Have no idea how to write a VCE English Text Response Essay? Feel like text responses are too subjective? Well, that’s not the case!
In fact, there are many ways to ensure you always write a high scoring text response.
To secure a high scoring text response, make sure to read this article thoroughly.
What is a VCE Text Response Essay?
How is a VCE Text Response Essay marked?
What are the assessments, SACs and Exam like?
How to Write a VCE Text Response
How to Study for the VCE Text Response
Unpacking a Perfect Scoring VCE Text Respons
What is a VCE Text Response Essay?
A VCE text response is the act of writing a piece in which engages with the appropriate material from the VCE English study design.
Depending on the style of the response, you will engage with different thematic properties and analysis of each text.
You will practise these skills throughout the year and identify both your strengths and areas that need more attention with each essay you write.
It is helpful to look towards the end of year exam no matter where you reside within the school year as a clear understanding of the exam structure and what is being asked of you will help to mitigate any surprises.
If you need support writing a VCE text response, our incredible team of Melbourne tutors can help you out!
Section A – Text Response
The text response within your VCE English examination will require you to pick a text in which you have studied thoroughly in Unit 3 or 4 and write your own analytical interpretation of the text.
The exam will provide two essay questions for each text and you will choose one to respond to.
How is a VCE Text Response Essay Marked?
Summaries extracted from VCAA’s VCE English Marking Criteria
Above are the three key points that are assessed for a VCE text response.
If you aren’t sure how to write a text response, refer to these three points.
To score well in a text response assessment, SAC or exam section, you must show a high degree of capability in all of these sections.
Demonstrates a close and perceptive reading of the text’s ideas, concerns and structure
In simple terms, this part of the criteria wants you to understand the various themes of your text, how they develop and interlink throughout the story.
Getting a grip on your text can be quite difficult, especially when English can be so subjective.
The trick is to understand what the writer themselves were trying to say:
- Were they attempting to make the audience adopt a certain belief or idea?
- Were they trying to develop a character in any particular direction?
- Did they want to progress a theme of the story? If so, how?
Understanding the writers intention means you can’t be wrong, because that’s literally how the book was meant to be read.
Markers will not seek out unique, abstract interpretations and understandings of a text. Instead, they will seek a logical, clearly thought through interpretation.
So, just make sure you can support your ideas with evidence.
Demonstrates a clear understanding of the implications of the topic
Context is key!
Every year, the VCE English Examiner’s Report claims that students don’t address the topic of the essay question well enough.
Essentially, your entire essay has to directly answer the essay question. Not just one or two sentences in each paragraph.
It needs to be a holistic effort!
Yes, this means you shouldn’t just rewrite the same essay every single time!
Develops a cogent, controlled and well-substantiated discussion using precise and expressive language
In a text response, student’s tend to struggle with writing skills the most.
The reason why is because they think markers are expecting them to use really fancy, expressive words.
However, that just isn’t the case.
Exam markers are searching for concise and clear language. Which expresses complex ideas in a simple manner.
That’s right, there’s absolutely no need to use those really long, outdated words in VCE English. Just use words you normally would (as long as you stay formal).
Generally, the best VCE English students write simply. But they have really in depth discussion which flows nicely. Good flow – or a very readable text – is what you should aim for.
What are the assessments, SACs and Exams like?
Generally there are two ways essay writing is assessed: a task or test.
They’re pretty similar, but here’s a summary of what the two are like:
Task
Essentially you get some essay questions based on the text you studied. You have to pick one and write an essay on the question.
Although, with a task you get to work on the essay over a long period of time – commonly a week – meaning you can take it outside of class and develop it further.
Usually teachers will give you an essay task so that you can practice your essay writing and explore the key topics of the test. It’s kind of preparation for the test in a way.
You shouldn’t do a task for a SAC, its quite unusual. Essay tasks are only really used up until Year 11, then discarded for Year 12 due to time constraints.
Test
Essay tests are much more common. They’re similar to essay tasks but have time constraints and can’t be taken outside of class.
For example, most essay tests are structured the following way:
- 1 hour time constraint: 5 minutes reading and 55 minutes writing.
- 3 possible questions to choose from. Need to write an essay on one of them.
- You may be allowed to bring in some notes to assist you. Although most of the time you need to memorise quotes.
Your text-response SACs will definitely be structured like this. My recommendation is to practice under the SAC conditions. You’ll get better at managing the time with each attempt!
External Exam
An example of the text response section from a Sample VCE English Exam Paper
The external exam is structured very similarly to the Task and Test.
Time constraints are the same (1 hour per section), same skills are required, same marking rubric and same text.
How to Write a VCE Text Response
Introduction
Your introduction will outline the rest of your analytical interpretation.
It should be clear and precise, setting you up for a cohesive essay to follow.
The first sentence should introduce the author, text and date of the analytical text in a broad affirmation of your contention.
The rest of your introduction should provide a sentence in which you signpost the following body paragraphs you are going to write, illustrating the significance of each paragraph.
You will conclude your introduction with a sentence confirming your stance within the analytical interpretation.
