QCE English Questions Thread

[jasmine24]

Hi, i'm doing the analytical essay under exam conditions in a couple days and i'm a bit confused as to what I would need to include in my essay (e.g. focus on analyzing quotes etc.). If anyone had any suggestions, that would be amazing!
Thank you

[XD12345]

Hi everyone

I have my external exam for English coming up and I have a question regarding my exam.

Of course we are all familiar with the basic essay structure

Introduction

Body

Conclusion

The body contains your 3/4 main points/arguments to prove my thesis on the topic/novel etc
I’ve been thinking, to truly prove my point and to assist my thesis, would it be a good idea to write a little counterargument that goes against my own thesis and then proving it wrong? My essay would look something like this:

Introduction
Argument 1
Argument 2
Argument 3
Counter-argument followed by me proving it wrong or discrediting  the argument using evidence.
Conclusion

I know this is something you may do for an essay for legal studies or history, but I think that it could really help bring my points across and it could also show the examiner that I have a deeper understanding of the novel, if that makes sense.

So basically, this is my question,
Would it be ok/better to write an argument that goes against my own thesis in an analytical essay if I discredit it and prove it wrong?


The book the exam is on is Burial Rites by the way

[literally lauren]

Hi everyone

I have my external exam for English coming up and I have a question regarding my exam.

Of course we are all familiar with the basic essay structure

Introduction

Body

Conclusion

The body contains your 3/4 main points/arguments to prove my thesis on the topic/novel etc
I’ve been thinking, to truly prove my point and to assist my thesis, would it be a good idea to write a little counterargument that goes against my own thesis and then proving it wrong? My essay would look something like this:

Introduction
Argument 1
Argument 2
Argument 3
Counter-argument followed by me proving it wrong or discrediting  the argument using evidence.
Conclusion

I know this is something you may do for an essay for legal studies or history, but I think that it could really help bring my points across and it could also show the examiner that I have a deeper understanding of the novel, if that makes sense.

So basically, this is my question,
Would it be ok/better to write an argument that goes against my own thesis in an analytical essay if I discredit it and prove it wrong?


The book the exam is on is Burial Rites by the way

Okay, you definitely can have a 'counter-argument' or 'challenge' paragraph. Some teachers are big fans of this! But I'll explain how to do this in a smart way to ensure you're not undermining your own argument!

Basically, you don't want to have one argument that completely destroys all of your others, like:

THESIS: Agnes is an innocent victim.
PARAGRAPH 1: Agnes is mistreated in childhood and this warps her worldview.
PARAGRAPH 2: Agnes is taken advantage of by others and cannot stand up for herself.
PARAGRAPH 3: Agnes only commits murder because of the circumstances others put her in.
COUNTER-ARGUMENT: But Agnes is actually evil and mean; she killed Natan out of jealousy and her only regret was that she didn't seem as sweet or innocent as Sigga so she could get away with it!!
CONCLUSION: but... yeah... Agnes is still mostly an innocent victim...

This makes it really hard to transition back to your conclusion to end your essay on a high note. You also don't want your 'challenge' to turn into a paragraph full of examples that disprove your point, as this isn't really an effective argument.

Instead, the job of this counter-argument paragraph should be to argue that "it's complicated!" For example:

THESIS: Toti has a positive influence on Agnes.
PARAGRAPH 1: Toti shows a desire to look beyond rumours and prejudices, which Agnes appreciates.
PARAGRAPH 2: Toti earns Agnes' trust and the two bond while he offers Agnes companionship.
PARAGRAPH 3: Agnes sharing her story with Toti is an important and cathartic experience for her and helps her to process the reality of her situation.
COUNTER-ARGUMENT: However, Toti is also a reminder of the empathy and kindness Agnes didn't receive in life, and he is unable to achieve justice for her. All he can do is offer her solace and promise to be by her side when she is executed.
CONCLUSION: Therefore, although Toti's positive impact on Agnes was limited by their circumstances, Hannah Kent ultimately shows how compassion and a desire to understand another person's story can have a profound impact even when that person is close to dying.

