MHS AP U. S. History 1

Lesson 1

Understanding the

Essay Prompt

MHS AP U. S. History 2

All AP essays are written in

response to an essay “prompt.”

Understanding what this

prompt asks you to do is the

first important skill you need

to acquire.

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Sample DBQ prompt:

– How successful was organized labor in improving the position of workers in the period from 1875 to 1900? Analyze the factors that contributed to the level of success achieved.

Sample free response prompt:

– Compare and contrast United States foreign policy after the First World War and after the Second World War. Consider the periods 1919-1928 and 1945-1950.

Here are two examples

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Tip #1

The first thing you need to do is to read the

WHOLE prompt, every word of it. This is

especially true if the prompt is in two sentences

like this one. . .

– How successful was organized labor in improving

the position of workers in the period from 1875 to

1900? Analyze the factors that contributed to the

level of success achieved.

The first mistake that many students make is in

reading and answering only part of the prompt.

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Tip #2

Having read the whole prompt, circle or

underline the VERBS. These words will give

you your task.

– How successful was organized labor in improving

the position of workers in the period from 1875 to

1900? Analyze the factors that contributed to the

level of success achieved.

The important verb, and thus your task, is in

the second sentence: ANALYZE.

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Tip #3

After finding the verbs, look carefully and mark

any CONJUNCTIONS and circle or underline

them. For instance

– Compare and contrast United States foreign policy

after the First World War and after the Second

World War. Consider the periods 1919-1928 and

1945-1950.

You must compare AND contrast these periods

to successfully complete the task. Doing only

one or the other will lower your score.

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Tip #4

Go back and look carefully at the VERB in

the prompt.

This word will tell you what you are

expected to do.

The following is a list of commonly used

verbs and explanations for the tasks they

indicate. These are verbs the College Board

has used recently.

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Commonly used verbs and

verb phrases

Analyze

– Explain how AND why something occurred.

Any question that uses “how” and/or “why” is

an analysis question even if the word “analyze”

is not in the prompt.

Assess the validity

– How true is the statement. The statement

doesn’t have to be all true; it can be true in one

instance or circumstance and false in another.

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Commonly used Verbs

(continued)

Evaluate

– Which factor was most important. You usually

need to rank several events or factors and

specify which is most and which is least

significant.

To what extent

– This prompt frequently requires you to specify

a cause and effect relationship and then state

which causes were more important.

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Commonly used Verbs

(continued)

Compare AND contrast

– To do this correctly you need to discuss BOTH

similarities AND differences between two

events or periods. It is important to both in a

balanced way without shortchanging either.

Discuss or Consider

– These are frequently used in free response

prompts. They should be written as analysis

essays.

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Tip #5

Define any terms in the prompt that you need

to explain.

For instance, a recent essay prompt asked

students to assess the validity of this

statement: “Reform movements in the United

States sought to expand democratic ideals.”

Jot down some “democratic ideals” and be

prepared to explain how they are democratic.

Failing to do this will lower your score.

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Tip #6

Clearly understand the time period in the

prompt.

If the prompt asks you to discuss reform

between 1865 and 1900, you must include

information for the WHOLE time period.

You can help yourself do this by listing

information from the last 10 years of the

time period in the prompt FIRST, then

working backward with your details.

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Tip #7

After you are clear as to your task (analyze, evaluate, etc.) sketch out a quick, informal outline of how you are going to proceed. This is very important to guaranteeing that you cover the whole prompt.

For instance, if you were writing the following prompt. . .

– Compare and contrast United States foreign policy after the First World War and after the Second World War. Consider the periods 1919-1928 and 1945-1950.

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You might jot down a simple “outline” like the one at the right.

You would list things that were similar in BOTH periods,

Then list the differences in BOTH periods.

Your essay would then have either four body paragraphs as indicated by the circles

1919-1928 1945-1950

similarities

differences

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Or you might have two

longer and more

involved paragraphs as

indicated by the two

ovals.

In either case, you

would have organized

your thinking so that

you cover all of the

material you need to

cover to address the

prompt completely.

1919-1928 1945-1950

similarities

differences

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Lesson 1 Summary

Read the WHOLE prompt!

Mark the VERBS and the

CONJUNCTIONS in the prompt.

Think about that verb. What, exactly, are

you being asked to do. Consider the whole

prompt.

ORGANIZE your thinking BEFORE you

begin writing.