discursive essays hsc

English Advanced – All Essays + Mod C Discursive & Creative incl. reflections

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These essays + Mod C pieces are the base pieces I memorised for my HSC (2020), adapting them to the question during the test 🙂 These are by no means perfect, but I got a band 6 for English so I hope they give you some ideas – especially if you\’re last minute cramming! The Mod C piece I used in the actual exam was the creative piece, and I did not have to use the reflection, but I included all the pieces just in case 🙂 Good luck everyone <3

Common Mod – All The Light We Cannot See

Mod A – Plath and Hughes

Mod B – King Henry IV Part I

Discursive Mod C – ‘Human Bookshelf

Discursive Reflection – Gwen Harwood’s Father and Child

Discursive Reflection – Geraldine Brooks’ A Home In Fiction

Mod C Imaginative – Cold Connotations

Imaginative Reflection – Name Le’s Love and Honour and Pity and Pride and Compassion and Sacrifice

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Band 6 Exemplar Discursive Essay

Not sure what a discursive essay looks like? Read an exemplar response and then download the annotated version to learn what it does well and what it could do better.

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Year 11 english, vce english units 3 & 4, what is a discursive essay.

A discursive essay is a type of non-fiction writing that explores an idea or thing from different perspectives. To learn more about what a discursive essay is and how to write one, read our article How To Write A Band 6 Module C Discursive Essay .

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Why is the discursive essay important?

Discursive responses have been added to the HSC from 2019 . Many students haven’t written in this form before and therefore most are likely to struggle with it.

Matrix students learn how to write discursive responses in their Year 11 English Term Course and Year 12 English Holiday Course .

This exemplary discursive essay was written by Sydney Girls’ High Student, Eesha Singh. In this discursive response, Eesha explores the effectiveness of an advertising campaign presented as a stimulus.

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Band 6 Year 11 Exemplar Discursive Essay

The 2016 Calvin Klein campaign involved Justin Bieber, a statue of Aphrodite and the word ‘flaunt.’ However, I was drawn to the words ‘#mycalvins.’ Justin Bieber is a famous Canadian singer and a favourite of people all over the world. Using him in their campaign allowed Calvin Klein to reach millions of people across the world. But, just using Bieber wouldn’t inspire people to go out and spend their money on some underwear. I believe that is the reason they used the words ‘mycalvins,’ using ethos to appeal to consumers emotions. By using the word ‘my’ in conjunction with Bieber they gave people a feeling of relatability, making them believe that they were the same as Justin Bieber and he wasn’t a god but instead a human being, just like them.

The rise of social media hasn’t been recent but it has been gradual and has also let fans of celebrities, actors, singers, beauty bloggers etc. into their lives. It allows famous people to connect with their fans without using the tabloids. Through social media, such celebrities showcase the multitude of endorsements that they are a part of and allow their fans to, seemingly, see what they like. The effect of using celebrities? People who have fans? Such fans will notice that the person they look up to, or adore, are using a product or wearing a certain brand and go out and buy the product. This is how social media influencing works. We see celebrities release perfumes, clothing collections, maybe even a type of drink and the second we see their name on it, we think, wow they must love it, and they created it so it must be good: I need to have it! And, thus, a vicious cycle is created. And the same is applied to campaigns. If we see someone we love on a poster, well now I want what they do, wear what they wear. Now, combine this concept with ethos and you have a power duet. The visual version of this is the 2016 Calvin Klein campaign. We have Justin Bieber, a favourite to millions, maybe billions, and we have the words ‘mycalvins.’ People feel that they can relate to this, relate to Justin Bieber, a millionaire, a famous singer, and they want to relate to him. Because if they can relate to him, then maybe, they can be him.

