Area of Study: Belonging

Section II Writing Task

Study Notes for HSC English (Standard) and HSC English
(Advanced)

Emily Bosco
 Area of Study: Section Two
Expectations: What does the HSC Marking Centre Say?

In Section Two, you can be asked to respond in a variety of text types. This means you need
to consider: purpose, audience and language.

PURPOSE + AUDIENCE = LANGUAGE

When either your purpose or audience changes, you must also change the language you use.
Hence, the language you would use in a feature article is different to the language you
would use in a diary entry.

In previous years, the Marking Centre has noted that the following are important attributes
of higher range responses:

Control of language
Mechanics of language: punctuation, sentence structure and paragraphing
A response of a length allowing the candidate to effectively explore the given
concept (i.e. belonging). I suggest that a length of 800-1000 words is an
appropriate length for your imaginative response
Presenting a complete imaginative response
Responding with originality and insight to the question
An insightful understanding of the given concept belonging using a subtle
manner
Structural complexity, cohesion and the use of an authentic, sustained and engaging
voice

Into English
 Working with Stimulus

To develop a successful creative writing piece for Belonging, you need to be able to
effectively integrate the stimulus material you have been given. A high-range response to
any creative writing task will be derived solely and exclusively from the stimulus material.
This means that the examiner can easily see that your characters, setting, plot and themes
are a direct result of deconstructing the stimulus. Therefore, it is not enough to simply give
the stimulus lip-service by referring to it once or twice throughout your piece. Rather, the
entire premise for your response must be derived from the material you are given.

The stimulus you are given may be either visual or written. In either case, all stimulus
material both gives and denies choices. It is important for you to recognise the limitations
the stimulus places on your story, as well as the choices it is giving you.

The following collection of visual and written stimulus will help you to successfully
deconstruct stimulus, thus enabling you to write an engaging and imaginative creative
response about Belonging.

To begin, here is a sample deconstruction of a question and stimulus:

Sample Question:

Use this photograph as the basis for a short story about belonging leading to self-discovery.

Always be conscious of all This tells you the text type

the information present in
the question. The stimulus
being a photograph may be
useful for a plot-line. For
instance, your main
character could stumble
upon this photograph in a
family album.
you need to write in. In this
case, it is a narrative.
This tells you that your main
character needs to make an
important (possibly live-
changing) discovery about
themselves. This is the end
result of either belonging
or not belonging.
 Writing Activities

Stimulus One

This is a place I am still in the habit of calling home

Incorporate the above stimulus into a creative piece about belonging.

Who is your main character? Describe him/her in detail.

Into English
What is the name of the place your character calls home? Where is it? Describe this place
in detail.

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Describe your character as they will appear at the beginning of your story. Do they feel a
sense of belonging or do they feel isolated/disconnected/alienated?

Into English
How will you shift your character from not belonging to belonging or vice versa? What or
who will be the catalyst for this shift?

Into English
 Writing Tips

Remember that this section of the exam is testing both your writing skills and your ability to
express your understanding of belonging. Therefore you need to:

Develop a distinctive voice

Use effective descriptions

Appeal to a specific audience

Use a variety of language features and techniques

Keep it realistic

Write with originality and insight

Focus on your own experience where possible

Incorporate a shift from not belonging to belonging or vice versa

Into English