This page refers to the different forms that visuals can appear as in VCAA English exams.

Example

For example: look at the visuals in the VCAA English exams from the last few years available at http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Pages/vce/studies/english/englishexams.aspx

Tips for analysis

Images can come in many different forms and correctly identifying them not only provides you with a wider vocabulary with which to discuss the image, but can be helpful in identifying tone and likely features.

“Visual” and “image” are two words that can be used interchangeably regardless of form, but in each of the examples below, specific alternative words are included.

Common forms include:

Photograph

• appropriate alternative phrase: picture.
• unstylised photographs have been featured in the 2011 and 2012 VCAA exams.

Cartoon

• appropriate alternative phrases sometimes include: drawing, satire and sketch.
• cartoons have been features in the 2008 and 2012 VCAA exams.

Combination of image and graph

• this type of visual has not yet appeared in a VCAA exam but that does not mean it won’t happen in the future.

Stylized image

• examples of this include the 2009 and 2010 VCAA exam visuals.