How to Write a History Essay II

- Helpful Information for Students - 
Essay Writing: 
Essay Format, Writing Skills, and Sample Papers 

General Rules for Writing an Essay 

1. Essays should consist of a minimum of 5 to 7 paragraphs:
 1 introduction with thesis statement
 3 to 5 text paragraphs
 1 conclusion / summary

2. Paragraphs must be well-developed with strong topic and supporting sentences. Make sure to use complete sentences, good grammar, and correct spelling. 

Steps for Writing an Effective Essay

I. Question Analysis
 Be sure you understand exactly what the question is asking. Without a clear understanding of the questions you cannot write an adequate answer.
 Be sure you understand key terms within the topic such as assess, explain, compare describe, etc.
 Make sure you identify any subdivisions within the main topic question and address each of them in your essay.

II. Developing the Thesis
 The thesis statement is the position you will take on the subject of the essay.
 Your thesis should be stated in the introduction to your essay. Therefore, after reading your introduction, the reader should know both the subject of the essay and your position on the question.

III. Writing the Introduction
 Introduce the general subject of the essay and paraphrase the topic question.
 Express your thesis as an affirmative statement (take a positive position).
 Indicate the major points that will be discussed in text of your essay.

IV. Writing the Text of the Essay
 Each paragraph must have a strong topic sentence clearly identifying the point under consideration.
 Text paragraphs must use factual information to support your thesis.
 All information should be organized in logical sequence.
 Each subdivision of the topic should be considered in a separate paragraph.

V. Writing the Conclusion
 The conclusion or summary should bring the reader back to your thesis and the topic question, bringing the essay to a clear and definite end.
 Do not introduce new information. 

EACH PARAGRAPH MUST BE BACKED UP BY SOURCES/QUOTES (AT LEAST 4). FOLLOWED BY THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THESE SOURCES.

Essay Writing Skills 

1. Spelling. I assume that if you are unsure about a word's spelling on take-home essays, you can look it up in the dictionary. Remember - spell check is your friend. 

2. Capitalisation. Historical eras are capitalized e.g. the Middle Ages, Renaissance, Europe, the Age of Enlightenment. If you have questions about capitalization, look up the word in Palmer, noting if he capitalizes the word or phrase.