how many quotes should an essay have hsc

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• Jan 17, 2022

How to use a quote in your English essay the right way - important for HSC preparation!

Incorporating quotes is an expectation for all high school English essays (and beyond, if you’re pursuing English academia). It is a simple instruction: discuss a quote. However, it can be a headache inducing task if you're not confident with the process.

This blog post will teach you:

At the end of this post there will be an essay example where you can see our tips in action. You can scroll down to this straight away if you wish – it’s at the bottom of the post.

This guide is geared towards students sitting the HSC English exam, but all high school students will be able to improve their English essay assessment marks with the information.

How to choose a “good quote” for your English essay.

Not all quotes are made the same. Sometimes when a writer talks about a “blue stroller”, it literally just means a blue stroller. There is no deeper meaning behind it (a shocking truth).

A "good quote" for HSC English essays must hit the following checklist:

What makes a quote "juicy" and stronger for textual analysis?

A quote with metaphorical richness and conceptual depth is considered stronger, because there is:

Let’s use Maya Angelou’s ‘Caged Bird’ to examine a weaker vs stronger English essay quote:

A weaker quote:

for the caged bird

sings of freedom.

Potential analysis:

The “caged bird” is an extended metaphor for oppressed minorities. In Maya Angelou’s context it refers to the systemic oppression of African Americans. The song thus implies that the caged bird wants to be free.

A song is a symbol of hope – suggesting the oppressed wishes for freedom.

A stronger quote:

But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams

his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream

The extended metaphor of a “caged bird” is also present here.

The morbid visual imagery of the bird upon a metaphorical “grave of dreams” positions readers to understand that oppression is not about simple physical constraint, it is also about the loss of hope.

The reference to death implies cessation of all potential – barring the oppressed from all opportunity. The severity of this is elevated for the reader through this reference to death.

The alliteration of “shadow shouts” elevates this phrase in the ears of the audience, heightening the emotional intensity of entrapment.

“Shout” and “scream” are also violent olfactory images – conveying frustration and desperation to the reader.

The second quote is much richer in techniques and effect and can be used to address a variety of arguments . This is the type of stronger quote that you should prepare for high school English assessments and the HSC English exam.

However, no matter how strong a quote is, you have to make sure you analyse rather than story tell .

What is the difference between analysis and storytelling?

If your English essay feedback is full of comments that say “ stop storytelling” or “ you need deeper analysis ”, this section is a must-read for you.

What is storytelling ?

Storytelling is when you restate what a quote says in different words. It is equivalent to paraphrasing or summarising. You are not adding any new information, you are simply repeating old information .

For example, if you were to discuss the following sentence:

“A red apple with perfect skin but rotten flesh.”

It is storytelling to say any of the following:

“This means that there was an apple that looked good but tasted bad.”

“The apple had smooth skin but when cut open it was actually rotten, so people should be careful.”

“This was a bad apple hidden under smooth skin which is likely to be unhealthy.”

So then, what is analysis?

Analysis is when new information is added to the existing quote . A simple way to help you get started on textual analysis is to think about the following questions:

For the same quote:

It is analysis to say any of the following:

“The apple is a biblical allusion to the Devil’s temptation, implying that immorality is often disguised by an enticing exterior.”

“The contrast between the apple’s appearance and its flesh foreshadows that there is deception afoot, evoking tension in the reader.”

Now that you can select your appropriately dense and juicy quote and analyse it adequately, it’s time for the most important step: use the quote in an English essay correctly.

How to use your quote correctly in an English essay?

Firstly, we must understand the function of including a quote. A successful quote integration will demonstrate:

This means you must:

A good essay writing quote structure we like to teach at Simply English is the TQP structure. TQP stands for:

technique, quote, point .

This short acronym helps you remember to discuss a technique for each quote and relate its effect to your overall argument .

If you’re still not certain how this works, see it in action in our essay example below.

Essay Example (Human Experiences Related Text)

We will use Maya Angelou’s ‘Caged Bird’ to write one paragraph on the following Human Experiences question.

Question: The human experience is highly paradoxical. Discuss in relation to your text.

Each quote integrated was always paired with at least one technique and linked back to the overall argument.

Let's wrap up

Reading guides and sample essays make for a great starting point . However the only way to improve your own analysis essay writing is through practice and feedback.

Make sure you put the advice in this guide into practice in your next essay draft and hand it in to a teacher or tutor for valuable feedback!

For every 1000 word essay you write, 10,000 words would have been discarded. - a wise person (me)

Good luck with your HSC English essay writing journey!

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A State Ranker’s Guide to Writing 20/20 English Advanced Essays

Essays can be tough. Like, really tough.They’re made tougher still because...

Marko Beocanin

99.95 ATAR & 3 x State Ranker

1. Introduction to this Guide

Essays can be tough. Like, really tough.

They’re made tougher still because every HSC English module has a different essay structure, and no-one seems to have a consistent idea of what an ‘ essay’ actually is (not to get postmodern on you!).

My name is Marko Beocanin, and I’m an English teacher at Project Academy. In this post I hope to demystify essay-writing and arm you with a “tried and proven” approach you can apply to any essay you’ll write in HSC English and beyond. In 2019, I completed all four units of English (Extension 2, Extension 1, and Advanced), and state ranked 8th in NSW for English Advanced and attained a 99.95 ATAR – so take it from me, I’ve written a lot of essays! Here’s some of the advice I’ve picked up throughout that experience.

2. My Essay-Writing Methodology

For us to understand how to write an essay, it’s important to appreciate what an essay (in particular, a HSC English essay) actually is. I’ve come to appreciate the following definition:

An essay is a structured piece of writing that argues a point in a clear, sophisticated way , and expresses personality and flair.

Let’s have a look at each of these keywords – and how they should inform our essay-writing process – in more detail.

3. “Arguing a point” means CAUSE and EFFECT

When most people study English, they tend to make huge lists of Themes, Values, Concerns, Quotes and so on. While this is a great exercise for collecting evidence and understanding your texts, it’s important to remember that your essay is not simply a theme summary or quote bank – you have to actually argue something!

And any argument needs a cause and an effect.

When you approach any essay question, it’s not enough to simply chuck in quotes/topic-sentences that abstractly relate to it. An internal checklist you could go through while reading a question might look like:

• What is the question actually asking me?
• What is my response to the question?
• Am I actually making an argument in my response, and not just repeating the question?
• What is my cause?
• What is my effect?
• How can I prove my argument?

It’s only at question 4 that quotes/analysis/topic-sentences appear. Your first step in writing any essay is to actually have an argument to prove.

Cause and Effect in Thesis Statements

To demonstrate what I mean by cause-and-effect, let’s have a look at a lower-band essay thesis on Nineteen Eighty-Four:

In Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell explores totalitarianism.

This sentence is a flat declaration of a theme. While it does identify totalitarianism, it doesn’t give any indication on what parts of totalitarianism Orwell explores, and what the actual effect of totalitarianism is.

In Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell explores the abuse of power in totalitarian regimes.

This one is certainly better, because it describes a specific element of totalitarianism that Orwell explores – but it’s still missing an actual argument about what totalitarianism DOES to people. A full cause and effect (and higher band) thesis statement might look like:

In Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell explores how the abuse of power in totalitarian regimes leads to a brutalised human experience.

This thesis explicitly outlines how the CAUSE (abuse of power in totalitarian regimes) leads to the EFFECT (a brutalised human experience).

There’s certainly still some ambiguity in this sentence – for example, what sort of human experiences are being brutalised? – and in an exam, you’d substitute that for the specific human experiences outlined in the question.

In general, whenever you see sentences like “Composer X discusses Theme Y” in your essay drafts, think about developing them into “Composer X discusses how Specific Cause of Theme Y leads to Specific Effect of Theme Y”.

Cause and Effect Diagrams

To make sure that your arguments actually have a specific cause and effect , try writing them out in the following diagrammatic way:

Surprisingly, drawing the arrow made a huge psychological difference for me!

If you struggle with this, try to restructure/rephrase your arguments until they can be categorised in such a way. Making and rewriting these diagrams is also a great way to prep for exams without writing out your whole essay.

Cause and Effect in Analysis

Similarly, when it comes to your actual analysis itself, make sure that you’re not just listing techniques and quotes. You’re not just analysing your quotes for the sake of naming the techniques in them – you’re analysing them to prove a point!

Whenever you consider a quote for your essay, ask yourself:

• What is this quote about?
• How does this quote prove my argument?
• How do the literary techniques in this quote prove my argument?