I know that I was also easily influenced by social media and beauty bloggers. As of recently, I went out and purchased a bottle of Black Opium perfume as a beauty blogger that I love to watch recommended it and said she loved it. Now, if it wasn’t for her I wouldn’t have purchased this perfume or even looked at it. This is the direction that the beauty community is currently heading in. Beauty gurus on Instagram and Youtube are sent packages by makeup brands for them to try and feature on their channels so that their followers will see that they are good and will hence, purchase them. However, if a beauty guru doesn’t like a product and gives the makeup brand a bad review, customers will most likely not purchase the product. A recent example? Jaclyn Hill’s review on Kylie Jenner X Kris Jenner’s makeup collection. She gave them a bad review and, so, the collection flopped and there were limited sales. Here we can see the extent to which one person’s opinion can ruin a collection. However, the opposite is true too, and that is present in the 2016 Calvin Klein campaign. It didn’t just involve Justin Bieber, they also had Bella Hadid, a model, Julian Schneyder, a martial artist, Margot Robbie, an actress and Fetty Wap, a rapper. By doing this they reached out to different types of people who didn’t wear Calvin Klein and that they too should purchase some Calvin’s because all these people loved theirs and wore them to do even the most mundane of things.

Only a year before this campaign, Calvin Klein were still oversexualising their models, including Justin Bieber. Now personally, I didn’t feel that I could relate to this campaign and therefore never had much interest in Calvin Klein. But the fun and carefree campaign of 2016 changed my mind. I could relate to the different things these people were doing and I liked that I could. Especially Justin Bieber. He no longer seemed like an oversexualised god but more like a, sort of, humble human being. And the same could be said for the models and actresses and everyone else. They no longer seemed like a higher power, like a dream of what I could be one day. No, they seemed relatable, as if they were just like me. And that, I feel, is the words ‘mycalvins’ using ethos to change my mind, to make me feel a certain way.

Calvin Klein had such a success with the #mycalvins campaign that they’ve kept it going till 2018. However this year they incorporated a new theme – family. They used the Kardashians and opened up a whole new avenue for them to explore. It helped that two of them were pregnant. But this year’s campaign showed people that Calvin Klein’s are for everyone no matter what age, body type or gender. And that is an important concept for such a massive brand like Calvin Klein to explore, especially now with the rise in equality for all and the fairness for all initiatives trending all over social media.

Calvin Klein have come a long way from 2015 to now. They moved on from oversexualising their models to creating a relatable campaign for customers to look at with #mycalvins and created a new way to market products. But they didn’t stop growing there. They’ve continued to explore what is important to society today and showed that by introducing family and the acceptance of all in their latest campaign with the Kardashian family. Calvin Klein know what people want and know how to showcase their products in such a way to attract positive attention and this plays a part in their exponential rise in popularity, hence leading to millions buying their products. And yet, it all started with just Justin Bieber, a statue of Aphrodite and the word ‘flaunt.’

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How to Write a Band 6 Discursive for Module C

Whether you've written 0 or 60 discursive pieces, this guide will help you polish your skills.

Shreya Mukherjee

5th in Eng Adv at Cheltenham Girls, UNSW Co-op Scholar

When starting Module C, many students end up Googling “how to write a discursive”. Honestly, that’s probably how you ended up here.

We can all agree that the rules of discursive writing are very confusing and seemingly contradictory. It needs to explore a particular topic, but without pushing an opinion! It’s meant to have a relatively informal tone, but make sure it’s not too informal! It’s meant to contain some figurative language, but ensure it doesn’t evolve into a creative! And as the cherry-on-top, the non-defined structure of discursive, makes the whole thing so much more confusing.

But don’t worry! This guide will take you through some key tips and tricks that help you write your own discursive.

Why you should write a discursive?

Before jumping into actual tips, our first tip is to take a step back . Don’t overcomplicate it too much. Out of all the text types you might choose to write in Module C (persuasive, informative, creative, discursive), discursive pieces are probably the most flexible . They’re free-flowing, giving you agency over how you write, and what you write about! You also don’t need to memorise quotes or do any analysis.

So, if an exam stimulus seems to be quite open-ended with many viewpoints, a discursive is a great way to explore these ideas.

With that in mind, let’s jump into the technicalities.

What is a discursive piece?

