Upping our Skills
Literary Techniques
SPEEDD verbs
Big ideas and STEAL statements
Useful quotes
100

Good time management requires knowing how many minutes to allocate per:

A. question
B. perpage
C. per mark

C. per mark

100

Which technique uses like or as to compare unrelated things?

simile

100

An S verb that must NEVER be used ...

shows

100

The Paradox of Human Experience means that:

A. Whoever controls the narrative controls the truth.
B. Human beings are inherently contradictory.
C. The friction between private desires and the expectations society.
D. No text exists in a vacuum.
E. Truth is rarely absolute; it is shaped by context.

B. Human beings are inherently contradictory.

100

"We are such stuff / As dreams are made on" - Shakespeare.

This quote speaks to:
A. the transience of life
B. the blurred lines between illusion and reality
C. the ultimate futility of human ambition.
D. all of the above

D. all of the above

200

True or false: When answering an HSC question about a novel or a play, it is always useful to re-tell the main parts of the plot.

False.

200

Which technique places different concepts side-by-side to add contrast?

juxtaposition

200

Our S verb is

suggests

200

Intertextuality means that:

A. Whoever controls the narrative controls the truth.
B. Human beings are inherently contradictory.
C. The friction between private desires and the expectations society.
D. No text exists in a vacuum.
E. Truth is rarely absolute; it is shaped by context.

D. No text exists in a vacuum.

200

Which quote would you use to express the importance of integrity and authenticity:

A. "To thine own self be true..."
B. "Fair is foul, and foul is fair."
C. "Lord, what fools these mortals be!"
D. "The course of true love never did run smooth."

A. "To thine own self be true..."

300

True or false:
HSC exams are marked as if they are a first draft, while HSC assessments (completed in class) are marked as a final version that has been edited based on teacher feedback.

True

300

Which technique uses words that create sounds?

onomatopoeia

300

Our P verb is ...

portrays

300

Textual Authority and the Power of Storytelling means:

A. Whoever controls the narrative controls the truth.
B. Human beings are inherently contradictory.
C. The friction between private desires and the expectations society.
D. No text exists in a vacuum.
E. Truth is rarely absolute; it is shaped by context.

A. Whoever controls the narrative controls the truth.

300

Which quote would you use to express the obstacles in relationships:

A. "To thine own self be true..."
B. "Fair is foul, and foul is fair."
C. "Lord, what fools these mortals be!"
D. "The course of true love never did run smooth."

D. "The course of true love never did run smooth."

400

A thesis-driven argument:

A. has adverbs in every body paragraph
B. repeats the same point in every paragraph
C. uses the words displays and shows
D. presents a clear opening statement in the introduction

D. presents a clear opening statement in the introduction

400

Which technique adds sensory experience that could be visual, aural or tactile (for example).

imagery

400

Our two E verbs are ...

evinces, evokes

400

Perspective, Dissonance, and Subjective Truth means that:

A. Whoever controls the narrative controls the truth.
B. Human beings are inherently contradictory.
C. The friction between private desires and the expectations society.
D. No text exists in a vacuum.
E. Truth is rarely absolute; it is shaped by context.

E. Truth is rarely absolute; it is shaped by context.

400

Which quote would you use to express human weakness:

A. "To thine own self be true..."
B. "Fair is foul, and foul is fair."
C. "Lord, what fools these mortals be!"
D. "The course of true love never did run smooth."

C. "Lord, what fools these mortals be!"

500

Explaining the impact of syntactic shift is about the:
A. unfinished sentences
B. change of usual word order
C. double metaphors

B. change of usual word order

500

Which literary technique adds a lyrical, lulling sound by repeating the first sound of successive words?

alliteration

500

The new D verb (in addition to depicts) that we are now using is:

A. demonstrates
B. displays
C. delves
D. discovers

C. delves

500

Individual Identity vs. Collective Conformity means:

A. Whoever controls the narrative controls the truth.
B. Human beings are inherently contradictory.
C. The friction between private desires and the expectations society.
D. No text exists in a vacuum.
E. Truth is rarely absolute; it is shaped by context.


C. The friction between private desires and the expectations society.

500

Which quote would you use to express chaos in a world turned upside down:

A. "To thine own self be true..."
B. "Fair is foul, and foul is fair."
C. "Lord, what fools these mortals be!"
D. "The course of true love never did run smooth."

B. "Fair is foul, and foul is fair."