how to write an a level history essay introduction

How to Write An A-Level History Essay Structure

A major part of your A-level history coursework includes writing essays. While an essay essentially informs a reader about a certain topic, it is more than just writing all the information. So, examiners, especially during the A-levels, tend to focus on tricky things or skills like how well you have responded to the question, analysed the evidence, and built the arguments.

Unless you are exceptionally blessed, you need time to hone these skills, and poor grades are, thus, common in the beginning. Luckily, these abilities can be learned. Usually, when students struggle with such write-ups, they consider searching online: ‘Can I pay someone to write my essay ?’ to ease their academic burden. However, this guide has discussed some main steps to writing an A-level history essay. These will help you create a high-scoring essay.

Steps to Follow When Writing an A-level History Essay

Here are some crucial steps to writing a history essay:

1. Read the Question Carefully

Some students recite a prepared response without assessing what they are actually writing, resulting in a poorly-graded essay. Therefore, it is crucial to read the question several times to comprehend it. In addition, doing so will help you understand the importance of careful reading and annotation settings, such as identifying potential arguments to support your essay writing.

2. Create an Outline

Make an outline after you’ve finished analysing the essay question. This approach reduces the possibility of error when you hit a major roadblock. Furthermore, it acts as a roadmap when you can’t assemble your ideas in the essay.

The outline helps you brainstorm and comprehend what is essential to mention in your essay. Therefore, it’s a good idea to compile a list of key arguments supporting and refuting your position. You can also take help from A-level history essay examples online to understand how to go about the task. You are now prepared to move towards the introduction.

3. What Should Be in A History Essay Introduction?

You can state your main argument in the essay introduction. This is an exciting approach because it demonstrates you have a strong viewpoint and are willing to argue, focusing on keywords from the beginning. It also reveals to an examiner you have planned your essay, know what you will say, and can back it up with good evidence. However, usually, students don’t know how to start or what should be in a history essay introduction?

Therefore, any write-up introduction is often personalised. You can start with an interesting quote, disagree with the question, define a significant event, or do something else to set the scene, making it compelling. It will also show you have comprehensive knowledge of the subject matter, understand the problems at stake, and how to deal with them. This type of introduction will captivate readers, impress them, and pique their interest.

4. Write Main Body Paragraphs

Now you know what should be in a history essay introduction; it’s time to work on the main body paragraphs. You will support your case in the main body. However, remember you are making arguments, not telling a story.

You’ve already distinguished the keywords in the question. So, now it’s time to put them to use. Each paragraph must reference the keywords in a meaningful way. Be ruthless – you should carefully select only what is required to back up your argument.

5. Conclude Your History Essay

In conclusion, you summarise what you have written in the main body. This is the last thing an examiner reads. A good conclusion can save a bad essay and seal the deal on a good note.

It is the point where you tie the threads of your argument together and hammer home your points, leaving the audience in no doubt about your answer.

You should refer specifically to the question’s keywords and reinforce the points you made in the main body. But, above all, it should not contain anything new and restate your argument.

How to Answer A Source Question In A-Level History?

You might need to write the answer source question in your history essay, but you don’t know how to answer a source question in a-level history, so here are some tips you can keep in mind while writing an answer:

• Indicate how dependable you might expect the source of a particular type of question to be • Avoid using the word ‘biased’ • Indicate the source’s specific purpose • Include information about the author, the audience, or the time • Mention what is exaggerated or omitted, and then return to your question

Thus, following these tips, you will better understand how to answer a source question in a-level history.

A-Level History Essay Examples

Now you know how to work on a history essay.

Here’s a list of A-level history essay example topics you can work on: • The soldiers from India who fought in World War I • The involvement of America in the Korean War • Examples of music created due to political causes • What were the events that led to the Roman Empire’s demise? • The hippie movement of the 1960s • The incidents that led to Saudi Arabia’s emergence • The British music industry’s foray into the US market

These are some topics you can write on. Moreover, if you still feel it’s not easy for you to write A-level history essays, you can always consider taking essay writing services from us to meet your academic requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. how many paragraphs should an a level history essay be.

An A-level history essay should have at least three paragraphs, but four paragraphs are also recommended.

