How would you prepare for your English Trials? (1 Viewer)

[=JZ=]

How would you correctly organise the informations of your texts into your brain? so that you are prepared for any types of writing questions and any thesis.

 

[silvermoon]

i dont think that thats any one "correct" way of doing this. personally, i like doing comparison grids, listing all the various techniques used in the pieces, how they show meaning and the type of journey. then its easy to see all the places they link up (thematically, techniques etc) so u can see how u'll fit them all together when u work out ur thesis. i also do lots of practice essays so im prepared for manipulating my texts. i think it can also be good idea to have a general thesis to link together ur texts - however, make sure that it si a very general one that will still allow u to manipulate ur texts to fit in with the question.
hope that helped at all dude.

 

[=JZ=]

took 17 days to get a response.....

thanks silvermoon.
some stuffs were unclear to me however.

• "the type of journey" do you mean the 3 types? physical, imaginary, inner.
• how do you link the texts together???
• how do u manipulate ur text?
• why do u need a general thesis when the exam gives u another?

 

[Sarah168]

You link texts by CONTRASTING them. Similarities in representations of the journey and differences. It does not have to black and white differences and similarities.

You need a general [very general] thesis because it needs to tie your points together loosely so that in the exam, u can manipulate it into notes to fit the question.

Why not just make notes in the first place? well you can of course by all means but some ppl find it easier to link points and techniques using a thesis rather than a mumble jumble load of things everywhere.

 

[dark`secrets]

make notes from the essay you have done
so you wont be blank there.

the generic question of "what type of jounrey is expressed in question 1" goes beyond the physical, imaginative and inner.

 

[silvermoon]

took 17 days to get a response.....

thanks silvermoon.
some stuffs were unclear to me however.

• "the type of journey" do you mean the 3 types? physical, imaginary, inner.
• how do you link the texts together???
• how do u manipulate ur text?
• why do u need a general thesis when the exam gives u another?

1. all my suggestions were meant 2 be in the context of the last part of paper 1 (might make a little more sense)
2. i said "type of journey" because i didnt know what type u were doing. so, yes, i meant inner, imaginative, physical - i know u can have texts that show all different types of journeys, but i imagine most people have texts that deal mainly with one of the journeys.
3. u link the texts together by comparing and contrasting them. within a continuous thesis you usually either show how the journey in one text is different to the journey in another text, or how the journey concept is the same but the different techgniques that have been used by the composers. you can also link them thematically (eg. text A and text B both have protagonists that must deal with some form of isolation or alienation during their journeys. However, the protagonist of Text A is able to learn from this experience, whilst the protagonist of Text B is overcome by these feelings and begins a slow descent into madness.
--->thus both texts show isolation as a theme, a catalyst for a journey, but the outcomes and individuals journeys are quite different.)
4. you manipulate the information you know about each of your texts to fit in with your thesis in the exam. for example, you might know several different ways in which your texts link together, and you will have to choose how you can best express this information to answer the question.
5. you need a general thesis as a base for your exam thesis. if you go in there with no idea of how your texts link up (whether thematically, ideologically, techniques etc.) then you will find it much more difficult to be able to form a good, workable thesis on the spot. If you look at trials, past papers etc. you will find that the last question is always fairly broad - this means that if you have a very general thesis already, you should be able to just add in a little bit more to it and have a workable thesis for the question - the best thing to do in this case is to make sure that you mention this combined thesis prominently in the intro and conclusion and in topic sentences, then you can mostly rely on your general thesis (they'll most likely be extremely close anyway!)

dont stress, u'll be fine dude!

 

[silvermoon]

took 17 days to get a response.....

lol, sorry bout that dude. we're slack huh?

 

[=JZ=]

Thanks for your extra long explanation. I see the light now.

lol, sorry bout that dude. we're slack huh?

I can't really complain actually... since I check back every once a blue moon anyway...

 

[silvermoon]

I check back every once a blue moon anyway..

as do we all dude, as do we all...