Answering an English Essay Question

First sentence:

 Answer the essay question

 Can simply reiterate the topic i.e. agree with it
 Develop the topic further to include your own ideas or perspectives

Possible questions:

1. Biographies can reveal as much about the author as they do about the subject.
How does this idea relate to your study of The Fiftieth Gate?

 What does the text tell us about Mark Baker?

 How do techniques used show sort of author and person Baker is, especially in
relation to family and history?
 Baker’s emotions are revealed through his writing style.
 What does the information Baker includes tell us about his personal interests?
 How does Baker’s purpose or motivation affect his text?
 How does Baker reflect his heritage, personal feelings?
 History and non-fiction are subjective.
 Baker’s combination of styles interweaves his own characters.

Opening sentences:

Biographies and histories can reveal as much about the author as they do about the subject.

OR

Biographers and historians cannot be separated from their own personal contexts, their
values, beliefs and historical situation influences their interpretation and consequently their
written texts. Therefore, biographies and histories, while informing about a particular
person or event, also reveal contextual influences of their authors.

2. In a narration of a story or event, biographers often find ways to avoid the

limitation of a chronological account. In what ways has Mark Baker varied his
work?

 It is necessary for Baker to recount past and present events in order to express ideas
of history and memories.
 He reflects that memories are non-linear, therefore the text is non-linear
 His inclusion of different text-types written at different times pierced together in a
non-linear way.
 Alternation between different places, people, events and

Opening sentences:
In a narration of a story or event, biographers often find ways to avoid the limitations of a
chronological account. Mark Baker achieves this by …

OR

Memories occur in a fragmented and non-linear way. Similarly, past events, when
represented as history, are the compilation of a range of selected sources that are pieced
together. There is no way o access history or memory other than through the act of
representation, therefore to show this concept in his biography The Fiftieth Gate, Baker
experiments with a non-linear narrative and the integration of interviews, evidence,
narration and reflection.

Ideas for answering the question:

 Use synonyms for words from the essay question

 Think about what the question is implying and include this in your answer
 Reword question first and use this in the answer

Developing your thesis:

 Personal response to the topic

 Should be used to focus your essay – directly relevant to the essay topic
 Develop the thesis by breaking down the essay question and its implications
 Use language from the actual question

Your introduction (4-6 sentences)

 First sentence(s) answer the question

 State your thesis
 Show how this is relevant to the text in your next sentences
 You may have to include some brief background or contextual detail
 Never be a whole page or more
 Show how these points are relevant to the question