VCE English Units 3 & 4. Andrea Hayes. Suggested responses to questions Past examination questions up to 2012 Study cards for revision

Transcription

1 VCE English Units 3 & 4 Suggested responses to questions Past examination questions up to 2012 Study cards for revision

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3 Contents Introduction Acknowledgements VCE Survival Tips vii vii vii Chapter 1 Course overview Unit 3 overview 1 Unit 4 overview 2 End-of-year examination 2 Key VCE English terms 3 How to improve your vocabulary 5 Reading and responding Chapter 2 How to read literary texts Context author/director and reader 7 Views and values 7 How to interpret texts 8 Different readings of texts 8 Perspective (point of view) 10 How to write your perspective 10 Practice activities 11 Chapter 3 Different literary text types Novels 12 Short stories 12 Non-fiction texts 13 Stage plays 13 Poetry 14 Films 15 Practice activities 17 Chapter 4 How to analyse literary texts Assessment 19 Analysing literary texts 19 Key elements of texts 20 Themes and ideas 20 Characters 21 Plot 21 Setting or dramatic world 22 Style 23

4 Practice activities 24 Text cheat sheet On the Waterfront 25 Chapter 5 How to write a text response Four steps to text response 27 No-fail formal essay structure 30 Introductions Così and Year of Wonders 30 How to develop topic sentences 32 PETs (Practical Editing Tips) 34 Useful verbs and sentences for text responses 35 Sample text response essay Cosi 36 Practice activities 39 Chapter 6 Oral responses Assessment 43 About oral responses 43 How to write a formal oral response 44 How to present an oral response 45 Practice activities 46 Creating and presenting Chapter 7 Contexts Assessment 47 Four most important components for Context writing 47 Five steps to unpacking your Context 49 Practice activities 54 Chapter 8 How to write on Contexts Before you write 57 Five writing steps 57 Possible audiences 60 Hybrid style 61 Expository style 62 Persuasive style 62 Imaginative style 63 How to develop topic sentences for Contexts 64 Ideas for topics 67 Putting it all together 69 Five ways to improve your writing 69 Write best hints! 74 Sample Context responses 74 Practice activities 83

5 Using language to persuade Chapter 9 Analysing media texts Assessment 85 About issues 86 Note-form summary (ESL) 87 Media texts: forms and features 89 Background information 91 Persuasive language and techniques 92 Visual language 94 How arguments are structured 96 Practice activities 97 Chapter 10 How to write a language analysis Six steps to language analysis 99 Useful analysis language 102 Practice activities and 2008, 2009, 2010 tasks 106 Chapter 11 How to write a point-of-view text Six steps to a point-of-view text 117 Chapter 12 End-of-year examination advice About the end-of-year examination 119 Exam preparation 119 Time limits 120 Section A Text response 121 Section B Writing in Context 123 Section C Analysis of language use 124 Practice activities 125 Chapter 13 VCAA 2011 English Exams Section A Text response (Reading and responding) 126 Section B Writing in Context (Creating and presenting) 130 Section C Analysis of language use (Using language to persuade) 132 ESL Section A Text response (Reading and responding) 136 ESL Section B Writing in Context (Creating and presenting) 141 ESL Section C Analysis of language use (Using language to persuade) 142

6 Chapter 14 Suggested responses to the VCAA 2011 English Exams Section A Text response (Reading and responding) 146 Section B Writing in Context (Creating and presenting) 154 Section C Analysis of language use (Using language to persuade) 164 Chapter 15 Suggested responses to practice activities Sample character profile 169 Text cheat sheet: Cosi, Year of Wonders, Things we didn t see coming, Twelve Angry Men 170 Sample Text response essays 174 Sample Context writing 183 Sample Mainstream Language Analysis responses 186 Sample ESL Language Analysis response 190 Section C Analysis of Language Use 192 Chapter 16 VCAA 2012 English Exams 197 Chapter 17 Suggested responses to the VCAA 2012 English Exams 219

7 Introduction You don t have to be super brilliant or creative to do well in VCE English. A student who plans, works hard, listens to their English teacher s advice and uses this text will be able to avoid major stress and do well. Good luck! Acknowledgements would like to thank the usual suspects: Luisa and John Catalano, Zeebo and Jennifer Blackburn, as well as Frankie Flanagan for her major contributions, Pam Garlick for her notes on Readings, Martin Hassa Hayes for his illustration, Andrew Pyta, Sandra Abouzeid and Julia Fimiani for their essays, Naomi Bartley for her text response and Luisa Catalano for her Context piece. VCE Survival Tips 1 Access the VCAA website and find out how examiners assess your work, e.g. know assessment criteria and performance descriptors for every task, and read examiner s reports and past exams. 2 Organise a study schedule (with some chill time) and stick to it! 3 Construct word lists, cheat sheets, essay maps and plans. 4 Focus on short- and long-term goals and break down large tasks into smaller ones. 5 Focus on improving your weak areas, e.g. lousy introductions, poor vocab. 6 Read/view texts and supplementary texts several times and take notes. 7 Bond with your dictionary (a decent and recent version). 8 Stress is normal. Deal with it! Speak up. You re not alone. 9 Practise writing under timed conditions and never miss practice exams. 10 Avoid drugs and try not to fall in love! (Too distracting) QuizMe App The Cambridge QuizMe App, compatible with all internet-enabled devices, is available at It features quizzes that are an extra revision tool for use throughout the year and are a fun add-on to your study experience.