According to NESA:

Discursive texts are those whose primary focus is to explore an idea or variety of topics. These texts involve the discussion of an idea(s) or opinion(s) without the direct intention of persuading the reader, listener or viewer to adopt any single point of view. Discursive texts can be humorous or serious in tone and can have a formal or informal register. These texts include texts such as feature articles, creative nonfiction, blogs, personal essays, documentaries and speeches.

Now let’s break this down. A discursive piece first and foremost, is a discussion of ideas about a certain topic.

Picture this: You’re ranting to your friend about your favourite pizza flavour. Then along the way, you start discussing the best ways to make pizza. And then you might discuss the ethical nature of sourcing certain products attributed to pizza, and then you round up the discussion by talking about how pizza flavour preference correlates to personality (e.g. a no-fuss person might opt for a plain cheese pizza). You end off the discussion, with a striking realisation that everyone has their own preferences (not just with pizza, but with anything in life), because we’re all unique individuals, with our own identities.

You may be wondering, “how is discursive writing different to other text types?”.

NESA also explains some of the features specific to discursive writing . For instance, discursive texts often:

Explore an issue or an idea and may suggest a position or point of view

Approach a topic from different angles and explore themes and issues in a style that balances personal observations with different perspectives

Use personal anecdotes and may have a conversational tone

Primarily use first person although third person can also be used

Use figurative language or may be more factual

Draw upon real-life experiences and/or draws from wide reading

Use engaging imagery and language features

Begin with an event, an anecdote or relevant quote that is then used to explore an idea

Include a resolution that may be reflective or open-ended

Unlike with persuasive essays, you are not aiming to push a particular opinion or viewpoint. Unlike with an imaginative writing, you are not crafting a story with characters. Unlike with an informative piece, you are not trying to educate with non-fictional statements.

So, loosely speaking, discursive writing is intentionally-structured ranting about a random topic.

1. Brainstorming ideas

So how should you start? The first step is to find a topic which you don’t particularly care about (so you aren’t tempted to push a particular opinion/side - it’s not a persuasive essay), but a topic that is interesting enough to write about. I found these steps helpful:

List 10 - 15 ideas that seem interesting.

Create a shortlist by reviewing and eliminating ideas that are:

Too complicated to discuss in 1000-1200 words

Doesn’t give you the opportunity to explore multiple angles

Plain boring to write about

Hard to research, and you don’t know enough information about

Briefly research each topic in your shortlist, and narrow it down to the best one.

2. Structuring your discursive

Unlike other text types, there is no “basic structure” or PEEL/PETAL to guide you. However, a diamond-shaped structure may help:

A suggested structure for discursive writing.

This signifies that you start with a personal anecdote (a short retelling of a personal experience - usually funny or interesting). Then, you branch out into a broader universal idea. Finally, tie it back in by referring to the same personal anecdote.

By doing this, your discursive essay will smoothly explore a train of thought without seeming like jumbled word vomit. The universal section also lets you explore other ideas and perspectives, which is crucial for a discursive response, according to NESA.

3. Using personal anecdotes

Unlike regular essays, discursive writing does not require you to integrate supporting evidence (e.g. quotes or literary analysis). In its place, we recommend that you use anecdotes (a feature of discursives, according to NESA). Why? They have two important benefits.

It allows the reader to form an emotional connection with you.

Niche personal experiences tend to act as a microcosm for something bigger. By introducing the anecdote, you’re encouraging the reader to reflect on the topic more broadly.

For instance, with the pizza example, the anecdotal retelling of YOUR favourite pizza flavour, eventually leads the reader to think about the concept of individual preference, and how everyone is different.

This then begs the question - what makes a good anecdote?

• Start with something random.

Many students fall into the trap of trying to find “the perfect anecdote”. However, ANY personal experience can be a good anecdote, from the most mundane encounter with your local barista, to a life-changing conversation with a famous person.

Don’t take it too seriously! Instead, think of something random, and then see if you can link it to your discursive idea.

Often, an exercise I would do with my English class at Project Academy , was to use a random word generator . We would then begin our discursive essays with an anecdote based on that concept.

• Choose an anecdote that also acts as a metaphor.

Ideally, you’re able to extract a metaphor from the anecdote, to weave throughout your discursive piece.

