English Advanced Question Thread

[sudodds]

In the tempest what are examples on discoveries stimulating new ideas, process of discovering can vary according to personal, cultural, historical, and social contexts and values, their worth may be reassessed.

Hey Mylinh
I feel like you can relate Miranda's experience to a lot of this! She starts off the play as an extremely sheltered character, the only men she's ever known are her father and Caliban, the latter of whom spends the majority of her life locked up (not that she'd probably want to interact with him much anyway considering the reason he's locked up in the first place...). However throughout the play she meets new people and experiences new perspectives upon her situation and the world, particularly through Ferdinand. This stimulates new ideas, and a desire to discover more.
You could also talk about how the various characters respond to the concept of discovery in general. For example Gonzalo is comparatively much more optimistic and open to discovery (see his speech when they shipwreck), whereas characters such as Alonso, Antonio and Sebastian are not. You could relate this back to each of their personal, cultural, historical and social contexts and values You could also relate this to the banquet scene, where Ariels illusion promotes remorse within Alonso as his perspective is clouded by the fact that he believes that is son is dead, whereas Antonio remains remorseless and uncaring (pretty sure at the end Prospero says he's soulless?).

Thats all I can think of off the top of my head 

Susie

[mylinh-nguyen]

Hey Mylinh

Gonzalo is comparatively much more optimistic and open to discovery (see his speech when they shipwreck), whereas characters such as Alonso, Antonio and Sebastian are not.


Susie

wow thanks Susie but how would you relate ^^ back to each of their personal, cultural, historical and social contexts and values. Sorry and thanks!

[sudodds]

wow thanks Susie but how would you relate ^^ back to each of their personal, cultural, historical and social contexts and values. Sorry and thanks!

Hey mylinh!

It's going to be more beneficial for you and your response if you bounce your own thoughts off this thread, that way I can help you shape your own ideas, which will make for a more sophisticated response! How do you think it relates back to their contexts? Think about the key characters and their background, the way they interact with the other characters, their roles in society, their goals etc. etc.

Once you've generated a couple of ideas, post them here and I'll have a look to see if you're on the right track/if theres anything I think you should include 

Susie

[jenna.ridgway]

As well as writing an essay, this term I am required to answer a series (two 3 mark and one 6 mark) of unseen questions. We have been given the texts that we are to write about (Dream Big by Dan Elijah G. Fajardo, The Land of Dreams by William Blake and an extract from Alice's Adventurers in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll).
I think I will be okay with the 3 markers, but the 6 marker worries me. Assuming the question will ask us to refer to two texts, my teacher has suggested that we do: an intro, a paragraph on one text, a comparison on both texts, and finally a paragraph on the second text. The questions will relate somehow to discovery.
Since I am not very good at thinking on the spot quickly in exams, do you guys have any tips for short answer questions that could help me out?

[literally lauren]

Hi! Can syntax be used as a technique for analysis? If so, what sort of effect would it have in a quote?

Thank you

It can, though it depends on the nature of the syntax and sentence structure you're dealing with...

- You could comment on pithy/laconic syntax (i.e. lots of short, sharp sentences, or ones that are heavily punctuated) which would create a very jagged, jarring effect --> maybe to indicate a character's fragmented/agitated/chaotic state of mind, or to create a sense of monotonous rhythm and repetition.

- Likewise, you could talk about lengthy/protracted sentences that run on and on --> perhaps to suggest a character is rambling on and exploring their train of thought (see also: stream of consciousness) or otherwise to describe a scene or moment in extensive detail (e.g. a 300 word passage with no punctuation that talks about all the details of an item of clothing - very common in James Joyce's novels).

- Sometimes you might find examples of unconventional syntax a.k.a. words put together in a weird order such that they make sense, but they sound a bit odd (e.g. 'she took her hat always before leaving' or 'Had I the ability to fly...' --> significance of this depends greatly on the context and the author, but it's typically a way of drawing special attention to a certain line by making it stand out from the rest.

