The essay as a form of testing knowledge is very popular. It helps the teacher to see how the student is able to think systematically and logically. The student, on the other hand, can show his individual experience, his own view of a particular issue.
Do you want to know how to write a history essay for the exam? Don’t understand what its peculiarities and rules of writing are? Experts share the secrets that will help you get the maximum score for the essay.
Features and differences
The opinion of professional writers from Writemypaperbro is that any essay, regardless of the subject, teaches you to think critically, to reason on complex and controversial issues, to characterize phenomena. Regarding history – to reflect on events and reveal the personality of a historical character.
Such creative assignment helps examiners to understand how well a pupil or student knows the subject, whether he or she is able to systematize and analyze the material, whether he or she can write about it freely.
History is not an easy science. It’s just information, and the researcher ponders how it was or how it could have actually been.
Choosing a topic and period
This is the first thing you should do, as the final result depends on a competent choice.
A history essay comes in two types:
- statement-based essay. A simple option for non-core students. You reveal the essence of the quote through the author, write what you think about the issue;
- analysis of a single period. Often found in the examination of students of the relevant specialty. You choose from the proposed more intimate and understandable and reveal it in detail. It can be from the section on world or national history.
Usually quotations are statements of exclusively positive or negative historical characters.
What an essay consists of
Determined with the topic and period? Now detail them: define the specifics, give a characteristic, pick up the facts.
1. The Role of Historical Facts
Be careful, because they come in historical and scientific-historical. The difference is that the former are objective, recorded in time and space. The latter are scientists’ opinions on an event, a conclusion based on a real source.
Getting to the selection of factual material, do not just describe the events, albeit real, but try to choose the most important. They will help to better and faster characterize the selected time.
2. How to Evaluate a Phenomenon?
An example of a proper history essay is an essay with an objective and extended evaluation of the material. This means that you cite at least 2 more points of view and versions of the event.
Examiners give a good mark if they see that the question is disclosed in depth, and the judgments are well-reasoned. Dig into your memory and try to find material to support your thoughts.
3. How to Characterize Personality
If you think that it will be enough just to retell what this or that figure has achieved, you’re wrong. It is important for the checker to see the actor’s role in a particular time and the significance of what he or she accomplished.
Describe the person’s appearance, actions, intellectual capacity, and contradictory nature.
Among other things, a paper that provides a moral characterization of the character is well judged. But make sure it follows logically from the overall thread of the story.
4. The Role of Cause and Effect Relationships
Causal connections are extremely important. Some events become the cause of others. It’s important to be able to see at what point it happens, for what reason, and communicate it clearly to others. This is a serious mental activity.
When writing, you have to consider the chronology and everything that pertains to the chosen era. A clear logical flowchart will form in your mind, and you will be able to link one thing to another.
Be careful and avoid typical mistakes:
- mistakenly singling out primary and secondary causes;
- describing a fact instead of probable cause;
- describing a fact without establishing a cause-and-effect relationship.
When describing an individual, you should mention the specific actions they committed.
- To name more than two events or phenomena that relate to a period;
- Name two individuals and describe their accomplishments;
- Find at least two cause-and-effect relations;
- Evaluate the impact of the highlighted phenomena on the subsequent development of the country and society;
- To use the concepts and terms correctly.
How to write an essay outline correctly?
We recommend the following plan:
- make a brief description of the period you are considering, highlighting the key points;
- fully disclose the first significant fact, revealing its causes and consequences, show which personality it is connected with and how;
- disclose the second significant fact in the above scenario;
- disclose the next significant fact, if there are more than two in the text;
- evaluate the period.
It is obligatory to indicate the causes and outcomes of any action. In this case, the phenomena can be as many as necessary to fully disclose the topic. Do not be lazy, and look for a suitable template on the network.
What are the criteria for evaluating the work?
When evaluating, examiners take into account:
- how many events are mentioned in the selected time period;
- how many personalities were mentioned and to what extent their role is disclosed;
- how many cause-and-effect relations are revealed;
- to what extent the period is evaluated;
- whether and how scientific terminology was used in the text;
- whether there are factual errors in the text.
How to write a paper?
If you have already figured out how to write an essay, but don’t know what to do about the formatting – don’t worry. Here everything is simple, because this type of work is designed in the same way as for the rest of the subjects.
The only difference is in the volume. Usually the text in humanities subjects does not exceed 300 words. But for history this figure is 300-500.
A paper of 200 words or less will not receive high marks. Such a length does not allow for a full disclosure of meaning.