APUSH ESSAY COMMAND WORDS



APUSH ESSAY COMMAND WORDS

Analyze- separate something into its parts or major components;

of what is something composed ? (Of late, the most favored word)

Assess- judge the value or character of something:"assess the validity of the above"

Compare- examine for the purposes of noting similarities and differences; in what ways are two things alike and different?

Contrast- compare in order to show unlikeness or points of difference; note differences between and compare

Criticize- make judgments as to merits and faults; criticism may approve or disapprove

Define- give the meaning of a word, phrase or concept; determine or fix the boundaries or extent of

Describe- provide an account of; tell about; give a word picture of

Discuss- talk over; write about; consider or examine by argument or from various points of view, debate; present the different sides of( is this term meaningless?)

Enumerate- mention or list separately; name one after the other

Evaluate- give the good points and the bad ones, appraise; give an opinion regarding the value; discuss the advantages and disadvantages of

Explain- make clear or plain; make known in detail; tell the meaning of; make clear the cause or reason of

Identify and-(with another command word such as "Identify and evaluate the relative importance of each of the following") define and give the significance

Illustrate- make clear or intelligible by examples

Interpret- explain the meaning of; make plain; present your thinking about

Justify- show good reasons for; present your evidence; offer facts to support your position

Prove- establish the truth or genuineness of something by giving factual evidence or logical reasons

Reconcile- bring in harmony; make consistent by use of argument and evidence

Summarize- state or express in concise form; give the main points briefly

Trace- follow the course of ; give a description of the progress of; ascertain by investigation

THESIS FORMATION- Some Hints:

1. Analyze the question. What is it asking? Look for key words. Dates?

2. ALWAYS answer the question! Why did this happen the way it did?

3. Fully Address the question. Take a position. Provide categories of analysis.

4. Try one or more of these:

a. ANALOGY- What other historical event or group of events are comparable to the issues raised by the

question?

b. DEFINITION- Define a key term, word or concept from the question in its historical context.

c. CONCEPT- Provide a concept or central idea that explains a set of historical circumstances.

d. CONTEXT- What set of historical events or circumstances best explains the topic in the question?

What events or attitudes led to this problem?

Suggested Construction for

AP United States History Essays

I. Introduction

A. Statement of Problem ____________________________

B. Thesis (Proposed Solution=your answer) ____________________________

C. Arguments to be Considered (Categories of Analysis that Fully Address the Question)

1._______________________

2._______________________

3._______________________

4._______________________

II. Topic Sentence:_____________________________________

Evidence (3 relevant facts with interpretive commentary)

A._________________________

B._________________________

C._________________________

transition

III. Topic Sentence:_____________________________________

Evidence (3 relevant facts with interpretive commentary)

A._________________________

B._________________________

C._________________________

transition

IV. Topic Sentence:_____________________________________

Evidence (3 relevant facts with interpretive commentary)

A._________________________

B._________________________

C._________________________

transition

V. Topic Sentence:_____________________________________

(optional on standard essays;mandatory on dbq's!)

Evidence (3 relevant facts with interpretive commentary)

A._________________________

B._________________________

C._________________________

Transition

VI. Conclusion

A. One sentence summaries of paragraphs II, III, IV( and V) to reinforce thesis.

B. Add any new insights, but avoid contradicting your thesis in the conclusion. Be

consistent in your interpretation.

C. Make your last sentence adequately compelling to endure in the reader's attention.

Ten Suggestions for Better AP Essays

1. Be certain you understand the question and fully attempt to answer it. Underline the command words. If there is more than one part to the question, be sure to address each. Capture the reader's attention with a powerful introduction. Hook 'em at the beginning and never let go. Take a position and stick to it.

2. Use facts to support your thesis, arguments and generalization. Make as specific references as possible, no matter how general or broad the question is. Load up your essay with facts. You can never put too many facts in a good essay. Provide interpretative commentary. How do these facts relate to your thesis? Three to five facts per paragraph is a good rule of thumb. The more relevant information you can bring to bear on your thesis the higher your score will be. Factual errors conversely will lower your score. Do not play fast and loose with history.

3. Have a thesis which answers the question in the introduction. Do NOT wait until the last paragraph to write your thesis! What if you run out of time? A good thesis should attempt to tell why, explain or somehow account for the reasons a particular set of historical circumstances occurred. All facts should reinforce the thesis. Here is your chance to be original and creative, but not ridiculous and absurd; or obvious and shallow.

4. Use standard organization with Introduction (Tell the reader what you are going to do), Body (Do it!) and Conclusion (Tell the reader what you did). AP Essays in the highest category will often run six or more paragraphs. Provide categories of analysis. Rank your reasons or arguments. Long essays are not necessarily good essays, but short essays are almost never good essays. Remember it's not how long your essay is, it's how you made it long. If one only can produce five good paragraphs the results will surpass six or more mediocre ones.

5. Use good English grammar and forceful, direct language. Avoid slang. In other words, impress the readers by " Hitting 'em with a brick." (By the way, write your essay only in black ball point pen on one side of ruled paper. Blue, green, red or any odd color other than black means an automatic "F.")

6. Use the past tense consistently. Avoid the use of the present tense or switching tenses. History has already happened. George Washington died a long time ago; he ceased; he expired. Most other historical characters have also.

7. Avoid first or second person pronouns (even if they appear in the question). Make certain your pronoun have antecedents. Use "one" if no other circumlocution is available. "I' is redundant; "we" and "you" denote a personal relationship which probably does not exist.

8. Be careful with spelling. Pay special attention to key words such as historical terms or proper names. Readers form negative opinions if the writer can neither spell nor even copy words from the question.

9. Avoid sophomoric efforts at humor. These usually fall flat and tell the reader that you have not taken the essay seriously. If you wish to impress the reader with your literary skills, employ metaphor or irony, but only if you are an experienced practitioner of these devices. "Once out of the tunnel, the pig of rebellion went berserk." Good writers often receive points for literary merit. Poor expression and pedestrian style will lose points.

10. Proofread your essay if time permits. This can save you from embarrassing errors. Budget your time so that you will finish your essay. If you foresee that you will be unable to complete the essay, abbreviate or leave out the conclusion. Remember you want to display your knowledge of the subject at hand.

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