ConquerHSC English Guide

Welcome to a terrifying student experience — the trials and tribulations of studying HSC English. Hopefully, by reading this guide and applying at least one or two techniques, you can jump a few marks up - which can determine what band you will land in! But do not fear because ConquerHSC will help you guide your way through your journey.

FAQ w/ Aax

• How do I get story ideas?

  You can start with anything you find personally interesting. This could be a location, a person or character sketch, a line of dialogue, an image, a song, a scent etc. Provide your own personal stimulus.

  Note: Your opening line needs to be engaging in order for your intended audience to take an interest in your text. This is known as a hook.

• What is a thesis?
  The main idea or central message.

  Having a good thesis statement is essential to creating a coherent essay. It is the foundation of your argument, and as such, it must be closely linked to the set question, and it must be sustained throughout the essay.

  Do:

  • Your thesis should be concise, but also answer the question, all parts of the question-

  • Aim for one sentence - no more than two

  • You must introduce an idea that you can repeat readily throughout your essay-STEEL

  • Try to use words from the question in the introduction and conclusion-you can rephrase the phrases throughout the body.

  • It should demonstrate your knowledge of the module and the key idea(s) the question is asking you to discuss

  Do not:

  • Parrot the question back to the marker. You should unpack the question and construct a personal and logical response.

  • Use a thesis statement from a previous assessment - you must respond to the set question.

  • Present a statement that is overly broad as it does not give your discussion a clear focus

  • Do not list all the themes that you intend to explore in your body paragraphs.

  • Use statements with low modality, verbs like “could” “might” lack certainty. Use high modality. Create an assertive and confident voice with “will”, “does”, “shall”, “... is the central focus of the text.”

  • For “to what extent” questions, comment on the way the composer may put forward their argument, using adverbs like “insightfully” and “cleverly” for an evaluation, rather than “to a great extent”, etc.
    

    RUFTS Steps

    a) Read-slowly read the question twice over

    b) Understand-underline keywords and unpack the question

    c) Filter and reframe the question-Rewrite question in your own words

    d) Think about how you will respond-quick brainstorm-link to themes/module

    e) Solve, check and write -Create your thesis and check links to the question
    

• How do I create a thesis?

  Holistically, it should be a one-sentence answer to the question you are given. It should encompass what your essay will be talking about (although do not mention the themes, as that will be the following sentence).
  

• How do I remember all my quotes for my exam?

  Need to remember 3845093680934 quotes, and it’s due in two days? There are many ways to help you remember them. The very first thing to do is to cut the irrelevant parts and use what you find necessary.
  

  For example: [A Room Of One’s Own]

  ❝ Repetition is evident when Woolf says, “Lock up your libraries if you like; but there is no gate, no lock, no bolt that you can set upon the freedom of my mind.” this elucidates the impression... ❞

  This is way too long to write, and it'll be a waste of your time. It is also a waste of space to remember, and you might forget other important information.

  What you should do is: ❝ Repetition is evident when Woolf says there is “no gate, no lock, no bolt” on her freedom, elucidating the impression that . . . ❞
  

  If you have many quotes, you can do Drawing Associativity. This is where you can draw a simple symbol that represents your quote. A symbol is easier than Word Associativity with flashcards because it is quicker to draw out than writing it down.
  

  For example: [Brave New World]
  ❝ that is the secret of happiness and virtue — liking what you've got to do.❞

  An associative symbol for this can be a smiley face [e.g. :) ] as the quote mentions “happiness”.

  
  

• What techniques do I use for XXX?

  Don’t be shy and go to our English subject channel(s) and paste the quote in the Discord chat if you cannot find the technique!

• How do I prepare for the SA section?

You have 45 minutes of writing time for Section I of the examination. So, to make sure you answer all the short-answer questions within this time, practice using this timing guide:

• Complete questions worth 3 marks in 7 minutes

• Complete questions worth 4-5 marks in 10 minutes

• Complete questions worth 6-7 marks in 13 minutes

ANALYSIS FORMAT

S (statement)

T (technique)

E (example)

E (effect)

L (link)

Personally, this is what I use. You might have another acronym; it doesn’t matter - all mean the same thing. Refer to this format as it will be mentioned throughout. Always read the question before the text. If you read the question first, it will be sitting at the back of your mind so that you read the text with purpose. The new style questions are precise and require you to engage with the texts deeply. Therefore, you should read the question more than once before writing your response. You should also be familiar with the Texts and Human Experiences Course Descriptor as examiners formulate questions using this descriptor. For instance, questions may ask you to explore the paradoxes in the human experience. Or, you might be asked how a text represents specific human qualities or emotions associated with a particular experience. A question may require you to examine how the author presents a human experience in ways that ignite new ideas.

Once you have identified the critical aspect of texts and human experiences in a question, begin reading the unseen text using this aspect to interpret the text. When you read with the question in mind, it is called active reading. As you are reading a text, make sure you also pay attention to its textual form. Many short-answer questions require you to explain, analyse, or compare how a writer has represented human experiences in their text. This means that your response needs to focus on the devices a writer has used to influence our understanding of human experiences.

Evidence and Techniques:
Each question will ask you to provide textual evidence and analysis to support your answer. The more marks awarded for a question is usually an indication of how many pieces of evidence and techniques and required. There are no specific guidelines on this as the marks are awarded holistically, but naturally, more evidence and analysis will allow for more marks.

If you have difficulty identifying language techniques, try to spot any easy ones as you read written texts. Alliteration, onomatopoeia, similes, metaphors, symbols and rhetorical questions are generally relatively easy to find. Then try to find a way to link them to the human experience identified in the question. Again, it is helpful to do this in Reading Time. If in doubt about techniques, remember devices like imagery, emotive language, and sensory language are valid! Plan out the amount of time you should spend on each question BEFORE going into the examination. This should ensure you allow enough time for each question.