Let’s use an example from King Henry IV, Part 1 to illustrate this. A lower band piece of analysis might look like:

King Henry’s opening monologue employs anthropomorphism: “Daub her lips with her own children’s blood…bruise her flow’rets with…armed hoofs.”

While the technique of anthropomorphism is identified, this sentence doesn’t link to any argument about WHY that technique is there and what it does.

King Henry’s opening monologue anthropomorphises England as a mother violated by war: “Daub her lips with her own children’s blood…bruise her flow’rets with…armed hoofs.”

This is certainly better, because it explains what the technique actually does – but it still doesn’t discuss how the technique guides us to an actual point.

King Henry’s opening monologue anthropomorphises England as a mother violated by war: “Daub her lips with her own children’s blood…bruise her flow’rets with…armed hoofs…” to convey the civil unrest caused by his tenuous claim to the throne.

This analysis not only outlines the technique in detail, but it also explicitly embeds it with an argument – this time, structured as EFFECT ( civil unrest ) caused by CAUSE ( his tenuous claim to the throne ).

In general, whenever you see analysis in your drafts written as “Composer X uses Technique Y in Quote Z”, try to rewrite it as “Composer X uses Technique Y in Quote Z to argue Point A”.

4. Clear, Sophisticated Way

In general, clarity/sophistication in Advanced essays comes from two main sources.

4.1 Essay Structure

For most essays, the simplest and most effective overall structure looks like:

• Intro: Here, you answer the question with an argument, summarise your points and link to the rubric.
• 3 – 4 Body Paragraphs: Here, you actually make your points.
• Conclusion: Here, you re-summarise your arguments and ‘drop the mic’.

While it’s cool to play around with the number of body paragraphs, for example, the structure above is generally a safe bet for Advanced.

The most variety comes from the actual structure within your body paragraphs.

There are plenty of online guides/resources with fun acronyms like STEEL and PEETAL and less fun ones like PEEQTET – but ultimately, the exact formula you go with is a relatively inconsequential matter of choice and style. Just make sure you have the following elements roughly in this order!

4.2 Cause and Effect Topic Sentence

Here, you make your point as clearly as possible (remember cause and effect), and address the specific argument that the paragraph will cover. It’s fantastic if you can link this argument to the argument in your previous paragraph.

4.3 Context Sentence

This bit is vital (and often forgotten!). Texts don’t exist in a void – their composers had lives, were influenced by the world around them, and had inspirations and purposes in their compositions. Context can be political, socio-cultural, religious, philosophical, literary etc… as long as it’s there!

4.4 Cause and Effect Analysis ‍

In a three-paragraph structure, a solid aim is for four to five quotes per paragraph. Each point you make should be justified with a quote, and each quote should have a technique linked to it. It’s usually helpful to order your quotes chronologically as they appear within the text (to show how the argument progressively builds) – but in more non-linear forms like poetry, for example, you can switch it up a little. Make sure each paragraph covers quotes from the whole text, to demonstrate a broad range of analysis!

Here, you might give a restatement of your topic sentence that summarises your main ideas.

Wording and Expression

A common misconception with English Advanced is that huge words and long, meandering sentences will score the most marks.

In Advanced, clarity should come from your expression , while sophistication should come from your ideas . Ultimately, the more complex your expression and sentence structure is, the more your markers will have to work to connect with your content.

While an occasional well-executed piece of technical jargon is impressive, it should never come at the cost of clearly and explicitly getting your point across.

A few general tips I’ve picked up from both my time as a student and my work as a tutor include:

• Avoid using a thesaurus/online synonym-search whenever possible! If you didn’t consider using a word naturally, it’s unlikely it will flow with the rest of your expression.
• A long, comma-intensive sentence can (and should) almost always be replaced with two or more sentences.
• Use semicolons sparingly (if at all), and with GREAT caution.
• Never underestimate words like “because”, “leads to”, “causes” etc. They are simple, but brilliantly effective at establishing a clear cause and effect structure!
• Make sure to continuously reuse words from the question. Even if this feels clunky, it helps you actually engage with the question.
• Also make sure to continuously use rubric keywords – particularly in Common Mod and Mod A!

5. Personality and Flair

And now… the hardest bit. Putting a bit of you into your essays.

There’s no one way to “add personality/flair” – this is where you have the freedom to develop your own voice and style. Remember that your markers love literature – and for them to see real, unadulterated enthusiasm in your work is an absolute win that will be marked generously.

To develop that passionate flair/personality, I encourage you to do three things:Practice. A Lot. The more you write – whether it’s homework questions, mini paragraphs, or flat-out full practice essays – the better you’ll become at writing. It’s as simple as that.

6. Concluding Remarks

Get feedback on your work.

To make sure you’re actually improving with your writing, aim to get plenty of feedback from both of these groups:

• People who know your text and HSC English in-and-out (teachers, tutors, scholars etc.), so they can engage with your analysis and help develop your style/structure.
• People who don’t know your texts and HSC English particularly well (parents, friends, etc.), so they can check your arguments actually make sense!

Explore your own English-related interests.

Reading widely and writing weird stuff just for fun adds an indescribable but very real level of depth and nuance to your essay-writing. For me, this involved immersing myself in crazy literary theory that had nothing to with my texts, and writing super edgy poetry. Find what works for you!

Good Luck!!!

Whether this article reaches you the night before Paper 1, or at the start of your English journey – I’m confident that you can do this. If you can find even one thing that you connect with about this subject… whether it’s a character you love, or a beautiful poem, or a wacky critical piece that’s totally BS… hopefully you’ll realise that essay writing doesn’t have to be so tough after all!

State Ranker’s Guide to Year 12 HSC Physics Module 6 - Electromagnetism

Your complete guide to module 6 Electromagnetism in Year 12 HSC Physics!

Cory Aitchison

State Ranks (Economics and Chemistry) & 99.95 ATAR

Common Module State-Rank Essay Showcase: Nineteen Eighty-Four

The following essay was written by Project Academy English Tutor, Marko Beocanin

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How to Embed Quotes Effectively In Your Essays

What are quotes?

Quotations, or ‘quotes’ for short, are the exact replication of an author’s words, wrapped in quotation marks for clarity – [‘like this’] or [“like this”]. These bite-sized pieces of a text help your analysis and act as concrete evidence that reinforces your arguments.

Why should I embed my quotes?

Embedding quotes is more than padding your essay with fancy words; it’s a strategic action to demonstrate your knowledge of the text.

Each quote you choose should have a purpose, whether it’s to illustrate a character’s development, highlight a thematic element, or dissect a literary technique.

Thoughtlessly peppering your essay with irrelevant quotes only detracts from the quality of your analysis.

How many quotes should I use?

It’s a delicate balance.

While your essay should not be dominated by quotes, a well-placed word or phrase can help to showcase knowledge of the texts.

Quotes should be brief and impactful – aim for two quotes per paragraph as a general guide, but avoid overstuffing your text. Your essay is your voice, and quotes are merely there to back up the insightful commentary you provide.

How can I embed my quotes?

The aim of embedding quotes is to ensure they flow naturally within your writing. Clumsy quotation leads to disrupted reading, a diminished argument, and a lower mark.

Instead, you must stitch quotes together in your essay. That means, refraining from sentences that stand as disconnected islands of quoted text.

For example, you could use this sentence stem: “By depicting the author as [“insert quote here”], they suggest that…”.

How can I embed quotes cohesively?

Embedding quotes requires you to make them an organic part of your essay.

This can involve introducing quotes with your own words, modifying the quote to fit the grammatical structure of your sentence (using square brackets for clarity), and being meticulous about punctuation placement.

Which quotes should I embed?

To locate those golden nuggets – the quotes that will illuminate your essay – avoid the well-trodden path. Quotes overused by students across the years won’t help you stand out.

Often, a single word can carry more power than a lengthy passage, and your examiner will reward you for recognising this.

Conclusion:

Remember, quotes are the evidence upon which your entire response stands. Select the best ones and then ensure that you embed them seamlessly.

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Common Module Cheat Sheet - All Texts

Download a printable version here., module description.

In this common module students deepen their understanding of how texts represent individual and collective human experiences. They examine how texts represent human qualities and emotions associated with, or arising from, these experiences. Students appreciate, explore, interpret, analyse and evaluate the ways language is used to shape these representations in a range of texts in a variety of forms, modes and media.

Students explore how texts may give insight into the anomalies, paradoxes and inconsistencies in human behaviour and motivations, inviting the responder to see the world differently, to challenge assumptions, ignite new ideas or reflect personally. They may also consider the role of storytelling throughout time to express and reflect particular lives and cultures. By responding to a range of texts they further develop skills and confidence using various literary devices, language concepts, modes and media to formulate a considered response to texts.

