Good essay writing skills

for A level learners

By Theresa Shamiso Sibanda
Email address :shamisoblessing@gmail.com
Cell :0774658065
Mount Pleasant high school
Components of an essay
• Introduction
• Body
• Conclusion
Good introduction
• A good introduction is focused.
• What is a focused introduction?
• A focused introduction responds to the
demands of the question.
• This means that it is question focused and not
topic focused.
• Points to be discussed in the body should be
highlighted in your introduction .
• These points should not be explained.
Introduction cont'
• No examples should be found in the introduction.
• No relevant information should be found in the introduction.
• Avoid unnecessary use of flowery language which waste time.
• Nb* Depending with the nature of the question an extent should be
given.
• Eg why was Louis xviii removed from power in 1830. In this case the
extent is not necessary.
• Eg to what extent was the outbreak of the French Revolution due to
French bankruptcy.
• This question requires a candidate to respond with an extent.
• This introduction should be balanced.
• Start with the affirmative side and then move on to the other side.
• Make sure you avoid contradiction in your response.
Body of an essay
• You should use PEEL
• Point
• Explanation
• Examplification
• Linkage
Point
• Your point should respond directly to the question in your
first line.
• Eg what led to napoleon's downfall (25 marks)
• Eg your point is dynastic policy.

• How do you respond directly to the questions.

• Dynastic policy led to Napoleon's downfall.
• Or
• Napoleon downfall was caused by his dynastic policy.
• So first line is introducing the point to be discussed in your
essay. No two points should be found In one paragraph.
Explanation
• You need to expand your point and explain how dynastic policy
contributed to Napoleon Bonaparte downfall.
• Say your point is dynastic policy,
• Explain what is dynastic policy?
• Eg dynastic policy is when napoleon used his brothers sisters and relatives
to rule his foreign empire.
• Why question should be answered?
• He used his relatives to ensure loyalty and to establish napoleonic dynasty
or spread bonapartism.
• How did this lead to his downfall?
• Dynastic policy was not acceptable in some of his territories. They fought
him to end dynastic policy.. At this point you don't give examples you
expand in general.
• Answering how and why questions.
Examplification
• At this point specific examples are required inorder to illustrate your answer
• Eg Napoleon Bonaparte used Joseph Bonaparte to administer Spain. He was
not acceptable to the Spaniards who offered guerrilla warfare. Napoleon
confessed that it is Spanish ulcer that destroyed him
• So in this line specific examples are required.
• Examples can come in form of names, places, statistics, battles, quotations.

• In history unlike in other subjects quoting scholars does not earn you more
marks. You can still get 25/25 without quoting a single scholar.
• *NB
• Unless the question is asking for scholars, then you can quote these scholars
eg

• According to machingaidze
• Bhebe
Linkage
• Link your point to the questions. You are now
concluding your paragraph.
• Use words like
• Hence
• Therefore
• One is influenced to conclude
• Therefore one is influenced to conclude that its
napoleon dynastic policy that led to his
downfall
Conclusion
• Should be short.
• No new points should be introduced in the conclusion.
• No examples should be given as those were discussed in the body.
• Line of argument should not differ from content in the body of the essay.
• Use these words
• To sum up....
• In conclusion....
• In a nutshell......

• NB depending with the nature of the question extent is required

• In conclusion, economic reasons were responsible for the French
Revolution to a greater extent. However the role played by social and
political reasons should not be underestimated.
Affirmative side A
• It is very important everytime to start with the
affirmative side. No matter the affirmative side
is to a lesser extent.

• If you are in the habit of starting with

affirmative side you won't miss it.
• If you ignore the affirmative side the chance are
high of setting and answering your own
questions (disaster)
Examples of affirmative side
• Affirmative side means the given motion or side.
• To what extent was the outbreak of the French
Revolution as a result of kings weaknesses
• So words bolded is your affirmative side then
side B you discuss something else.
• Eg how far was maji maji uprising as a result of
colonial exploitation
• So bolded words becomes your affirmative side
Avoid contradiction
• Having accertained your affirmative side
• Discuss your points on the affirmative side and move to side BB
• .the danger when students shift from the affirmative side to side B, they contradict
tthemselves.
• avoid these words to avoid contradiction
• Did not
• Was not
• Eg the French Revolution was not caused by economic reasons

• Rather say

• Besides economic reasons, the French Revolution was caused by....

• Apart from economic reasons, the French Revolution was cause by

• So you can replace however with apart from or beside...

Avoiding contradiction
• Use these words
• Besides
• Apart from
Balancing of an essay
• Normally students have blinkers. They believe every
essay have two sides.
• Some essays are multi faceted, they have many
sides.
• Eg what led to ndebele shona uprising of 1896/7
• Note this question does not have two sides but multi
faceted
• There are political, economic, social and religious
causes. If you write your essay and discuss political
reasons only, it means your essay is not balanced if
you do not discuss social and political reasons
Balancing of your essay cont'
• Eg why did it take long to end slave trade in west Africa
• Note you haven't been given an affirmative side
• How then do you balance your essay.
• You discuss both external and internal reasons.
• If you write external or internal reasons only it means your
essay is not balanced
• In cases where affirmative is given it is easy.
• Eg "the execution of Louis xvi was Self inflicted" Discuss
(caused his death)
• This has two sides.
• Side A self inflicted
• Side b other reasons
Summary
• In summary
• Your essay should be question focused not
topic focused.
• Avoid irrelevant material
• Avoid repetition of points already discussed in
your essay.
• Be consistently analytical answering how and
why questions
• NB essay should be balanced
The End
• Presentation by Theresa Shamiso Sibanda
• Email address :shamisoblessing@gmail.com
• Cell :0774658065
• Mount Pleasant high school