Now, we have a more sophisticated conclusion that takes into account this 'complication.' This counter-argument paragraph isn't saying "here's a bunch of stuff that proves me wrong" - it's saying "here are things that make this not entirely 100% true." And that's a really useful way to show that you understand the complexity of the text!

Then, your conclusion comes in swinging with a sentence like 'Although it's complicated, ultimately here's my main argument/thesis' which lets you end powerfully!

I hope that makes sense - if you want to try this out with a prompt we can discuss some possible counter-arguments here! Burial Rites is a great text for discussing complex psychology and character motivations, so you'll have a lot of opportunities for interesting challenges

[XD12345]

This helped a lot and provided some insight for me. Thank you

[josephinewarda]

Hi, I'm starting Unit 3 and we have to do a persuasive speech for the UN Youth Delegates on an issue from 2020. I have chosen to do FGM. Any specific tips or general advice?

[literally lauren]

Hi, I'm starting Unit 3 and we have to do a persuasive speech for the UN Youth Delegates on an issue from 2020. I have chosen to do FGM. Any specific tips or general advice?

Hi Josephine!

That's certainly a relevant issue for the context of a UN delegation, and there'll be lots of opportunities for powerful, emotional moments. I'l separate my advice into five different tips:

1. The first very important step would be to do lots of research and make sure you understand the topic well. Find reliable and reputable sources like the WHO, groups like End FGM, or documentaries like this (I haven't watched the whole thing but this looks informative!).

2. For your assessment task, you should make sure you find an argument that isn't too overly simplistic like 'FGM is bad and we should stop it.' Most people would completely agree with this, but it doesn't let you construct interesting ideas/sub-arguments. That's not to say you should take a deliberately controversial approach and argue the opposite, but rather, start from a simple idea and make it more nuanced.
For instance, you might want to look at the cultural history behind this practice in order to argue that the UN must work with groups who understand the cultures and communities involved in order to end FGM.

3. When writing the speech, try to focus on two separate parts of the discussion: 1) What is the problem and why is it so bad? and 2) What is the solution and why is it so good?  You don't want to spend so much time talking about the issue and all of its horrible consequences that you forget to drive your audience towards a course of action. But you also don't want to spent too much time talking about possible solutions without explaining to your audience why the issue needs to be addressed. It doesn't have to be 50/50, but just make sure you're thinking about both the problem and a proposed solution while writing. 
For your argument/solution, don't feel you need to 'solve' the issue (that's an awful lot of pressure for a Year 12 student, and your teacher won't expect you to fix everything!). Rather, find a rational solution and explain how this could be implemented . You're marked on how persuasive you are, so just concentrate on persuading your audience that your point of view is important and your solution would lead to the best possible outcome.

4. Make sure you strike the right tone. For some speeches, using humour or colloquial language can help the audience feel at ease and make them more likely to agree with your arguments. But for a serious issue like FGM, it would be pretty weird to use jokes or similarly light-hearted persuasive techniques! Instead, you'll have lots of opportunities to tell emotional stories, so think about what kinds of feelings you want to evoke in your audience. Should they be outraged? Disgusted? Horrified? Depressed? It would be relatively easy to make them feel sad, or to feel pity for victims of FGM, but I'd recommend trying to elicit emotions like anger towards a socio-political system that allows FGM practices to continue. That way, you're directing your audience to the root of the problem, not just its consequences.

5. Finally, consider how you will construct your 'persona' (i.e. pretending you're a youth delegate speaker at the UN). Where is your persona from? What's their backstory? Why do they care about the issue? This should be something you weave throughout the speech - don't just introduce yourself at the beginning and forget your backstory/context/audience. A good starting point might be to find a real journalist or activist and model your persona around them, or you could make up your own story based on your research.

Best of luck! If you have any other questions about your speech feel free to drop them below

[jasmine24]

Hi, I was wondering what kind of techniques I could use in my persuasive speech so it's not just informative?
thank you!

[Bri MT]

Hi, I was wondering what kind of techniques I could use in my persuasive speech so it's not just informative?
thank you!

Hi, sorry about the late response but replying in case it can still help anyone:

I suspect what might be useful is to adjust how you think about the speech so that non-informative components don't seem like an extra you need to find space for but rather an integral part of the speech.

