Writing styles
Styles for Context pieces
Expository
Advantages: Text Response essays are written in expository form so you should be very familiar with its structure and format. You have been writing expository essays since the beginning of high school, meaning that you have had more practice in this style, and therefore don’t need to spend the extra time learning and developing as with the other two styles. Furthermore, incorporating examples into your discussion is relatively straightforward. In creative and persuasive, how you choose to use examples may require extra attention as they are less ‘structured’.
Disadvantages: The majority of students write expository pieces in the Context section. If you want to write a unique piece that will stand out, you must work hard at it. You will need to think of interesting approaches to the topic as well as unique examples to support your contention.
Creative
Advantages: There are different forms of creative pieces – diary, chapter of a novel, blog post, article etc. You can also choose how you want to represent your studied text example – recreation of an event, an additional chapter, a different ending etc. Thus the creativity options are endless, enabling you to ensure that your piece will be different to others. This style also encourages you to insert your own personal writing style – from your preferred writing tones to syntax, grammar, prose etc. Being able to write without strict boundaries comes easily for some students.
Disadvantages: You need to ensure that your contention is clear to the examiner. In expository pieces, it is relatively easy to deliver your ideas by using topic sentences. However, this may be harder to implement in creative pieces, meaning that the characters, action, setting, vocabulary you use is vital in conveying your ideas. If the examiner can’t see what you’re getting at, then this can be detrimental to your score. Furthermore, many students feel that with creative pieces they can ‘pre-write’ a piece that they can alter when they’re in the exam in order to fit the prompt. This can be risky if your piece isn’t able to altered to suit the prompt at all, and you may be thrown off by having to write a new one on the spot. Of course, some people don’t believe this to be a disadvantage but quite the opposite, since they’ll be ‘prepared’ prior to the exam. Remember that this is a risk taken at your own discretion.
Persuasive
Advantages: Since persuasive pieces require use of language techniques, this means you can use your skills from Language Analysis in Context pieces. You have the option of a few different formats: editorial, article, letter to the editor, speech etc. After some practice, you will know which tones, headlines and bylines you prefer.
Disadvantages: In addition to clearly demonstrating your perspective on the prompt, you will need to ensure that you use language techniques. Without language techniques your piece won’t be particularly persuasive, and therefore, much of your attention will need be placed on what and how many language techniques you will include.
If you’re still unsure which essay style suits you best, go ahead and try writing essays for each of the three. You should be able to easily kick out one of the three options, leaving two left. While you may ultimately decide on one essay style that you wish to the use in the exam, having the option of two styles isn’t such a bad idea since it will give you more room to tackle different/difficult prompts.
The Link Between Your Contention and Topic Sentences in Relation to the PromptWe are well into the second half of Semester 1 and for Year 12 students, the Mt Everest that is the final English examination is approximately 6 months away. Though most students are at this stage comfortable with the text response aspect of English, many tend to struggle with the notion of “answering the prompt”.
When working to correct this issue, it is important to understand the VCAA English Study Design brief for text response which outlines its examination criteria as being:
- detailed knowledge and understanding of the selected text, demonstrated appropriately in response to the task
- development in the writing of a coherent and effective structure in response to the task
- control in the use of expressive and effective language appropriate to the task.
Prompts for Section A are divided into one of five categories:
- theme based: recurring ideas throughout the text
- character based: specific characters and their behaviour, attitude, or development
- literary technique based: writer’s language and how specific devices demonstrate ideas
- author’s view based: author’s personal thoughts and opinions on an idea
- reader’s view based: reader’s responses to the text
A contention is simply your view of the prompt. This is where you challenge the statement presented to you and construct a viewpoint outlining the degree to which you are in agreement or disagreement with the prompt or if you are sitting on the fence. It is vital to do this not by blatantly rewording the prompt to display your stance, instead you must observe the prompt and construct an assessment of the prompt by drawing from the text to confirm your contention. It is through your contention that your points of discussion detailed in your topic sentences are formed.
Points to remember:
- do not explicitly say “I agree” or “I disagree”
- rather demonstrate how you feel (and thus how you are going to write) by using the text to highlight your opinion of the prompt
- use your contention as “umbrella” from which your body paragraph ideas fall under
Points to remember:
- ensure your topic sentence clearly indicates what you will discuss in your paragraph
- check to make sure your topic sentence is an idea that stems from your contention
- avoid character based topic sentences and focus on the themes these characters are utilised to explore
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Jarrod graduated from Hillcrest Christian College in 2014 with a raw study score of 49 in English. His passion for writing lead him to study both English and Literature in VCE and begin tutoring. He is currently studying a Bachelor of Journalism at RMIT University. VCE Study Guides is proud to have him as a tutor available for VCE English and VCE Literature tuition. If you are interested in tutoring with Jarrod, please contact us here.