English Advanced Question Thread

[Mada438]

is it bad to write a creative which has been done plenty of times before?
i.e. my creative is about a man finding his father (cliche); this has been done before in previous years .
Does doing such a generic creative concept hinder my possible marks in any way?

Hey!
It certainly doesn't hinder your marks!
Only if you do it very very generically, superficially and cliched

The way to do it is to take that idea and make it your own. Put your spin onto it.
As owidjaja said, add your own personal voice to it.
It's like when a class does a project on the same topic.
They're using the same basic idea/concept but the aim is always to make your rendition of it stand out from the rest.

Because its already been done, that's how you differentiate yourself.

Once you're done, post it in the marking/feedback section to get marked and people can help you to i,improve it in terms of complexity and depth

Good luck! 

For Mod B Hamlet I have been given different advice by different teachers about including reference to an actual production in my essay. I want to mention the Royal Shakespeare Company filmed production to strengthen a point about Hamlet's insanity and one teacher says this is advantageous while the other discourages this. What do you think?

I've heard the statements about adding quotes and stuff from critics/academics and done well, i've seen they generally enhance an essay. So if you think you could do it well, then go for it!

[SEasternCry]

Sorry if this question has been asked before, but:
When answering an essay question, do you guys ever use synonyms? I just have the feeling that the markers will think you aren't answering the question because synonyms are used instead of the actual keywords in the question. It seems like a win-win situation - if you use synonyms they'll think you aren't answering; but if you use too many of the keywords, they'll think you have a poor vocab or smth.

[GoboTheAlien]

Hi Guys !!!
Sorry, as I type this, I kinda realize this is a stupid, but can I use more than 1 ORT for paper 1 Essay ?
Specifically 2 short stories from the same author ?
Thanks 
 

[Potatohater]

Hi Guys !!!
Sorry, as I type this, I kinda realize this is a stupid, but can I use more than 1 ORT for paper 1 Essay ?
Specifically 2 short stories from the same author ?
Thanks 
 

I don’t think you can do both, since as far as I recall the papers ask specifically for ONE other text of your choosing, so it’s best to pick which ever short story you can talk about the most

Sorry if this question has been asked before, but:
When answering an essay question, do you guys ever use synonyms? I just have the feeling that the markers will think you aren't answering the question because synonyms are used instead of the actual keywords in the question. It seems like a win-win situation - if you use synonyms they'll think you aren't answering; but if you use too many of the keywords, they'll think you have a poor vocab or smth.

You can definitley use synonyms, your markers know the English language very well and can tell if the overall content of your essay is answering the question or not, so mix it up a bit, it makes your writing more engaging and sophisticated. That being said, do also definitley use the key words from the question to ensure your content is on the right track in terms of answering the question.
Hope that helped

[GoboTheAlien]

Thanks for that. 
Well at least I have 2 distinct texts that I can choose from on the day.

[zanibalh]

Can someone please fix this intro for me,

The mutual desire of the speaker and audience to reside in a harmonious society, heightened in periods of conflict will formulate a shared vision. This vision encompasses collectively held values, such as the power of literature and the need for equality. The importance of these unanimous ideals is crystallised through a speech’s well-crafted arguments. Margaret Atwood’s 1994 ‘Spotty Handed Villainesses’ and Doris Lessing’s 2007 ‘On Not Winning the Nobel Prize’ champion the power of literature in fuelling holistic education through their effective use of rhetoric, prompting audiences to re-evaluate previously held beliefs and objectify the speaker’s proposed vision.

Thankyou!!

[horse9996]

Sorry if this question has been asked before, but:
When answering an essay question, do you guys ever use synonyms? I just have the feeling that the markers will think you aren't answering the question because synonyms are used instead of the actual keywords in the question. It seems like a win-win situation - if you use synonyms they'll think you aren't answering; but if you use too many of the keywords, they'll think you have a poor vocab or smth.

