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Essay Writing TechniqueSome of these suggestions may seem overly obvious but they are the key to producing good essays in both the AS and A level exams for Pitt to Peel and Spain. (Note that this advice uses Pitt to Peel examples but the same advice applies to Spain). The types of question set for the AS and A level exams will be the same and therefore all the advice applies to both exams.Understanding the wording of the questionEnsure that you have read the wording of the question carefully. Focus on the key words and phrases in the question; this may be dates, ministers, monarchs or phrases such as ‘how successful’. Unless you directly address the demands of the question you cannot score highly.Identify the command words which instruct you what to do. For example, you may be asked to assess the causes of an event, to what extent a particular factor was the most important in bringing about an event or to what extent someone was successful in his or her aims. Pitt to Peel examples: Assess the reasons for Pitt’s long tenure of office, 1783-1801. You would need to analyse a range of reasons why Pitt dominated British politics in the period 1783-1801 for this essay. However, in order to reach the highest levels you would need to weigh up (assess) the relative importance of the factors you have discussed and reach a balanced conclusion, not simply produce a list (nicknamed a ‘shopping list’ by examiners) of reason for their dominance.‘The most important reason for Pitt’s political dominance in the period 1783-1801 was the weakness of the opposition.’ How far do you agree?You could also be given a statement such as this one. Although this question, like the first one, requires you to consider the reasons for Pitt’s dominance, you need to consider the importance of the Whig opposition and write a good paragraph on it. It is the named factor, even if you argue it was not the most important. However, even if you think it was the most important, you must still explain why other factors were less important. Planning an answerYour plan should outline your line of argument. This means you need to think about your thesis before you start writing. This should help you to maintain a consistent line of argument throughout the answer. It will also mean that your plan will be a list of ideas and reasons about the issue in the question, not a dated list of events which would encourage you to write a narrative or descriptive answer, rather than an analytical one. For example, For ‘Assess the reasons for Pitt’s long tenure of office, 1783-1801.’:Which of these factors was the most important? Why?Is this factor linked to any other? If so, which and how?Which factor(s) were less important? Why?Answers to these questions will allow you to put together a structured answer and avoid the common mistake of ‘Another reason for Pitt’s long period of office was…’ Planning your answer should help you focus on the actual question and not simply write about the topic. In this question a candidate could write all they know about Pitt, but not explain why he dominated. Within the exam room it is easy to forget to plan because you are keen to get going but this usually results in an essay that doesn’t have a clear line of argument (possibly returning to an issue part way through) or an essay that changes its line of argument half way through, making it less convincing.Writing an introductionThis should set out your main line of argument and briefly refer to the issues you are going to cover in the main body of the essay. The essay will require you to reach a judgement about the main in the question. It is a good idea to state in this vital opening paragraph what overall line of argument you are going to make. It can also be helpful, depending on the wording of the question, to define any key terms mentioned in the question in this paragraph. Consider the following example:Assess the causes of unrest, 1812-20.In the opening paragraph you should define the key terms of the question, identify the issues or themes that you will consider – these might be political, social, economic or individual, state your view as to which of the factors was the most important.This type of approach will help you to keep focused on the demands of the question and not write a general essay. It might also be helpful to occasionally refer back to your opening paragraph. This approach will also ensure you avoid writing about the background to the topic, for example explaining about the events of the war or the Congress of Vienna, which has no relevance to the question set. Another mistake is to fail to write a crucial first paragraph and rush straight into the question. It is important that your essay has a clear direction, rather than taking the reader on a mystery tour where the line of argument becomes apparent only in the conclusion.Consider this response example:center0The years 1812-1820 saw a great deal of political and social unrest. Some of this was related to long-term economic developments such as new factories and machines which threatened traditional trades. Some was linked to short-term factors like bad harvests, high prices or unpopular policies such as the Corn Law. Other unrest was more political and caused by the ideas of the French Revolution. Unrest could vary from quite large organisations to the activities of extreme individuals and some was focused on particular issues such as the treatment of Queen Caroline in 1820. Though resentment focused on government policy and reform, the most important underlying cause was the growth in population and the changes in the economy.020000The years 1812-1820 saw a great deal of political and social unrest. Some of this was related to long-term economic developments such as new factories and machines which threatened traditional trades. Some was linked to short-term factors like bad harvests, high prices or unpopular policies such as the Corn Law. Other unrest was more political and caused by the ideas of the French Revolution. Unrest could vary from quite large organisations to the activities of extreme individuals and some was focused on particular issues such as the treatment of Queen Caroline in 1820. Though resentment focused on government policy and reform, the most important underlying cause was