How to write A2 Section B (unit
3) essays
 Worth 40/70 marks for that exam.
 No choice. Question will be on Tudor Rebellions.
 16 marks out of 40 are for recall of knowledge
(AO1)
 24 of the 40 marks are for your analysis and
evaluation of interpretations and representations
from the sources (historians’ accounts)
How will the question be set up?
 2 or 3 extracts from published sources
 You will be given a claim and you have to
make a judgement about it.
 In so doing, you must compare, contrast and
evaluate the views in the sources and
INTEGRATE your own knowledge.
 The exam board recommend spending 20
minutes on reading, choice & planning. 50
minutes is left for writing.
The Markscheme
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Tells you what the examiner is looking for
The best essays will;
Appreciate the full demands of the question
Be written fluently and will be logically structured (AO1)
Integrate wide ranging (eg different rebellions), accurate
& well-selected knowledge with the sources. This
knowledge will be directly relevant to the question (AO1)
 Interpret the sources with confidence and assimilate the
historians’ views. It will also evaluate (make judgements
about) and assess these views (AO2)
 debate the question, writing a sustained argument. It will
also make the judgement explicit in the conclusion.
The Introduction
 Is crucial
 Must impress, not depress, the examiner
 Must assess the topic
 Must outline the key factors you need to
examine before reaching a conclusion
 Must outline any analytical/shades of grey
questions you would need to answer in the
conclusion
Intro; the assessment of the topic
 Choose a quote from one of the secondary
sources, which relates directly to the title
 Historian X therefore believes that …… (relate
to the title). This is clearly in contrast to
Historian Y’s view, who believes that….
 Or, briefly outline the historiography of the issue
 Traditionally, historians have perceived …..
More recently, however, revisionist historians
such as ……. have ……..
Intro; outlining the key factors
 Essentially this lists your paragraph
headings
 (historiography start) In order to ascertain
which is the more accurate view, it is
necessary to examine ………
 (quote start) In order to ascertain the
validity of his/her claim, it is necessary to
consider…………
Intro; asking analytical questions
 The answer is never going to be black and
white
 What does a more in depth answer depend
on?
 Think – time?, ruler, wording in the title?
geography? Nature of people etc.?
 Furthermore, certain questions need to be
borne in mind throughout. For example,…
The Main Body of the Essay
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Have a clear counter and main argument
Never mix them
‘Depends on analysis’ can come in the conclusion
Plan your essay very carefully
Have a set number of paragraph headings. These
will be the aspects outlined in the Intro. (this could
well be CAGE for rebellions on both sides of the
argument).
 Think about the order of the paragraphs
(chronology, links?)
Identifying the counter and main
arguments
 Make it clear to the examiner. For example;
 (CA) It can be argued that…… (relate to
title, and use its words)
 (MA) On the other hand, there is (much)
stronger evidence to presume that….. Again
relate to the title
What’s in a paragraph?
S tatement
E vidence
X planation
The Statement
 Tells the examiner what the aspect is, and
how it answers the question
 For example, ‘Henry’s foreign legacy was
largely negative’
The Evidence
 Remember to use the secondary sources as evidence (
24/40 marks) as well as your own knowledge.
 You must INFER. Only directly quote in brackets to clinch
a point. Make it clear which source you are using, and try
to connect 2 sources from time to time
 For example, ‘ Using source 2, Historian X is of the
opinion that Henry’s religious legacy was problematic
(……..). Try to link sources….’Both sources X and Y
agree that……’ or ‘’Contradicting source Y, source X
suggests that……
 Then use your own knowledge to corroborate or deny
these claims. ‘Indeed, the Pilgrimage of Grace, 1536
…….Remember to carefully select evidence. You do not
need it all
The Explanation
 This does not need to be used all the time
It can be useful, however, to summarise the
argument of a paragraph
 For example, ‘Thus, as the evidence shows,
Henry’s foreign legacy was largely
positive’
The Conclusion
 Should not just summarise
 Should be definite
 Should consider the shades of grey
 Could use a quote which you agree with
How to write the conclusion
 Start with a phrase such as ‘In conclusion’, ….
 Answer the question directly. E.g. ‘Re-phrase the
interpretation to one you completely agree with.
 Explain the main reason why you think this.
 Bring in depends on analysis. E.g. ‘The answer
can, however, never be clear cut, as the nature of
Henry’s legacy depends on…..’ Then you must
explain why.
 Use a quote to corroborate your argument if you
can.