2. How do you write a 20-mark history essay a level?

For writing a 20-marks history A-level essay, you should begin with a brief introduction. So, you should be presenting your thesis statement at this stage. Then, the main body of the argument should follow the pattern of Point, Evidence, and Describe.

Make a point at this stage, back it up with some evidence, and explain what it indicates. You must also evaluate these points to get excellent marks while demonstrating your claim is stronger. Finally, summarise your arguments to conclude, but don’t add new information.

3. How do you write a high school history essay?

Writing a high school history essay requires students to follow essential steps, including:

• Consider the background information that the reader should be aware of in the introductory paragraph • Define any keywords • Assess which ideas will require the cited assistance • Determine how each idea contributes to the main argument • Make a list of key points to go over in the conclusion

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A Level History Essay Structure – A Guide

• Post author By admin
• Post date December 1, 2022
• No Comments on A Level History Essay Structure – A Guide

Getting an A Level History essay structure right is by no means an easy task. In this post we will look at how we can build a structure from which our essay can develop.

Here you can see the most simplified essay structure for tackling A level History essays. All students should be familiar with this structure. We have broken the essay down into an introduction and conclusion as well as 3 separate parts of content. Running through the entire essay at the side is our line of argument. Whilst this may seem fairly simple, many students still fail to adequately follow this structure, when writing essay answers under exam conditions.

The reasons this structure works well is that it enables you to cover 3 different factors of content. These can be aligned 2-1 or 1-2 on either side of the argument. Your essay is now balanced (covering both sides of the argument), whilst at the same time being decisive in terms of your line of argument and judgement. It is also consistent with the amount you can write in the exam time given for (20-25) mark essay questions.

Expanded A level History Essay Structure

Let’s look at an expanded essay structure. Again, we have our introduction and conclusion as well as 3 separate parts of content. Now we can see that we have added whether or not each of our parts of content agrees or disagrees with the question premise. In order to have a balanced essay we can see on this example that; Content 1 agrees, Content 2 disagrees, and Content 3 can go either way. This overall A Level History essay structure ensures a balanced essay that also reaches judgement.

Furthermore, we have now broken down each individual part of Content/Factor. This can be seen as a mini essay in its own right. The Content/Factor is introduced and linked to the question as well as being concluded and linked to the question. Then we write 2 to 3 separate points within the body of the Content/Factor. We have 2 points that agree with the overall argument of this section of content. This strongly backs up our argument.

Then we can also potentially (this doesn’t have to be done always, but when done right creates a more nuanced analysis) add a third point that balances that particular section of content. However, it doesn’t detract from the overall argument of this factor/content. E.g. In the short term ‘point 3’ occurred but of much greater significance was ‘point 1’ and ‘point 2.’

How To Improve Further at A Level History

Pass A Level History – is our sister site, which shows you step by step, how to most effectively answer any A Level History extract, source or essay question. Please click the following link to visit the site and get access to your free preview lesson. www.passalevelhistory.co.uk

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How to structure AQA A-level History Essays

• Dr Janet Rose
• December 14, 2019

For AQA History , at both AS and A level, you need to know how to write two types of essay – a block essay and a point-by-point essay.  To be able to structure AQA history essays you’ll need to know these essay styles and where to use them.

Introductions

You don’t really need an introduction for the source questions.  In the exam you will be pressed for time so it is sensible to just start with your analysis of extract A.  However, for the essay questions you will need a short, clear introduction that references the question and states your line of argument.

The most helpful tip I can give you is this; write the introduction last .  Why do I advise this?  Because if you state your line of argument and what you intend to include, you then have to make sure your whole essay and conclusion matches your introduction.  Obviously you should have a plan to follow but it is far, far easier to write the body of your essay and your conclusion,  then make the introduction fit the essay you have just written.  It makes writing the introduction a breeze because you will know exactly what you have argued, which evidence you have used, the order you have presented your material and what you have concluded.

No Surprises

Remember there should be no surprises for your marker or examiner in history.  You are not writing a best seller where you build up the tension and then do a dramatic ‘ta da’ reveal.  That will only confuse your examiner and lose you marks – potentially a lot of marks.  What we want is a nice, clear format where we can see exactly what you are arguing, exactly what evidence you are using, and exactly what you have concluded.  Importantly, we want to know this at the start of the essay.  If you make your marker or examiner keep stopping, re-reading chunks, and going back and forth to try and understand your argument, you’ll just end up with an unhappy and frustrated reader.  And this is the person who is going to award your marks!  Be clear.  Be concise.  Get to the point quickly.  Give evidence to back up your points.  Reach a judgement.