An example of this is seen in Margaret Atwood’s 1994 speech, “Spotty Handed Villainesses” (yes, I’m sorry to pull out the prescribed texts). Atwood compares the anecdote of watching a play about breakfast, to the value of literature within our life. If this metaphor doesn’t make sense, I highly encourage you to go read it!

By drawing comparisons between our personal lives to the idea being discussed, you’re adding a layer of complexity to your discursive essay. These extra details are what pushes a Band 5 discursive into the Band 6 region.

Let’s see this in action!

I’ve attached an example below, where I started my discursive talking about definite integrals, and then linked that to the value of literature (bizarre, I know, but it works).

Example: An anecdote on Definite Integrals

I think you would wonder why I have named my piece after a mathematical concept so niche, that it has no relevance in English. Well, except for one. Definite integrals are designed to estimate, but also to definitively find the area of a curve. And how does it do this? Through rectangles. Yes, rectangles. In Maths class, I learnt that this simple, straight-edged, four-sided shape could be used to find the area under the most complex curves one could possibly think of. I thought to myself, “whoever invented this is a total GENIUS!”. I was impressed that the solution was so out-of-the-box. But I was even more impressed that the answer to such a complex problem, rested on something so simple. Now, when I struggle to uncover the meaning within an English text I’m studying in class, trying to decipher what the author wanted us to realise, I simply consider rectangles. I try to step outside the box of literal meaning. Instead, I holistically take the text as a rectangle, to understand the values, characters, ideas, and representations within the text.

4. Branching out to a “universal” perspective

This section forms the “body” part of your discursive essay. Here, it’s important to take multiple perspectives on the topic that you’re discussing.

Alternative perspectives can be interjected in many ways, they can be introduced through a book, a notable person in that field, a journalist, general statistics, or even through your own ideas! According to the NESA excerpt mentioned earlier, you can get these other perspectives, from “wide reading”. Often good discursives will contain a mixture of these tools.

REMEMBER: your discursive should not present these ideas as “for vs. against” a certain topic - this is not a persuasive essay. An effective discursive will consider the different viewpoints , without pitching them against each other.

Think of it like a spectrum of ideas rather than just 2 opposing ideas about a topic.

Another key tip is to ensure between each idea or perspective has a smooth transition, to create flow. To do this, use a conversational tone to direct the reader through each key point (as if you’re speaking to a friend), or use your established metaphor to link between different sections.

5. Get inspiration by reading other discursives

The best way to improve discursive writing is to read a LOT of discursive texts.

In doing so, you can get a sense of voice, and writing style, which you can mirror in your own writing. This is also why reading your friend’s discursive is so mutually beneficial - you get to develop your discursive-writing skills, while they get to hear feedback!

PS: The Project Academy Books app (a resource database, home to hundreds of files and other goodies) has heaps of discursive essays to read through. Those enrolled in their HSC English course also receive access to unlimited marking from experienced tutors, who can provide valuable feedback to drafts.

Where to find examples of good discursive writing?

NESA’s prescribed list of texts for “Module C: The Craft of Writing” , including:

Geraldine Brooks’ ‘A Home in Fiction’

Margaret Atwood’s ‘Spotty-Handed Villainesses’ speech

Newspapers, such as Sydney Morning Herald (and other places publishing “political writing” pieces)

6. Writing a conclusion

As mentioned in our previous discussion, the “universal” section is followed by a link to your original anecdote, guiding the reader back to a more “personal” perspective. A nice way to conclude the long train of thought in your discursive, is to finish in ambiguous, and open-ended way.

The goal is to prompt the reader to think about what you’ve discussed, and form their own opinions.

For example, this excerpt below is from a discursive about how society has forgotten the value of literature, because of other entertainment options. Earlier in the discursive, a personal anecdote was introduced, about borrowing a friend’s book, and then forgetting to read it for 6 months. Notice how it flows from a “wider” angle, to a more personal ending.