- As a sort of subset of syntax, you can also look at agency/subjecthood which refers to the 'subjects' of sentences. For instance, in the sentence 'She kicked the ball' - 'she' is the subject because 'she' is the one doing something, but in 'The ball was kicked by her' - 'she' no longer has agency because 'the ball' is the focus. --> so in a sentence like 'The choice was made for her,' the syntax serves to remove the agency from 'her' and implies that something was done to/for her and reinforces the sense that she didn't have a say.

That's certainly not a conclusive list, but those'd be the most frequently occurring syntax-related techniques I can think of. Hope that helps

[ajajaj]

absolutely no worries! The Tempest is a hella confusing text, so 100% happy to help make it a bit easier 

This might be a bit of a stretch lmao but do you have Tempest analysis notes (preferably the 1st and last scenes)?

[sudodds]

This might be a bit of a stretch lmao but do you have Tempest analysis notes (preferably the 1st and last scenes)?

I personally don't have any as I didn't write notes for English, however definitely check out the notes section! A few Tempest resources have been uploaded there, heres the link! . For specific scene analysis, Sparknotes No Fear Shakespeare is pretty good, as is Shmoop

[Wales]

I'm currently in the process of writing drafts for my Mod A Half Yearly. I'm finding it incredible difficult to achieve the level of sophistication I see in the model essays (Elyse's). I find myself defaulting to the formula of Quote into explanation.

Example: 

Mine - Richard’s desires become more apparent in Act 4 Scene 2 where he states he must “Marry my brother’s daughter” and “Murder her brothers”. Shakespeare’s use of incestous allusion during the Elizabethan Era where such acts were seen as intrinsically evil accentuates the extent to which Richard will proceed to in order to meet his insatiable lust for power.

Elyse's - The opening soliloquy highlights the intentions of Richard. A prophetic pun is used, “unless to see my shadow in the sun.” The Yorkist ascension to the throne and the peace time after the 100 year war lead to Richard III’s intentions. Richard’s deformity prevented him from mingling during the peace time, so Shakespeare proposes to his audience that Richard III only had intentions of usurpation.

They're unrelated but you can see that hers is far more eloquent and of a more complex nature. Are there any tips for implementing the quotes in a less "robotic" manner?  I also want to integrate more sophisticated concepts into my essays rather then the barebones Power, Conscience etc. For example I would try integrate the political context or religious contexts more into my essay. Any ideas? I've read the Mod A guide but I'm still struggling.

Cheers, Wales

[grace.estelle]

Hey Elyse/Susie, can you please check my introduction and my topic sentences? They should be framed around speculation so please let me know if it doesn't. Thank you!

Intro
The process of discovery entails the cyclical process of reflecting which enables individuals to speculate about the possibilities of discovering a new,transformed self. This is represented in William Shakespeare's 16th century pastoral play The Tempest through an exploration of an individual's internal struggle to come to peace with their past, which initiates the search for forgiveness. Similarly, J.K. Rowling's autobiographical speech The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination reveals how personal experiences have the power to influence other people's perspective of the world in bringing about greater hope for the future. Ultimately, both texts challenge an individual's preconceptions of the world to stimulate the search for new beliefs.

Topic sentence 1 - Unfamiliar worlds and experiences prompt an individual's speculation about the need to reassess their existing perspective.

Topic sentence 2 - Whilst The Tempest explores how potential for discovery stems from the corrupt state of humanity, Rowling's speech similarly portrays how the ramifications of failure enable us to seek hope.

Topic sentence 3 - Discoveries can also be intellectually rewarding as they provide the potential for individuals to transform notions of ignorance into empathy.

Topic sentence 4 - Further, The Tempest depicts self-discovery as a recurring, reflective process that drives speculation about the importance of self-acceptance.

[elysepopplewell]

It can, though it depends on the nature of the syntax and sentence structure you're dealing with...