I think it's best to use the words from the question but take your own stance on it. For example with discovery, don't just repeat whatever the statement is and make that your main argument. Instead, add something else to it eg growth, renewed understandings but still use those key words from it. Hope that makes sense

[theyam]

Hi guys was just wondering how you approach a Module B question that might ask for its text's weaknesses like the 2017 one.
thank you

[Mada438]

Hi guys was just wondering how you approach a Module B question that might ask for its text's weaknesses like the 2017 one.
thank you

Hey!
Well, think about what your text is. What makes it a good text, what makes it bad?
Those things that make it bad are the weaknesses. Obviously, if it's on the prescribed list then it's going to be a good text, but even the best ones have some stuff that detracts from it and weakens that strength. So it's really about going and finding those weaknesses and then explaining why they're a weakness and how do they detract from the overall text.
Also maybe look at some critical readings that criticise the text rather than complimenting it to develop your own personal interpretation and ideas.

Hope this helps!

[jamonwindeyer]

The mutual desire of the speaker and audience to reside in a harmonious society, heightened in periods of conflict will formulate a shared vision. This vision encompasses collectively held values, such as the power of literature and the need for equality. The importance of these unanimous ideals is crystallised through a speech’s well-crafted arguments. Margaret Atwood’s 1994 ‘Spotty Handed Villainesses’ and Doris Lessing’s 2007 ‘On Not Winning the Nobel Prize’ champion the power of literature in fuelling holistic education through their effective use of rhetoric, prompting audiences to re-evaluate previously held beliefs and objectify the speaker’s proposed vision.

I think this is pretty good! If anything I'm a tad confused what your main argument is. We've got holistic education, shared vision, common values - I'm not quite clicking with a single cohesive argument! But that could just be my reading

[zanibalh]

I think this is pretty good! If anything I'm a tad confused what your main argument is. We've got holistic education, shared vision, common values - I'm not quite clicking with a single cohesive argument! But that could just be my reading

Thankyou so much Jamon!

[zanibalh]

Hey guys,

I was going through the rubric statements for AOS to see if my essay could be moulded to fit them.
I was able to fit my essay w/ all statements except for these:

1. ...or they can emerge from a process of deliberate and careful planning
2. Discovery can encompass the experience of discovering something for the first time or rediscovering something that has been lost, forgotten or concealed.

I was wondering, how can I play the devil's advocate to these statements, in hopes of relating my essay to them. I'm not really too fussed abt the second statement because I believe it was asked in 2015?

Thanks so much!

[Opengangs]

Hey guys,

I was going through the rubric statements for AOS to see if my essay could be moulded to fit them.
I was able to fit my essay w/ all statements except for these:

1. ...or they can emerge from a process of deliberate and careful planning
2. Discovery can encompass the experience of discovering something for the first time or rediscovering something that has been lost, forgotten or concealed.

I was wondering, how can I play the devil's advocate to these statements, in hopes of relating my essay to them. I'm not really too fussed abt the second statement because I believe it was asked in 2015?

Thanks so much!

Hey, zanibalh.

Great question!

1. You can definitely discuss the significance of an unexpected discovery and how that essentially affects the experiences of the main character(s). An event doesn't always go to plan (such as that of Motorcycle Diaries), and it is often the mistakes within an intricate plan that highlights the serendipitous nature of discovery.

2. This is a bit of a mouthful because it poses two different scenarios: first time discoveries and rediscoveries. I guess the best way you could attack this question is to highlight which one is more revealing within the text. If first time discoveries are more fruitful, how does a composer show that through the character's experiences?

Hopefully, this gives you some breadth to write!

[KT Nyunt]

Hey, this is a pretty particular question but...

For the creative stimulus, if they give us a quote like "she...." that specifies a gender, would it be okay to switch it to a "he" if you have a male protagonist?

[theyam]

Hey, this is a pretty particular question but...

For the creative stimulus, if they give us a quote like "she...." that specifies a gender, would it be okay to switch it to a "he" if you have a male protagonist?

My teacher said its fine to do that, same goes for if the quote is in 1st person and your story is in 3rd person you can change it according to your creative's narrative voice.