Students study one prescribed text and a range of short texts that provide rich opportunities to further explore representations of human experiences illuminated in texts. They make increasingly informed judgements about how aspects of these texts, for example context, purpose, structure, stylistic and grammatical features, and form shape meaning. In addition, students select one related text and draw from personal experience to make connections between themselves, the world of the text and their wider world.

Key Statements

Dimensions of the Human Experience

The human experiences represented in your prescribed/unseen texts will always be connected to one of the subcategories of the “wellness wheel”:

Words to include in textual analysis

These make markers happy for some reason.

• Appreciate - when making a judgement about the value of something
• Explore - when discussing the themes of the text
• Interpret - when discussing the audience’s interaction with the text
• Analyse - When discussing your understanding of the text
• Expression - When discussing the author/poet/artist’s connection to the text
• Elicit - When discussing how a technique results in an emotion

Plutchik Wheel of Emotions

Essay length.

For paper 1 unseen texts, a good estimate is 2-3 lines per mark, while the extended response should be ~800 words/6 pages. If you don’t hit those numbers, that’s totally fine, it’s just a good estimate.

RESOURCE: CHIPS Question Breakdown Strategy

Body paragraph structure.

• Statement about the concept
• What type(s) of experience from the wellness wheel is represented, and is it collective or individual?
• What emotions from the Plutkich wheel are present, and how are they used (Example/Technique from PETAL paragraphs)?
• How does the experience of the example present anomaly/paradox/inconsistency in the human experience?
• Personal reflection? Challenging the reader’s assumptions? Persuading you of something?
• Conclude with a mash of steps 1, 2, and 3

Positive and Negative Words

Words to describe the human experience that mean nothing but for some reason get more marks

Targets of a text

Punchy Phrases

• Aids in this improved understanding of the textual material
• Indicates the universality in the subject matter being contemplated
• Brings reader to consider more deeply the manner in which ___
• An intimacy is generated between the viewer and ___
• Creates a more nuanced understanding
• Attracting to the audience to both ___
• To further impress upon the reader the idea of ___
• Further clarify and cement reader’s understand of the literal content
• Further elucidates the impression that

Free Thesis Statements

• Texts represent how human experiences are dependent on one’s context and their ability to transcend the limitations of context
• Texts about human experience invite the audience to contemplate on their own experiences and reflect on the processes that shape their identity
• Human experiences may be recursive but they are transformative nonetheless
• Texts offer a representations of human experience that challenges our assumptions and thus intensifies our awareness of self and others
• Representation of relationships in texts highlight the way in which human experiences may differ in varied interactions
• Texts offer a representation of the human experience to record the social and emotional development of the individual and the collective
• Our experiences expose our capacity for fortitude and focus, particularly when our individual ideals are challenged by contextual values / societal expectations

Last updated on November 17, 2021

Rated 4.8/5.0 by parents and students (over 5000+ tutoring hours now completed)

Excel Academics Blog

Hsc english advanced: a detailed guide to exams and study.

• 12 months ago

HSC English advanced can be a challenging subject to master. It requires a deep knowledge of the set texts, the module, and techniques, on top of understanding how to approach each specific question. As a recently graduated band 6 English student, I’m happy to inform you that it can be done. All that is needed is hard work and the right approach. This post will break down all the tips and tricks upcoming students need to know throughout the year and leading up to the HSC, presenting a straightforward and achievable roadmap to success.

Breaking down each Module

English advanced in Year 12 is broken into three modules. The first Module, the Common Module is named for it being common across both HSC English Advanced and Standard. The module looks at “Texts and Human Experiences.” Within this module, students are encouraged to draw links between their prescribed text and real life (or the human experience). The key aspects of this module revolve around motivations, anomalies, paradoxes, inconsistencies, ideas, and assumptions in regard to the human condition. Within this module, consider how storytelling and literary techniques represent these notions throughout time.

Module A, textual conversations can seem daunting at first, because students study two texts in relation to each other rather than one core text. Within this module, it is paramount to consider both your set texts as a set rather than putting all your focus on just one of the texts. The module encourages students to look for resonances (similarities) and dissonances (differences) between and within texts, as well as how the texts may mirror (copy), align (be similar to), and collide (be different to), emphasising the comparative aspect of the curriculum. Within these similarities and differences, students are prompted ot consider how meaning is shaped in regard to context and values across time.

Module B is a critical study of literature, which is more technical than the other modules. Students are required to analyse the construction, content, and language of a text to develop their own interpretation. There is also focus on the text’s composition and reception, context, and perspective. This module is unique as it mentions “detailed evidence drawn from research and reading,” meaning that other literary opinions are considered as part of the study.

Finally, Module C focuses on how the student can develop their own creative and discursive writing skills through inspiration from established authors and texts. Within this module, students analyse techniques and themes in two or more prescribed texts, and attempt to incorporate aspects of these texts into their own writing. This module is distinctive as it can sometimes contain a reflective aspect, in which the student is to explain and evaluate themes and techniques in their own pieces.

How a ssessments work

Assessments for English advanced are all done internally. Most schools will do a combination of essay, multimodal (most often a speech), an exam, and the trial exam. Each of these will be approached slightly differently, as outlined below.

Most English students will likely have to complete at least one essay for their assessment tasks. This is excellent practice for the HSC at the end of the year. Think of these essays as the ‘perfected’ version of the essays you will write in your HSC – and the assessment as an opportunity to perfect them early in the year so that you are able to bring them into your final exam. In terms of timeline, try to have a draft done a week before the due date. Remember to use evaluative terms, especially if the question asks “to what extent” something is true in your text.

Another common type of internal assessment is the multimodal assessment, which is most commonly a speech. This can be challenging, as students have to balance making their speech engaging and including all the analysis of the text. For this task, write your speech out as an essay to start with, then fill your introduction and conclusion with speech techniques (anaphora, rhetorical questions, etc). When speaking, try not to recite your quotes and your analysis. Using more colourful vocabulary to describe the effects of techniques may help with that, as well as varying your sentence length. Try to have this assessment in draft form a week before it is due, and spend the last three days before the assessment rehearsing it so that you are not reading off a piece of paper. If you do need a visual aid, print or write out cue cards as it is far more professional and will ensure you get a higher score in the presentation aspect of the assessment.

Lastly, all schools will have a trial exam closer to the HSC. Prepare for your trials as if they are the actual exams, then use the feedback from them to improve yourself for the final exam. See below for common exam questions and how to approach each paper.

Breaking down Paper 1

Paper 1 is completely based on the common module, Human Experiences. It is comprised of two parts: short answer and the common module essay. Short answer questions often follow the same general pattern.

• A 3-4 mark question on a multimodal text (picture/illustration)
• 2 to 3 4-5 mark questions on a poem, discursive piece, or fiction extract
• A 5-6 mark question asking for a comparison of two of the texts

In the reading time given, read through each question and then the corresponding texts in order. While reading through the texts, keep in mind quotes and techniques you will use in your answers. It is advisable to do the short answer section in order, as the questions often build on each other. The general rule is that you need one less technique than the marks allocated.

For the first question, the key word will likely be explain or describe, so there will not be a need to evaluate. Structure your response with a first sentence that directly answers your question, followed by techniques and analysis, and a short last sentence wrapping up your answer. Ensure that key words from the question taken from the module appear in your first and last sentence.

For a 4-5 mark question, you will be asked to critically analyse or evaluate, meaning that criteria need to be more explicit and that evaluative terms such as “to a large extent/significantly/notably” need to be present in your response. It can be easy to veer away from the question with longer short responses. To avoid this, make sure you are including at least one key word from the question in your analysis of techniques. For example the technique ___ highlights the (key word) present in the human experience by ____.

With a compare question, it is ideal to have two paragraphs, comparing how each texts approaches two themes. It is similar to a mini-essay. Start by identifying a theme in the question, then analyse how text A approaches it, and compare it to text B. Do the same thing with another theme in the second paragraph. Make sure to use comparative words such as similarly, differently, alternatively, and analogously.

In regards to the common module essay, some may choose to get this out of the way first. Either way, ensure that at least 40 minutes are allocated for it. It is a good idea to memorise an introduction template that can be applied to the essay, as well as general themes pertaining to key notions in the module and text. Much of the advice for the common module essay is similar to advice for the essays in Paper 2, which will be elaborated upon below.

