The Home Stretch- Final Preparation tips for the HSC English Exams.

This time next week, the English exams will be over and you will never have to write another essay about belonging ever again!

Important last minute preparation tips

• Do not try and pre-learn your essays. You will do a lot better if you write your essay from scratch, adapting your knowledge of the module and the text/s to the question.
• Remember that for Paper One, they can ask you to write any text type for questions 2 and 3 (Creative Writing AND Extended Response). A brief overview of different text types and their purposes can be found here.
• Don’t spend too much time on one question at the expense of others. English teachers will tell you this time and time again, and it is true, it is much harder to get those last 3 or 4 extra marks than it is to get the first 3 or four marks on another question.
• Know as many techniques and quotes as you can. This will give you a broad base from which you can create and support arguments to respond to questions
• Do not forget your essay structure. Although it is easy and tempting to just write everything you know about a topic, markers appreciate an essay with a proper introduction, thesis statement, body paragraphs with one topic of argument, and a conclusion.
• Try and do as many practice questions as possible before the exam. Even if you just look at the questions and write a brief plan so you know that if you got that question in an exam, you would be able to answer it with your knowledge of the module and text/s.
• Remember that no matter how obscure the question they give you may seem, it will be drawn from the syllabus. So read over what the syllabus says about your module/elective/area of study and make sure you understand each of the key concepts it has covered, and how your texts have helped you to understand or explore those concepts.

All of that being said, remember that the HSC is not the end of the world and you should not get too stressed out over remembering every little quote and piece of information. If you have done the work throughout the year, there is no reason to be scared, as you will find that when you are in the exam room, it will all come back to you and you will be able to answer the question well.

Remember to email us at enquiries@oxta.com.au at any time for help, or if you need any questions answered.

Good Luck!

More Practice Exams-Area of Study

With English Paper One just days away, it is important to practice as many exam-style questions as you can.

The English exams are NOT memory tests-there is no prescriptive syllabus, and the board of studies can, and will, ask you anything about the topic you have studied. You should be trying to remember important quotes, techniques and ideas, but not essays word for word.

Try these sample exams which model what you will face in Paper One:

Belonging Area of Study-Paper One Sample Exam-1

Belonging Area of Study-Sample Exam 2 

 

 

 

Studying for Exams and More Sample HSC English Papers

The best, and perhaps only way to study for HSC English exams is to practice answering as many questions on your relevant module as possible. More exam papers are attached for you to attempt, or at least look at so you can get an idea of the kinds of questions you may be asked.

A good way to approach your study is to look through the past papers and attempt questions without actually writing up a full essay. Most people find it overwhelming and difficult to write essays when they are not under the pressure of the exam. An alternative is to set out a structure for your essay without actually writing it. For example, you could follow this structure guide:

Introduction:

Write the full introduction, as per the guide to writing band six introductions. This will require you to really think about the question and the points you will be making. If you can write the introduction and your main points, you should be able to write the rest of the essay.

Body Paragraphs:

For each body paragraph, just write the thesis statement and the main pieces of evidence you would use to support this statement. For example, you may have

A sense of belonging can emerge from the connections made with people, places and the larger world. 

Evidence:

(give an example from your prescribed text and identify how it links to the thesis)

(give an example from your related text and identify how it links to the thesis)

This is one way of ensuring you would be able to answer the question, and really tests your knowledge and encourages you to apply it.

Conclusion:

Write one-two sentences on what you would include in your conclusion.

Writing out an essay structure like the one above is less time consuming than writing out a whole essay, but still ensures that you think about the ways you can apply and manipulate your knowledge to suit specific questions.

Practice Exam Papers

Paper One Sample Paper

Paper One Section One Sample Exam

 

Sample HSC English Essay-Belonging

Do you find it difficult to write essays about belonging?

Firstly, read our post on How to write band six essays !

Then, read the following band six response for further guidance,  or  Download it as a word document

This response received a mark of 14 out of 15. It is not perfect, but makes some good points and illustrates the structure you should aspire to have in your essays. It refers to the prescribed text As You Like It by William Shakespeare.

