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Short Answer Questions
Short answer questions are just the same as the study you have done in class, whenever you were not discussing your set text.
You can practise short answer questions any time and any place: analyse the ads on the sides of buses or at a train station; ask yourself what that magazine article told you about belonging; think about the way a video clip represents lyrics of a son; evaluate the camera angles in a commercial on TV...
Questions you could ask yourself include:
- Describe how the text depicts different types of discoveries?
- Explain the relationship of [character's name] with [another character's name].
- How does this text portray [friendship/romance/family ties/community groups/cultural identity/virtual reality etc.] as a process of discovery
- Explore the [name of character]'s attitude to [important 'thing' from text] as a symbol of discovery.
- Compare and contrast the different perspectives on adisocvery portrayed by the text/s
- Explain how the composer has explored the theme of community/family/place/landscape/nature/cultural identity as essential to the process of discovery
- Identify two techniques and explain how they convey the theme of community/family/place/landscape/nature/cultural identity as essential to the process of discovery
- Analyse how the composer uses the narrator’s sense of place to explore new concepts andi deas
You never get marks in English for just saying what happened and who it happened to (that's a recount, not an analytical essay). Short answers should focus on the technique which is used to convey a message about belonging. Use as many keywords about belonging as possible and construct your answers like a SEXI paragraph:
- What is the message about discovery?
- What technique is used to convey the message? (Name and quote/example)
- Why is this technique used? (What effect does it have on the reader?)
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Excel at Google Books has definitions of techniques to look for and some texts you could use to answer the above questions. Save my HSC[http://savemyhsc.com.au/category/area-of-study-belonging/] has study tips for English exams and a link to an excellent list of text types and their techniques
These websites have some guided examples you could use to practise short answer questions. The questions here are about the [previous topic (belonging ) so makes sure you adapt them to fit the new area of Study - discovery.
- Visual Grammar [http://www.webquestdirect.com.au/webquest.asp?id=650&page=4923]. Also click on the next section : Visual Grammar Sampler
- OpPapers [http://www.oppapers.com/essays/Short-Answer-Questions/645566] has a couple of answers you can look at for free. Don't pay for other people's answers; they're never worth the price!
- Shelley MacNamara's Blog [http://belongingareaofstudy.blogspot.com/2008/11/unseen-texts-drifters-welcome-stranger.html] has questions and modelled answers
- Annie's English[http://anniesenglish.com/?page_id=25] has lots of quotes which you could use to practise analysing techniques.
Sample Answers
Anna McHugh [http://discoveryhsc.blogspot.com.au/2015/07/sample-answers-comprehension-poetry-text.html] on an unseen poem
Anna McHugh [http://discoveryhsc.blogspot.com.au/2015/07/sample-answers-comprehension-non.html] on non-fiction
Anna McHugh [http://discoveryhsc.blogspot.com.au/2015/07/sample-answers-comprehension-task_19.html] on fiction text
Anna McHugh [http://discoveryhsc.blogspot.com.au/2015/07/sample-answers-comprehension-task.html] on visual texts