IoM Writing Practice

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Essay Practice

The first Assessment Task for Year 11 VCE English will be a text response essay. You will have a double period in which to write an essay in response to an unseen topic. You will not be permitted to make reference to any notes, electronic devices or books, including your novel.

It is highly recommended that you take time over the coming week to practice your essay writing. It is therefore encouraged in the strongest possible terms that you complete the below task.

Select one of the following topics and write two TEEL paragraphs in response, including reference to ‘The Third and Final Continent’:

  1. ‘Lahiri’s stories all have, at their core, a tone of despair.’ Discuss in relation to two or more stories from Interpret of Maladies.
  2. Changing one’s life almost always comes at a cost. Discuss.
  3. It is those who leave their homeland who struggle most in Interpreter of Maladies. Discuss.
  4. ‘Lahiri’s stories show that all people face challenges no matter where they live in the world.’ To what extent do you agree with this statement?
  5. ‘Lahiri’s stories show that all relationships are fraught with difficulties.’ To what extent do you agree?
  6. How does Lahiri explore the concept of loneliness in Interpreter of Maladies?

 

Guided Essay

The below document will help guide you through a full text response essay on the topic: ‘It is impossible to bridge the gap between two people.’  Discuss.

The document takes you through the key terms, ideas and stories, and gives you a model that you can use to help plan and write a full-length response:

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Comprehension and Discussion Questions

If you want further guidance with any of the stories, the below document has a series of comprehension questions that will take you through each of the stories. The document includes three sections: (1) A general overview of short stories, their characteristics and a general guide to analysis; (2) a series of relatively basic/straightforward questions to ensure comprehension of key story details; and (3) a series of more complex questions on each story to prompt further reflection on the key themes and ideas associated with each story.

The following document contains a different, longer set of discussion questions for each short story, with each one building towards a writing task.