“Relationships are essential to finding a true sense of belonging”

Discuss with reference to your prescribed text and related text/s

 

Due to the complex and abstract nature of the concept of belonging, a true sense of belonging can be found in different circumstances for different people. As each individual has their own desires, needs and values, they find their place in the world and a genuine sense of belonging in various avenues. Many individuals find the strongest sense of belonging through relationships, due to the fact that by nature these connections fulfill the human need for social interaction and enrich the lives of the persons involved. Conversely, relationships which do not fit the conventional model of this kind of connection and thus result in negative outcomes for individuals can ultimately lead to a true sense of not belonging and its related notions of isolation and disaffection. Instead, these individuals may attain the same sense that they truly belong outside relationships, though their connections to other ideas such as place and culture, or within themselves. Shakespeare’s As You Like It and Khyenstse Norbu’s Travellers and Magicains are two texts in which an exploration of belonging and its different meanings for individuals ultimately leads to a deeper understanding of the complexity of the concept of belonging and thus that individuals can find a true sense of belonging in a great range of places, not limited to relationships.

 

Relationships by nature embody ideas of a connection on a psychological level between two people which can fulfill other fundamental human needs such as the need for social interaction, and thus can result in the individuals involved attaining a true sense of belonging.  When individuals find meaning and purpose in connections with other people, as they often do in relationships, the need to belong is fulfilled in the greatest sense as the individuals life is enriched by the positive outcomes for their self esteem, security and stability. This idea can be seen in the relationship between Adam and Orlando set up by Shakespeare in As You Like It. Adam promises that he will “follow thee to the last gasp with truth and loyalty” when Orlando decides to go to the forest. By changing the rhyme scheme for Adam’s declaration of commitment to Orlando, Shakespeare effectively emphasizes the lack of superficiality that exists in this relationship as opposed to other relationships he sets up in the play. In their relationship, Orlando finds purpose and stability in his life, knowing he has another person who will always look out for him, just as Adam finds purpose knowing he will always be in the company of Orlando, seen where he states “Fortune cannot recompense me better than to die well and not my master’s debtor.” Through this, Shakespeare communicates that in relationships which are built on trust, loyalty or other solid connections between people, individuals can find meaning, stability, purpose and thus a true sense that they belong. In Travellers and Magicians Norbu inquires into similar ideas which support the value of relationships in the search for a true sense of belonging. In the relationship between Tashi and Deki, Norbu communicates the idea of their deeper connection on all levels through quickly alternating close ups between the expressive eyes of Deki and Tashi, which create the idea that their souls and desires are connecting as their eyes remain fixed on one another. The couple is also often presented on equal terms embracing each other, caring and showing affection through mid shots. Their connection leads Tashi to exclaim “If I never left this place, and died right here with you, I would not die unhappy.” Norbu thus effectively supports the idea that meaning and purpose can be found in real connections with others, and that consequently individuals can find the strongest sense of belonging in relationships such as these. Through this relationship, he also inquires further into the reasons why relationships can lead to a individual feeling that they truly belong. By suggesting that the positive outcomes which the human psyche correlates with attaining a sense of belonging, such as understanding, stability and care manifest themselves in relationships, Norbu advocates and supports the almost inextricable link between belonging and relationships.

 

Whilst there may be an almost inextricable link between belonging and relationships, not all relationships ultimately lead to individuals finding a genuine sense of belonging which manifests itself in positive outcomes for their lives. Some relationships can be driven by the quest to maintain control, have power and maintain authority over others or by the decisively one sided benefits to one of the individuals involved. In these relationships, it is more likely that individuals find themselves not belonging, isolated and disaffected rather than finding a true sense of belonging. This idea is expanded on by Norbu in Travellers and Magicians. The relationship between Deki and Agay is characterized by Agay’s domination of his young and beautiful wife. This is emphasized through low shots which place the vertically challenged Agay in a position of power over Deki and his statement to Tashi that he makes her live in the isolated hut with him because “We may grow old, but our jealousy stays young.” Deki is thus presented by Norbu as isolated in her relationship; she does not feel the strong connection with Agay that conventional notions of being in the marriage relationship would suggest. Thus through the negative consequences for Deki of being in a relationship with Tashi, and her strong sense of isolation and the feeling she does not truly belong, Norbu communicates the idea that relationships are not always central for individuals trying to find a true sense of belonging. Shakespeare through the representation of a relationship in which love is unrequited similarly challenges the connection between relationships and a true sense of belonging. Whilst Phoebe ends up marrying Silvius, there is a lot of ambiguity in whether she truly loves him and thus has attained a genuine sense of belonging in this relationship. When they marry, all Phoebe comments is “I will not eat my word now thou art mine Thy faith and my fancy to thee doth combine.” A rhyming couplet draws emphasis to this section of the play, where it is not resolved whether Phoebe truly commits her whole self into this relationship, and thus whether Silvius will experience the positive outcomes of the relationship he has desired throughout the play. In this ambiguity, Shakespeare supports the notion that individuals do not always find the greatest sense that they belong in relationships, especially relationships which are unequal and result in negative outcomes for individuals.