the growth in population and the changes in the economy.This example distinguishes between political and social unrest, establishes a number of factors, sets out a view about relative importance and is all relevant to the question. Note that the question says ‘assess’ so more than explanation is needed. It also goes beyond being bland and general ‘There are many different reasons for unrest…’ type of general introduction and offers some significant content which will be developed later.Avoiding irrelevanceThis may seem like an overly obvious point but it does happen in exams. You need to avoid writing irrelevant material as this not only doesn’t gain marks but also wastes your time. In order to avoid this: Look carefully at the wording of your question.Avoid simply writing all you know about the topic; remember you need to select information that is relevant to your actual question. Use the information to support an argument and reach an overall judgement about the issue in the question.Revise all of a topic so that you are not tempted to pad out a response where you do not have enough material directly relevant to the actual question.Consider this example:How successfully did Liverpool’s governments deal with the problem of unrest?You need to consider the nature of the unrest so that you are sure you are focusing on the question, explain the policies and how far they dealt with unrest, differentiate between policies that were a success and those that were a failure, think about short-term and longer-term measures and assess how successful the policies were in each area.Consider this candidate example:center0Lord Liverpool was prime minister for a long period between 1812 and 1827 and his Government changed a lot with liberal Tories coming in during the 1820s. Some of his policies were very unsuccessful as they were only for the upper classes. There was a lot of unrest after the war ended in 1815 and some plotters even tried to kill the cabinet in 1820. There was also a big meeting at Peterloo which was put down. Some of his policies were successful, especially the foreign policy of Canning, and some were not very successful but he did make important changes to trade and law.00Lord Liverpool was prime minister for a long period between 1812 and 1827 and his Government changed a lot with liberal Tories coming in during the 1820s. Some of his policies were very unsuccessful as they were only for the upper classes. There was a lot of unrest after the war ended in 1815 and some plotters even tried to kill the cabinet in 1820. There was also a big meeting at Peterloo which was put down. Some of his policies were successful, especially the foreign policy of Canning, and some were not very successful but he did make important changes to trade and law.This answer is poorly focused on the issue: the problems of unrest are not identified; it is not make clear why the measures taken could be considered a success or a failure; there is no personal judgement; there is some irrelevant material.Avoiding descriptive answers and writing analyticallyA descriptive answer is one where the answer has relevant supporting knowledge but it is not directly linked to the actual question. Sometimes the argument is implicit, but even here it is not clear how the material is linked to the actual question. Instead of actually answering the question, it simply describes what happened.In order to reach the higher levels of the mark scheme you must write an analytical answer and not simply tell a story. This means you must focus on the key words and phrases in the question and link your material back to them. This is why the plan is crucial as it allows you to check you are doing just that. You can avoid a narrative answer by referring back to the question as this should prevent you from just providing information about the topic. If you find analytical writing difficult, it might be helpful to ensure that the last sentence of each paragraph links back directly to the question. Consider this example:How important is the recognition of the independent South American republics in establishing Canning’s reputation as a liberal foreign secretary?In order to answer this question you would need to consider the following issues about the named factor: It went against the Holy Alliance’s policy of acting against constitutional revolutions; it enabled Canning to stand up against possible French intervention in a way he had not over Spain in 1823; it was in the economic interests of the middle-class traders and businessmen who wanted the Government to look after their interests rather than those of the landowning aristocracy. You would then need to consider other factors such as: the support given to Portugal; the support given to the Greeks; the alliance with Russia which led to the Battle of Navarino after Canning’s death. A very strong answer will weigh up the relative importance of each factor as it is discussed. A weak answer will reach a judgement in the conclusion, and even weaker answers will either just list the reasons, or worse, just describe them.333375327660Canning became foreign secretary in 1822 and had been a personal enemy of his predecessor Castlereagh and they had just fought a duel in 1809. Castlereagh had helped to set up the Congress system which Canning did not like. They were many differences between them but they did also want the same things. Canning did not give any support to the Congress of Verona in 1822 and the British delegate the Duke of Wellington left the Congress because Britain did not support the French interfering in Spain where a constitutional government had been set up. Canning was sympathetic to the South American states who had rebelled against Spain and also to the Greek rebels. The South American colonies of Spain had rebelled against Spain during the Peninsular War from 1808 when the mother country was occupied by France. When Spain itself had a revolution there was a danger that the monarchs of Europe would invade not only Spain but the colonies.00Canning became foreign secretary in 1822 and had been a personal enemy of his predecessor Castlereagh and they had just fought a duel in 1809. Castlereagh had helped to set up the Congress system which Canning did not like. They were many differences between them but they did also want the same