Breaking down Paper 2

Paper 2 is one of the most difficult papers to sit for in the HSC, mostly because of the amount that a student is expected to write in a short amount of time. As such, practice does make perfect, so it is important that you begin practice papers as soon as possible and model exam conditions when you are ready. You can find NESA ruled paper online. Print these sheets out and use them to write on rather than a normal notebook in order to gauge how much you are able to write within the set time as well as become comfortable with the different spacing. When you are practicing, keep an eye on how long it takes you to hit certain points in the paper and use those as signposts for your progress in the exam. For example, I knew that by 8 minutes in, I normally had my introduction written out and was moving on to writing evidence for my first paragraph.

A common piece of advice for Paper 2 is to go into the exam with memorised essays to regurgiate. However, the danger of this is that students may rely too much on the memorised essay and not adapt it to the question, losing valuable marks. Instead, try to memorise around 5  individual paragraphs per module based on themes in the text. That way, the paragraphs can be more easily adapted to the question at hand while still retaining the advantages of going in with prepared writing. You can also swap out paragraphs depending on what the question is asking, making you a more flexible candidate.

Different Question Types

There are three different types of question asked for the Module A and B essays. The first is the ‘theme’ question, in which you will be asked how your text/s represent a certain theme. For example, last year’s question for TS Eliot in Module B asked “How has your study of Eliot’s poetry altered and expanded your understanding of entrapment?” This type of question is arguable the simplest, as a student just has to adapt their theme paragraphs to relate to the theme given.

The second type of question is the ‘quote’ question in which the student is given a quote either from the text or relating to the module, and asked to what extent their study of the text/s relates to it. It is always easiest to say that it is to a large extent, as your analysis will naturally support this. With these types of questions, make sure to have a sentence rephrasing the quote in your own words in the introduction to show the examiner that you understand it, and scatter key words from it throughout your essay. The quote will have themes that you can identify in your introduction and structure your essay around.

Finally, the question may have a specific focus on form. This is most common in Module A where the form of two texts differ. Therefore, if you are studying a play or movie alongside a written text, make sure to have play or movie specific techniques prepared and be ready to compare the impact of using different mediums on key themes.

Many students find the comparison of texts in Module A to be difficult. When memorising your theme paragraphs, ensure that you have an even distribution of quotes between each text and structure your paragraph in a way that creates a chain of evidence allowing you to compare similar or different quotes sequentially.

Finally, in Module C, you will be given either an image or quote as a stimulus and be asked to write a creative piece, a discursive piece, or either. Always do this last as there is more emphasis on quality over quantity in Module C, giving you the creative freedom to make your piece shorter if you are low on time. To prepare, memorise at least 2 character profiles based loosely around characters/themes in your Module A or B texts (as sometimes you will be asked to draw directly from them). Then, prepare three different settings which can then be chosen from if you are stuck for an introduction to a creative piece. Memorise at least one creative piece based on a prepared character and a general theme (power of literature, identity, etc) that can be easily adapted. For a discursive piece, memorise a piece based on a key theme from your set texts in Module C (for example, the pain of adolescence inspired by Kafka’s Metamorphosis ).

The Reflection

Most papers require a reflection on your piece. Therefore, it is important to purposefully incorporate techniques of the texts you have studied in the module into your prepared pieces to refer to in the reflection. Your reflection should be structured as follows:

• Paragraph 1: an overview of your concept and purpose
• Paragraph 2: explain how texts from module C inspired you by referencing key ideas and techniques from your set text, and comparing it to a quote from your own writing. For example: Smith’s use of (technique) in “quote” is mirrored in my use of (the same technique) in “quote from your text.” If you have been asked to draw inspiration from a text in Module A or B, include this as well.
• Paragraph 3: explain your own language choices and key ideas
• Conclude with a short evaluation of your work and tell the marker how much studying Module C has improved your skill as a writer.

These are the biggest tips for success in English Advanced throughout Year 12. Remember that preparation and practice are the most essential, as well as keeping in mind the key notions outlined in the separate modules. Good luck with the HSC!

This blog was written by our tutor, Nichole. You can find her tutor profile  here . 

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How to ace your HSC english exam

With the HSC English exam becoming increasingly imminent, you are probably wondering how on earth you are going to remember all those quotes or write three essays in 2 hours!!

3 years ago   •   4 min read

Unfortunately, we can’t remember those quotes for you but we do have a few key tricks that should help you with your final English grind, as well as a general exam approach.

(1) E ngage with the rubric/ key terms in the module

All questions are based upon the respective Module’s outline which you can find in NESA’s trusty syllabus . Even if a question does not mention key terms within that outline, it is always a good idea to relate your ideas to those foundational concepts. This shows a broad understanding of the module, as well as critical thinking in your ability to connect ideas.

For example, the Common Module essay question ( Texts and Human Experiences ) might not directly relate to the ‘anomalies, paradoxes and inconsistencies in human behaviour.’ However, engaging with these ideas throughout your response will help guide your argument and demonstrate your personal reflection on the Module's key concepts.

It is also a good idea to think of some synonyms for the key terms if you find their usage is becoming too repetitive. For example, for Advanced English Module A ( Textual Conversations ) you might consider other nuanced words to avoid the overuse of ‘conversation’... perhaps ‘discourse’, ‘dialogue’, ‘discussion.’

(2) Be flexible

Avoid rote learning and make sure all parts of your response -  intro, topic sentences, analysis, links and conclusion - relate to the specific question that you receive on the day (not the one you memorised the night before!)

You may receive overarching questions that involve different components of the rubric or perhaps very specialised questions that focus your attention on a single key concept. For example, the Common Module may ask you to engage with the overall notion of storytelling that combines the individual  and collective human experience. But… it could also ask you to pinpoint one particular emotion from your text such as loneliness in Nineteen Eighty Four (take a look at the 2019 paper 😖)

Module C ( The Craft of Writing ) might require a specific textual form (persuasive, discursive or imaginative) or perhaps it will be up to your discretion, based on the stimulus/ question that you receive.

Moral of the story… always remain flexible and be prepared for anything!!

(3) Organise your thoughts under key themes

This will help you stay on track in the exam. Themes give you something to come back to if you start to feel overwhelmed or are thrown by a crazy unseen question.

(4) Preparation

Timed practice responses to unseen questions will always be the best way to prepare. Emulating the conditions you face in the actual exam will likely make that final exam feel less daunting - you’ve easily done it before at the comfort of your own desk so you can easily do it again in the exam hall  :)  

However, time is of the essence when it comes to last minute preparation. Another effective way to prepare is by simply brainstorming ideas to a range of random unseen questions - jot down what your thesis/ intro might look like, a few topic sentences and the textual evidence you will use for each paragraph. This gives you diversity in your preparation and forces you to consider how you might respond to a wide range of questions (hopefully one of which is similar to that question you are blessed with on the day!)

If you are looking for some extra last minute help, we can pair you up with one of our awesome English private HSC tutors here at KIS.  

(5) Time management

English is unlike other exams in the sense that you can not borrow time from multiple choice or short answer questions to use on your extended responses. Across Paper 1 and Paper 2, you will be writing for a full 1.5 hours and 2 hours respectively. Paper 2 is always a challenge with back to back TO BACK responses. It is therefore necessary that you are super strict on yourself and that you devote the recommended time for each response to maximise marks.

If you were to spend an hour on Mod A, you would only have 30 min for Mod B and 30 min for Mod C, even though each Module is worth 20 marks. That isn’t ideal. 40 minutes for each Module is a MUST!

Monitor your time after each paragraph - finish up that paragraph and move onto the next if you are lagging. It’s always better to make sure you have a completed essay with a strong conclusion rather than finishing your response when you’re halfway through analysing that quote. That being said, when the 40 minutes is up, it is definitely time to move on!

For a 40 minute response with 3 body paragraphs, an intro and conclusion, you might choose to devote 10 minutes to each body paragraph and 10 minutes to divvy up for an intro, conclusion and quick skim read.

(6) Quality not quantity

Quickly plan out each response. Consider how those key concepts/ themes relate to the question.

Be selective about the most appropriate textual evidence that is related to the question. You can still reverse-engineer your quotes and analysis to the question but make sure the link is not totally off topic... this will give the marker the impression that you are underprepared and leave them with a bit of an ick :/

So, it is now time to synthesise a year's worth of English and show the marker that you are prepared, that you DO know what you're talking about!

Stay composed, recall these key tips, focus on what you know... and you should SMASH IT! 👊

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A Guide to Essay Writing

Sunday 16th, October 2022

Jess completed Year 12 in Queensland. Note that specific requirements or expectations for essay-writing in other states and in other exams may differ. Always consult the syllabus requirements for your state and subject.