 

Individuals can find a true sense of belonging outside the confines of a relationship in connections to ideas such as culture, place or even within themselves. As each individual is intrinsically different, so are the ways in which they fulfill the fundamental human need to belong.  Norbu presents the ideas that individuals can find contentment and fulfill the need to belong through connection to traditional culture and village life. In the first scene, a series of  quickly changing mid shots show the activities of daily life in their rural setting. The villagers all wear traditional Gho’s and shrieks of joy emphasized through an echo when practicing archery suggest they are content with these repetitive activities. Essentially, they conform to the expectations of their traditional culture and life and find a true sense of belonging and fulfillment in this connection. Norbu thus demonstrates in this connection that a true sense of belonging and its positive outcomes can be found outside relationships. Duke Senior in As You Like It, can similarly be described as finding a genuine sense of belonging and contentment with his place and environment, the Forest of Arden. He asks Amiens and the audience “Are not these woods More free from peril than the envious court?” In the use of the words “free from peril,” Shakespeare suggests that in this place Duke Senior feels comfortable, content and untroubled and thus has developed a true sense of belonging with this place. The character of Jacques also finds an inner contentment within his meaningless existence.. At the end of the play, Jacques states “I am for other than for dancing measures” and retires to Duke Senior’s “abandoned cave.” He deliberately chooses not to belong in relationships with his comrades, instead he finds his own sense of contentment within himself, and thus Shakespeare demonstrates that a true sense of belonging can be found within an individual.

 

The complexity of the concept of belonging often means that individuals find belonging in different places to other individuals. Whilst many individuals can attain a true sense of belonging in relationships, due to the nature of these connections and the positive outcomes they have for individuals, there are some relationships in which individuals experience the opposite from truly belonging. Furthermore, there are many circumstances outside the confines of relationships in which individuals can attain a genuine sense of belonging, including culture, place and within themselves. Analysis of a range of texts including As You Like It and Travellers and Magicians inquire into these ideas and foster an appreciation for the need to consider different circumstances and individuals before making assumptions about the multifaceted concept of belonging. Ultimately, relationships are often the connections in which individuals find the truest sense that they belong, but the fulfillment of the fundamental need to belong is not strictly limited to the confines of a relationship.

 

 

HSC English Trials Past Papers AND Marking Guidelines

Want to practice your english skills before the upcoming trial exams?

This is the best resource you will find online! The new syllabus has only been in effect for 2 years, so it is very difficult to find papers that are relevant to what you have been studying in class. We have collected a number of past papers from different sources and will continue to add more as we find them!

Download the HSC English practice papers (Both Standard and Advanced) attached to this post and let us know how you go!

Advanced English Paper Two-Independent Trial 2009

Standard English Paper Two-2009 Independent Trial

 

 

Paper One-2009 Independent Trial

Paper One-Area of Study

Belonging Practice Questions-Essay Questions for Paper One

It is time to practice and improve your essay skills by having a go at this list of essay questions compiled by Save My HSC especially for you. All of these questions reflect the sort of questions you will have to answer in section three of Paper One. It is highly unlikely they will ask you to write an interview trasncript or a feature article, but these text types are assessable so have a look at the practice questions and get familiar with the conventions of each of these text types. If you are having trouble, feel free to comment this post and Save My HSC will try our best to point you in the right direction!

• To what degree has studying the concept of belonging augmented your understanding of yourself, of others, and of the world? In your answer, refer to your prescribed text and ONE text of your choosing
• In order to belong, we must know who we are and where we come from.  Discuss with reference to your prescribed text and TWO related texts
• Despite an individuals desire to belong to a group or community, this is not always possible. How do the texts you have studied represent the processes and results of belonging and/or not belonging.
• You have been invited to speak at the book launch of a new collection of texts entitled “Belonging in our Society” In your speech, explain and assess the ways in which belonging is represented in the texts in the collection
• Belonging to a community or group has a significant impact on an individual’s sense of self. Discuss this statement, focusing on how the composers of the texts you have studied represent the concept of belonging
• Belonging to a group or community can provide opportunities and disappointments To what extent do the texts you have studied support this idea?
• More than anything else, belonging is about finding a sense of place in the world. Discuss with reference to your prescribed text and TWO related texts
• You have been invited to write an article for a teenage magazine called Youth and Belonging. In your article, analyse the ways in which belonging is represented in your prescribed text and ONE other text.
• To belong is as much about being a part of something, as it is about being excluded.” To what extent do you agree? In your answer refer to your prescribed text and 2 related texts of your own choosing
• “Belonging is about the desire of acceptance that may or may not bring personal satisfaction.” How does your study of the Prescribed text and 2 varied texts of your own choosing support or reject this idea? 
• “Acceptance can lead to a sense of fulfilment but at a cost.” Do you agree?  In your answer refer to your prescribed texts and 2 related texts of your own choosing
• “To belong is innate and fundamentally human.”  What challenges or barriers complicate this? In your answer refer to your prescribed texts and 2 related texts of your own choosing

