Step by Step Essay Writing Guide
There are two types of essays on the AP exam: DBQs and LEQs
DBQ = Document Based Question
LEQ = Long Essay Question
You have 60 minutes for the DBQ and 40 minutes for the LEQ.
DBQs: MAP OUT YOUR ESSAY AND ANALYZE THE DOCUMENTS IN 15 MINUTES (this leaves you 45 minutes to write)
LEQs: MAP OUT YOUR ESSAY IN NO MORE THAN 5 MINUTES (this leaves you 35 minutes to write)
Here is a step by step guide to writing a DBQ/LEQ
STEP 1: READ AND OUTLINE
1.Underline the question.See if you can write in your own words what you are being asked.
2. Craft a thesis: ANSWER THE QUESTION WITHOUT RESTATING IT!
3. Create an outline. Come up with at least9 historical situations/examplesto support your essay. EVEN IF YOU HAVE A DBQ, YOU SHOULD OUTLINE YOURHISTORICAL SITUATIONS/EXAMPLESBEFORELOOKING OVER THE DOCUMENTS.
4. WITH A DBQ: Read and label/underline the documents and take notes answering the following questions:
Who is the speaker/author?
When was the document written/created?
Who is the intended audience for the document?
What is the point of view of the document?
What was the purpose of the document?
How is the document organized?
Use this handy acronym to help your remember: HIPPO.
HIPPO =Historical context, Intended audience, Point of view, Purpose, Organization
5. Match the documentsto the historical situations/examples you have already come up with. Documents always come in chronological order. Always try to use ALL OF THE DOCUMENTS.
STEP 2: WRITE THE INTRODUCTION
1.Use this acronym to structure your introduction: CAPE
2. CAPE = Context, Answer, Position, Evidence
Sentence 1 = Provide context about the historical period your essay covers
Sentence 2 = Answer the question
Sentence 2 or 3 = Take a position on the issue
Sentence 3 or 4 = List the evidence you are going to use to back up your position
STEP 3: WRITE THE BODY PARAGRAPHS
YOU ONLY NEED 2 OR 3 BODY PARAGRAPHS (it is ok to write a 4 paragraph essay)
1. Start each paragraph with a topic statement with the main idea/argument of the paragraph.
2. Identify the documents that support your topic (you will get 7 documents: try to use ALL of them).
a. Identify the speaker of the document and its title.
b. Using abriefquote, explain what the purpose of the document is and who the audience of the document was.
3. Identify the historical situations that the documents come from. For a regular LEQ, identify the historical situations that support your topic (YOU NEED 9 EXAMPLES/HISTORICAL SITUATIONS IN TOTAL).
STEP 4: WRITE THE CONCLUSION
THIS IS THE LEAST IMPORTANT PART OF THE ESSAY. If you don't get to it, you will only lose, at most, 1 out of 9 points on the actual test.
1. Using different words, re-state your thesis/position in one or two sentences.
2. Connect what you wrote about the historical period to the next historical period in one or two sentences
GENERAL NOTES
Technically, to get the highest possible score, you only need to use 6 documents/historical situations and 1 historical situation that is not connected to a document. So why do I require for this class that you use all 7 documents and provide 2 historical situations of your own?
Grammar and spelling errors are acceptable unless the reader does not understand what you are saying. What you write is viewed as a first-draft.
Still, as you should have already learned in English, there are some things you should never do in a formal essay, period:
DON'T USE PROFANITY/SLANG!
DON'T MAKE "JOKES"!
DON'T USE PRESENT OR FUTURE TENSE!
DON'T USE PERSONAL PRONOUNS!
DON'T ADDRESS THE READER!
DON'T SAY "THIS ESSAY IS ABOUT" OR "THIS PARAGRAPH IS ABOUT"!
DON'T WRITE "ESSAY" OR "TEST" ANYWHERE!
DON'T ASK QUESTIONS!
DON’T USE ABBREVIATIONS (except for the U.S.)