External exams are approaching, and you’ll likely be preparing to write an essay for English. No matter which text you’re studying for your exam, the art of writing an essay is the same.

In this article, I provide a guide to the features of essay writing. I have included steps and examples of how to write an introduction, body paragraph and conclusion to help you ace your English exam.

Features of Essays

Thesis statement.

A thesis statement is typically the last sentence of your introduction. It outlines the main point that you are trying to prove in your essay. All of your body paragraphs should support the claim you make in your thesis statement.

Depending on the essay question, sometimes you will have to take a position on a topic. This means you have to decide which way to argue, as you would in a persuasive speech. A key phrase used in these essay questions is often, “to what extent…?” Here are some examples from recent external English exams:

Macbeth : Insecurity shapes Macbeth’s reign as king. To what extent do you agree with this statement?

Hamlet : To what extent are Ophelia’s deterioration and death significant in the play?

Other times, the essay question will indicate what you must prove, so you do not have to make a decision about which way to argue; however, you still must provide your own evidence and analysis to prove the point. Here are some examples from recent external English exams:

Burial Rites : Analyse how the representation of Agnes’s relationship with the farming family in Kornsá is significant in Burial Rites .

Hamlet : Analyse how the concept of guilt is significant in Hamlet .

Your essay has very little authority without quotes. Going into an essay exam without knowing any quotes is like going into a courtroom without any evidence. You must integrate relevant quotes into your body paragraphs to support your arguments and demonstrate your knowledge.

Your essay has very little authority without quotes. Going into an essay exam without knowing any quotes is like going into a courtroom without any evidence.

To make sure your quotes are relevant, research them as part of your exam preparation. You shouldn’t choose the quotes you’re going to memorise without fully understanding each quote. Conducting research will help you to avoid using quotes that are irrelevant or interpreting the quotes incorrectly.

So, how many quotes do you need in each body paragraph? I would aim for a minimum of two, but my preference is to include three quotes per paragraph. Keep in mind that your quotes don’t have to be long; they can be one, two or three words. In saying this, your quotes can be one to two full sentences.

If your quotes don’t quite fit the structure of your sentence, you can use ellipses (…) and square brackets to solve this. Use an ellipsis in place of any words you have removed from a quote. Use square brackets to add words or letters that are needed to ensure the quote makes sense in the sentence.

Analysis and Analytical Verbs

If you have quotes to support your points, then you are off to a great start, but essays require analysis too. You can’t just include a quote and say that it supports your argument – you must analyse the quotes to show how or why they support your argument.

The key to doing this is using analytical verbs. Analytical verbs are verbs that show you are thinking critically about the topic. You use them to make interpretive points to help to support your arguments. Here is a word bank of some strong analytical verbs:

Check out my outline on how to write a body paragraph below for some examples of how to use analytical verbs in practice. The analytical verbs are bolded and italicised. 

Concluding and Linking Sentence

It is important to write a concluding and linking sentence at the end of your body paragraphs to sum up the paragraph and cohesively transition to the next paragraph.

Example Concluding and Linking Sentence:

While Lady Macbeth’s aversion to femininity alludes to her antagonistic character, her role in King Duncan’s regicide, and her behaviour in the immediate aftermath, expose the full extent of her evilness. 

In the above example, the first 11 words conclude the paragraph, and the last 20 words link to the next paragraph. The topic sentence of the following paragraph then flows on from this, taking the topic of Lady Macbeth’s involvement in King Duncan’s regicide and elaborating on it:  

Lady Macbeth’s persuasion of Macbeth to commit regicide confirms her villainous spirit.

Example Essay Question

The examples I have provided below are part of an essay I wrote in a Year 12 practice exam in response to the following question:

Malcolm describes Lady Macbeth as evil or a ‘fiend-like queen.’ To what extent do you agree with Malcolm’s assessment of her character? Justify your position.

How to Write an Introduction

Your introduction should introduce the text and author, the overall essay question, your three arguments and your overarching essay claim. It should do this in such a way that the reader does not need to know the exact question you are responding to because this should be clear in your wording.

It should do this in such a way that the reader does not need to know the exact question you are responding to because this should be clear in your wording.

Here is a general introduction structure:

Introduce the name of the text and the author and mention the general topic of the essay.

Outline your three body paragraph topics. You may do this in one, two or three sentences. My preference is to write three sentences to separate my three points.

Write your thesis statement.

Example Introduction:

In Shakespeare’s Macbeth , characters regularly defy their gender expectations and contest the patriarchal system of the 11th Century, in which the play was based. Lady Macbeth is the most prominent example of this, with her rejecting her femininity in favour of the masculine qualities necessary to commit evil deeds. Her implication in King Duncan’s regicide, from arranging how it was to be executed to her lack of remorse following its completion, clearly demonstrates her ‘fiend-like queen’ nature. However, as she becomes excluded from Macbeth’s wicked plans, her femininity, remorse and lack of evil is revealed. Lady Macbeth is arguably conveyed as an evil character, though her womanly features do make an appearance. 

How to Write a Body Paragraph

Your body paragraphs should clearly link to your introduction. The three points or arguments you outlined in your introduction should then form your three body paragraphs. I like to do this in chronological order – the first point I mentioned in my introduction will be the topic of my first body paragraph, and so on.

Here is a general body paragraph structure:

Topic sentence

Elaboration on the topic sentence

First quote with some context around the quote

Analysis of the first quote

Second quote with some context around the quote

Analysis of the second quote

Third quote with some context around the quote

Analysis of the third quote

Concluding and linking sentence  

Your body paragraphs will likely be about 250 words long.

Example Body Paragraph:

" Lady Macbeth’s rejection of her gender is a prime example of her evilness, particularly considering masculine women’s association with witches during the Elizabethan era. While women were expected to be submissive and gentle and give birth to children, Lady Macbeth was starkly the opposite. Upon hearing word from Macbeth regarding the witches’ prophecy that he would be King of Scotland, she proclaims, “ Come, you spirits That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full Of direst cruelty.” This accentuates Lady Macbeth’s desire for her femininity to be removed to allow her to embody the stereotypical masculine figure capable of choreographing regicide, exhibiting her dark personality. Shakespeare’s decision for Lady Macbeth to immediately revert to a murderous route rather than displaying feminine-like patience also highlights his intention to portray her as villainous. Lady Macbeth’s “unsex me here” invocation also signifies her connection to the witches as she refers to supernatural spirits. The witches are portrayed as androgynous characters in both their appearance and dark mental traits, and Lady Macbeth’s evil intentions and non-conformance with accepted gender roles emphasises her likeness to them. In addition, both Lady Macbeth and the witches do not have children. In fact, Lady Macbeth vowed that she would have “dash[ed] the brains out” of her own child should she have sworn to do so, reinforcing her wickedness. While Lady Macbeth’s aversion to femininity alludes to her antagonistic character, her role in King Duncan’s regicide, and her behaviour in the immediate aftermath, expose the full extent of her evilness."

How to Write a Conclusion

Your conclusion should clearly link back to your thesis statement and sum up your three body paragraphs.

Example Conclusion:

While Lady Macbeth reverts to a more feminine role by the play’s conclusion, her immediate belief that murder was an acceptable solution to her and Macbeth’s dilemma, coupled with her connection to witchcraft and removal of her gender in favour of masculine qualities, solidifies her evil depiction. Shakespeare utilises her demise as an instrument to reinforce that non-conformance and evil have repercussions. Overall, Malcom’s description of Lady Macbeth as a “fiend-like queen” is an accurate assessment of her unnatural character.

There are a lot of steps involved in preparing for an external English exam. Don’t neglect to learn how to write a good essay in your haste to study your given text.

How many quotes should I include in each body paragraph of my essay?

While there's no fixed rule, it's generally recommended to aim for a minimum of two quotes per paragraph. However, including three quotes per paragraph is often preferred for depth and variety. Remember, the length of the quotes can vary, from one word to a couple of sentences. The key is to ensure they are relevant and effectively support your arguments.  

What are some common analytical verbs I can use to analyse quotes in my essay?

Analytical verbs are essential for demonstrating critical thinking in your essay. Some strong analytical verbs you can use include "suggests," "emphasises," "portrays," "illustrates," "demonstrates," "implies," "conveys," and "signifies," among others. These verbs help you interpret the significance of the quotes and how they contribute to your overall argument.

How should I structure my body paragraphs to ensure coherence and clarity?