When making a speech I tend to think about it from the perspective of "what do I want the outcome to be?"

Having the audience take an action in line with your intent involves:
> Getting them to care
> Getting them to believe your suggested action will help
> Having them pay attention to your speech and remember it

Giving them information can be used for the first 2 but think about why you care about the issue, is it just the knowledge you have?

In terms of specific techniques, sometimes people will go for immersive strategies like asking the audience to visualise something or showing something physically in the space (e.g. filling up containers with grains of sand where each grain is x). You might tell them a story of one particular person as your case study to develop an emotional tie or physically act in a particular way (in first year uni some people did a handstand or jumped on a table during their speeches - might be best to clear something like that with your teacher first) to increase engagement. If you're emotional and you show that through your face, speech body language, etc. this also encourages others to care and be engaged. Even things like using alliteration or rhyme to increase engagement can help. You might also be interested in this I wrote a while ago.

One thing to be careful of, is to try and integrate emotional pulls and engagement strategies throughout your whole speech rather than dedicating a paragraph or so to it.

[hashy1231]

Hi guys I'm currently in Year 12 and we have been given our assignment for General English and there's just something I don't understand in the task.

The task is:
Write an analytical essay that contributes your perspective to the ongoing public conversations about the cultural value of examining connections between literary and non-literary texts. In your essay, you must explore how representations of power in The Crucible resonate, relate to and/or clash with the representations of power in the Four Corners episode, Riot and Revenge. Your perspective must be supported by analysis of the textual construction of power in each text, as well as the cultural assumptions, attitudes, values and beliefs underpinning them.

I was just wondering if anyone could explain what they mean by 'cultural value of examining connects between literary and non-literary texts'.

I was also wondering if anyone had any ideas that could help kick me off as drafts are due in a week.

Thanks for the help guys!

[Bri MT]

Hey,

If you haven't already, I would recommend you look into why the Crucible was written by Miller (it was very intentionally written as an allegory for real world events). When they're asking you about connecting literary and non-literary texts, that's referring to the Crucible (literary) and the Four Corners episode (non-literary). One way you can break down power in terms of brainstorming is looking at the different characters and asking yourself what power they have (& why) and how do they use it (& why). Consider what Miller was trying to say about how power functions in society.

I hope this helps  

[tiredandstressed]

Points of discussion for you to start off with:
The Salem witch trials: the Salem witch trials and executions came about as the result of a combination of church politics, family feuds, and hysterical children, all of which unfolded in a vacuum of political authority.
McCarthyism:  is the practice of making accusations of subversion or treason, without any proper regard for evidence.

Miller presents a patriarchal society, dominated by religion. Women were stripped to mere child-bearers, and their main role was to raise children. Moreover, black women were at the bottom of the social hierarchy, many were treated as 'maids' due to their race and sex. Thereby, females possessed no power no influence in the male-dominated society.
The Salem witch trials provided an opportunity for these young girls to be free from repression and posses the power to determine who is killed. Moreover, males who had power lost their authority and status by the false accusations made the young girls.

Abigail acquring power

The witch trials in Salem Massachusetts in 1692 provided power for individuals who were previously vulnerable. Abigail, a powerless orphan, is given great amounts of power and authority, allowing her the ability to condemn people to hang. When she claims that “Goody Booth is with the devil” her ploy is to shift the accusation of witchcraft from her to Goody Booth. Her accusation entitles her to authorise who is hanged and who is not when previously she was a mere female, unmarried orphan due to the repressive patriarchal society in which she lived. In court Abigail acquired the ability to refuse to answer a question. Even challenging Danforth “If I must answer that, I will leave,” as a result, Abigail fights her right to privacy which she could not have done before the witch trails. Miller uses Abigail to highlight that in times of madness, the weak can triumph. He makes a direct link between the mass hysteria of Salem 1692 and McCarthyism in America during the 1950’s. He warns the audience that those who accuse others of being communists, witches or anything else, could be the individuals who previously exhibited no power at all. Similarly, in the end of Act III Mary Warren is close to being arrested until she claims that Proctor “[is] the Devil’s man”. This accusation saved the powerless Mary Warren, and the power she had acquired resulted in the previously powerful Proctor to be arrested, and eventually hung. Therefore, Miller is suggesting that hysteria can spark the empowerment of powerless individuals.

