Mrs. Ruland's Social Studies Page
Hints for Academic Writing
Structure of the Essay
Answer the question! It may seem a bit obvious, but many history essays simply do not answer the question posed.
Introduction. Probably the key to any History Essay. It should state what you will do in the essay. Have a Thesis Statement that directly answers the question. The rest of the introduction should explain what to expect in the coming paragraphs. A strong introduction shows that you already know what you are doing before you start to write.
Body. Here you offer specific historical evidence that supports what you were saying in the introduction. Each new paragraph should have a topic sentence which supports your Thesis Statement. The sentences in the paragraph should then support the paragraph's topic sentence.
Conclusion. DO NOT SKIMP HERE! This is where you quickly remind the reader of the points you have made and how they support your Thesis Statement which answers the Question. This is where you draw your conclusion about the facts presented. A good way to remember how to do a summary is to ask yourself, "So, what was the point I was trying to make."
Facts
Remember that each of the disciplines in the Social Sciences rely on “the weight of evidence.” In other words, an assertion or a point that you make is only true or correct if you provide proof to show that your statement is true.
1. Make sure that you understand the material that you will be using: i.e. get your facts straight
2. Make a list of all the points that are relevant to the question
3. Differentiate between assertions and facts: a fact is a piece of information (which generally is not disputed by scholars); an assertion is your, or another person's, analysis of a fact or a group of facts
4. Decide which are the best points to use: i.e. the ones which support the argument you are making or the development you are explaining.
Tips
An essay with a strong introduction, weak body, and strong conclusion is better than an essay with a weak introduction, an enormous amount of information in the body, and weak conclusion.
Make sure your facts are relevant rather than related. An example: You are trying to explain how to write an essay and start using facts on the manufacture of paper. Now paper is related to an essay (you use it to write on) but it is not relevant to how to write an essay.
Avoid
Unnecessarily flowery language. Use concise language and get to the point.
Irrelevant facts. All facts should directly relate to the points you make.
Strong and highly opinionated statements without adequate factual support.
Dumping huge amounts of information rather than reasoning historically.
Using the first person: avoid "I", "we", "my", "our".
Use of informal language such as “in the day”
Always
Include the ideas, points, or evidence which give, in your opinion, the best and most accurate answer to the question.
Arrange the points in an order which makes logical sense.
Always edit the essay: i.e. check the completed version at least twice; do not just depend on spellcheck..
How Not to Annoy the Grader
Read Mr. Wagenberg’s comments at http://www.mrwagenberg.net/files/throughout_history.pdf
Never open an essay with any version of “this essay will.” Just start the essay and actually do what you were going to tell me that you were going to do.
Never use any version of “as you can clearly see.” Usually this phrase is used in essays that are not at all clear, and it succeeds in only insulting your reader, which is not a good approach.
Never use any version of “without (topic) the world would not be as it is today.” That is a phrase that has no meaning; today’s world is built on everything that has come before. A possible exception to this rule is if you relate your comment to a very specific aspect of the present.
Last updated August 3, 2008
© Marcella Ruland 1998-2009, All rights reserved