 

• “Experiencing exclusion helps individuals come to a greater sense of acceptance of others.” What assumptions underpin the Area of Study and can they be validated? In your answer refer to your prescribed texts and 2 related texts of your own choosing

 

• “Acceptance leads to contentment and self-realisation” Is this an accurate account of your Area of Study? In your answer refer to your prescribed texts and 2 related texts of your own choosing.

 

 

• “Perceptions and ideas about belonging vary.”Is this your opinion? How is this reflected in your study of your prescribed text and 2 related texts of your own choice?

 

• You have been asked to present a persuasive argument on the issue of Belonging at a community meeting. What ideas do you present and you are they addressed in your study. You must also refer to 2 related texts of your own choosing.

 

 

• A radio programme is presenting a debate on issues and assumptions associated with belonging. Present two sides of the debate with reference to your prescribed study and 2 related texts of your own choosing.

 

• You have been asked to write a feature article for a ‘School Special’ section for Sydney Morning Herald. The article must reflect complications of belonging and how this is reflected in a range of texts including your prescribed text. 

 

• Imagine you have been asked to give a speech on the topic of belonging to a local high school. In your speech you are to reflect on the nature of belonging and not belonging and give your opinion. Refer closely to the prescribed text and 2 related texts of your own choosing.

 

• You are being interviewed on how your perception of belonging has influenced your understanding of the world around you. Write the transcript of this interview. In your answer refer to your prescribed text and 2 related texts of your own choosing.

 

• You have been invited to chair a panel of experts who specialise in the areas of personal, cultural, historical and the social contexts of belonging. You are permitted to ask a range of questions to any members of the panel in order to present a range of attitudes on belonging. Refer to your prescribed text and 2 related texts of your own choosing.

 

• “Belonging can challenge a community or group.” Use the quotation as one line in your speech to students. In your speech reflect on how exploring this issue can broaden and deepen their understanding of themselves.  Refer closely to the prescribed text and 2 related texts of their own choosing.

 

• Write a speech about the most important things students should know about belonging for a year 12 study retreat which is to be held before the trial exams. In your speech refer to your prescribed text and at least TWO related texts of your own choosing.

 

•  It’s the night before the half-yearly examination and your friend has called you to talk about paper one. Write the transcript of your conversation, in which you both share your ideas about belonging.

 

 

• ‘Relationships are important in finding a sense of belonging’. Discuss this statement in relation to your prescribed text and TWO other texts you have encountered in your study of belonging.

 

• ‘Belonging creates dilemmas’ Discuss this statement in relation to your prescribed text and TWO other texts you have encountered in your study of belonging.

 

• ‘The human spirit craves a sense of belonging’. To what extend do your prescribed text and ONE other text you have studied support this idea?

 

• ‘Belonging is dependent on the perspective of the individual’. Discuss this statement with particular focus on how the composers of your prescribed text and TWO other texts represent perceptions of belonging.

 

• Our lives are shaped by our sense of belonging’Discuss the extent to which belonging shapes our lives with reference to your prescribed text and ONE other text of your choosing.

 

• ‘Not belonging is a far more difficult road to travel than that of belonging’.How does your prescribed texts and TWO other texts of your own choosing explore ideas of belonging and not belonging?

 

Sample Thesis Statements for Belonging Essays

Still have no idea what a thesis statement is? Take inspiration from these….

All of these thesis statements can be used as starting points for arguments about belonging!

• Experience

-Our life experiences teach us that when we stop trying to belong we realise that we have always belonged

-We search for a place to belong, not realising that it is our perceptions and attitudes, not the place that allow us to belong

 

• Notions of identity

-When our cultural identity is marginalised, we can feel dislocated and displaced, and believe that we do not belong to our culture or the dominant culture.