In our modern world, we need stories more than ever before. To re-ground us, and to remind us of who we are. After all, our personal narratives and identities are a mere amalgamation of our experiences, a mere compilation of snippets in time, begging to be preserved in ink. That’s what it means to be human. Whilst I say all this, another Netflix movie blares from my laptop, with retrospectively mediocre characters and a strangely predictable plotline. Perhaps it is time to pick up Charlie’s novel and read it.

I hope this discursive guide helped!

Remember: there are no real rules when it comes to discursive essays. Whilst that seems like a bad thing, it’s actually GREAT for you. Don’t get too caught up on what the “perfect” discursive looks like. Be creative, write using your own style and voice, and talk about whatever you want!

The best way to get good at this, is just to start writing.

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Module C: The Craft of Writing

As part of the English advanced and standard HSC course, you are required to create a creative/discursive/persuasive composition and reflection, contained in Module C of the rubric.

Course Content

Outcomes: By the end of this module, you will have significantly improved your creative, discursive, and persuasive writing skills. This module explores the structures and writing styles of each type of text, while also providing a base understanding of where to start writing if you are ever stuck. Additionally, upon completing this module, you will be able to clearly articulate Module C-type reflections in response to HSC English questions.

• How to Write a Creative Writing Piece
• How to Write a Discursive Writing Piece
• How to Write a Persuasive Writing Piece
• How to Write a Module C Reflection Statement

The Step-By-Step Guide to HSC English Module C: The Craft of Writing

Can’t quite wrap your head around the new HSC English Module C: The Craft of Writing?

Never fear! We’ve broken down the entire module so you don’t have to — all here in this snazzy article. We’ll take you through the syllabus, assessments and study tips for Module C!

So, let’s jump into it!

What is Module C: The Craft of Writing? What’s the point of the new Module C? What will I study in Module C? How will I be assessed? How can I prepare for Module C?

What is Module C: The Craft of Writing?

Module C: The Craft of Writing is a module dedicated to helping students effectively write imaginative , persuasive and discursive pieces . It involves writing pieces inspired by texts that have been taught in class and also possibly reflecting upon these creative decisions with a reflective statement.

Module C, like your other modules, takes up about a quarter of your total course time for HSC English, clocking in at around 30 hours.

Module C will be studied either separately from other modules or can be integrated into your study of the common module, Module A or Module B, depending on your teacher.

This means that your teacher might decide to teach Module C on its own, but they could also decide to teach Module C alongside the other HSC English Modules.

It’s up to them, so ask your teacher when you’ll be studying Module C if you’re unsure.

So far, there seems to be a steady, 50/50 divide here among teachers and neither approach is necessarily better than the other.

Check out this sample course schedule below to get an idea of how Module C can fit in with the rest of the HSC English Course:

The purpose behind this module, as the name implies, is for you to develop your writing skills – unlike your other modules which are primarily designed to develop your analytical skills.

By the end of Module C, it is hoped that you will emerge a more imaginative, masterful and thoughtful writer — a valuable skill you can take with you far beyond the classroom.

What’s the point of the new Module C: Craft of Writing?

The purpose behind this module, as the name implies, is for you to develop your writing skills — unlike your other modules which are primarily designed to develop your analytical skills.

By the end of Module C, it is hoped that you will emerge a more imaginative, masterful and thoughtful writer — a valuable skill you can take with you not only into other modules and even other subjects, but also far beyond the classroom.

In other words, it’s kinda like a writing bootcamp, slotted neatly into your HSC English program.

What will I study in Module C: The Craft of Writing?

You will study at least TWO short prescribed texts , to be chosen by your teacher. These texts are drawn from a giant list put out by NESA containing a range of short, high quality texts (access the list here ).

These texts have all been selected by NESA for their literary merit. Each text, in one way or another, displays a certain aspect of skilful writing — something that will be of great use and inspiration to you as you move into writing pieces of your own.

You may briefly analyse these texts in class however you will not be expected to write essays on them, as you would for your other prescribed texts.

Rather, you will approach these texts as a stimulus or a model for your own writing.

Your prescribed texts are your greatest source in this module — they are there for a reason, that reason being that they are great texts that you can learn a lot from, in terms of becoming a better writer.

