← English Literary Studies syllabus

SAEnglish Literary Studies

Text Study (external, 30%)

5 dot points across 5 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How do you adapt your reading strategy to whatever text type appears in the Critical Reading exam?

Adapt close-reading strategy to the text type in front of you - poetry, prose fiction or non-fiction - so you analyse what each form makes most meaningful.
How to adapt your unseen-analysis approach to the text type in the Critical Reading exam - the form-specific features that carry meaning in poetry, prose fiction and non-fiction.
6 min answer →

How do you choose an independent text that pairs well with a shared text and makes a genuine comparison possible?

Select an independent text to compare with a shared-study text so the pairing shares enough common ground to argue and enough difference to reveal something.
How to choose, in consultation with your teacher, the independent text for the external Comparative Text Study so the pairing produces a real comparison rather than a forced one.
6 min answer →

How do you frame an inquiry question for the Comparative Text Study that is arguable, focused and genuinely comparative?

Develop a focused, arguable inquiry question that drives a genuine comparison of two texts for the Comparative Text Study.
How to frame a sharp, arguable inquiry question for the Comparative Text Study - one focused enough to answer in an essay and genuinely comparative across both texts.
6 min answer →

How do you build an integrated comparative essay that argues something neither studied text could reveal on its own?

Plan and write the external Comparative Text Study critical essay as an integrated comparison driven by a single arguable thesis.
How to structure and argue the external Comparative Text Study critical essay - an integrated comparison of two texts built around one arguable comparative thesis.
8 min answer →

How do you read an unseen passage under time pressure and build a controlled analytical response in ninety minutes?

Respond to unseen text in the 90-minute Critical Reading exam by analysing closely and arguing a focused response under time pressure.
How to approach the 90-minute external Critical Reading exam - reading an unseen passage closely, planning fast, and writing a focused analytical response under time pressure.
7 min answer →