AGH! Does anyone know how to answer source questions and tricks to essay writing?!?

Question

I'm doing A-Level History, but the marks seem much harder to get...

Answer 1

tips on essay writing
http://www.aucegypt.edu/academic/writers/

tips on answering questions
http://www.schoolhistory.co.uk/studentforum/index.php?showtopic=2731
the web addy here is a forum where you can view other questions like yours here.

Top tips on answering source-based questions on paper 1


What do the examiners mean by some of the terms they use in their instructions to candidates? Here is a quick guide to some of the terms you often see in the exam rubric.


(a) “What does the source tell us / what you can learn from the source?”
These are very often ‘penny points’ style questions. Put simply if there are 3 marks available if you make 3 sensible and accurate deductions on the basis of the information in the source you will get maximum marks.

(b) “Why was a source (often a poster) distributed / published ?”
Explain what the source tells us or shows. Think about the author, for example it might be a propaganda poster and the artists has used different techniques and details to get his message across. You’ll also need to consider who the intended audience was. It might be a poster encouraging women to help with the war effort and so is targeted at a female audience and shows the sort of work they do very positively. Finally, you will probably be expected to use your own knowledge to support your judgements. Make sure you provide plenty of detailed examples of similar campaigns or sources.

(c) “How useful is the source?”
Discuss what the source can tell us about a past event, individual or issue but also consider its limitations. For example if it is a photo, discuss what it shows, but also what it doesn’t show and why the photographer might have edited the image or chosen a particular scene. If it is a cartoon, how might the artist have changed his depiction of the event to suit his audience? When does the source date from? Does the author have a particular motive for describing events in a particular way? All these things can make a source more or less useful to historians, but just because it is from a piece of popular culture e.g. a novel, cartoon strip etc it does not necessarily mean it is useless. Once again you will probably we expected to draw on your own knowledge, to see if that supports the ideas in the source or not. Students who do not use detailed factual knowledge cannot access the highest levels!

(d) “How far to you agree with an interpretation”
Read the captions accompanying this and all the sources very carefully. They provide vital clues that the examiner has deliberately chosen for you. An interpretation is basically someone’s view. You need to discuss who produced the source, their motive for doing so and who they were producing it for. For example, it might be an internal report that was not intended to be published or it could be a history book written by a British author for school children. When you have established the viewpoint, you must once again draw on your own knowledge to decide how accurate the interpretation might be.
http://www.educationuk.org/pls/hot_school/sn_revision.page_pls_revision_detail?x=939025924301&p_rev_id=49
use the above link then click the down arrow to view page 1,2,3, and so on.
Good luck I hope this helps

Answer 2

With source questions it's as simple as looking at the source and saying what you see...of course you have to do this while at the same time showing you have background knowledge of the topic as well...always look for any writtten information in or around the source...sometimes the most important things are just written there for you!...try to answer these questions When is the source from?, Who produced it?, Why was it produced?...also make sure you say something about the tone and language used...for example is it very emotive?...funny? etc

For essay writing...I use a couple of tricks...I extend even the simplest sentences as much as possible to give the essay more bulk...try not to use the same descriptive words more than once (eg if you us ethe word funny...rather than use the word funny again use jocular or humorous)...longer words are preferable as although they dont necessarily show knowledge of the subject it makes you look intelligent =]...the most important thing though is to make sure you answer the question...the number of times i've been asked to write an essay and I've ended up doing a brilliant essay about completely the wrong thing because i didnt focus enough on the question!

Hope this helps :s

Answer 3

make notes from your research,from those notes write a short synopsis, to make sure the questions you have been asked are fulfilled.from that summary enlarge to cover all of the points in detail
back up quotations and references using the Harvard system of cataloguing.
remember every essay is only as good as the research that went before. it should have a beginning a middle and a clear and definable end or conclusion to the research carried out. FL

Answer 4

Most cut and paste from Wiki anyway! Sometimes it's worth thinking about things so you end up writing for a bit. Surely most people come on here to get their teeth into a question they are interested in! I notice that technically you did 5 paragraphs on the evidence for God question tho :)

Answer 5

If you are confused, get the essay writing help UK from a credible and trusted source. Essay writing help offered by genuine experts can be fruitful.

Answer 6

Source questions are easily answered by key word searches in Google. Tricks, be careful about selections for alternative questions and add as much relevant detail as you can to your answer even if it is not specifically asked for in the question.

Answer 7

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Answer 8

Go to your exam board website and look for the subject and syllabus. You should then find guidance on how to approach the course - usually written for teachers, but including the answer to your dilemma