SACE Stage 2 Essential English cheat sheet

Audience and purpose identification: name the intended reader (e.g. teenagers, voters, parents) and the primary purpose (persuade, inform, entertain, reflect) before analysing technique.

Text-type conventions to check: news report (inverted pyramid, byline, quotes), feature article (headline, subheadings, anecdote lead), opinion piece (thesis in first two paragraphs, first-person stance), speech (direct address, repetition, call to action), short story (setting, conflict, resolution).

Tone is a decision rule: classify each paragraph as positive, negative or neutral toward the subject; a shift in tone marks a turning point in the writer's argument.

Evidence hierarchy for responses: direct quotation > specific paraphrase with line/paragraph reference > general summary; unsupported generalisations are the most common mark-losing error.

Reader positioning: identify what the text wants the reader to think, feel or do, then state whether the language choices achieve that effect and why.

Persuasive appeals mapping: ethos (credibility, expert voice), pathos (emotion, anecdote, imagery), logos (statistics, cause-effect, comparison) - label the appeal, then quote the evidence for it.

Personal response must be justified: a claim such as 'this text is effective' needs a technique, an example and an explanation of the effect on the reader.

Comparative responses: organise by idea or technique rather than text-by-text, so each paragraph makes a point that draws on both texts.

Purpose-audience-form triangle: every drafting decision (register, structure, vocabulary, length) is justified by the intended audience and purpose, not by personal preference.

Register rule: formal texts avoid contractions, slang and first-person anecdote; informal or persuasive texts may use all three deliberately for rapport.

Structure templates: narrative (orientation, complication, climax, resolution); persuasive piece (hook, thesis, three developed arguments with evidence, counterargument, call to action); informative piece (definition, key features, examples, significance).

Paragraph unity test: each paragraph contains one controlling idea, stated in a topic sentence and developed by evidence or example before the next paragraph begins.

Cohesion devices: pronouns, synonyms, transitional markers (however, therefore, in contrast) and repeated key terms; check that each sentence links to the one before it.

Sentence variety for effect: short sentences for impact or tension, complex sentences for explanation; a run of same-length sentences flattens emphasis.

Editing passes are separate: one pass for structure and argument, one for paragraph coherence, one for sentence-level grammar and punctuation, one for proofreading.

Word-count and format compliance: title, byline or salutation, subheadings and reference list count toward the required form and must match the stated text type.

Turn-taking signals: falling intonation, pauses and direct questions hand over the floor; rising volume or overlap signals a bid to take it.

Active listening markers to demonstrate: paraphrasing the previous speaker, asking a clarifying question, and referring back to an earlier point by name.

Role and register in interaction: chair (manages time and turn order), presenter (delivers content), respondent (answers and builds), each with distinct language moves.

Disagreement formula: acknowledge the other position, state the differing view, give a reason or evidence, then propose a way forward - this maintains cohesion and politeness.

Group discussion roles: initiator, extender (builds on another's idea), challenger, summariser; a productive discussion uses at least three of these within five minutes.

Presentation structure: signposting ('first', 'moving on', 'to conclude'), explicit linking to the audience's concerns, and a closing statement that restates the main claim.

Non-verbal and paralinguistic features: eye contact, pace, pitch variation and gesture reinforce meaning; monotone delivery reduces audience retention of content.

Reflective evaluation of interaction: describe what happened, judge its effectiveness against the group's purpose, then identify a specific alternative move for next time.

Technique-effect-explanation chain: name the technique, quote the example, explain the intended effect on the reader - all three parts are required for full credit.

Language feature categories: figurative (simile, metaphor, personification), sound (alliteration, assonance, onomatopoeia), syntactic (short sentence, repetition, rhetorical question), lexical (connotation, jargon, emotive diction).

Connotation analysis: compare near-synonyms (e.g. 'thrifty' vs 'stingy') to show how word choice carries judgement rather than neutral description.

Visual and multimodal texts: analyse layout, salience (size, colour, placement), gaze and symbolism, treating each as a deliberate choice with an effect.

Statistics and evidence evaluation: check source, sample and date; a percentage without a base number is not sufficient evidence for a claim.

Bias detection: look for one-sided selection of evidence, loaded adjectives, omitted counterarguments and appeals to fear or authority without justification.

Evaluative judgement language: use calibrated terms (effective, partially convincing, flawed) and support each judgement with at least one quoted example.

Comparative evaluation: judge texts against the same criteria (e.g. strength of evidence, clarity of structure) so the comparison is fair and consistent.