A well-structured body paragraph typically starts with a topic sentence that introduces the main point of the paragraph. This is followed by elaboration on the topic sentence, including relevant quotes with context, and analysis of each quote. This can be repeated a few times. The body paragraph should end with a linking sentence that summarizes the paragraph and transitions to the next one. This structure helps maintain coherence and clarity throughout your essay.

What should I include in my essay introduction to effectively set up my argument?

Your essay introduction should start by providing essential background information about the text and author and mention the overall essay question. Then, you can outline the three main arguments you'll be discussing in your body paragraphs and present your overarching essay claim or thesis statement. This ensures that your reader understands the context of your essay and the direction of your argument from the outset.

How can I conclude my essay effectively while reinforcing my main arguments?

In your essay conclusion, it's crucial to reiterate your thesis statement and summarize the key points discussed in your body paragraphs. You can also reflect on the significance of your arguments in relation to the essay question and offer some final insights or implications. By reinforcing your main arguments and providing closure to your essay, you can leave a lasting impression on your reader.

How can I balance memorizing quotes with understanding their relevance and interpretation?

While it's important to have a repertoire of quotes for your essay, it's equally essential to understand their context and relevance to your arguments. Prioritize quality over quantity when selecting quotes and ensure you can interpret and analyse them effectively. Conduct thorough research and engage with the text to grasp the deeper meaning behind each quote, rather than simply memorizing them without comprehension.

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Part 11: How To Prepare For Short Answer Questions

Guide Chapters

• 1. How to Read and Analyse Texts
• 2. How to Research Your Texts
• 3. Understanding Assessments
• 4. How to Prepare for Assessments
• 5. How to Plan an Essay
• 6. How To Write An Essay
• 7. How to Edit Your Essay
• 8. How to Write Creatives
• 9. Imaginative Recreation
• 10. Multimodal Presentations
• 11. Short Answer Questions
• 12. How to analyse film

How to prepare for short answer questions

The HSC English Paper 1 requires students to read several unseen texts and then answer a series of short answer questions on them. But do you know how to prepare for short answer questions?

Why do students struggle with short answer questions?

Many students struggle with them because they struggle to analyse texts they haven’t encountered before. The vast majority of students don’t think you can prepare for them, and so don’t bother. This is a critical error.

In this part of the guide, we will have a look at some strategies for preparing for unseen questions and give you a step-by-step guide to tackling them in exams.

In this article we discuss:

• Coping with Unseen Texts and Short Answer Questions
• Answering Short Answer Questions – A Step-by-Step Guide
• Step 1: Read the Questions
• Step 2: Read (and Analyse) the Unseen Texts
• Step 3: Plan Your Time
• Step 4: Begin With the Higher Mark Questions
• Step 5: Answer the Question Thoroughly
• Step 6: Don’t Waste Time !
• Answering the 5 or 6 Mark Question
• How to Study for Short Answers
• What Next ?

Coping with unseen texts and short answer questions

What are unseens texts and short answer questions.

When we talk about unseen papers or short answers we are referring to a series of questions that discuss prose and poetry pieces that students haven’t read. In past years, this has been the first section of Paper One. The Short Answer section includes:

• Students are presented with between 2 and 4 unseen texts. Some of the texts can be quite long.
• These can be fiction, non-fiction, articles, or images.
• Students are then asked to answer a series of questions on them.
• The questions are worth between 1 and 6 marks.
• The final question is usually worth 5 or more marks. Students must write a miniature essay for this question.
• Students are usually given 10 minutes reading time to read the texts before the writing time begins.

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Students need to provide concise responses to the questions. Time is short during unseen sections and it is important that students don’t spend too long on the lower mark questions. The final question is worth the most and requires a structured answer in the form of a miniature essay – it will require the most time.

If you want to see what a short answer section looks like, you can find past HSC English Paper One exam papers on the NESA website .

Answering short answer questions – a step-by-step guide

The new 2019 English Advanced syllabus has led to a couple of changes in the make up of HSC Paper 1, it is now 45 minutes long and the questions total 20 marks rather than 15. With that in mind, you should use this section as a rough guide until NESA provides the 2019 HSC Paper 1 questions and texts.

The best way to demonstrate how to go about answering a short answer paper is by looking at one. For this exercise, we’ll take a quick look at the 2015 HSC English Paper One Paper.

The paper can be accessed here on the NESA website .

Before we start discussing the questions, take the time to read through the text extracts on pages 2 to 6. If you want a true exam experience, set a 10-minute timer. Before you read the unseen texts, take a look at the questions on page 7.

Now you’ve read them, we’ll walk you through a step-by-step guide to answering a short answer paper that looks like this:

Step 1: Read the questions

The first thing you should do in the reading time is read the questions. this will clue you in on what to look out for when you read the unseen texts.

Step 2: Read the unseen texts

The questions will inform you of the themes, techniques, or concepts you need to analyse the texts for. The time constraints of the paper mean that you only have 10 minutes to read the texts and 40 minutes to answer all of the questions. So, you won’t have any time to spare.

You need to analyse as you go, so:

• Read the questions before each text, see what the questions are asking you to consider.
• Look for the lines or sections of the text that best convey these concerns.
• Identify any techniques that emphasise the ideas being presented – it could be things like dialogue or more complex techniques such as metaphor. Sometimes you will have to analyse a visual text, in which case you will need to familiarise yourself with the techniques for examining a visual text .
• Ask yourself, “What is this example and its technique representing to me?”
• Make a mental note of each pertinent example you come across. You won’t be able to write during the reading time, so you need to be attentive.
• As you finish each text, refer back to the questions and mentally map out what your response might be for each one.

Step 3: Plan your time

You only have 45 minutes in the exam. You need to get the most bang for your buck, and this means guaranteeing the most marks that you can. There are 20 marks up for grabs in the short answer section, so this means that each mark is worth 2.25 minutes of your time . You will also want to leave yourself some buffer time for rereading your responses and editing them, if possible.

Allocate a time limit for each question. For example, allow yourself fourteen minutes for a five-mark question.

5 marks multiplied by 2.25 minutes gives 11 minutes and 15 seconds.

But you will want a minute or so to quickly reread your response, too. So, aim for fourteen minutes, tops!

Step 4: Begin with the questions worth the most

You don’t want to toss away marks because you ran out of time. Often students only begin the final question when they run out of time. These students have answered the questions in the wrong order.

The difficulty lies in the structuring of the questions. The paper one short answer questions are often structured around an idea and the earlier questions lead the student to answer the final, highest mark question. Students feel obliged to work through the questions in order.

Don’t fall into this pitfall, rather unpack the questions and then answer the most valuable first. You want to lock those five marks down. If you have to choose, it’s better to rush a one mark question.

Step 5: Answer the question thoroughly

As a general rule of thumb, you should provide one example and explanation per mark. This won’t always be the case as some questions will specify exactly how much you need to include in your response.

Let’s have a look at a question to see what is meant by this. Question one will be ideal for this because it is brief:

• In what ways is dialogue used to capture the young couple’s reactions to the items they find?

This question is specifying exactly what you need to discuss:

• You must analyse the dialogue from the couple.
• You must explain how this dialogue represents the emotional and physical reactions the young couple have to the things they find.

The question specifies “ways”, plural. So, you must provide a couple of examples in your response.

The question is worth two marks, so the student should only spend three to four minutes on the question. We need two examples, so let’s look at these two quotations from the text:

• ‘Oh, man, look at this!’
• ‘Don’t take those trunks,’ the woman called to him. ‘Leave them.’

The first quote signals the man’s excitement, it is an exclamation . The second example is a command from the woman: she doesn’t want him to waste time taking the things that aren’t valuable discoveries for them.

A satisfactory response to this question would be:

The couple’s dialogue characterises the sidewalk trash as treasure. The man’s exclamation, “Oh man, look at this!” makes it clear that the man is excited by the value of the things they have found. The woman’s imperative commands, ‘Don’t take those trunks,’ the woman called to him. ‘Leave them.’ signals that she, too, can see value in what they’ve found. But pragmatically, she realises that they mustn’t waste time and find only the most valuable items that they can carry home with them. The couple may both be excited by the rubbish, but they have different perspectives on what is and is not of value.

This response answers the question and provides two examples that are clearly explained. This response would receive all the available marks.

Step 6: Move to the next question and don’t waste time!

You don’t have time to waste. Set a time limit and stick to it. If you haven’t finished the question in the time limit you set yourself, move onto the next one. If you finish and have time left, you can always come back to it.

Are you struggling to get on top of Paper 1?

