Everyday community texts in HSC English Studies

A 4-mark Section I question comparing an infographic (Text 1, the "10 Keys to Happier Living") with a nonfiction extract (Text 2, by Bill Bailey). Both are everyday texts of the kind this dot point covers, so the skill is the same: read each text critically and compare how it communicates its idea.

Set up the comparison. The infographic presents happiness as a set of small, practical actions anyone can take ("Give it a go" tips), while Bailey presents it as personal, unpredictable and even "frivolous", something to notice rather than follow a formula for.

Show the contrast in how each text works. The infographic uses a confident, instructional list to inform and direct a wide audience, whereas Bailey's reflective first-person voice ("I have no magic theory, or equation, or diet") resists the idea that happiness can be reduced to steps.

For full marks, make at least two clear points of comparison, support each with brief evidence from both texts, and focus on the different ideas about happiness rather than summarising one text at a time.

The three jobs (1 mark for naming all three). Inform, persuade and connect.

Original examples (2 marks, one per job). Inform: a council leaflet stating when kerbside bin collection changes for a public holiday. Persuade: a poster for a local gym offering "first month free, join today". Connect: a community noticeboard post inviting new residents to a street barbecue.

Marking spine: all three jobs correctly named (1), a plausible, clearly matched original example for each (2, partial credit for two correct). An example that could fit more than one job is acceptable if the dominant job is justified.

Definition (2 marks). Visual hierarchy is the way size, colour, boldness and placement rank the elements of a text so the reader's eye lands on the most important information first, before smaller or plainer details.

Why it matters (2 marks). A maker relies on visual hierarchy to guarantee that even a reader who only glances for a second still receives the core message (the offer, the date, the warning), because most readers do not read a community text word by word from top to bottom. Getting the hierarchy wrong (for example, making the fine print as bold as the headline) risks the main message being missed entirely.

Marking spine: an accurate definition linking size/boldness/placement to reader attention (2), an explanation of why this protects the core message for a glancing reader (2).

A 5-mark "describe and identify" question rewards reading the DESIGN (not just repeating the words) and correctly matching each design element to a job.

Describe the direction of attention (about 2 marks). The reader's eye lands first on the largest text, the date and time, because it is the biggest element; the photo reinforces this by showing the activity in a friendly, inviting way; the eye then moves to the smaller practical instructions, and last to the smallest text, the contact detail, which is deliberately least urgent because most readers will not need it.

Identify the jobs and where they sit (about 3 marks). The flyer informs through the bold heading (the day and time) and the smaller "bring gloves and a hat" line (practical detail); it connects through the warm photo of people working together and the community framing of a "working bee"; it persuades more gently than an advertisement would, through the appeal of morning tea and the inclusive, welcoming image rather than through emotive language or a special offer.

Marking spine: an accurate account of the size-based reading order (2), correct identification of at least two of the three jobs with the design feature that carries each (3, partial credit for one job correctly matched).

A 6-mark "explain" needs two clearly distinct techniques, each named, illustrated with a plausible original example, and linked to an effect on the reader.

Technique 1: Emotive language (about 3 marks). Emotive language uses words chosen to trigger a feeling rather than simply state a fact, such as a fire-safety poster's line "protect your family this summer". The effect is that the reader responds with concern or care rather than weighing the information neutrally, which makes them more likely to act on the message (checking a smoke alarm) without stopping to question it.

Technique 2: Inclusive language (about 3 marks). Inclusive language uses words like "we" and "our community" to fold the reader into a group, such as a local council flyer's line "help us keep our streets clean". The effect is a sense of belonging and shared responsibility, which makes the reader more likely to comply because refusing would feel like letting the group down, not just ignoring an instruction.

Marking spine: two distinct techniques (not two examples of the same technique) each named accurately (1 mark each), illustrated with a plausible original example (1 mark each), and linked to a specific effect on the reader, not just "it persuades them" (1 mark each).

The claim is generally too strict (about 2 marks). Many everyday community texts blend jobs rather than doing only one; a purely informative-looking text can carry a persuasive undertone through its tone and framing, and a persuasive text usually still needs to inform (the reader cannot act on a call to action without knowing what, where or when).

Original example (about 3 marks). A flyer for a free community vaccination day reads: "Free flu vaccinations, Saturday 10am to 2pm, Town Hall - protect yourself and your family, no booking needed." This single text informs (the date, time, place and no-booking detail), persuades (the emotive appeal to "protect yourself and your family" and the removal of a barrier through "free" and "no booking needed") and connects (the community framing of a shared, welcoming event). It is not possible to label this text as only informing or only persuading, so the claim is only true of some texts, not all.

Marking spine: a clear evaluative stance on the claim (2), a specific original example that demonstrates overlap with named evidence for at least two jobs (3, partial credit if only one job beyond information is shown).

An 8-mark "analyse" needs sustained, evidence-based discussion of all three jobs, a clear final judgement on the priority job, and attention to BOTH language and design/layout choices, not a list of unlinked observations.

Inform

The capitalised opening line and the discount figure ("up to 70% off") give the reader the essential facts fast: there is a sale, it is ending, and the size of the saving. The word "Sunday" gives a concrete deadline, which is precise enough to prompt a decision about when to visit, though it deliberately omits the exact closing time, favouring urgency over completeness.

Persuade

The exclamation mark and capitalised "SALE ENDS SUNDAY!" are a visual and linguistic alarm designed to seize attention from a passer-by in seconds. "Everything must go" is a stock persuasive phrase implying scarcity and finality, pressuring the reader to act now rather than return later. The specific figure "up to 70% off" borrows the authority of a number to make the offer feel concrete and generous, even though "up to" quietly protects the seller, since only some items may reach that discount.

Connect

The shift in the final two sentences from a hard sell to "thank you for shopping local these past 12 years" and "come say goodbye" reframes the sign as a farewell to a community relationship, not just a transaction. This is deliberate: it turns customers into participants in a shared local story, likely encouraging visits from people who feel loyalty to the shop rather than only bargain hunters, and it softens what could otherwise read as an aggressive liquidation notice.

Judgement on priority

The sign prioritises PERSUADING, because the design places the urgent capitalised sale message first and largest, using it to draw the eye before the softer connecting message appears; the connecting sentences function to make the persuasive appeal feel warmer and more trustworthy, rather than existing as the text's main purpose in their own right.

Marker's note: the top band names all three jobs with specific textual evidence (the capitals, the exclamation mark, "up to", "come say goodbye"), explains the EFFECT of each choice on the reader, and reaches a justified verdict on which job dominates and why the visual/sequential placement supports that verdict. A response that only summarises the sign's content, without linking language or layout choices to effect and priority, stays mid-band.