The AP US History Writing Process Defined

I. Prewriting

  1. Read the question carefully, rewrite the question, and analyze it
  2. circle, underline key terms
  3. define key terms
  4. think to yourself – “What is this question asking me to do?”
  5. make sure that you know what you are answering before moving on
  6. Brain Barf!
  7. in organized categories (these will be your organizational categories for your body paragraphs)
  8. use logical categories – check if the question provides them for you

(Note: parts C and D are interchangeable depending on how you best reason, inductively or deductively. Deductive reasoners should first do part D while inductive reasoners should first do part C.)

  1. Create a thesis statement – use the exact terms of the question; do not reword or change them
  2. answer/address the question
  3. take a position
  4. establish organizational categories
  5. all three actions should result in a generalization of the trend that all topic sentences have in common as they pertain to the question
  6. Create a topic sentence (first sentence of each body paragraph) for each category in your thesis – again, use the exact terms of the question; do not reword or change them
  7. introduce the topic
  8. answer/address the question
  9. connect to the thesis statement
  10. all three actions should result in a generalization of the trend that all facts within the category have in common as they pertain to the question
  11. Choose three to five pieces of information from the appropriate category of your brain barf that you will use within your body paragraphs to explicitly justify HOW and WHY each piece of factual information answers the question and supports your thesis (don’t forget complexity)
  12. Create an outline – in essence, it is II, below

II. Now, you are ready to write

  1. Introductory paragraph (One paragraph)
  2. background information (three to four sentences)
  3. thesis statement (one to two sentences)
  4. Body (may be two to three paragraphs)
  5. one paragraph per organizational category – each paragraph will have:
  6. topic sentence
  7. factual information from your Brain Barf (should be chronologically sequenced)
  8. each piece of information should be justified – explicitly explain HOW and WHY it answers the question and supports your thesis (this step is essential)
  9. include one to two facts and explain HOW and WHY they are antithetical to show your knowledge of THE COMPLEXITY OF HISTORY (this would also be a good place to possibly cite a famous historian’s work if his thesis is opposite of the position you are trying to prove) DO NOT OVERDEVELOP THIS POSITION
  10. all information in paragraphs should relate back to the thesis; if not the information should not be in your paragraph
  11. Conclusion (One paragraph)
  12. tie topic sentences together
  13. relate topic sentences to the thesis statement/revisit the thesis statement
  14. synthesize your analysis by generalizing the trend that your body paragraphs have proven

III. Post Writing

  1. Proofread your essay – look for:
  2. clarity/understandability
  3. proper punctuation, spelling, usage, grammar, etc. (including capitalization)
  4. make sure your essay makes sense and reads well before turning it in

IV. Remember…

  1. Writing is thinking on paper. It does not matter how well you say nothing, it is still nothing; you must tell the reader something factual and correct in your essay. You must take a position and defend yourself. The only way to do this is to know your topic well!
  2. Stay focused on answering the question. Do not ramble on about insignificant information that the question does not require. To do this, constantly refer back to the terms of the question and your thesis within your essay.
  3. AT…FQ
  4. Always remember to write essays in blue or black ink pen only; no pencil!

The following suggestions should be followed and will result in improved writing:

  1. Avoid the passive voice. Use the active voice. Why? The active voice is less wordy and more informative. There is no doubt about it, active writing is stylistically superior and you should attempt to adopt it in your writing in every class for every paper.

Passive: The ball was hit.

Active: Bill hit the ball.

Passive: The barn was struck by lightning.

Active: Lightning struck the barn.

(Hint: look closely when you see words like was, were,by, etc. Chances are your sentence is passive.)

  1. Write in complete sentences that contain a subject and a predicate, but avoid run-on sentences. Fragments nonacademic. Run-on sentences that begin and then never end or contain any punctuation are the most annoying and bothersome creation that humanity has ever wrought and they should be burned in effigy then tarred and feathered and then finally removed from the English language forever so that the English language is much improved and simplified and so that humanity is less frustrated and there are less wars and people are nicer and trees are saved all while wearing tie-dye shirts and eating granola and wearing Birkenstocks.
  1. Vary the length of your sentences. Too much of a good thing is not always good.
  1. Capitalization, usage, and spelling do create an impression. If necessary, work on it; accepting an inability to improve in this area is not and will not be acceptable. Anyone can improve in this area with some diligence. (A student who does not know the proper usage of they’re, their, and there, is not a good writer.) Learn to harness and master the power of the English language.
  1. Vocabulary is important; use technical language employed by historians. However, do not use words that you do not understand. Strive to develop and use a more formal and impressive vocabulary when you write.
  1. Tense shifts are a problem. You will be writing about events of the past in this class, so my best advice is that you adopt the past tense and maintain it throughout your writing in this class and on the national exam in May.
  1. Avoid the use of indefinite pronouns such as it, they, and he. Identify the subject of your sentence. Instead of writing “He was the first president of the United States,” write “George Washington was the first president of the United States,” or “General Washington was a noble man.” Referring to ANY historical person by his first name is unacceptable. You, nor I for that matter, are on a first name basis with any historical character. When writing and speaking about them, we should show them the respect that they deserve. When referring to the American people, do not refer to us or we; refer to the Americans, or the American people, or the people of the United States.
  1. There is no reason for you interject personal commentary in a historical essay; you are analyzing and synthesizing, stick to factual, objective information when proving your thesis. You do not think or feel. You are writing a factual document that is not contingent upon your feelings or thoughts.
  1. Be aware that good essays use transition words to move from one position to another. Use words like furthermore, moreover, however, etc.
  1. Write all essays in the third person. Avoid works like I, you, our, we, etc.
  1. Do not include directional sentences such as: In this essay, I will…or: In conclusion…