History Essay: How to write an A-Grade Essay

Block Essays

For AQA you use these for the extract questions; the two sources for AS and the three sources for A level.  You write the essay in blocks of text which are focused on one area.

For the source questions you don’t need to get too clever with hopping back and forth between sources and points. Decide and plan what you need to say and then write it clearly, with a clear assessment of each source, in big chunks of work. Do not worry about an introduction– just get straight into the analysis. First address Source A in a block, then Source B in another block and (for A level) Source C in a final block.

Remember that you need to assess the sources.  Keep doing that all the way through.  Assess each source as you write the block and do a mini summary at the end of each section.   You can then bring the sources together in a very short conclusion at the end (no more than a couple of lines) where you can summarise your convincing/valuable assessment of the sources.  It is very important that you make a clear judgement for each source, as that is what the question asks you to do.

By the way, when we talk about blocks it does not mean you have to cram everything into one enormous paragraph. If you have plenty to say (and hopefully you will) you should use a sensible paragraph structure. The reason it is called a block essay is that you deal with one section completely, in this case each source, before moving on to the next section.

Point-by-point essays

Point-by-Point essays are much trickier to master but are well worth the effort as, done properly, they tend to achieve higher marks. For AQA you can use this style for everything that is not a source question. The key to an excellent point-by-point essay is all in the planning; it will only come out well in the writing if you know exactly what you are going to argue and the order in which you are going to introduce evidence and points. So it is crucial that you make yourself a good plan!

Essentially, all the AQA essay questions at both AS and A level ask you to argue ‘for or against’ a hypothesis. They will look something like this:

‘Victorian governments in the years 1867 to 1886 had little interest in social reform.’ Explain why you agree or disagree with this view.

‘Henry VII had successfully established monarchical authority by 1509.’ Assess the validity of this view.

Your job, therefore, is to find evidence from your course for both sides of the argument i.e. both ‘for’ and ‘against’ the hypothesis. You absolutely must have evidence for both sides – not just one side. The evidence goes down on your plan, divided into ‘for’ and ‘against’ the hypothesis. Whichever side you end with more evidence for, or more convincing evidence for, that is the side you will conclude is most persuasive.

History Exams – How to avoid being narrative

Imagine it like a tennis match

Imagine it like a tennis match, where the ball starts on one side of the tennis court, is played and then sails over to the opposing side.  A point-by-point argument is like this – it is oppositional, with two opposing sides. You should aim to bounce back and forth between the points and the two sides of the argument. Begin with one of the points from your plan, either for or against the hypothesis. Deal with the point in detail, using clear examples as evidence and linking it firmly to the question.  That’s your opening shot.

Next, pop straight over to the opposing view and deal with that point, again using clear examples and linking to the question. Repeat this ‘back and forth’ technique until you have covered all the points and evidence in your plan.

To do this really well it is usually better to put up the side of your argument that you will oppose first. You outline the ‘other’ side of the argument and show that you understand the opposing view. Then you switch over to the other side of the hypothesis, i.e. ‘your’ argument, and use powerful evidence to back it up. Remember this is all about argument and analysis.

Back to our tennis match analogy; the ball is your argument, which bounces back and forth between the players, but you need ‘your’ side to end each point with the big shot – the one that wins the game.

How to use Provenance in History Exams

The Conclusion

You must conclude in line with the most persuasive and convincing evidence you have included in your plan.   This sounds really obvious, but I have lost count of how many A-level history essays I have marked that argue effectively for one point of view, but then conclude in favour of the other side.  The most common reason for this happening is that the student has moved off their plan when writing up the essay.  Follow your plan!

At the end of the essay your conclusion should sum up all the main points of argument and then should reach a judgement.  Don’t sit on the fence, no matter how tempting it is.  You need to make a judgement.  The conclusion should mirror your introduction and the main points of argument in the body of the essay, so the work ends up as a coherent, clear argument from introduction to conclusion.

The point-by-point essay takes practice, so it will help if you can get some feedback from your teacher or tutor, or even a parent who will be able to tell you if your argument is clear and makes sense to the reader. Do persevere, however, because when you get the technique right it will gain you more marks in the end.