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Answering the 5 or 6 mark question

The final question is always worth the most. This question will require a detailed response in the form of a miniature essay. You will need to structure it accordingly. Your response will need to have the following:

• A brief introduction – of one to two sentences – explaining your position on the question.
• One to two body paragraphs that present at least two examples from each text.
• Each paragraph should have a topic sentence that introduces it.
• Each example should be in a T.E.E.L structure.
• A brief conclusion of not more than two sentences that reiterates your argument.

How to study for short answers

Short answer sections are hard to study for. The notion of an “unseen text” precludes studying it beforehand. But that doesn’t mean you can’t study for them.

Students can do the following, though:

• Learn a wide variety of literary techniques – If you are unsure of where to start, look at our handy guides here and here . The Matrix English Theory Books have comprehensive lists of techniques and definitions.
• Practice reading and analysing unseen texts – Aim for pieces that are 1000-1500 words long. Ask your teacher or search on the internet.
• Do past papers – The NESA website has plenty of past papers. Practising on past papers will allow you to test your skills on papers that have solutions and marking centre notes. You can find past an abundance of past papers on the NESA website .

After you have done a past HSC unseen section you can also mark it. This is an important step as it will:

• Show you where you went wrong, and
• Familiarise yourself closely with the Common Module rubric and expectations.

You can mark your answers by using the marking centre guidelines from the NESA website. For example, this is a link to the 2015 Marking Guidelines . The guidelines may not give complete responses to each question, but they will give you enough information for you to mark your own work.

A good approach is to form a study group and sit these as a collective and then mark each others’ responses. This will force you to think like a marker and also explain to your peers where they went wrong. This practice will help you reflect on your own responses and understanding of the subject, too!

Matrix Year 11 and 12 English students are taught how to respond to unseen texts and receive detailed feedback on the practice unseen sections they complete. If you would like to know more about how to study and respond to short answer questions,  read our Ultimate Guide for How to Answer Common Module Unseen Questions .

You can download a Matrix Year 12 Practice Paper 1, here. We’ll even send you solutions after you’ve had 24hrs to work on it .

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• Secondary Education
• HSC Archived Threads
• General Discussion on the 2020 HSC

English how many quotes? (1 Viewer)

• Thread starter #RoadTo31Atar
• Start date Jun 15, 2020

#RoadTo31Atar

Well-known member.

How many quotes do you actually need per paragraph and does more quotes = better mark?  

Critical Hit

YOU MUST RECITE THE WHOLE BOOK IN THE ESSAY TO ACHIEVE A GREAT MARK. MY FRIEND HAS WRITTEN THE WHOLE DICTIONARY OUT AND HE IS GETTING A STATE RANK. 30 ESSAYS A DAY FOR A BAND 6 IF YOU FALL SHORT YOU WILL GET A BAND 1. THANK YOU! More quotes do not directly correspond to a better mark. (iirc there's this guy that was spitting quotes left and right and he did really bad!) It's more so the type of quotes as in how well to they support your given question or prove your point in a persuasive essay. You could spit out 10 quotes that have been rotely learned, but if it doesn't correspond to the question it won't strengthen your response. Also, the quality of the analysis is important, and how you can link textual evidence to your response is important. I would say 2 quotes per paragraph, allowing room to explain their effect and purpose in one Body Paragraph since some can work hand-in-hand with each other and fuse to create a mega quote. "I'm qualified, I got a couple of Zenkai Boosts from the time I bombed English."  

Active Member

number of quotes usually = number of marks -1. so say a 3 mark question, you can use 2 quotes. Just make sure to explain really well  

More quotes doesn't really mean a better mark. The amount you should include also depends on the length of the quotes. I had around 4-6 quotes (roughly 5-10 words each) per paragraph for the essays, but these were short and selected in a way to only include the important parts. Also, importantly the amount will also be dependent on the type of text you have. If you have a film then you should have other stuff like film techniques, so that will probably lower the quote amount. If you have things like a poem then you should also include analysis on the type of poem structure, tense and rhyming, which are sometimes as important as the quotes  

About 6-10 per paragraph. They don't have to be long, they can be one word. The biggest trap weaker students fall into is reciting a couple sentences of a quote ... takes time and usually only a couple words are actually useful for the analysis. Work on integrating your quotes into your analysis. It's a win win, more quotes, and smaller quotes are easier to remember ie. The poem's persona begins as a young female, drawing on biographical events of Plath as a child herself. The repetition the infantile “daddy's” coupled with “ooo" vowel sounds is reminiscent of a baby and conveys connotations of innocence. Plath deliberately constructs this persona as an uncorrupted child but then juxtaposes these attributes to jarring images of destructive Nazism. etc...  

studiesofboard

studiesofboard said: 2 examples per paragraph but up to 4 techniques. 1 example can have two techniques. You don't want to overwhelm them too much and not actually answering the question Click to expand...

studiesofboard said: 8 techniques per paragraph what is your teacher on isn't that way too much Click to expand...

studiesofboard said: My teacher told us 3 techniques per paragraph max otherwise it is not going to be concise and it will just confuse the reader because there is too much information. Also, you only have 40 minutes in an exam so you have to use your time wisely and stick to answering the question Click to expand...

ive gotten 100 in all my english exams this year and i have always used 3-4 quotes in each para but please remember it is not the quantity of your quotes that will build your case, it is the quality of your analysis and how much it relates to the question you are asked!  

dasfas said: If you meant quotes, then nah, I don't believe so. My teacher taught several english state rankers, I have a hunch he knows his stuff. Note that these aren't big quotes, these can be a single word. View attachment 28421 9 quotes right here. I think the question was something about Plath/Hughes' textual form. Click to expand...

#RoadTo31Atar said: That's actually a question similar to what I will get, I'm also using Lady Lazarus and used almost all of the quotes you mentioned. This kinda puts me at ease then thanks. Click to expand...

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How to Memorise HSC English Essays Using Only Key Points

When it comes to the HSC, trying to memorise HSC essays can seem almost impossible. With so many to draft, write and memorise, it can feel like you’re staring down an impossible task and asking yourself, ‘How do I memorise an essay?’

We’re here to tell you that you don’t have to memorise HSC essays — and shouldn’t!

What you should be focusing on is using key points , and we’ll guide you through this with our advice on how to smash out awesome essays based on memorised key points when it comes to the HSC.

So what are you waiting for? Let’s get started!

Why You Shouldn’t Just Memorise HSC Essays The Benefits of Memorising Key Points How to Memorise Key Points

Why Shouldn’t You Just Memorise HSC Essays?

We’re not going to lie, there’s definitely some solid logic behind both sides of the debate on whether or not you should memorise HSC essays.

While we think attempting to memorise an essay is a great way to build up confidence and prepare for your exams, we know it’s not a technique that works for everyone.

With that in mind, let’s check out some of the benefits and drawbacks.

• Confidence – knowing your essay before you even walk into the exam room reduces any anxiety about not knowing what to write.
• Preparation – in order to memorise HSC essays you have to study and prepare, so you’ll be setting up good study patterns.
• Time saver – once you get into the exam you won’t end up spending any of your writing time trying to think up an idea or draft a plan for an essay.
• Quotes – it’s pretty much a given that you’ll only learn a certain amount of quotes for one essay, so having an essay pre-planned around those quotes avoids any chance of them not suiting what you’re trying to write.
• Answering the question – many people forget that they have to adapt their planned essay to the actual question, leading to essays that don’t actually suit or answer the question being asked.
• Memory – learning a whole essay is tough! Taking the time and effort to memorise HSC essays which can be 1000 words just isn’t reasonable for many people.
• Adapting – if the question asked is even a little different to what you prepared for you’ll be forced to adapt your essay, meaning you have to think fast and change things you’ve already drilled into your head.  

As you can see the pros are pretty awesome, but the cons definitely present some major drawbacks when you try to memorise an essay. So how do you get the best of both worlds?

It’s simple! You don’t memorise HSC essays – just the key points of an essay!

Why Memorise Key Points?

You’re probably wondering why memorising key points is going to be any better than trying to memorise an entire essay – and I get it, I do! I mean, where’s the logic in only learning pieces of a whole, right?

Wrong. Here’s why.

#1: It makes memorising easier

There’s no questioning that it’s easier to remember 16 dot points over a full, 1000 word essay.

The fact that there’s less content to learn will not only make it easier to get the info stuck in your head, it’ll also cut down on the time it takes to do it. Plus it’s way less daunting than trying to remember 3-4 pages of essay.

#2: It makes adapting easier

As mentioned before adapting is important and can be tricky when you’ve memorised a full essay, but if it’s only your key points you have stuck in your brain it’s pretty simple to adapt how you write about them.

