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March 30, 2024, 12:11:43 am

Author Topic: ADAPTING TO ESSAY QUESTION  (Read 4198 times)

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Acing

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ADAPTING TO ESSAY QUESTION
« on: November 25, 2016, 08:37:48 pm »
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Hey all,

I was wondering how you would be able to adapt a pre-written essay frame (NOTE: frame, not complete essay!) to a given question? Would you be able to manipulate the question to suit your thesis and then just make general adjustment or something more complex?

My given texts are Robert Frost poems. What if I prepare an essay frame on two poems focusing on perspectives and the more darker side of discovery, and the essay question asks about 'wonder and curiosity'? What would you do in that instance -- completely start from scratch (which is scary) or... I don't know.

HELP!
« Last Edit: November 25, 2016, 08:40:23 pm by Acing »

jamonwindeyer

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Re: ADAPTING TO ESSAY QUESTION
« Reply #1 on: November 25, 2016, 10:24:51 pm »
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Hey all,

I was wondering how you would be able to adapt a pre-written essay frame (NOTE: frame, not complete essay!) to a given question? Would you be able to manipulate the question to suit your thesis and then just make general adjustment or something more complex?

My given texts are Robert Frost poems. What if I prepare an essay frame on two poems focusing on perspectives and the more darker side of discovery, and the essay question asks about 'wonder and curiosity'? What would you do in that instance -- completely start from scratch (which is scary) or... I don't know.

HELP!

Hey Acing! I think preparing an essay framework that can be adaptable is all about picking appropriately broad themes for inclusion in your essay! It's about leaving wiggle room. In your example above, linking the darker side of discovery to curiosity and wonder is difficult (unless of course that you just flat argue against it). This implies that this theme, by itself, could be a little too restrictive to use in an essay frame.

The thing is, you can't ever prepare for everything. That's impossible. However, if you prepared an essay plan focusing on different perspectives of Discovery, both good and bad, at least you then have something to draw from.

Something a little nicer might be the question from this years HSC, To what extent do the texts you have studied reveal both the emotional and intellectual responses provoked by the experience of discovering?

The key term there is emotional and intellectual, and those can be defined in any number of ways. You could talk about negative emotional responses, the DARK SIDE of Discovery. Or positive ones. You could define intellectual response as based on past discoveries, or something. It's all about the way you define the question to suit the ideas you want to discuss. There are limits to how far this goes, but it does make responding to most questions at least a little easer :)

My advice would be to go over past essay questions for Discovery and actually plan a response for them. What would you write? How would you organise your stuff? What would your Thesis be? That's the best way to see if your essay frame can stand up against the real scenarios :)