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With most teachers and students gearing up for the HSC Trial exams, I thought it would be timely to throw up a quick reminder for students about what any extended response requires:
The
Ten Basics of Extended Responses
1. Always spend a few minutes analysing the question
and brainstorming the content, sequence and writing down key quotes. Planning
helps consolidate your response and gives the organisational structure required. This is also a good time to drop all your quotes for all the modules as it means you don't need to remember them and it kick-starts your getting started.
2. Use these jotted ideas to formulate a thesis outline and response line of argument.
3. Explicitly address the question, using language
of the question within your thesis framework.
4. Topic sentences should always answer the question
and state what your paragraph will say. These should be concise, preferably
nominalised and thesis linked.
5. Never write a paragraph without using, at least
two to three appropriately chosen quotes/techniques/language or style devices
as textual evidence to support thesis argument being developed.
6. Discuss techniques evident within quotes and the
effect or impact of such techniques on the audience.
7. Demonstrate how techniques convey argument
points. Example: By comparing war to hell, Owen counters the propagandist lies
of the war mongers who posited the idea that it epitomised courage and duty.
8. Remain aware that the question must drive your
thesis response and selected textual reference. The thesis is the framework
within which the analysis is developed.
9. Always give a conclusion to bring your response
to a close. Even a very short conclusion is better than no conclusion at all.
10. Pay attention to the clock. Spending too long on
one response at the cost of others will not maximise your marks.
