First of all we ought to consider, What makes a good history essay? Probably no two people will all agree, even if it’s because it is true that the quality of the essay is an individual matter and reflects the intellectual state of the writer. What follows, therefore, does not deal with philosophical questions but gives practical suggestions on how to write an essay that can achieve top marks.
Relevance
Witnesses in court promise to be truthful all the truth and nothing but the truth. Students of all subjects in history should swear a similar oath: to answer each question with completeness question and nothing but the question. This is the number one rule. It is possible to write well and make a convincing case using many convincing proofs but if you’re not relevant, then you might as easily be tinkering at a cymbal. That’s why you have to think very at length about the question that you’re required to answer. Avoid that stumbling block of lower-performing students who, in the end take the time to answer the exact question the examiners ought to have asked – but they did not. It is important to take your time, read carefully at the wording of the question, then make sure in your mind that you have thoroughly understood all its terms.
For instance, if there is a question about why Hitler became a dictator then you need to define what the process that brought him to power consisted of. Did any particular event occur which demonstrates his emergence into the power? If you immediately take notice of his appointment as Chancellor, consider carefully and think about the actual powers that this position conferred upon him.you can find more here https://ventsmagazine.com/2022/07/29/best-history-essay-writer-how-to-find-the-best-one/ from Our Articles Was the passage of the Enabling Act more important? What was the date when the rise to power actually begin? Are you required to discuss Hitler’s birth and childhood as well as those who experienced hyperinflation in the first 1920s? If you determine the years that are relevant and consequently which ones aren’t – you will have made the right choice. After that, you will be able to determine the various reasons behind the rise of his popularity.
Or , if you’re being required to provide an explanation of the success that a particular person has achieved Avoid writing the first thing that pops into your head. Look at possible outcomes. In so doing, you will automatically be presented with an issue of defining’success’. What is it that it means? Is it the fulfillment of one’s aims? Does it have to be objective (a factual fact) or subjective (a subject of opinion)? Do we need to look at those who have had long-term success as well as short-term ones? If a person gains extraordinary good luck, is it still considered a success? The struggle of definition will enable you to prepare a list that is annotated of achievements, and you can then go on to explain them, following their historical roots by determining how they occurred. Are there any key component that has been common to the various successes? If it is, it might be the core of your reply.
The key word in the above passages of text will be be thinking. This is different by daydreaming, recalling, and thinking in a haze. Thinking isn’t always a pleasant process, and the majority of us attempt to avoid it most of the time. However, there’s nothing you can do in order to score the best grade. Make sure to think as long to be able about the significance of the question, about the issues that it raises, and the ways you can answer it. It is important to think and think deeply – and then you must think it over seeking out flaws in your reasoning. Eventually you will almost certainly get confused. But don’t fret: confusion is generally a necessary phase in the journey to clarity. If you’re getting completely confused then take a break. If you come back to your question the possibility is that the problems have been resolved. If not, allow yourself additional time. It’s possible to find decent ideas simply pop into your mind at unintentional moments.
It is the Vital First Paragraph
Each element of an essay is essential, but the introduction is the most important. This is the very first chance you’ll have to impress or even depress an examiner, and your first impressions can be decisive. It is therefore advisable to write a striking first sentence. (‘Start with the earthquake and gradually build to a point of climax,’ counselled the film-maker Cecil B. De Mille.) It is also important to be able to demonstrate your understanding of question set. Here , you outline your carefully planned definitions of essential terms. Here you set the relevant time-frame and issues – which is to say, the guidelines of the questions. Additionally, you break down the overall question into more manageable segments, or smaller , more specific questions, on each that you’ll then compose the length of a paragraph. You formulate an argument, or possibly, you will use alternative lines of argument, that you’ll further develop later in the essay. Thus, the opening paragraph – or maybe you could spread this section of the introduction over two paragraphs is the most important element to writing a strong essay.
When they read a well-written beginning paragraph, examiners will be reassured the writer is on the right path, being relevant and analytical. They’ll likely breathe happy that this is the case of a student at a minimum who avoids both of the common traps. One is to dismiss the question entirely. The second option is to compose an account of the events that occurred – typically beginning with the birth of the person but with no hope of answering the question in the final paragraph.
Middle Paragraphs
Philip Larkin once said that the modern novel consists of a beginning, a muddleand an ending. The same is, unfortunately and is true for many of our history essays. However, if you’ve written an engaging opening section by dividing the entire question into distinct and manageable segments the essay won’t be confused; it will be clear and coherent.
It should be evident, from your middle paragraphs what you’re trying to answer. In reality, it’s a very good test of an essay that the reader should be able to make a guess even when the title is not clear. Therefore, consider beginning each middle paragraph will a generalisation relevant to the query. Then , you can further develop this idea and substantiate it with evidence. You must give a judicious choice sources (i.e. facts and quotations) to support the arguments you’re making. The only thing you have is a limited amount of time or space and you must think about the level of detail you will need. Some background topics can be summarised with the broad brush, however your top priorities require more attention to detail. (Do not be one of those uninformed candidates whounknowingly “go off the rails” in small-scale issues and overlook important ones.)
The rules often state that in the A2 year, students should know the main interpretative theories of historians. Make sure you follow this instruction. However it is important not to push historiography to extremes, so that the past itself is basically ignored. Don’t fall into the assumption the only thing you need is sources of historical opinion. In essays, students often make a generalisation, and then back by stating the opinion of an historian . However, because they’ve created the generalisation from the opinion that the historian has given, their argument is completely untrue, which makes it meaningless and uninspiring. It also erroneously assumes that historians are infallible or omniscient gods. Without a solid argument to back up your view the way historians do, a generalisation is simply an assertion. Middle paragraphs are where you can look to present the main idea of your essay, and you do not pay attention to this at your peril.
Last Paragraph
If you’ve been trying to make against a particular point within the body of an essay, you should hammer into that argument in the closing paragraph. If you’ve examined a number of different theories, now is your chance to prove which one is correct. In the middle paragraph you are like a barrister who is arguing over a case. Then, in the last paragraph, you are the judge summing up and delivering the verdict.
