Preparation is everything, of course--a task rendered easier by the willingness of your professor to suggest in advance some outline of relevant questions. Thus, you will have an opportunity to read (and reread) in advance both the assigned readings as well as the class notes you'll have taken on those topics. If in addition you will have found time to go beyond the assignments to do some additional recommended reading (from material on this Web Site, for example, or from books in the library), then you will be well prepared indeed. Also, early preparation will give you sufficient time to discuss with the instructor any problems of fact or interpretation you might have encountered that require discussion.
Several factors contribute to writing a good essay. These include: (a) presentation; (b) organization; (c) factual information; (d) analysis or interpretation; (e) summary remarks. My own shorthand for these is the4W's --What happened; when did it happen; why did it happen; and wherefore (i.e., what resulted). So remember the what, when, why and wherefore when you write on some historical theme.
(a) Presentation: No teacher likes careless or sloppy presentation of written work. Neither should you present pages of even well written work as line after line without paragraph or pause. You can avoid this by adhering to some simple rules. At the very least, write legibly (not in pencil), write in formal sentences (subject--verb--object) and discernible paragraphs, leave the left margin on each page free, mark the number of the question you are answering and, above all, avoid slang [I never again hope to see the malodorous statement of a former student: "After many defeats, the Russians got their s-- - together"!]. An essay should be formal in tone, with none of the awkward 'personal touches' that might have passed muster in grade school but are out-of-place in a formal essay: not an opening sentence such as "Let me now give you my opinion on the Franco-Prussian war . . ." but, rather, "The Franco-Prussian war arose over a quarrel between . . . . . ." Also, remember that you will be writing about some issue in the past, so the past tense of verbs will be your usual recourse.
Just as you would wish to 'speak well' in a job interview, you should aspire to 'write well' in a school exam. Minimum requirements call for correct grammar and spelling. A good essay will have logical and coherent expression. While an instructor may indulge spelling errors, little mercy can be shown to grammatical errors, most of which are doubtless due to carelessness or lack of proofreading. If your returned exam notes an undue quantity of such errors, I suggest you do some appropriate study to correct them on your own or take counsel from the Writing Center.
(b) Organization: Essays, like any story you might relate, should have a beginning, a middle, and an ending and, needless to say, in that order. History is about facts, explanation, and interpretation set in some historical time-frame, so the 'history essay' will normally require consideration of all of these in well defined, separate sections and paragraphs. As indicated above, be guided by the 4W's. But more than anything, be guided by the question, avoiding any tendency to ramble off into irrelevant patches. Answer each part of the question in corresponding order without confusing chronology or "putting the cart before the horse."
If you grasp the notion of the topic sentence you will do good work. This sentence is the linchpin around which a paragraph is framed. It can stand on its own and convey the information or thought around which the supporting statements in the paragraph revolve, whether that sentence starts the paragraph (as is usual) or appears elsewhere in it. You should have at least as many paragraphs as the separate themes you will be introducing to answer the question.
(c) Factual Information: As far as possible, offer the reader enough historical information to enable him or her to understand what you are writing about. A good idea in this regard is to presume ignorance on the part of the reader (Have you noticed that almost any news article in a newspaper rarely if ever has you scratching your head to divine the story's background). Thus, when you mention someone's name for the first time, tell the reader who he is: not "Metternich said . . . ." but "Metternich, the Austrian statesman, said . . . ." ; not "The Factory Act of 1833 . . ." but "The English Factory Act of 1833. . ." In other words, a question about an individual's accomplishments, for example, should start by identifying the person clearly by nationality, status, office and/or abilities before going on to describe his or her involvement in the events suggested by the question. Likewise, a question dealing primarily with an historical event--the origins of a war, for example--should pay close attention to time and geography as well as to the developments (national and international) and personalities that shaped it.
Usually, some, though perhaps insufficient, factual information will be afforded by the assigned reading, but much more will be offered by the lectures which, after all, are intended to be the main student resource for answering questions devised by the lecturer. Hence, take good notes and don't miss class if at all possible.
(d) Analysis & Interpretation: This is perhaps the toughest task; laying out the intentions and purposes behind action and events. You probably will not have read sufficient history at this stage of your studies to offer analytical comments of your own, so you will have to extrude these from the assigned reading and the lectures. You will find that there is usually more than a single reason or purpose behind events or the motivation of the actors in them and your instructor will guide you through that minefield. The course of history is not as clear-cut as the working out of a geometrical theorem. This is not to say, however, that there is not general agreement (by historians, that is) about much of what you will read about in an introductory history class. And, besides, the more controversial opinions are generally reserved for discussion in later elective courses.
(e) Conclusion: So your essay has related three of the 4W's. Now go for the last one and explain the results or consequences, as relevant, of whatever event or circumstance you have described. Only then will the entire essay have the structure and coherence that make for an effective answer. And try to find time to reread (proofread) your work before you hand it in. Don't rush to leave the exam with more than 15 minutes to spare. The extra time can always be well spent in ensuring that the finished product is in the shape you wish it to be--as free as possible of careless errors or illogical thinking.
Final Caveat: Never (I repeat never) present the work of others (i.e., transcription from the textbook or the like) as your own: there is a word for this that is too delicate to mention! The essay should be entirely of your own composition. Even clearly indicated extended quotation from a book is not warranted for an in-class exam. Forewarned is forearmed.
Hint: For writing clearly and effectively in English, you may get all the help any student would possibly want from the Harbrace College Book by Hodges & Whitten. It should be in every student's knapsack.
RETURN TO HOMEPAGE