Would a good handwriting make your essay look superb? (1 Viewer)

jamesfirst

Active Member
Joined
Jan 30, 2010
Messages
2,005
Gender
Male
HSC
2011
Say 2 essays for english were compared.


One is a very good essay but the hand writing is messy (but still legible)

Other one is average (not as good as the first one) but the hand writing is really neat.


Would the marker think that the second one is as good as the first one because the hand writing is neater ?
 

stampede

doin it tuff
Joined
Nov 22, 2009
Messages
483
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
2009
no im pretty sure these markers know wat theyre looking for in an essay and dont get swayed into thinkin an essay is good because the hand-writin is neat
 

powlmao

Banned
Joined
Feb 17, 2011
Messages
3,970
Location
Hogwarts
Gender
Male
HSC
2012
Say 2 essays for english were compared.


One is a very good essay but the hand writing is messy (but still legible)

Other one is average (not as good as the first one) but the hand writing is really neat.


Would the marker think that the second one is as good as the first one because the hand writing is neater ?
nope
 

jamesfirst

Active Member
Joined
Jan 30, 2010
Messages
2,005
Gender
Male
HSC
2011
Then lets say:


Both students wrote an excellent essay

but one wrote neatly and other one poorly. Would the neater one get a better mark? Not necessarily all the time, but do they have a better chance?
 

iRuler

Premium Member
Joined
Oct 13, 2008
Messages
6,731
Location
3.141592654
Gender
Male
HSC
2010
Uni Grad
2014
HSC is content not writing, that said just make sure its readable, even my english teacher said this, they dont give a shit about your writing as long as they can read it.
 

Aerath

Retired
Joined
May 10, 2007
Messages
10,169
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
N/A
Bad handwriting won't directly lose you marks.

However, if the marker has to stop every three words to decipher your scrawl, then you will indirectly lose marks due to lack of fluency. It disturbs the rhythm of your essay, and the flow is ruined, leading to lack of coherency. So you will lose marks that way.

So if both students wrote excellent essays, then yes, there may be mark differences.

Edit: But neat vs not-so-neat (but still legible) writing - there will be no difference.
 

slyhunter

Retired
Joined
May 17, 2009
Messages
6,803
Gender
Male
HSC
2011
My handwriting is boss therefore no issue.

feelsgoodman.jpg
 

tranx

Member
Joined
Mar 24, 2011
Messages
40
Gender
Male
HSC
2011
Bad handwriting won't directly lose you marks.

However, if the marker has to stop every three words to decipher your scrawl, then you will indirectly lose marks due to lack of fluency. It disturbs the rhythm of your essay, and the flow is ruined, leading to lack of coherency. So you will lose marks that way.

So if both students wrote excellent essays, then yes, there may be mark differences.

Edit: But neat vs not-so-neat (but still legible) writing - there will be no difference.
Spot on there, if they can read your writing its all good. Same things go for maths and science (except without the fluency), if they can't read your writing or you miss a step due to the working out being everywhere, you will lose a TON of marks (i have been warned in ext. 2 maths, chem and physics LOL)
 

mecramarathon

Member
Joined
Nov 14, 2008
Messages
403
Gender
Male
HSC
2010
Yes if both are legible then there is no mark difference,

i got penalised in my trials because my writing was horrendous and they needed to get teachers from other faculties to read it :p so i learnt to write a bit neater in the actual hsc
 

iRuler

Premium Member
Joined
Oct 13, 2008
Messages
6,731
Location
3.141592654
Gender
Male
HSC
2010
Uni Grad
2014
A friend of mine lost 2 marks for bad handwriting, he got 23/25 for some essay, because the marker couldn't read it, he went to the marker and read it to the marker, then he got full marks :/
 

b00m

Active Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2008
Messages
2,776
Gender
Male
HSC
2010
Uni Grad
2014
i was once told by my teacher that messy hand writing could often reflect a smart student in that he was very well prepared, knew his/her content and was ready to churn out pages of work in a very fast manner lol.
 

iRuler

Premium Member
Joined
Oct 13, 2008
Messages
6,731
Location
3.141592654
Gender
Male
HSC
2010
Uni Grad
2014
i was once told by my teacher that messy hand writing could often reflect a smart student in that he was very well prepared, knew his/her content and was ready to churn out pages of work in a very fast manner lol.
What happens if the content was bad, maybe not completed, and messy?
 

sinophile2

Member
Joined
Sep 26, 2009
Messages
135
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
N/A
Bad handwriting won't directly lose you marks.

However, if the marker has to stop every three words to decipher your scrawl, then you will indirectly lose marks due to lack of fluency. It disturbs the rhythm of your essay, and the flow is ruined, leading to lack of coherency. So you will lose marks that way.

So if both students wrote excellent essays, then yes, there may be mark differences.

Edit: But neat vs not-so-neat (but still legible) writing - there will be no difference.
Basically this, its just the psychology of it, teachers get pissed off if they have to pause every few words to ponder what that fucking mess is supposed to mean, so subconsciously they'll mark you down. Are they supposed to do this? No. Does it happen anyway? Yes.
 

b00m

Active Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2008
Messages
2,776
Gender
Male
HSC
2010
Uni Grad
2014
What happens if the content was bad, maybe not completed, and messy?
obvious answer is obvious

a shit essay will always be a shit essay, you can't polish a turd
 

annagurl

Active Member
Joined
May 27, 2010
Messages
1,009
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
N/A
I have atrocious sometimes not even legible handwriting, but i've been told by many teachers that the quality of my writing is really good. I lose marks because of my handwriting all the time... :frown2:
 

el_patron

New Member
Joined
Mar 22, 2010
Messages
14
Gender
Male
HSC
2011
Uni Grad
2016
no, but good handwriting definitely helps for the marker
 

Aquawhite

Retiring
Joined
Jul 14, 2008
Messages
4,946
Location
Gold Coast
Gender
Male
HSC
2010
Uni Grad
2013
HSC markers are used to the pith handwriting that some students present them. As long as it's somewhat legible it'll be all good and there won't be a difference between the marks.
 

4025808

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2009
Messages
4,377
Location
中國農村稻農
Gender
Male
HSC
2011
Uni Grad
2017
tbh the key here in the HSC is to make it easy for the marker, so neat handwriting is a good idea to practice for. The markers are trying to give you marks wherever they can so if they can't read your writing, they can't try to give you marks (although they would want to do so)
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 0, Guests: 1)

Top