VCE English as an Additional Language (EAL) cheat sheet

Identify the text type first (article, speech, narrative, transcript); text type determines expected structure, register and typical language features you should comment on.

Separate the task words: 'discuss' requires balanced points on both sides; 'analyse' requires naming techniques and explaining their effect; 'compare' requires explicit similarity and difference statements.

Quote sparingly and purposefully: an integrated short quotation plus a comment on its wording earns more than a long block quotation without analysis.

Use the analytical present tense ('the writer argues', 'the image suggests') unless referring to events in a narrative's past.

Distinguish tone (writer's attitude, e.g. wry, indignant) from mood (reader's felt response, e.g. unease, sympathy); mislabelling these weakens analysis.

Persuasive text analysis should name the appeal (logos, ethos, pathos), the technique (anecdote, statistic, rhetorical question, inclusive 'we') and the intended reader response in one linked sentence.

When a question supplies an audience or purpose, every paragraph should test the text against that audience or purpose rather than summarising content.

Structural signposts to note in non-fiction: opening hook, concession, pivot ('but', 'however'), call to action; these map directly onto paragraph topics.

Match register to the stipulated audience and purpose: formal impersonal for reports and editorials, first person and colloquial for blogs, monologues or letters to friends.

A short story needs a controlled time span; a single scene with one turning point is easier to sustain than a multi-generational plot within the word limit.

Show, don't state: replace 'she was nervous' with physical detail such as shaking hands or a rehearsed sentence that fails.

Dialogue must do work: advance plot, reveal character or create tension; each new speaker takes a new line and punctuation stays inside the quotation marks.

Sensory detail across at least three senses builds setting faster than adjectives piled on one sense.

For persuasive or expository pieces, use a clear contention in the opening, one idea per paragraph, and a conclusion that returns to the contention without new arguments.

Vocabulary choices should be deliberate: strong verbs and precise nouns usually outperform strings of adverbs and adjectives.

Edit for sentence variety: a mix of short declarative sentences for impact and longer complex sentences for reflection controls pace.

Build the analysis around the writer's contention, then the sub-arguments in the order the writer presents them, not in the order you find them easiest.

For each technique, state what is said, how it is worded or presented, and the effect on the target audience; the effect step is the marks-bearing step.

Visual elements are arguments too: caption, placement, facial expression, colour and any graph axis can be analysed as evidence.

Identify the audience explicitly from the text's publication context (letter to the editor, school newsletter, online petition) and judge techniques against that audience.

Persuasive appeals: ethos (credibility, expertise, shared values), logos (statistics, cause and effect, examples), pathos (anecdote, emotive language, imagery).

Watch for shifts in tone within one piece (e.g. reasoned to indignant); noting the shift and its timing shows structural analysis.

Rebuttal and concession are persuasive moves: a writer who dismisses an opposing view is positioning readers, so analyse the dismissal, not just the claim.

Avoid evaluating whether you agree; analyse how the writer attempts to persuade, using 'positions the reader to' rather than 'the writer is right'.

Before the recording plays, read the questions and note the key words (who, when, why) so you know which details to listen for.

Note-taking should use abbreviations and symbols; full sentences during playback cause missed information.

Listen for signpost language ('firstly', 'however', 'what's more', 'to sum up') because these mark the structure the questions usually test.

Distinguish stated fact from speaker opinion or speculation; questions often ask what the speaker believes rather than what happened.

Numbers, names and dates are common answer targets; write them immediately, then check against the second playing.

Tone of voice carries meaning: hesitation, stress and rising intonation can signal uncertainty, disagreement or a change of topic.

For note-completion tasks, respect the word limit stated and copy spelling from the prompt where the same term appears.

If an answer is missed, leave a gap and keep listening; a later part of the recording often clarifies or repeats the point.