How will I be assessed for Module C: The Craft of Writing?

Internal assessment (in-school):.

Module C must count for 25% of your school assessment.

It can be assessed either on its own or alongside your other modules.

Note however, that it must be included in your trial examination.

Thus, schools have a variety of ways in which they can assess you for Module C, such as:

• A single assessment for Module C (trial examination)
• Two assessments for Module C
• Multiple assessments for Module C throughout the year, concurrent with your other modules

Let’s take a look at a sample assessment:

Note that this task weights 12.5% so is likely one of two Module C assessments set at that particular (fictional) school. The other will be the trial examination.

It consists of two sections, similar to many of the sample examination questions published by NESA (check them out here ).

Part A requires students to write creatively, in an imaginative or discursive form — and constitutes the bulk of the assessment. It is accordingly worth 15 marks out of a total of 25.

Part B requires students to reflect upon and analyse their own writing, worth the remaining 10 marks out of a total of 25.

Your school may or may not set a task similar to this one.

Regardless of what type of task/s you complete, it’s important to take note of both the weighting and the question-style asked by your teachers.

These will not only keep you on track in working towards your goal mark, but they (particularly the question-type) will also help you to prepare for the HSC examination.

To check out the sample examination questions published by NESA, click here!

External Assessment (HSC Exam):

This module is externally assessed in the HSC English Paper 2 Exam, alongside Modules A and B.

The section for Module C will consist of one question that may contain up to two parts.

Part A – Creative Response A creative response in which you will be required to write imaginatively, discursively, persuasively, informatively and/or reflectively. You may or may not get a choice in text type and you will be given a written stimulus. You may be required to link your writing to key ideas from a prescribed text from Module C or another module.

Part B – Analytical/Reflective Response A more analytical/reflective question in which you will explain and justify the choices you made in your writing in Part A. You may be required to demonstrate how your writing links to key ideas from at least ONE prescribed text from Module C or another Module.

The markers will be looking for two key things as they read your response:

Craft language to address the demands of the question This criterion requires you to use language in a way that addresses what the question is asking you to do, so a good place to start is by breaking down the question itself. Ensure you read the question carefully. Read it at least three times and underline all key words. For example, if the question calls for an imaginative piece of writing, there’s no use writing in a persuasive or informative style. Likewise, if the question asks you to incorporate interesting things you’ve seen in your prescribed texts, you’ll want to adjust your language accordingly.

Use language appropriate to audience, purpose and context to deliberately shape meaning Be realistic when thinking about your audience. No, you’re not going to be writing the next Pulitzer prize-winner in this 40-minute exam question. What you will be writing is a short piece to be read in the wee hours of the morning by a tired HSC marker, whose weary eyes have already read tens – maybe even hundreds – of other responses before yours on their flickering computer screen. Avoid wasting your marker’s time by ensuring your response is one that not only answers the question, but is also judicious in how it uses language. Writing persuasively? Use the active voice and chuck in some modal verbs while you’re at it. Maybe even a rhetorical question or two. Been asked to write about a significant concern from a prescribed text? Heck, make sure you mention that significant concern – whether you explicitly name it or you play the guessing game and hint at it through techniques.

There is a huge variety in what they can ask for Module C so even if you did memorise something, chances are you’d have to change it substantially anyway.

Most importantly though, you will be marked on how well you craft your language to address the demands of the question on the day.

You’ve likely heard stories from older siblings or friends about memorising a pre-prepared creative writing piece to use in the exam — well, those days seem to be over, or are at least, numbered.

Make sure to also take a look at the sample papers provided by NESA  here !

How can I prepare for Module C: The Craft of Writing?

Tip #1: know the rubric.

It’s likely your teacher has already given you a copy of the rubric for Module C (if you don’t have one, access it here ).

Read through the rubric, highlighting both key terms and also bits that you don’t understand.

Then, compile all of your highlighted terms into a glossary table. Keep this somewhere handy as you work through Module C.

You won’t need to refer to the rubric as explicitly as you will in the Common Module, but it’s helpful to know it anyway in deconstructing exam questions.