Your introduction should be simple, it is there to provide the examiner with an overview of what you will write about and how your thesis statement will be validated through your analysis. The more concise, the better.
Studying for your End of Year VCE English exams? Check out our tips to acing them here!
Body Paragraphs
Depending on what you have practised throughout the year, you will focus on three or four different body paragraphs within Section A.
You will incorporate an analysis of the author’s intent and your own take on the text, utilising quotes, paraphrasing, themes and motifs from the text.
Analytical interpretation entails the implementation of evidence in order to substantiate your argument. There are various structures in which can help to best argue your contention.
For example, the ‘Yes, No, However’ approach, although the choice of structure is not fixed. We suggest you talk through structural options with your teacher if you’re unclear with your current approach.
In terms of paragraph structure itself, the TEEL strategy is helpful in explaining the task of the analytical interpretation.
Conclusion
Your conclusion will bring the analysis together in recognising what you have written about and reminding the examiner how your essay has progressed.
You should not introduce any new information within the conclusion, its role is to reaffirm the significance of your analysis. Your conclusion should not mimic your introduction, it should be a fresh summary of your text response.
Tip #1: Don’t Rush Your Planning
The exam might seem overwhelming at a first glance as there are questions on twenty different texts in the question booklet.
Take time to find the one you have prepared for and identify the options presented to you during the reading time.
If it becomes difficult to choose an essay question, take your time and think about your favourite themes and motifs to write about, then re-approach the two proposed essay questions on your second read through of the exam.
Once you have picked a topic, you will begin to visualise relevant quotes and formulate a structure for your analytical interpretation text response in your head.
Tip #2: Practise Writing Essay Plans
You have fifteen minutes of reading time to visualise quotes and patterns.
To make the most of your time, you need to have the ability to formulate a plan for your text response within a matter of minutes.
Throughout the year, an important skill you must learn is completing rough planning exercises within the reading time for each essay.
Time management is a large aspect of the VCE English exam. In other words, it’s in your favour to complete several plans when you study for your VCE text responses.
Tip #3: Set a 10 Minute Timer for Writing Practice Introductions
When preparing for the exam, it can be helpful to acquire a list of practice questions and set a timer for 10 minutes, attempting to write an introduction to the topic. Continue this until you see fit.
The exercise will allow you to regulate your time management, formulate various conclusions in the establishment of a wider scope of understanding recurring themes and allow you to become confident in beginning your essays.
Even if you do a couple, this exercise is quick and can be very helpful if you complete it every now and then!
Looking for practice essay questions? Use our VCE English Past Papers Master List here!
Tip #4: Discuss Essays With Your Friends
Understanding themes is an integral part to your interpretative analysis, it is the foundation in which you underlay your own utilisation of the text in the substantiation of your contention. Talk about themes with your friends!
Flesh out the ideas on a white board at lunch or on the weekend in the backyard.
The various themes should be more than familiar to you by the time of the examination and through becoming acquainted with the themes, you will discover which ones you like writing about.
How to Study for the VCE Text Response
There are three key parts to studying for the VCE Text Response:
- Quotes.
- Understanding the themes of the story.
- Practice writing essays.
Quotes
Everyone knows how painful it is trying to find the right quotes for an essay. So my tip, get on top of it early.
Don’t just tell yourself you’ll ‘get on top of it later’. You won’t have time for it later.
Instead, constantly build up your quotes throughout your reading of the text. Find quotes during every significant moment of the book. Have quotes from the beginning, middle and end. Just find lots of quotes!
I would also recommend students to get quotes of varying lengths: one, two, three word quotes are just as effective as 5 to 7 word quotes. It’s getting a balance of differing lengths which matters.
Understanding the themes of the story
This aspect of essay practice always seems to not get given enough attention.
My advice is write an answer (contention) to every theme of the story. For instance, how would you answer an honor question in Macbeth? Or how would you answer a love question in Much Ado About Nothing?
I would also write three topic sentences for each theme.
The reason why I suggest this is because it means you already have an answer for any possible essay question you can get.
No matter what topic the question is on, you’ve got some sought of structure to rely on.
Practice writing essays
As with everything, the more (productive and healthy) practice you do the better!
Practicing essay’s for each topic type, for difficult and easy questions, will help you notice areas you need to improve.
Additionally, you’ll find your ability to answer the topic, write effectively, and articulate your views of the text will improve as you practice more essays.
Tip: make sure to get feedback for every essay you write. Even if it’s from a friend, any feedback is better than none.
Typically you want to write essays for lots of different questions, don’t write any essay for something you’ve already written, unless its been a while since you last tackled that topic, it’s likely you won’t get much out of it.
Unpacking a Perfect Scoring VCE Text Response
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Evie Warnes is a Content Writer for Art of Smart and a current undergraduate student, completing her final year at the University of Melbourne. She studies a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Criminology and minoring in Indigenous Studies. In her free time she loves to walk, create videos and hang out with friends. After graduating, Evie hopes to do a Post-Grad in Film and Television and travel overseas.
