How can I get top marks on a long 8/9 mark question?

These questions are designed to test your ability to describe/explain/compare in detail. Good answers are able to describe or explain generic terms well, but excellent answers will do this with help of a example or case study. 

some tips i was given by my gcse teacher (and some i still use even at degree level) is to know the facts of your case study. put in facts that are unique to that case study. a good way to do this is to include some numbers or statisitcs. people often worry that they can remember the precise numbers so don't put them in at all. what i say, is that as long as you can remember the approximate number then that will be fine. this is because in the real world, the number of deaths from an earthquake, for example, is an estimate as the real number is almost impossible to know in some cases.

so when including facts, make sure they show that you know your case study. don't just write that 'there were many deaths due to an earthquake' instead write that there were at least '1000 deaths due to an earthquake'

including place names is also a good way to get higher marks. 

generally with these questions if you show knowledge of one or more case studies you should get at least 7-9 marks in the answer