How do I structure my A- level History essay?

Don’t overlook structure, a clear and cohesive structure is essential for securing the top marks in any essay. Whether, it be history or a biology essay. Before even starting your essay, planning is a necessity, a comprehensive plan will help with your structure, time management and the cohesiveness of your essay.

Introduction- As they say first impressions count, a clear introduction usually means a clear essay. My history teacher always said that the introduction is like a journey plan, it should mark all the places in which you are going within your essay and where you will end (conclude). Stating your concluding point/ argument/ opinion in your essay is vital for creating a top level essay. However, remember don’t waffle on! You don’t have ample amounts of time in an exam, therefore, the introduction should be brief but clear.

Main body of the essay- Usually, a history essay includes three main paragraphs. To demonstrate to the marker that you are directly answering the question try to refer to the essay title at the beginning of every paragraph in a fitting format. Constantly, ask yourself throughout the essay ‘is this point/ factor/ sentence relevant?’. Including factual information to back up your points is vital to show that you have a clear understanding of the period and question. Also try to include dates when discussing events. Although facts and knowledge of the period are vital, don’t just regurgitate them. Analysis and evaluation of certain events and why they are, say, important (this can change depending on the questions wording and purpose) is also required, for a top level answer. Some questions may require a for and against format, again relate each paragraph to the question and try distance yourself from the side you won’t be concluding as the ‘most important’.

Conclusion- this can often be over looked. However, it is a requirement in the mark scheme and without it you can’t get past band 3! To secure band five the conclusion has to be concise and supported by the rest of your text. In other terms the marker needs to see how you got to this conclusion. You should, therefore include a brief reason as to why you are concluding this. However, don’t introduce any new information! A top level answer should also relate to the final part of your introduction (the part in which it states your journey will end).

I hope this has proved a useful outline, however, if you feel like it doesn’t relate to your question please ask. Not all questions are the same or maybe you just need some help relating your question to my structure advice.