This is another post to guide students in Years 9 and 10 about the exam. Your teacher will show you some samples of questions for this section to help you. For instance here is an example of a question:
Describe an idea that interested in the text. Explain why the idea interested you.
All the questions will follow the “describe” and “explain” pattern. That means –
- “Describe a …” requires you to outline how specified ideas / style / language features apply to the text
- “Explain how / why …” is there to guide you towards a more convincing / perceptive response.
To show convincing / perceptive understanding, you need to show an increasing awareness of the writer’s or director’s intention.
“How” (as in “explain how …”) can be interpreted as any feature deliberately used by the writer or director to have an effect on the reader/viewer. You could refer to a wide range of techniques, as appropriate to text type (such as: descriptions of characters / events; use of language / stylistic techniques; structure; setting; narrative point-of-view; visual / verbal techniques). What is important is that you focus on the writer-reader relationship.
If you find this hard to understand ask your teacher to explain.
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