Topic Sentences, Quotes, Samples and Final Preparations

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Topic Sentences

You can find the slides on topic sentences that we went through in class here:

Make sure that you pay close attention to your topic sentences when practising for the upcoming assessment task. Make sure you are targeting a specific argument in each paragraph, and communicate it as clearly as possible in your topic sentence.

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Integrating Quotes

You can find the slides on integrating quotes from today’s class here:

Even if you are not confident with integrating quotes, you must at least attempt to do so with every quote you use. Remember:

  • Unintegrated quotes always beat no quotes.
  • Incorrectly integrated quotes always beat unintegrated quotes.

You have nothing to lose and everything to gain, so put your mind to it and practise, practise, practise.

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Sample Essay

You can find a copy of the sample essay on Inheritance that we went through in class here:

The structure used in this essay is easily transferable to most text response essays that you will be asked to complete. Use this as a model to help you plan and write your own responses.

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Examples of Essay Plans

You can find examples of essay plans and planning documents to a variety of topics below. We have used some of these in class and some come from other classes. You should look through them all so that you continue to expand your understanding of different approaches and hopefully find something that really resonates with you. However, remember that there is never a single ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ approach to a topic – there will be many different ideas and arguments that you can include. What is important is the level of knowledge and insight that you can provide in response to the given topic.

You can use these plans to help you write a practice response of your own:

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Assessment Task: Inheritance Text Response Essay

You will be completing your first VCE English Assessment Task next Tuesday 17 March in period 1.The task will be to write a text response essay on the play Inheritance by Hannie Rayson.

You will be given a choice of two topics. You will need to write on one of these topics. You will have 80 minutes to complete this task. Note that if you arrive late to class, you will not be allowed additional time to complete this task.

You will NOT be allowed any notes or a copy of the play. You are allowed to bring in a dictionary but NOT a thesaurus.

Your response will be marked against the following criteria:

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Preparation for the Assessment Task

Tasks that you can complete in preparation for the upcoming assessment task include:

  • Revising your notes on the play – reading over them, adding to them and reorganising them.
  • Rereading the play – make sure you add to your notes while doing this.
  • Completing a practice essay (see previous posts for topics).
  • Completing another practice essay (see previous posts for topics).
  • Planning essays on broader topics, with an emphasis on identifying key terms, developing an appropriate contention, writing clear topic sentences, having a logical structure and identifying relevant evidence.

(The bolded points are the best forms of revision!)

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