Do you need help with History Essays?

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A-Level History 20 Marker Structure: Writing Effective Long Essays

Guide/How-To

A-Level History requires you to write long essays, often worth 20 marks. These essays demand detailed analysis, strong arguments, and a clear structure. This guide will help you structure your essays effectively to maximize your marks.

Introduction

• Hook: Start with a captivating sentence that grabs the reader's attention. This could be a quote, a surprising fact, or a bold statement related to your topic.
• Context: Briefly introduce the historical period and/or the background of the topic.
• Thesis Statement: Clearly state your main argument. This should be a concise and specific answer to the essay question.
• Roadmap: Briefly outline the key points you will be discussing in your essay. This helps the reader understand the direction of your argument.

Body Paragraphs

Each body paragraph should focus on a single point that supports your thesis statement. The typical structure for each paragraph is:

• Topic Sentence: A clear and concise statement introducing the main point of the paragraph.
• Evidence: Provide specific evidence from your sources to support your point. This could include historical facts, quotes, statistics, or examples.
• Analysis: Explain how your evidence relates to your topic sentence and your overall argument. Analyze the significance of the evidence and why it matters.
• Linking Sentence: Connect the paragraph to the next one and smoothly transition to a new idea.

Your conclusion should be a strong and memorable end to your essay. It should:

• Restate your thesis statement: Reiterate your main argument in a clear and concise way.
• Summarize key points: Briefly summarize the main points you have discussed in your essay.
• Offer a final thought: Leave the reader with a lasting impression or a thought-provoking idea related to your topic.

Important Tips

• Plan your essay: Spend time planning before you start writing. Create a rough outline to ensure your argument is logical and well-organized.
• Use strong evidence: Use specific and relevant evidence from your sources to support your claims.
• Analyze, don't just describe: Go beyond merely stating facts. Explain the significance of your evidence and analyze its implications.
• Write in a clear and concise style: Use precise language and avoid jargon or overly complex sentence structures.
• Proofread carefully: Check for any errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

Example Essay Structure

Essay question:.

To what extent was the rise of Adolf Hitler inevitable?

The rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party in Germany during the 1930s remains a significant historical event. While some argue that Hitler's rise was inevitable, a deeper analysis reveals that a complex interplay of factors contributed to his ascent, making the inevitability of his power grab debatable. This essay will explore the various factors that influenced Hitler's rise, including the post-World War I economic crisis, the weaknesses of the Weimar Republic, and the appeal of Nazi ideology to German society, to ultimately argue that his rise was not inevitable but a result of a series of coinciding events.

Body Paragraph 1:

The post-World War I economic crisis played a crucial role in Hitler's ascent. Germany's crippling war debt, hyperinflation, and widespread unemployment created a fertile ground for extremist ideologies. The inability of the Weimar Republic to address these economic woes led to growing public disillusionment and a desire for change.

Body Paragraph 2:

The Weimar Republic itself suffered from inherent weaknesses that made it vulnerable to extremist movements. The lack of a strong executive, the fragmentation of political parties, and the widespread distrust in democratic institutions all contributed to the instability of the republic. This instability allowed Hitler and the Nazis to exploit public anxiety and gain political traction.

Body Paragraph 3:

The appeal of Nazi ideology cannot be ignored. Hitler's charismatic leadership, his promise of national renewal, and his scapegoating of Jews and other minority groups resonated with many Germans who felt marginalized and disaffected. The Nazi party's message of strength, order, and national unity offered a sense of hope and purpose to those who felt disillusioned by the Weimar Republic.

In conclusion, while the post-World War I economic crisis, the weaknesses of the Weimar Republic, and the appeal of Nazi ideology all played significant roles in Hitler's rise, to argue that his ascent was inevitable would be a mischaracterization of the complex historical context. The combination of these factors, coupled with a series of political and social events, created a unique set of circumstances that allowed Hitler to seize power. His rise was not preordained but a result of a convergence of events that could have unfolded differently.

By following this structure and incorporating these tips, you can write effective 20-marker essays that demonstrate your knowledge and analytical skills. Remember, practice makes perfect! The more essays you write, the more confident and skilled you will become in your ability to write compelling and insightful analyses.