-Our search for who we are is fuelled by a need to find a place in the world where we belong

– A sense of belonging comes from a sense of identity

 

• Relationships

-The need to belong to a group or a community shapes our behaviour, attitudes and actions

-An individual has the potential to damage relationships and ensure that others do not belong

-When humanity experiences a strong connection to a place, the notion of belonging is strengthened and enriched

-When our relationship with a place is shaped by a narrow and biased view of the world, our notion of belonging can be questionable

 

• Acceptance

-The basic human need to be accepted and belong can cloud our judgments and direct our actions

 

• Understanding

-When we begin to understand the forces that drive us to belong, we develop empathy for others and personal insight

 

McPherson, D and Sherlock, J et all, 2010, Oxford HSC English, Oxford University Press, South Melbourne.

 

• Connections

-A sense of belonging can emerge from the connections made with people, places and the larger world. It is these connections that influence where we search for meaning in our lives and ultimately, where we belong

– We belong when we feel connected to others and the world

• Inner Belonging

-Belonging comes from within rather than without
-An inner sense of connection leads to an external sense of belonging
-Feeling connected to the world is an inner experience
-The desire to belong is a driving force within us
-A sense of belonging begins instinsically and spreads out into the world
-We cannot belong until we understand ourselves-An inner sense of balance allows the individual to belong harmoniously in the world

Writing Band Six Essays-Intelligent Introductions

The first thing the marker reads (obviously) is your introduction, and thus a solid introduction can engage the marker and make them actually want to read your essay. The other advantage of a decent introduction is that if for some reason you don’t get to finish your essay, the marker will at least know what you intended to talk about, and can give you some credit for being on the right track. It will definitely improve your mark overall if you can indicate that you know what you are talking about and what you would say if you had time in your introduction. This is not to say you should waste your time writing a perfect page long introduction, but rather that the introduction is important so don’t spoil your chances of getting a good mark by not introducing your essay properly!

A good introduction will always:

a) Start with a thesis that DIRECTLY RESPONDS TO THE QUESTION. You have 40 minutes to write an essay so there is no time to start with philosophical musings about the topic or write random things you happen to remember about the module you are writing about

What is a thesis?

A thesis is just a fancy word for an argument or overall point of view. Your opening thesis statement basically needs to state an argument that you will develop and provide evidence for throughout your essay. There is no need for this to be complex, but better essays generally will have a thesis that responds to the question without using the exact wording of the question. For example:

“ Relationships are essential to finding a true sense of belonging” Discuss

An A-grade thesis would be something that indicates your personal response to the question. Remember that you do not have to agree with the statement, you can disagree or you can be really tricky and agree and disagree with the question. Better essays are always those that can argue and counter argue. Refer to later posts for advice on how to do this.

Sample thesis:

The complex nature of the concept of belonging means that a true sense of belonging can be found in different circumstances for different people, however, many individuals find their strongest sense of belonging within relationships.

This is a good thesis because it

• Shows you know something about the concept of belonging
• Refers to the question without using all the exact words
• Is broad enough to allow you to develop good arguments, and then counterarguments
• Uses definitive words such as “means” and “find” instead of using words such as may. This makes it sound argumentative, which is a good thing as the purpose of an essay is to argue.

However, writing a thesis such as the one above will not come naturally to a lot of students. For these students who find it difficult to develop thesis statements, the best route is to take words out of the question. This will show the marker that you have understood the question and know what you need to write about in order to answer this question.

In order to truly belong, people need relationships with other people and places.

This is also a good thesis because:

• It is a direct response to the question
• It is broad enough to allow you to develop an argument
• It demonstrates that you have understood the question-the word “essential” basically means something that you need or must have.

When writing a thesis, remember that it has to be an argument, but also that you must be able to support this argument with evidence in your body paragraphs. There is no formula for writing a perfect thesis as every question is different, but if you keep in mind that the above points and practice, writing theses will hopefully become a lot easier!

b)        A good introduction will have at least one sentence that expands on the thesis.

This will help you to show you know what you will be talking about in the essay and hopefully make the point you are trying to prove by writing this essay a little clearer to the marker.

c)         Name the texts and composers that will be referred to throughout the essay

Names of texts should be Underlined. How exactly you name the texts and authors really depends on the module, so see the specific blog post for each of these!

d)        Outline the points you will be making in the essay

To fulfil its purpose, the introduction must give a proper overview of the arguments you will be making. There is no need for excessive detail here, just state the general arguments you will be making in one long or two short sentences if necessary. See the sample introduction and each module’s essay writing blog post for further guidance on how to outline arguments in the introduction.