- You could comment on pithy/laconic syntax (i.e. lots of short, sharp sentences, or ones that are heavily punctuated) which would create a very jagged, jarring effect --> maybe to indicate a character's fragmented/agitated/chaotic state of mind, or to create a sense of monotonous rhythm and repetition.

- Likewise, you could talk about lengthy/protracted sentences that run on and on --> perhaps to suggest a character is rambling on and exploring their train of thought (see also: stream of consciousness) or otherwise to describe a scene or moment in extensive detail (e.g. a 300 word passage with no punctuation that talks about all the details of an item of clothing - very common in James Joyce's novels).

- Sometimes you might find examples of unconventional syntax a.k.a. words put together in a weird order such that they make sense, but they sound a bit odd (e.g. 'she took her hat always before leaving' or 'Had I the ability to fly...' --> significance of this depends greatly on the context and the author, but it's typically a way of drawing special attention to a certain line by making it stand out from the rest.

- As a sort of subset of syntax, you can also look at agency/subjecthood which refers to the 'subjects' of sentences. For instance, in the sentence 'She kicked the ball' - 'she' is the subject because 'she' is the one doing something, but in 'The ball was kicked by her' - 'she' no longer has agency because 'the ball' is the focus. --> so in a sentence like 'The choice was made for her,' the syntax serves to remove the agency from 'her' and implies that something was done to/for her and reinforces the sense that she didn't have a say.

That's certainly not a conclusive list, but those'd be the most frequently occurring syntax-related techniques I can think of. Hope that helps

Reading your analysis of language makes me swoon <3

[elysepopplewell]

I'm currently in the process of writing drafts for my Mod A Half Yearly. I'm finding it incredible difficult to achieve the level of sophistication I see in the model essays (Elyse's). I find myself defaulting to the formula of Quote into explanation.

Example: 

Mine - Richard’s desires become more apparent in Act 4 Scene 2 where he states he must “Marry my brother’s daughter” and “Murder her brothers”. Shakespeare’s use of incestous allusion during the Elizabethan Era where such acts were seen as intrinsically evil accentuates the extent to which Richard will proceed to in order to meet his insatiable lust for power.

Elyse's - The opening soliloquy highlights the intentions of Richard. A prophetic pun is used, “unless to see my shadow in the sun.” The Yorkist ascension to the throne and the peace time after the 100 year war lead to Richard III’s intentions. Richard’s deformity prevented him from mingling during the peace time, so Shakespeare proposes to his audience that Richard III only had intentions of usurpation.

They're unrelated but you can see that hers is far more eloquent and of a more complex nature. Are there any tips for implementing the quotes in a less "robotic" manner?  I also want to integrate more sophisticated concepts into my essays rather then the barebones Power, Conscience etc. For example I would try integrate the political context or religious contexts more into my essay. Any ideas? I've read the Mod A guide but I'm still struggling.

Cheers, Wales

Hey Wales! I'm feeling really impressed by you right now! You're not just looking at your own work and thinking "yeah, this'll do." Instead, you're actively seeking more help by guides, comparison, and asking!

Just for the record, when I wrote my Module A essay it was literally a million ideas grouped into little categories on scrap paper and then it involved a very long time, like, hours, of me organising the ideas into different structures on a page. I was trying to create a basic scaffold because I wanted to deal with the texts concurrently but I didn't want them to be in the same paragraph (for fear of paragraphs too long). I think what you've seen is my Module A trial, and I adjusted it many times after that to work on expression. I think the content of my Module A essay is good, but I think expression can be improved. You're probably like, "wait, what?" But I can see from the parts you've selected to compare, as well as your own judgement, that you see context lacks in your response. That's what you're admiring in mine - the way context is weaved.

