AOS Essay. Is it bad to go text by text? (1 Viewer)

[let.me.die]

hi. i was wondering for the essay in journeys paper, is it bad to go text by text? I've been looking at some of the band5/6 essays from the standards package and they seem to go text by text.
But i hear it quite often from teachers that it is better to go by ideas. I'm not to sure which would be the better approach to use and was wondering if someone could help me. Also, if it is better to go by idea, how do you do that?

 

[glitterfairy]

Text-by-text (aka "chunk style") isn't really as effective or "sophisticated" as a more integrated essay which goes by argument points. It's not impossible to get a band 5 or low 6 by writing in chunk style but if you have the ability to write an integrated essay, do it (and if you do EE1 or are aiming for a HIGH band 6, then this should be a given). Remember, the marker isn't just looking at WHAT you're bringing up, but also HOW. You can waste a lot of words and repeat yourself going text by text.

That being said, if you really don't trust yourself to write an integrated essay (or have been trying for weeks and still can't get it) don't cross your fingers in HSC Trials and hope you fluke it - stick to what you know you can do. BUT do continue working on the integrated essay at home. It's definately not a skill that will crop up overnight but in the long run, it will serve you very well for actual HSC english (and also in Uni where this style of essay is standard). And remember - you have so much time between now and the HSC to work on it, so you will improve if you practice!

 

[A l]

It is up to you. There is no right or wrong way. There is nothing in the marking criteria that states that a top band response must show have ideas organised in a particular way. You can score high marks either way.
If you wish organise your response text by text, you should explain how each text supports your thesis and answers the question.
If you wish to organise your response by different ideas, you must explain how all your texts support each idea and link to your thesis.

Decide yourself what you wish to do:

Discussing text by text:
Advantage - In depth textual exploration can be demonstrated with each text, hence you have solid support with each text. Each text is an argumentative support for your response.
Disadvantage - You are limited to a small set of ideas in each text, hence you can't write too much about them. Each idea is an argumentative support for your response.

Discussing ideas by ideas
Advantage - A large range of ideas supporting your thesis can be explored, hence you can write as much as you like on it
Disadvantage - You are limited to specific aspects of the text per idea, hence details for specific examples cannot be explored in much depth since you have to link your textual evidence to the central idea and then link it again to your thesis

 

[kami]

You won't be penalised for going text by text, however when you consider that part of this essays purpose is to argue a common point drawn from various texts, then you will be trying to create links between the various points and themes - this would IMO be most effective in a synthesised response that goes by ideas.

 

[glitterfairy]

It is up to you. There is no right or wrong way. There is nothing in the marking criteria that states that a top band response should show how ideas must be organised. You can score high marks either way.
If you wish organise your response text by text, you should explain how each text supports your thesis and answers the question.
If you wish to organise your response by different ideas, you must explain how all your texts support each idea and link to your thesis.

Decide yourself what you wish to do:

Discussing text by text:
Advantage - In depth textual exploration can be demonstrated with each text, hence you have solid support with each text. Each text is an argumentative support for your response.
Disadvantage - You are limited to a small set of ideas in each text, hence you can't write too much about them. Each idea is an argumentative support for your response.

Discussing ideas by ideas
Advantage - A large range of ideas supporting your thesis can be explored, hence you can write as much as you like on it
Disadvantage - You are limited to specific aspects of the text per idea, hence details for specific examples cannot be explored in much depth since you have to link your textual evidence to the central idea and then link it again to your thesis

Hmm I must disagree...

I did my HSC in 2004 and thus don't have the marking band criteria at hand, but I'm pretty sure that Band 6 requires you to express your opinions in an effective and sophisticated manner. As mentioned earlier, integrated essays save repeating yourself, not to mention allowing you to have a MUCH stronger sustained argument (hence the reason all uni essays are written in this way, and why the vast majority of teachers will promote it whenever possible).

Disadvantage - You are limited to specific aspects of the text per idea, hence details for specific examples cannot be explored in much depth since you have to link your textual evidence to the central idea and then link it again to your thesis

Again I must disagree. What defines "much depth"? Enough depth states what it needs without going overboard and wasting time - you want to be succient, not overkill. And besides - what's more important? Your argument or the "depth" that you went into your examples? Seeing as it's an essay and the grand point is to ANSWER the essay question, my bet is that they're far more interested in your argument as opposed to how well and how long you can write about the texts themselves (too many of these would detract from the point you're trying to make).

 

[A l]

I did my HSC in 2004 and thus don't have the marking band criteria at hand, but I'm pretty sure that Band 6 requires you to express your opinions in an effective and sophisticated manner. As mentioned earlier, integrated essays save repeating yourself, not to mention allowing you to have a MUCH stronger sustained argument (hence the reason all uni essays are written in this way, and why the vast majority of teachers will promote it whenever possible).

When using text by text there is not meant to be repetition of ideas. Each text supports A PART of the argument, expressing different ideas. They are not meant to be exploring the same idea. For example, for one text you may be emphatic of one particular aspect of the Journey while another may focus on another aspect. Thus, synthesis of all these parts forms a well structured argument, which is just as effective as the other form of organisation. This is one reason why you are expected to select a VARIETY of texts which explore different parts of the Journey. There is no repetition and hence no time wasting. Perhaps the responses you have encountered that use a discussion by texts style do not exhibit this.
Besides, even the original post stated that many band 5/band 6 responses tend to use text by text organisation. Even most exemplar examples in the Standards Packages (i.e. scored full marks) discuss text by text.

Again I must disagree. What defines "much depth"? Enough depth states what it needs without going overboard and wasting time - you want to be succient, not overkill. And besides - what's more important? Your argument or the "depth" that you went into your examples? Seeing as it's an essay and the grand point is to ANSWER the essay question, my bet is that they're far more interested in your argument as opposed to how well and how long you can write about the texts themselves (too many of these would detract from the point you're trying to make).

The marking criteria of the HSC requires you to demonstrate a deep understanding of your texts. It is also part of the performance band descriptors. You must demonstrate detailed textual knowledge as well as answer the question.

 

[let.me.die]

thanks for all the advice and help you guys have given me. i'm going to try to practice writing by idea but i still don't really know what i'm going to do in the trials.
how do you learn to write an integrated essay this way? like is it mainly through studying your texts and practicing essays?

 

[glitterfairy]

^ It's a lot more about knowing your texts, to the point where you can focus less on which quote is said from who and in which chapter (all those tedious details) and focus more on your argument.

Through a lot of practice-essays, you can develop a stronger grasp of what your content is and grow more confident in shaping your essay as a whole around a single argument. It's something that really happens over time - yes you do need to put detail and examples in there, but you also learn how much is "enough" to prove your point. (no more, no less)