How should a history essay be structured, and how long should it be?

The general structure of a history essay should follow a similar pattern, in that it will start with a brief introduction outlining the general argument of the essay, and then move onto a series of points to consider, and then finish with a concluding statement that reflects your argument. The points to consider could be two points supporting the argument and two points going against the argument, but perhaps a better way of doing it would be to try and split the argument into themes, such as economic, political, social, military, religious and so on.The length of the essay should be tailored to the amount of time allowed to answer a question in an exam, as you do not want to be running out of time in the exam. Depth of argument rather than breadth would also be recommended, so it is often better to write shorter, in depth essays than longer ones.

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Answered by Kit M. History tutor

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