It’s just a case of building the essay around the question, using your key points as the bricks and filling in the rest as you go.

#3: You can answer any question

This kinda goes with the last point, but being able to adapt your response easily means you can also make it suit any question.

Again, you’re avoiding the possibility of getting in there and writing something you know back to front, but doesn’t answer the question.

#4: It prevents rote learning

This is less about the essay itself and more about how you learn, but when you get into the habit of memorising an entire  response and just rewriting it in the exam, it creates rote learning.

Rote learning is basically just learning from memory recall and it can be useful, but it’s not the best way to learn to adapt your knowledge (and essay!) to different questions and situations. Just learning key points helps prevent that.

#5: It gives you confidence

Even though you’re not going in there with a full essay planned and memorised you’ll still be entering your exam knowing exactly what you need to know to formulate a strong response.

This will naturally make you feel way more prepared and help avoid any extra panic or anxiety on exam day.

How Do You Memorise Key Points?

Memorising key points is actually pretty simple, much more so than trying to memorise HSC essays!

It’s really just a case of figuring out what the most important elements of your essay, essay plan or analysis are and then studying them.

Follow our simple 5-step formula and you’ll have your key points memorised in no time at all without having to memorise an essay.

Step 1: Write an Essay

Okay, before you come with the pitchforks yelling about how this was supposed to be about key points, hear me out.

In order to know what your key points are, you actually have to have an idea of what you could write for an essay response. And what’s the best way to do that? You got it; write an essay.

The purpose of this section is for you to figure out what themes you want to work with, how you’re going to analyse your texts, what techniques and quotes you’ll use, etc.

The essay you write doesn’t have to be a perfect Band 6, but you want it to have all the features and functions of something you’d hand in to be marked.

Unsure how to write a strong essay? Check out this step by step guide to writing a Band 6 worthy essay here!

You can even use an essay you’ve already written if you don’t feel like writing a new one!

In that situation it’s super important that you go through the essay and edit it. Maybe you got some feedback from your teacher you need to address, or you’ve found some better quotes to use, just make sure it’s up to date and of awesome quality.

Step 2: Pull out TTEA

This is where we start breaking down and figuring out our key points so that we can learn them.

The best and quickest way to do them is by actually printing out your essay (or just grabbing it if it’s hand written) and highlighting anything that fits the TTEA structure.

What is TTEA, you ask?

Theme –  What theme are you talking about and in what way? Technique – What technique are you analysing? Example – What is your quote/textual reference? Analysis – Why does it all matter?

Basically these are the key points you’re pulling out of your essay to start memorising.

You’ll have to go through and highlight these in each body paragraph of your essay in order to figure out just what your key points will be.

If you feel like there are other things you need to include in your key points (e.g. context, comparisons, etc.) feel free to highlight them too.

That said, remember to highlight only the most important elements of your essay – we don’t want to end up with the whole thing coloured in with fluorescent marker.

In the end it will look a little like this (as an example, this paragraph is on Frankenstein ):

You’ll notice that in this case there’s also a lot of context in the paragraph, so I’ve gone ahead and highlighted the key parts of that too.

Other paragraph structures that may be useful to know include PEEL , TEEL and STEEL ! You’ll also want to know how to write effective linking sentences for your paragraphs.

Step 3: Study Your Key Points

So now that you’ve gone and highlighted all this stuff what are you going to do with it? Study it!

In order to get your key points into a study-ready format you’ll need to turn the TTEA things you highlighted into a set of super succinct notes.

Dot points are usually the best way to go, and I always found it good to break them up paragraph by paragraph.

This means you should end up with 4-5 dot points* per paragraph , making 16-20 dot points overall – way less than what you’d need to memorise HSC essays in full.

Disclaimer: If you have more than one quote per paragraph (which you definitely should) you can also choose to turn each quote into an individual dot point. I did this for the sake of organisation, making each quote and the techniques it included a single dot point, so this did mean I ended up with a fair few more than 4 dot points per paragraph.

My dot point format often ended up a little something like this:

• Theme statement
• Quotes (repeat for each quote, usually 4-5)
• Analysis point

Yours may follow this same pattern or be totally different, it’s up to your personal preference and what you want your notes to look like.

That all said, each set of notes will end up looking something like this.

These are now your key points!

That means it’s time to start studying them and trying to memorise them for your essay. Most people like to start by just reading over these notes a few times, but that’s definitely not the only or even the most effective way to learn them.

Some of the best techniques for learning your key points include:

• Flashcards – write your text and theme on the front and the context, quotes, techniques and analysis points on the back. Then only look at the front and try to remember what the back says. If you can remember them all you’re good to go, if not flip the card over and try again!
• Quizzing – you can quiz yourself just by not looking at the notes and trying to recall them, but giving them to a friend or family member to quiz you is way more fun. Just hand over your key points and have someone else ask you questions about them to see how well you remember them.
• Re-write them – getting some practical study in is always an awesome way to start memorising things, but it’s especially useful when learning how best to use key points. That means you’re going to want to start writing practice responses!

Step 4: Write a Practice Response

I can hear the indignant screams already; “You said this wasn’t about essays!” “This is the second essay you’ve made me write!”.

I get it, I do, but here’s the thing – if you want to be able to use your key points to effectively write an essay in your exam, you’re going to have to practice it at least once first.

Even though you’re not trying memorise HSC essays, the only way to test how well you can actually utilise your key points for an essay in an exam situation is by doing it. That means grabbing a past paper question and your key point notes, sitting down and getting stuck into it. This way you’re putting your knowledge to practical use as well as teaching yourself how to actually use your key points to develop an essay.

The best way to do it is by giving yourself 5 minutes to create a quick essay plan first. It’s as simple as reading over the question and then jotting down how you’ll fit each of your key themes/texts to the question – the rest should just flow naturally.

Let’s try an example!

Question: Understanding context is essential to understanding a text.

Looking at our notes from before we can pretty much just jot down how we might link it to the question. In this case it’s really important that we had that dot point on context, so by drawing on that we’ll be able to build up a really strong essay around it!

Pro Tip: If you feel like the question isn’t really suiting your key points you can always twist it by playing devil’s advocate!

I always recommend keeping your notes on hand the first time you try to write your essay based on your key points, just to give that sense of security, but if you feel super confident with your knowledge then give it a try without them!

Step 5: Rinse and Repeat

You know what they say – memory comes through repetition. That means you have to keep doing these things over and over to really get those key ideas stuck in your brain.

While I recommend doing at least a few practice essays (even some timed to make sure you’ll get everything down in the exam time limit) how you choose to study is up to you.

If you’re the read and re-read type or the kind who loves to be quizzed every other night then go with that – it’s all about what works for you!

Just keep practising and before long you’ll know every key point and quote at the drop of a hat. You’ll be ready to write those Band 6 essay responses in no time!

Preparing for the Common Module? Check out our step-by-step guide to HSC English Paper 1 with study tips and tricks!

Now you give it a try!

Remember that the big takeaway from this is that by knowing your key points you’ll be memorising enough information to get you ready for an essay, but the amount of effort you put in is always going to influence your final outcome.

That means that if you write 5 practice essays and study your key points every day for a week you’ll probably get a different end result than if you write your notes out once and then let them collect dust on your desk.

The effort that you put in is the results that you’ll get out, so get out there and start studying those awesome key points instead of trying to memorise an entire essay!

Not sure whether or not to memorise your essay? Check out our article on Memorising vs Improvising Essays !

Looking for some extra help with HSC English?

We have an incredible team of hsc english tutors and mentors.

We can help you master HSC English essay writing and ace your upcoming HSC English assessments with personalised lessons conducted one-on-one in your home or at one of our state of the art campuses in Hornsby or the Hills!

If you live in other areas of Sydney, we have tutors that can come to you! Get in touch with our Hoxton Park tutoring team or our  Wollongong HSC English tutors !

We’ve supported over 8,000 students over the last 11 years , and on average our students score mark improvements of over 20%!

To find out more and get started with an inspirational HSC English tutor and mentor, get in touch today or give us a ring on 1300 267 888!

Maddison Leach  completed her HSC in 2014, achieving an ATAR of 98.00 and Band 6 in all her subjects. Having tutored privately for two years before joining Art of Smart, she enjoys helping students through the academic and other aspects of school life, even though it sometimes makes her feel old. Maddison has had a passion for writing since her early teens, having had several short stories published before joining the world of blogging. She’s currently deferring her studies until she starts her Bachelor of Communication at UTS in the spring.

• Topics: 📚 Study , ✏️ English

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