts in a sustained and judicious way to consistently support their thesis
• create a well-structured and well-sequenced response to the specific terms of both the question and the Intersecting Worlds elective.  

Areas for students to improve include:

• focusing on the key terms and answering all parts of the question
• providing more detailed reference to the texts, ensuring that each is given equal treatment
• providing an argument that enables the integration of their texts, rather than a compartmentalised analysis
• considering the contextual dimensions of their texts, rather than simply analysing content.