Context is incredibly important to Module A. Really, really, important. Why did Shakespeare twist history? Who did he twist it for? Who was he presenting the twisted history to? These questions are to be asked with every quotation you choose (you don't have to answer it in your essay, but you need to ask it yourself). Why did he use the animalistic imagery? Because it was vile, portrayed him as animalistic (in intentions and behaviour), and that isn't a complicated metaphor for an audience of illiterate people to understand! Why did he need illiterate people to understand? Because the illiterate people were his main audience, to whom he needed to portray Richard III to in a certain way in order to please the current monarch. So, every time we see an interesting quote you want to use in your essay, you need to explicitly identify (in your own mind) why this was done - and then that's how you'll identify the contextual importance! Then, you have the not-so-easy job of relating this to the ideas (power, conscience, etc).

In terms of expression, try to avoid saying, "he states" or "he uses the quotation..." or anything like that. Sometimes, eh, no big deal. But this is how I tried to improve my own expression, by avoiding that! "Clarence's description of Richard as "an odorous boar" is a testament to the power of animalistic imagery to Shakespeare's own contemporaries..." (I made up that quote). Rather than, "Shakespeare uses animalistic imagery in, "an odorous boar"..."

It's all little things, which I recognise is annoying. Adding up the little things creates a cohesion that will improve your essay immensely in the bigger picture

[elysepopplewell]

Hey Elyse/Susie, can you please check my introduction and my topic sentences? They should be framed around speculation so please let me know if it doesn't. Thank you!

Hey Grace! We certainly can

Intro
The process of discovery entails the cyclical process of reflecting which enables individuals to speculate about the possibilities of discovering a new,transformed self. This is represented in William Shakespeare's 16th century pastoral play The Tempest through an exploration of an individual's internal struggle to come to peace with their past, which initiates the search for forgiveness. Similarly, J.K. Rowling's autobiographical speech The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination reveals how personal experiences have the power to influence other people's perspective of the world in bringing about greater hope for the future. Ultimately, both texts challenge an individual's preconceptions of the world to stimulate the search for new beliefs.
This is wonderful! Although, if the question asks you to talk about speculation, you can use the word speculate/speculation if you like! In fact, if it is what the question suggests, I would be using the word in the intro at some point! But this is just so I can know for myself that the marker is forced to realise I've attacked the question. Personal preference!

Topic sentence 1 - Unfamiliar worlds and experiences prompt an individual's speculation about the need to reassess their existing perspective. Ahh, there it is! But, it doesn't really have a lot of clarity. Prompt an individual's speculation about the need...So someone is speculating the need to reassess, they are thinking about the need, not about the existing perspective. It just needs an adjustment of syntax to make sense. To speculate is to theorise, hypothesise...so you don't really hypothesise the need to reassess perspective? You actually just inspect your perspective. I hope what I'm saying is making sense to you...let me know if not. Basically, speculation here doesn't really make sense.

Topic sentence 2 - Whilst The Tempest explores how potential for discovery stems from the corrupt state of humanity, Rowling's speech similarly portrays how the ramifications of failure enable us to seek hope. My only criticism here is "whilst" and "similarly." Using "whilst" at the start implies that the second part of the sentence will be indicating something different. "Whilst I was working hard, she was hardly working." For example. But instead, you're saying "similarly." I would perhaps change it to something like, "In a similar way to the Tempest's exploration of discovery stemming from the corrupt state of humanity, Rowling's speech..."

Topic sentence 3 - Discoveries can also be intellectually rewarding as they provide the potential for individuals to transform notions of ignorance into empathy.  Nice!

Topic sentence 4 - Further, The Tempest depicts self-discovery as a recurring, reflective process that drives speculation about the importance of self-acceptance.Beautiful!

Hopefully you don't think this is too harsh - your ideas are wonderful, I'm just being picky about the expression to ensure that you're being super clear!

[Aaron12038488]

how do i link two texts in the same paragraph. Like do i link it at the end?

[chelseam]

Thank you so much!

That's certainly not a conclusive list, but those'd be the most frequently occurring syntax-related techniques I can think of. Hope that helps

[jamonwindeyer]

how do i link two texts in the same paragraph. Like do i link it at the end?

Hey Aaron! It depends on what specifically you are trying to accomplish, but usually, you'd want to be linking the two and discussing them together throughout the whole paragraph, not just at the end!