Writing Band Six Essays-DO NOT PREPARE AND LEARN ONE ANSWER

In case the capital letters didn’t scare you enough I will repeat it just so you can gauge the severity of this warning—do not pre prepare your essays. Unless you genuinely want to fail HSC English there is no excuse for going into your English exams with one memorised essay for each unit you have studied. Everyone wants a simple solution that will be easier to learn than an entire year’s worth of work, but like everything in life, nothing good will ever come of taking the easiest route.

Students in years prior to the 2009 HSC may have got lucky, and their memorised essays may have been enough for them to pass, but unfortunately for students in the era of the new syllabus, the same tricks do not work. Every year, the board of studies publishes markers comments and other documents in which they give feedback about the quality of students’ responses from the previous year, and the most common comment is that markers know when they are reading a pre prepared response and punish students for attempting this. It is very easy to tell an essay that actually answers the question from one that is a generic essay about the topic that may just refer to the question in the introduction or conclusion.

 The post 2009 HSC English course is designed to stump students who try to pre prepare responses. The board of studies is determined to fight back at criticisms that the HSC is simply a memory test and students that rote learn and churn out content can get better marks than students that actually learn and understand the content. They want you to realise that the course is so broad that there’s no chance your one memorised essay will answer the question sufficiently so there’s no point trying. You only have to look at the uproar caused by the 2009 paper one essay question for evidence of this. For the first time, this question asked students to refer to ONE instead of TWO related texts, and so students that had memorised essays were forced to adapt or were penalised for not writing in enough detail about their one text. The lesson from this is simple; the board of studies is out to get students who memorise essays, so just don’t do it. Ever.

Luckily for you lazy students out there, you will have this guide that should help you to write good essays from scratch that will get you decent marks in your HSC!

Five Ways to improve CREATIVE WRITING for Paper One, Section Two

There is no other way to describe Paper One, Section Two but as the bane of every HSC student’s existence. Yes, this section requires you to compose an imaginative text that demonstrates what you have learnt about belonging and/or non-belonging. It is essentially a living hell, but don’t be disheartened. Use the ten tips in this guide to help you prepare and compose a response that doesn’t sound suspiciously like Mean Girls or another popular film or book your marker would be aware of.

One: Write What You Know

Use the experiences you have had, the people you know, events you have been to or things you have observed as your starting point. Good writers use the emotions they have felt or ways they have responded or reacted to different situations as the basis for their writing. This is not suggesting that you write a story about a year 12 student who doesn’t belong because that is what you know, but rather that you use the emotions that student might have felt or the responses that student might have and transfer them to a different context or exotic setting, such as a remote tribal village or a time in the past.

Two: Make it believable

If you are writing from the perspective of a middle aged man, they are not going to be saying like, totally, awesome, omg, lol or any other derivative of those words. The events and the way the characters behave and respond to events must be believable given the context you are writing in. If you plan to write about some remote tribe or time from the past, do a little bit of background research so that if the question in your HSC exam allows you to use this story, you at least know about the context and what things could occur/how people would behave in this context.

Three: Get creative with your form

Unless the question specifically states that you have to write a short story/narrative, you do not have to write a narrative. Many students may find it easier to write a narrative as they would have practiced these and are familiar with the structure, however, writing in another form such as diary entries or a letter can really make you stand out from the crowd. For the conventions and features of diary entries, letters, feature articles, conversations, speeches and drama scripts click here to go to through to the resources page.

Four: Avoid clichés

The marker would have read a million stories about school students who struggle because they are bullied and don’t belong by the time they get to yours. You spend 40% of your English course learning about belonging, so you should be able to come up with more creative and insightful ideas about belonging to write about. Don’t just copy a film or book you have watched/read and change a few details-try and use your imagination and use the common feelings that arise when you belong or don’t belong to write something original.

Five: Don’t make it blatantly obvious you are writing about belonging

The markers comments always say that the best responses are ones which don’t automatically scream belonging. Explore the concept implicitly through relationships between people and other people or places and other ideas such as culture and identity. Avoid statements such as “I felt I belonged” or “I hated not belonging” and try instead to use other words that communicate these ideas e.g “I felt safe, like nothing could bring me down” or “I was sick of feeling isolated and like nobody in the group wanted to let me in.” In the planning stage, set out which aspects of belonging you are going to explore and how you will make these implicit throughout your response.