There are slight differences between the Advanced and Standard rubrics.

That said, there are some key terms and phrases across both syllabuses that you should really know:

Authentic audiences and purposes Keep it real when thinking about how to best address your audience. Don’t write what you assume they will engage with, write what you know they will engage with. Similarly, be realistic in meeting your purpose too. Sometimes, you will need to read between the lines of the question to work out what this is – and that’s okay. It’s even expected. Ensure you stick to the one purpose and don’t branch off into another – that said, it’s not the end of the world if you do… just make sure you can justify it in your reflective section.

Power and precision Use powerful language – that is, language that has an impact on your reader. Tug on their heart strings and get them thinking. To be precise in your use of language is to use language economically. Only use the words that you absolutely have to, and only use as many words as is necessary.

Stimulus A text or part of a text that acts as a starting point for my own writing. This doesn’t always mean I have to use the stimulus word for word, but rather that I should use it as a point of inspiration. That said, check the wording of the question.

Quality text A text that has been celebrated for its masterful use of language and/or its enduring plot and subject matter. These texts tend to resonate with people across different contexts.

The complex and recursive process of writing Writing is like a muscle – you have to exercise it regularly in order to see any growth. Get feedback on your writing and apply it. Rewrite, and get more feedback. Rinse and repeat. Keep repeating this process in order to flex on others as a confident and powerful writer, well equipped for a Band 6 score in Module C.

Click here to check out our in-depth guide on how to score a Band 6 in HSC Creative Writing!

Tip #2: Know your techniques!

If you haven’t already, make sure you have a glossary of language techniques and conventions.

Techniques lie at the heart of good writing and it’s important in this module to not only know how to use them but to identify them and analyse them as they appear in your own writing for Part B in the exam (see above section).

You can write one yourself or you can download our glossary of literary English techniques !

A note on techniques…

With all this said, be sure to use techniques in a way that is authentic and natural within your writing. Don’t feel constrained to use techniques only for the sake of using them because then your writing will seem inauthentic and forced, and markers will be able to see through it.

So, how do I know if a technique is worth including?

Do a quick TEE analysis (technique – example – effect) in your head. If the effect of the technique will add greater depth and complexity to the writing, or if it helps to establish a greater link to ideas from your prescribed texts — by all means, use it!

On the other hand, if the technique doesn’t really add anything to your writing or if you can’t think of a good effect for it, perhaps rethink it.

Tip #3: Write, write, write!

American sci-fi and fantasy writer Jane Yolen once said…

“Exercise the writing muscle every day, even if it is only a letter, notes, a title list, a character sketch, a journal entry. Writers are like dancer, like athletes. Without that exercise, the muscles seize up.” 

Try and write creatively a little bit every day if you can.

Looking for tips on how to write a feature article for English ? We’ve got some amazing pointers that you will definitely find handy…

Even if it is not specifically related to Module C, a habit of daily writing can not only improve your speed and fluency (great for the exam), but it can also help to boost your confidence in developing sophisticated ideas and using sophisticated techniques.

If possible, seek feedback on your writing and apply this feedback — rewriting your pieces to rectify any constructive criticism you receive.

Check out the key HSC English verbs you should know!

Tip #4: Read, read, read!

Try to also get into a habit of daily reading — even if it’s only a page a day (although try and aim for a little more than that…).

Expose yourself to great writing beyond your prescribed texts list. If you spot something in your reading that you like, perhaps a great technique, setting or plot device, make note of it and experiment with something similar in your own writing.

Once again, it is important in this module to go above and beyond the prescribed texts. Take the opportunity to learn from the masters!

Check out our list of practice questions for Module C: The Craft of Writing !

Looking for a tutor to help you ace that HSC English Module C: The Craft of Writing?

We pride ourselves on our inspirational hsc english coaches and mentors.

We offer tutoring and mentoring for Years K-12 in a variety of subjects, with personalised lessons conducted one-on-one in your home, online or at one of our state of the art campuses in Hornsby or the Hills!

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• Topics: ✏️ English , ✍️ Learn

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