things. Canning did not give any support to the Congress of Verona in 1822 and the British delegate the Duke of Wellington left the Congress because Britain did not support the French interfering in Spain where a constitutional government had been set up. Canning was sympathetic to the South American states who had rebelled against Spain and also to the Greek rebels. The South American colonies of Spain had rebelled against Spain during the Peninsular War from 1808 when the mother country was occupied by France. When Spain itself had a revolution there was a danger that the monarchs of Europe would invade not only Spain but the colonies.Consider this candidate example:There is some good knowledge and detail here but the answer does not answer the question. South America is given a lot of attention, but the candidate wants to impart knowledge, not grapple with the question.The crucial opening sentence of each paragraph (also known as the topic sentence)One way to avoid a narrative approach in your answer is to focus on the opening sentence of each paragraph. A good opening sentence will offer a view or idea about an issue relevant to the question, not describe an event or person. With a very good answer, the opening sentence of each paragraph should show the line of argument that has been taken in the essay. It is therefore worth spending time practising this skill. Consider the following question:How far did Castlereagh’s foregn policy serve Britain’s best interest?Look at the following ten opening sentences. Which of these offer an idea that directly answers the question and which simply impart facts?In 1812 Napoleon invaded Russia and this changed the whole nature of the war.Castlereagh made good use of Napoleon’s defeat in Russia by encouraging European powers to join with Britain against him.In 1814 and then again in 1815 Britain played a leading part in the peace conference in Vienna.At the Congress of Vienna Castlereagh had a clear view of British interests and worked hard to achieve them.Britain did not agree to the Holy Alliance of September 1815.Given British opinion and war weariness Castlereagh did not think committing to the Holy Alliance was in the nation’s best interests.Britain gained colonies by the peace of 1815, which included the Cape of Good Hope and islands in the West Indies.There were various international congresses held between 1815 and 1822.Britain’s interests were not in gaining land in Europe but in increasing its trade and making use of its industry, so Castlereagh was right to consider British economic interests by gaining new colonies in 1815.Castlereagh was very unpopular when he died in 1822.Writing a conclusionA conclusion should come to a judgement that is based on what you have already written and should be briefly supported. It should not introduce new ideas – if they were important they should have been discussed in the main body of the essay. You must also take care to avoid offering a contrary argument to the one you have pursued throughout the rest of the essay as that will suggest to the examiner that you have not thought through your ideas and are unclear as to what you think.It might be that you are largely restating the view you offered in the vital opening paragraph or in stronger answers there might be a subtle variation to the judgement – you confirm your original view, but suggest, with an example, that there were occasions when this was not always correct.If the question has named a factor then you should give a judgement about that factor’s relative importance, either explaining why or why it is not the most important and the role it played in the events you have discussed. If the question asks you to assess a range of factors, the conclusion should explain which you think is the most important and support the claim. At first sight a claim might appear to be judgement, but without supporting material it is no more than an assertion and will not gain credit.Consider the following question:Why was there not more progress towards reforming parliament in the period 1785-1830?In answering this question you may have considered the following: satisfaction with the old system; divisions among those who wanted reform; repression of radicalism in the war and post-war period; the weakness of the Whigs; the concern of the Tories with other reforms; the opposition of the Tories.Now consider this sample conclusion:center0Though there are many reasons why parliamentary reform was not made a major issue before 1830, the most important one is the weakness of the Whigs. They had not been the only political group who could have passed reform. The radicals were too divided. Though Pitt was in favour in 1786, the bulk of his party, particularly after the French Revolution, were opposed and only the extreme ultras supported it in 1830s. Fewer people were satisfied with the old system, but as there was no real consensus about what should replace it, this dissatisfaction alone could not have brought change. Thus the emergence of a Whig government and the belief of its leaders, especially Grey, in the cause of reform was the key element.00Though there are many reasons why parliamentary reform was not made a major issue before 1830, the most important one is the weakness of the Whigs. They had not been the only political group who could have passed reform. The radicals were too divided. Though Pitt was in favour in 1786, the bulk of his party, particularly after the French Revolution, were opposed and only the extreme ultras supported it in 1830s. Fewer people were satisfied with the old system, but as there was no real consensus about what should replace it, this dissatisfaction alone could not have brought change. Thus the emergence of a Whig government and the belief of its leaders, especially Grey, in the cause of reform was the key element.This is a good conclusion because it offers a clear point of view. Of course, it could be challenged, but other factors are considered and then dismissed, leaving the Whigs as the key element. The candidate has already explained the Whig ideas and contributions in the main body of the answer and does not need to repeat it here. Behind this conclusion is a lot of thought about the different reasons, and a developed judgement. ................
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