ap united states history tips on essay skills. it is impossible to write a good essay on a topic...
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AP United States History
Tips on Essay Skills
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IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO WRITE A GOOD ESSAY ON A TOPIC ABOUT WHICH YOU KNOW NOTHING!!!
Pay attention in class! Take good notes! Study for the essay!
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Writing for History Consider your
audience. Different from your
English class. No personal voice!
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The Prompt
Read the question or prompt carefully.
Your basic purpose is to answer the question!
Read the question three times! Paraphrase the question and know
the essential task demanded by it.
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Creating a Framework
Break the question down with dates, and points asked for, make sure you are aware of the entire question.
Be mindful of the verb—what exactly are you supposed to do?
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Brainstorm
Get your brain in gear! What do you know? Put down on paper everything that
comes to mind regarding the topic.
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Make an Outline Organize your
thesis Develop three
main points Put your
brainstormed information in an outline or chart format for your three body paragraphs.
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Introduction
Brief explanation of any key theme or complex idea contained in the thesis
May be where you put the question into historical context
May be where you explain why the question is worth answering
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The Thesis Statement CRITICAL FACTOR!!! Serves as your answer to the question Acknowledges that you are aware of the
complexity of the question Main organizational points that will be used
to structure and present the data used to defend the thesis
Develop three key points from your brainstorm.
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Sophistication
We don’t want a straight narrative composition!
Use key words that indicate judgment and analysis.
Don’t make a laundry list of facts Think causation, repercussions, etc.
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Sophisticated Verbs Vocabulary matters! “The assassination caused the war.” “The assassination provoked the outbreak
of war.” “The diary showed the prejudice…” “The diary vividly illustrates the deep
prejudice…” Do not use the verbs SHOW, FEEL, or
BELIEVE when another stronger verb will work.
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Dwell in the Gray Stay away from absolutes! Never, always, completely… Think of issues in terms of a
scale of 0 – 10. Anybody can answer true or
false. Good students of history address “how true” or “how false.” (To what extent did the Missouri Compromise create further sectionalism in the United States?)
Stay away from overly simplistic words!
Good, bad, great, fantastic.
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How many body paragraphs?
Determined by the organizational list in the introductory paragraph
Generally, you should expect three body paragraphs unless the essay guides you to do more.
ALWAYS ANSWER THE QUESTION!
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What order do I put them in? In order of
importance The only exception
would be if you were going to address the question chronologically.
Get your strongest point down on paper first!
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Topic Sentences
Clear and relevant sentences Let the reader know what the
paragraph is about. Links back to the thesis
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One thing that did unite Americans from the distant past: they’re all dead now. Use past tense.
Don’t use rhetorical questions. They abuse your reader. You don’t like to be abused, do you?
Always avoid “always”; never use “never” in your essays.
I think that first person undermines your effectiveness. We, as Americans, need to learn not to use it in expository essays.
The use of proper grammars, speling, and “wonderful verbs” shows that your smart.