1. Planning an Essay

2. To produce a high quality essay you need to demonstrate your ability:
to understand the precise question
to identify appropriate material to read
to understand and evaluate that material
to select the most relevant material to refer to
to construct an effective argument and arrive at a well-supported conclusion

3. There is no single right way to answer an essay question.

4. To write a good essay you need to:
focus clearly on the question
establish a clear structure with your argument or hypothesis at its core
be analytical and critical as much as possible
make clear conclusions that match your argument and answers the question
reference throughout to tell the reader where your information came from

5. Writing a good essay: 6 steps
Deconstruct/ and closely examine the question
Think. Brainstorm what you know and what you need to know
Read scholarship
Form a hypothesis
PLAN
Write the essay using the notes from your reading and the plan, and reference it.

6. Step 1: Examine the question
Key question types:
1. ‘Was x responsible for y?’
Answers can be:
Yes, it was
It was partly
No it wasn’t
For example ‘Was Germany responsible for the outbreak of war in Europe in 1914?’

7. 2. ‘Did x happen?’
You could argue….
Yes it did
No it didn’t
It did partly but there were other factors
For example: Did German aggression cause WW1?
3. ‘How important was….’ Or ‘To what extent was….’
it was very important because....
or it was important because…, but x was also important because ….
or it wasn’t very important at all because…..
For example: ‘To what extent was Germany responsible for the outbreak of WW1?’

8. ‘Why did x happen?’ ‘ What role did x play in y?’
‘Account for….’
You could argue:
it was due to a combination of factors and outline the main ones
it was due to German aggression and ambition and give examples
it was due to growing nationalism and how and where it was causing tension
For example: Why did war break out in Europe in 1914? What role did Germany paly in the cause of WW1? Account for the outbreak of war in Europe in 1914

9. 5. ‘Quotation: Discuss’
For example: ‘…Germany accepts the responsibility of Germany and her allies for causing all the loss and damage to which the Allied and Associated governments and their nationals have been subjected…’ Article 231 of the Treaty of Versailles, Discuss.
These questions want you to show you understand the quotation and its context, and you must again form a hypothesis to argue whether you agree with the quotation or not.

10. Step 2: Think. Brainstorm
The kinds of things to note briefly are:
What you already know about the topic – from lectures, seminars, general knowledge
Things you don’t know about the topic, but need to find out in order to answer the question
Initial responses or answers to the question – what you think your conclusion might possibly be.

11. Step 3: Read scholarship

12. Step 4: Form a hypothesis
The hypothesis or argument should form the core of your essay, and should be backed up with a reference to scholarship and reading.
In your introduction you should clearly state what you will argue – you should create a road map for the reader of your essay
Make sure your points are consistent with this argument

13. Example: To what extent was Germany responsible for the outbreak of war in 1914?
Hypothesis 1: Germany was totally responsible for WW1
Hypothesis 2: Germany was partially responsible for WW1 but other factors were equally important
Hypothesis 3: Germany have been unfairly blamed for the war as other factors were more important
OR …. Another hypothesis of your own from your reading

14. Step 5: Plan
Why plan?
It makes it much more likely that you will be able to produce a coherent argument.
It enables you to work out a logical structure and an end point for your argument before you start writing
It means you don’t have to do this type of complex thinking at the same time as trying to find the right words to express your ideas.
It helps you to commit yourself to sticking to the point!
Brainstorm all your ideas after your research, then arrange them in three or four groups. Not everything will fit so be prepared to discard some points (you can mention them briefly in your introduction).

15. Step 6: Write it up
…..using your notes from your reading and your plan.