This Resource is for Mainstream English Year 12 Students writing Analytical Essays for Reading and Responding to Texts AOS1 Units 3 & 4 in the SAC and VCE English Exam Section A.
Identifying the key elements of the topic that includes content words specify what the essay should cover. Identifying direction words (task words such as discuss, do you agree, how) tell you how to approach the essay and indicate the type of answer you should provide.
Look for limiting words – adjectives or adverbs such as ‘limited’, ‘always’, ‘essential’ and ‘inevitably’ that will have a significant impact on your response. Take these words into account when forming your opinion. Rephrase the topic in your own words and if in doubt, use a dictionary to look up words that you are unsure of, then try to answer the question.
Is there a quotation from the text in the prompt? Identify where the quotation is from in the text and who said it. What is the quotation telling you? Address the quotation in one of your body paragraphs.
Your approach to each essay will depend on what type of prompt is being asked. Regardless of whether the prompt is character/ theme/ quote/ how/ metalanguage or film technique based, you must always consider Message of Author OR Director in every body paragraph. Does your response and contention to the prompt consider how the Author or Director feels about these issues, views and values and how they want their audience to react?
- Discuss-based prompts:
These prompts typically require an in-depth answer that takes into account all aspects of the debate concerning a topic or argument. It is important to have a clear Main Contention that explores your side of the answer to the topic and have a proper resolution or conclusion. Don’t leave the discussion open-ended but make sure you conclude with a purpose.
If you are going to challenge the prompt in your discussion, use body paragraph 2 to do this and back your challenge up with evidence from the texts. You must demonstrate reasoning skills with this type of question, by using evidence to make a case for or against the topic/argument. It is important to note that while challenging the prompt is acceptable, do not go off topic and keep addressing the content in the topic.
2. Character-based prompts:
These prompts focus on one or more characters if the character’s name is mentioned in the prompt. In this case, you would most likely structure your body paragraphs based on particular characters or something in common with a set of characters. Your examples need to be relevant to the specific character named in the prompt but also consider themes or relationships of that character with other characters. As characters in texts are always interrelated to other, the actions of others are also connected to the themes and ideas the author is trying to convey. Don’t forget minor characters.
3. Theme-based prompts:
Usually your paragraphs will be based around particular themes. For example, in this case, paragraphs may be based on ‘love’, ‘escape’, ‘horrors of war’ etc. These paragraphs can have character discussions embedded within them in order to demonstrate how the characters represent each theme. Discussion of the author’s choice of language such as symbols or imagery can be essential to the analysis of a theme.
4. Quote prompts:
These prompts can be character or theme-based. However, it differs from other essay topics because it includes a direct quote from the text. Remember that the quote is part of the prompt, so ensure that you address it. One of the best ways of doing so is to contextualise the quote into one of the body paragraphs and analyse it in your discussion.
5. How question prompts:
These prompts are usually structured, ‘how does the character/event/theme do this?’ OR ‘how does the author explore the idea?’ How prompts position you to focus on the author’s writing intentions through the literary construction of the text. This can be achieved by discussing structure, language, symbols, motifs, themes, characters and the literary techniques explored in the text and then explain how they affect the narrative and the topic in the prompt. Use the techniques as evidence to support arguments that attack the main themes/ideas/values mentioned in the prompt.
In ‘how’ type questions in films, rather than focusing on literary construction, it is important to focus on the director’s film intentions using CAMELS = camera techniques / acting / mise en scene / editing / lighting and sound.
6. To what extent prompts:
By asking the question “to what extent’ the prompt is asking you to discuss how one element is greater in validity than the other element. You need to answer whether the claim is to “a greater extent” or “to a lesser extent”that the assumption in the question is valid or verifiable [provable]. Therefore, there is more than one angle to answer the question. You need to think about your opinion but also weigh up each side to the answer and discuss both sides. To say the question definitely was “to a greater extent” you then must build your case, support it with evidence to make it valid. Then give the other side of the case, how it was “to a lesser extent” and support it with evidence to make it valid.
7. Do you agree prompts:
When answering these questions, the most important thing is to work out your argument – what you think about the ideas put forward in the prompt? Are they right, or wrong? You need a clear Main Contention as to which way you are handling the idea behind the question. Once you decide if you agree with the question then do not answer ‘I agree’ you must use wording that shows you understand how the author/director views this topic. Suggested answer would be ‘the author endorses the value of [the idea in the prompt]’ OR ‘the author supports the idea that [concept from the text]’.
8. Metalanguage or film-technique prompts:
This type of prompt is very similar to How-based prompts, specifically in the fact that the discussion of film element techniques is essential. For this type of prompt specifically, however, the actual techniques used can form more of a basis for your arguments, unlike in How-based prompts. Look at film techniques the Director has used to get his idea across about the character, theme or event and with the elements of the film explain how these features combine to help create the film’s overall meaning. Suggested elements of CAMELS = camera techniques / acting / mise en scene / editing / lighting and sound.