DON’T WRITE FRAGMENTS
DON’T WRITE RUN-ON SENTENCES
DON’T START SENTENCES WITH “WELL,” “BUT,” “AND,” “CAUSE,” “OR,” “WHICH” OR “YES”
Make sure you do the following things:
Include a title
Provide details to support your historical situations/examples: The more details the better! Years/decades and names are necessary to get full points on these.
Here is how you should structure a 5 paragraph essay:
- Introduction
- Historical context
- Thesis Part 1 (answer the question)
- Thesis Part 2 (state your position)
- Evidence (how will you support your position in each of the body paragraphs?)
- Body Paragraph 1
- Topic Statement
- Analysis of Document 1
- Historical Situation 1
- Explanation 1
- Analysis of Document 2
- Historical Situation 2
- Explanation 2
- Analysis of Document 3
- Historical Situation 3
- Explanation 3
- Transition
- Body Paragraph 2
- Topic Statement
- Analysis of Document 1
- Historical Situation 1
- Explanation 1
- Analysis of Document 2
- Historical Situation 2
- Explanation 2
- Analysis of Document 3
- Historical Situation 3
- Explanation 3
- Transition
- Body Paragraph 3
- Topic Statement
- Analysis of Document 1
- Historical Situation 1
- Explanation 1
- Analysis of Document 2
- Historical Situation 2
- Explanation 2
- Analysis of Document 3
- Historical Situation 3
- Explanation 3
- Transition
- Conclusion
- Re-state thesis/position
- Closing Statement
Here is how you should structure a 4 paragraph essay:
- Introduction
- Historical context
- Thesis Part 1 (answer the question)
- Thesis Part 2 (state your position)
- Evidence (how will you support your position in each of the body paragraphs?)
- Body Paragraph 1
- Topic Statement
- Analysis of Document 1
- Historical Situation 1
- Explanation 1
- Analysis of Document 2
- Historical Situation 2
- Explanation 2
- Analysis of Document 3
- Historical Situation 3
- Explanation 3
- Analysis of Document 4
- Historical Situation 4
- Explanation 4
- Analysis of Document 5
- Historical Situation 5
- Explanation 5
- Transition
- Body Paragraph 2
- Topic Statement
- Analysis of Document 1
- Historical Situation 1
- Explanation 1
- Analysis of Document 2
- Historical Situation 2
- Explanation 2
- Analysis of Document 3
- Historical Situation 3
- Explanation 3
- Analysis of Document 4
- Historical Situation 4
- Explanation 4
- Transition
- Conclusion
- Re-state thesis/position
- Closing Statement
Polish’s Essay Grading Rubric
The Introduction:
510152025
Lacks historical contextProvides accurate historical context (5 points)
Lacks a thesisHas a strong, clear thesis that answers the main question (in different words) and takes a position (15 points)
No evidenceProvides evidence that will be used in each of the body paragraphs (5 points)
The Two or Three Body Paragraphs:
0102030405060
Lack topic statementsClearly state the topic in the first sentence (1.5 points)
No historical situations/9 historical situations,
No document analysis in DBQincluding analysis of 7 documents in DBQs (4 points each)
Historical situations unexplainedAll historical situations
explained (2.5 points each)
The Conclusion
12345
Does not re-state thesis inRe-states thesis (answer
different wordsand position) in different words
Lacks a closing statementConnects the topic of the essay with a future period in history
At least one point will automatically be deducted each time you do any of the following things:
Ask questions
Address the reader (“Look at Washington”)
Writing “you,” “I,” “us,” “our” or “we”
Abbreviate words like “can’t,” “govt.” or “don’t”
Use present or future tense to talk about past events
(“Roosevelt will start the war”)
Write “this essay is about” or “this paragraph is about”
Start a sentence with “well,” “but,” “and,” “cause,” “which,” “in which,” “yes,” or
“or”
Repeat a sentence or phrase word-for-word
Start a sentence with a quote
Use slang or curse words (“Germany sucked and their government was b.s.”)
Write sentence fragments (“Although it was a good war”)
Tell a joke
Write run-on sentences (“Roosevelt was a good president he defended the nation”)
Write vague examples (“There was this battle during the war where a lot of people
died”)
Use the words “essay,” “test” or “Polish” in your title