1. Essay Advice – Y12 American War for Independence

2. Planning Short and focused – 25 words max Efficient – 3 minutes
A quick reference to check back on if your brain goes off track
Your conclusion should not be a surprise to you!

3. Introduction Not a page long story about the title
Brief context … then outline where it is heading

4. Rhetorical Questions????
DO NOT include rhetorical questions in your work …
You already have a question to answer … don’t invent new ones!

5. Narrative …
Narrative is important in as much as you need it to display your knowledge …
But do not just tell the story; you must analyse and evaluate what you know …

6. Links …
Try to link your themes together … the end of one paragraph should set up the start of the next one …

7. Balance … not contradiction!
Acknowledging the other side of the argument is ok … but do not argue with yourself
Avoid phrases such as ‘on one hand … but on the other …’ and ‘However, you could also argue that …’

8. Formal … not chatty!
Your essay should be written in a formal, academic style
Avoid ‘conversational’ style and clichés … ‘at the end of the day’, ‘he was having a nightmare’, ‘when it’s all said and one’

9. Firm, supported judgements …
This is YOUR essay … what do you ultimately think?
Avoid ‘some historians may say …’ and ‘it could be said that …’
All judgements must be supported by examples and evidence

10. Answer the Question!
Stay focused on the Q throughout – relate each paragraph back to it and make sure your final conclusion is fully focused on it