Proctor's demise & eventual death

Yet, the witch trails meant that individuals with power, become powerless. John Proctor is stripped of all his power through the witch trails. In the end of Act III Proctor is arrested after confessing “I lusted, and there is a promise in such sweat” this is where it is evident when he starts to lose his power. Despite being a man, in the patriarchal society, Proctor was treated more poorly than the girls, this shift in power resulted in Proctor’s death. Here, Miller suggests that in times of madness, people with power can lose that power, due to people willing to exploit others and their own power. Miller, uses Proctor, who believed the only way to overthrow Abigail was with honesty and integrity. Ultimately, it was his integrity and that of Rebecca Nurse and the others who chose not to lie that lead to Abigail’s undoing and the end of the witch hunt. Similarly, Reverend Hale, a respected expert, is treated with less respect despite his reputation. In the beginning of the play Hale is presented to be a saviour due to him having his books that were “weighted with authority”. His possession and understanding of the books provided him authority and respect from the society. Yet, by the end of Act III Hale had lost his power when he “…quit the court”. Unlike Danforth, Hale had a conscious and was completely aware of the lies and deception in Salem and decided to leave in an attempt to prevent the chaos to continue. Yet, the judges and law enforcers choose to listen to the lying girls over the reputable Hale, evidently this suggests that Hale had lost all his power as an expert in “…finding the devil”.

[hashy1231]

Hey,

If you haven't already, I would recommend you look into why the Crucible was written by Miller (it was very intentionally written as an allegory for real world events). When they're asking you about connecting literary and non-literary texts, that's referring to the Crucible (literary) and the Four Corners episode (non-literary). One way you can break down power in terms of brainstorming is looking at the different characters and asking yourself what power they have (& why) and how do they use it (& why). Consider what Miller was trying to say about how power functions in society.

I hope this helps

Thanks for the help that makes it clear.

Since you are an admin I just wanted to ask is it allowed for me to post a draft for feedback thanks a lot.

[s110820]

Thanks for the help that makes it clear.

Since you are an admin I just wanted to ask is it allowed for me to post a draft for feedback thanks a lot.

Hey hashy1231,

As a moderator for the QCE English and History boards I can confirm that you’re definitely allowed to post a draft for feedback! Please do so in the QCE Marking and Feedback section

Have a great week and kind regards,

Darcy Dillon.

[hashy1231]

Hey guys sorry for hassling but just got another question. For my assignment I have chosen to use fear as the main theme which I will be exploring. My question is does anyone know how fear is represented in Riot and Revenge and any examples?

Thanks A Lot for any help!

[hermannm21]

Hey Everyone,
I was just looking for some feedback on this paragraph I have written for my comparison of The Crucible and In the Name of the Father analytical essay. Any feedback on content or grammar would be greatly appreciated.
My draft feedback said that I lacked information on the cultural assumptions, so this is the paragraph I have written to try and address this.

The events at the time of the legal proceedings provoked the hysterical environment that influenced the legal proceedings. At the time prior to the Guildford pub bombing, the Irish Republican Army had been launching an array of terrorist attacks against England. The threat of the IRA at the time “struck deep into the British people’s sense of security”, placing immense pressure on the legal system. The film uses archival footage, footage of the real events occurring, to further portray the hysterical environment. Furthermore, the British government was losing the control of their people, causing panic within the members of the government, as was the case for Inspector Dixon. As well as this, the introduction of the Terrorism Act, provided Dixon with “quite extraordinary powers of democracy”. Likewise, in “The Crucible”, the Puritan beliefs of the townspeople lead to the convictions based on spectral evidence. In this Puritan society, governed by religious doctorination, the beliefs of supernatural beings were a reality. As a result, the threat of witchcraft applied increased pressure for the legal system to act. In both legal systems, the events and beliefs at the time contributed to the mass hysteria in the environment.

Thanks for the help