How to Write a Great History Essay

We should first ask: What makes a good history essay? There is a good chance that no two people are completely in agreement. This is because quality is subjective and reflects the intellectual state of the reader. This article will not deal with philosophical questions but instead provides practical guidance on how to write essays that get top marks. If some idea like “proofread my essay” comes to your mind don’t hesitate to use a reliable writing service for getting a great result in writing your paper.

Relevance

Witnesses at court swear to tell the truth, the entire truth, and nothing but it. History students must swear a similar oath. They are required to answer all questions and not just one. This is the number-one rule. It doesn't matter how brilliant you write or how convincing your case is. If you don't make the case relevant, you may as well just be playing the cymbal. This means that you need to be very careful about what question you are being asked. Avoid the terrible mistake of weaker students who answer the wrong question. Take your time and carefully read the question. Make sure you fully understand all terms. Finding best legit essay writing services in USA will make your questions more understandable.


When asked to explain why Hitler was elected, you should define the process. Does any particular event mark his attainment of power? Do not immediately grab his appointment as Chancellor. Instead, take the time to think about what really powers this position gave him. Is the Enabling Act's passage more important than its passing? When did the rise of power begin? Do you have to mention Hitler's childhood and birth or the hyperinflation in the 1920s? You will be able to identify which years are relevant and which are not, which is a good place to start. You can then determine the various factors that contributed to his rise.


If you're asked to describe the achievements of someone, don't write the first thing that comes to your mind. Consider all possible success. This will help you to think about possible successes. What is it actually? What does it really mean? What is objective (a matter-of-fact) and subjective (a matter for opinion)? Is it necessary to weigh short-term and longer-term success? Is it still successful if the individual has extraordinary luck? This will allow you to create an annotated list that includes all the successes. You can then explain each one, trace their roots and pinpoint how and why they happened. Are there any common factors that led to the success of these successes? This could be the key to your answer.


In the paragraphs above, think is the keyword. This should be distinguished from daydreaming, remembering, and idly speculating. Thought is not always a pleasant task, so most people try to avoid it. If you want to achieve the best grades, there is no substitute. Think about the question and all the possible answers. It is important to think deeply and then think again. You will eventually become confused. You don't have to worry about confusion. It is often necessary for clarity. Take a break if you become confused. It may be that your problems are now solved when you return to the question. Give yourself more time if the problem persists. Sometimes, you may find that a good idea just appears at random times in your mind.


To write a great history essay, you need to think for your own purposes. Of course, you can follow the crowd and repeat the textbook's interpretation. There are however problems. What is the best way to differentiate your work from everyone else's? It's unlikely that the school text you are using has ever dealt with the exact question you are asking.


This advice is applicable to coursework essays. Exams are a different situation. Even so, it is important to take the time to think. Examiners value quality over quantity. This is why relevance is so important. You will find that you can think about the main issues in your course and not just what you read or hear. This will make it easier to consider the issues examined in exams.

The Vital First Paragraph

Each paragraph in an essay is crucial, but the first paragraph is the most important. This is your first chance to impress or depress an examiner. Therefore, you might try to make a catchy first sentence. It is important that you clearly understand the question set. This is where you provide your well-thought-out definitions of key terms and the pertinent time frame and issues. These are the parameters of the question. You also divide the question into smaller sub-divisions or questions that are easier to manage. Each one will be the basis for a paragraph. The argument you make, or alternative arguments, is what you will support later in your essay. The key is in the first paragraph, or you may spread it over two paragraphs.


Examiners will feel reassured when they read a first paragraph that is well-written. It should be relevant, rigorous, and analytical. They will likely feel relieved that at least one student is not falling for these common pitfalls. First, ignore the question completely. The second is to tell a story of events, often starting with the birth of a person. With a half-hearted attempt to answer the question in paragraph three.

Paragraphs in the Middle

Philip Larkin once stated that the modern novel is composed of three parts: a beginning, middle, and end. This is unfortunately true for many history essays. Your essay will not be confusing if you have a well-written opening section that separates the question into manageable sections.


Your middle paragraphs should clearly indicate the question you are answering. It's a great test for an essay to be able the reader to guess the question, even if it is not stated. Consider starting each paragraph with a generalization that is relevant to the question. This will allow you to develop your idea and support it with evidence. It is important to use a carefully chosen selection of evidence (e.g. To support your argument, you must use facts and quotes. There is a limit to how much information you can give. You can summarise the most important issues with a broad brush. But you cannot ignore the less critical ones. Do not let your misguided candidate 'go to town' in peripheral areas while glossing over the crucial.


Many regulations stipulate that students must be familiar with the major interpretations of historians in order to succeed in the A2 years. This advice should not be ignored. However, you should not push historiography too far, so that the past is almost ignored. Don't let yourself be led astray by the notion that you only need a collection of historians' opinions. Students often give generalizations in essays and then back them up with an opinion from a historian. This makes the argument completely circular and meaningless. This also assumes historians are infallible or omniscient. A generalization is just an assertion unless you provide evidence supporting your views - like historians do. You neglect the middle paragraphs to get the substance of your essay.

Final Paragraph

You should make sure that the last paragraph focuses on the case you have been arguing in the essay's body. Now is the time for you to decide which of several alternatives you have examined. The middle paragraph is similar to the argument of a barrister. In the last paragraph, you will be the judge summarizing and pronouncing your verdict.


It is important to remember what you shouldn't do. You should not present a lot of new evidence at this stage. However, you might be able to add the occasional fact that proves your case. You should not move on to the next issue. You should not conclude your question about Hitler's rise to power by giving a summary of what he did while in power. This will not win you any points. Remember the phrase "nothing but the questions"? It may be, however, that Hitler's actions after he was elected helped to explain why he became a leader. This argument can be convincing, but the examiner will not understand its relevance. Examiners don't expect to think. You must make your material explicitly relevant.

Last Thoughts

An essay that is well-written, and especially one that appears effortless, will often need to be rewritten several times. The best students are the ones who are most self-critical. Be a critic of your first drafts and don't be satisfied with second-best. You should also consider the feedback that you receive from teachers. Do not just focus on the grade you get for your essay; take the time to read the comments. Teachers who don't give advice on how to improve next time aren't doing their job correctly.


Relevance is essential in a good essay. Evidence must be presented in a convincing way to support it. Nothing else matters. You can create a great essay with a completely different arrangement of materials than the one suggested. It would be great if you used witty, expressive, and provocative prose to write your essay. However, top marks can still be earned even if the essay is serious, ponderous, or even dull.


Because essay writing is an expression of self, there are many ways to create it. Your essay will be unique because of you. It's up to you to make sure it's unique and not just average.