How do you address a prompt with 'to what extent?'

[alanihale]

I have a CAT tomorrow and we've been given the prompt, "'It's not easy to change what is part of you'. To what extent do the characters in 'Island' embrace change?". I've never done a prompt with a 'to what extent' and all my ideas seem to drift from the question (more like a discuss prompt). Does anybody have any tips or general ideas as to how to approach a prompt like this??
Thanks!!

[meganrobyn]

Genuinely, I think you're allowing yourself to be thrown by something semantic that's fairly unimportant. Your core questions are basically the same:

1. What counts as 'change'? (ie how significant or internal does it need to be?)
2. In general, do Macleod's characters change at all? (think of specific examples)
3. If they do, can you think of any ways they change, or types of change, that are common across them?
4. If they do, can you think of any triggers for change that are common across them?
5. In general, do Macleod's characters demonstrate any resistance or inability to change? (think of specific examples)
6. If they do, can you think of any types of change that they are commonly resistant to?
7. If they do, can you think of any triggers for *resistance* that are common across them?

You'd have basically the same questions if it was worded 'discuss', or other iterations. Don't let semantics throw you.

[alanihale]

Genuinely, I think you're allowing yourself to be thrown by something semantic that's fairly unimportant. Your core questions are basically the same:

1. What counts as 'change'? (ie how significant or internal does it need to be?)
2. In general, do Macleod's characters change at all? (think of specific examples)
3. If they do, can you think of any ways they change, or types of change, that are common across them?
4. If they do, can you think of any triggers for change that are common across them?
5. In general, do Macleod's characters demonstrate any resistance or inability to change? (think of specific examples)
6. If they do, can you think of any types of change that they are commonly resistant to?
7. If they do, can you think of any triggers for *resistance* that are common across them?

You'd have basically the same questions if it was worded 'discuss', or other iterations. Don't let semantics throw you.

thanks so much!! this really helped today!

[meganrobyn]

Glad to help!