Welcome to our guide on ‘How to answer Unseen Texts on your HSC English to get full marks’. Today, we will discuss the key elements and skills of this section and how you can achieve full marks.
The Key HSC English exam information YOU need to know
Unseen texts are part of English Standard/Advanced paper 1, and will be the first exam in your HSC.
This section is worth 20 marks.
You are given a stimulus booklet with all the unseen texts, and a writing booklet, where you will write your responses.
Marks vary between questions, but often range from 3 to 6 marks.
Usually, Unseen Texts has 4 to 6 questions and 4 to 6 texts.
What to bring:
- Black pen
- Your brain!
What are the text types in Unseen Texts?
The difficulty of Unseen Texts is in the unpredictability of the section. Unlike the other modules, where you know and understand your prescribed texts, Unseen Texts demand ‘on the spot’ reading and writing skills. You cannot memorise responses for Unseen Texts!
The texts given have a huge range in length, genre, skill level, etc.
Here are some examples of text genres:
- Visual (drawing, photo, etc.)
- Non fiction
- Speech
- Feature article
- Prose fiction
- Letter
- Poetry
On top of this the lengths of texts can vary, from less than a hundred words to 2 pages!
What are the questions?
Much like the texts, the questions can vary. Some questions may be broad, open to wider interpretations of the text, while others may be specific, where they guide your interpretation.
Here are 3 examples of question types:
- How does the text use [literary devices] to convey [insert emotion/idea/theme]
- Evaluate how a sense of [insert emotion/idea/theme] is created in the text
- Compare how these texts invite readers into [insert emotion/idea/theme]
Remember, these are just common structures, every question will be different!
How do I answer Unseen Texts questions?
Because there are so many changing factors in Unseen Texts, it is very difficult to have one method to fit all.
However, here are the main principles on how to approach these question types to give yourself the best foundations for a full mark response.
- How does the text use [literary devices] to convey [insert emotion/idea/theme]
Let's look at the key words of the question:
[Literary devices] + [insert emotion/idea/theme]
Here, they may give us the literary device to use, or leave it up to the student’s choice. The important thing is that you really focus on the effect and analysis of the chosen literary device in relation to the question.
Likewise, they may give us a common emotion/idea/theme, such as [fear], however, they could give us [value of identity], or even [how individuals respond to memory] which are more complex and text specific. This is the hardest part of the question for most students, so ensure you understand what the question is asking you to look for in the text.
- Evaluate how a sense of [insert emotion/idea/theme] is created in the text
This is fairly similar to before, but doesn’t include any mention of literary devices. Here, we still need to use our literary technique skills, since the words “Evaluate how” prompts techniques. Take a similar approach to before, and ensure your analysis is really strong for the emotion/idea/theme.
- Compare how these texts invite readers to explore [insert emotion/idea/theme]
A common 5/6 marker… Here, we will need to use our comparative skills. Remember that the markers are looking for both similarities and differences, don’t just focus on one of them!
There are lots of different structures to write comparative responses, so we recommend you stick to what you have been taught at school.
However, the common pattern in all Band 6 comparative responses, is that they are super clear on which text they are discussing. It is very easy to mix up and confuse the marker on which text you are talking about, so take care when comparing your texts.
For instance, explicitly link back to the text you are discussing by writing “Text 1…”. Avoid confusing the marker by writing “this text…”.
What do the examiners want to see? How does marking work?
Examiners are looking for your core English reading and writing skills.
Not if you know the most complex technique or the fanciest words and sentences.
They want to read your response, and it to be easy to follow, and easy to understand. Show them that you really understand the texts given by providing simple and clear analysis with depth and personal insight, whilst answering the question.
Marking is very simple. They assess:
- Has the question been answered clearly?
- Has the student chosen appropriate quotes + techniques?
- Does the analysis show high level understanding of the text and question?
Worked example
Below is the excerpt to analyse:
The river was behind him. The wind was full of acid. In the slow float of light I looked away, down at the river. On the brink of freezing, it gleamed in large, bulging blisters. The water, where it moved, was black and braided. And it occurred to me then how it took hours, sometimes days, for the surface of a river to freeze over - to hold in its skin the perfect and crystalline world - and how that world could be shattered by a small stone dropped like a single syllable. - Nam Le | Love and Honour
How does Nam Le use metaphors to characterise our world? (3 marks)
Topic sentence: Nam Le’s ‘Love and Honour’ effectively uses metaphors to characterise our world as fragile and subject to dramatic change.
First quote: This is explored through the metaphor of the frozen river as holding “in its skin the perfect and crystalline world”, revealing that a “perfect” world is easily broken, only held by its “skin”, characterising our world as fragile.
Second quote: Furthermore, “shattered by a small stone dropped like a single syllable” utilises the metaphor of “small stone” to characterise that dramatic change can occur to our “perfect” world from unexpected and the smallest of events.
Conclusion: Thus, Nam Le characterises the nature of our world to be fragile, and how it is prone to dramatic change that shatters perceived perfection.
Topic sentence
Here, we have clearly answered the question, whilst giving the marker specific detail to the key word of the question - ‘characterise’. We have clearly shown to the marker that Nam Le characterises the world as “fragile” and “subject to dramatic change”.
First quote
Firstly, we answer the question by showing that we can identify the first metaphor (frozen river), and have used a quote that supports our statement that the world is “fragile”. Use analysis to deconstruct the quote and ensure it remains specific to the question - not general.
Second quote
Similar to the first quote, we demonstrate high level understanding of the question through our quote choice and appropriate analysis.
Conclusion
A simple conclusion that summarises our answer to the question.
Common pitfalls (and how to avoid them)
- Reading the entire text, word for word, without knowing the question.
Read the text knowing the question → this will help you efficiently read texts and find quotes for your response.
- Choosing quotes that have advanced techniques.
Choose quotes that fit the question, not quotes with advanced techniques → your marks come from whether or not the quote supports your answer, not whether you know ‘Iambic pentameter’.
- Note that some questions will tell you to discuss ‘metaphors’ - ensure that your quote choice is appropriate to the question.
- Spending too long perfecting your response
Manage your time → Give yourself equal time per mark. Don’t waste your time perfecting the 3 marker for 10 minutes. End it off, and get rolling onto the next question!
Tip:
Double the marks to tell you how long to spend writing.
E.g. 5 marker question shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes
Conclusion
We hope that our guide on ‘How to answer Unseen Texts on your HSC English to get full marks’ has been valuable for your English studies.
Whilst getting full marks is a great goal to set yourself, the most important goal for you is to achieve your personal best.
On the exam day, be comfortable that all your hard work and study will be reflected in your results.
All the best for your exams!
