Tips for writing for history and APUSH
NOTE: These files pertain to the 2018-2019 version of the AP Exam. Newly modified resources will be coming for the Fall 2019 semester to reflect changes in the College Board program!
General Historical Writing information:
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Short Answer Questions:
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LEQ (Long Essay Question) Information:
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DBQ (Document Based Question) Information:
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Sample Essays:
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LEQ's
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DBQ's
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Thesis Practice: if you're having trouble with your thesis statements, try this tool for practice: http://johnmcgarvey.com/apworld/student/thesiscreator.html
Richardson's writing abbreviations:
AUD – audience can’t be “the American people” – specificity is the soul of narrative!
CAT - categories of argumentation. CAT+ = think bigger with your CAT, e.g. in terms of skill or theme.
Chron - double check your timeline. specific years are generally not required, but order and causation matters.
Con1 - make sure you note when contextualization is in time. Avoid modernity (too dangerous!)
Con2 - must develop relationship of contextualization to your overall argument
Con3 - back up contextualization with SFI
DF - develop further (do you have SFI? do you explain the significance? you're on the right path!)
DNAP - does not address prompt
DNF - does not follow
DQ - don't quote at length - you don't get points for it :)
LnA - "Listing, not Arguing" you’re listing but you should be using this information to form an argument
OOS - out of scope (usually time)
pp - poor phrasing
PCS - Parenthetically Cite Sources. You should use the source in context, then cite at the end. e.g. "Washington's address admonished current and future politicians to avoid political factions (Doc A)." rather than write, "Doc A says..."
POV =/ Summary - POV is not just a summary of the text. POV is about the author's experience, background, and how that shapes their context within the historical situation and viewpoint on the issue at hand.
PTO - use Past Tense Only. No present tense. Pluperfect is fine.
RTA - Return to Argumentation (did you do this at the end of each paragraph?)
SFI1 - You need specific factual information to back up this claim
SFI2 - You need to explain the significance of this information
SFI3 - You need to clearly connect this information to your claim
taut - this is a tautological argument. e.g. "X happened because X happened."
Th1 Thesis must take a position
Th2 Thesis must respond to all parts of prompt
Th3 - argumentation should include a specific counterargument, instead of alluding to a vague, general existence of one
ThP- Thesis should be one clear sentence at end of introduction paragraph
To1 - topic sentence needs to directly reference thesis
To2 - topic sentence lays out what will be discussed, but does not make into argument
To3 - topic sentence needs to directly make clear what will be argued
WDTA - what does this add?
who - who are you talking about? Be specific, especially with regard to subsets of common categories like "Americans"
w/r/t – with respect to
[circled semicolon] - Kurt Vonnegut once wrote a semicolon represents "absolutely nothing. All they do is show you've been to college." Do you really need a semicolon here?
AUD – audience can’t be “the American people” – specificity is the soul of narrative!
CAT - categories of argumentation. CAT+ = think bigger with your CAT, e.g. in terms of skill or theme.
Chron - double check your timeline. specific years are generally not required, but order and causation matters.
Con1 - make sure you note when contextualization is in time. Avoid modernity (too dangerous!)
Con2 - must develop relationship of contextualization to your overall argument
Con3 - back up contextualization with SFI
DF - develop further (do you have SFI? do you explain the significance? you're on the right path!)
DNAP - does not address prompt
DNF - does not follow
DQ - don't quote at length - you don't get points for it :)
LnA - "Listing, not Arguing" you’re listing but you should be using this information to form an argument
OOS - out of scope (usually time)
pp - poor phrasing
PCS - Parenthetically Cite Sources. You should use the source in context, then cite at the end. e.g. "Washington's address admonished current and future politicians to avoid political factions (Doc A)." rather than write, "Doc A says..."
POV =/ Summary - POV is not just a summary of the text. POV is about the author's experience, background, and how that shapes their context within the historical situation and viewpoint on the issue at hand.
PTO - use Past Tense Only. No present tense. Pluperfect is fine.
RTA - Return to Argumentation (did you do this at the end of each paragraph?)
SFI1 - You need specific factual information to back up this claim
SFI2 - You need to explain the significance of this information
SFI3 - You need to clearly connect this information to your claim
taut - this is a tautological argument. e.g. "X happened because X happened."
Th1 Thesis must take a position
Th2 Thesis must respond to all parts of prompt
Th3 - argumentation should include a specific counterargument, instead of alluding to a vague, general existence of one
ThP- Thesis should be one clear sentence at end of introduction paragraph
To1 - topic sentence needs to directly reference thesis
To2 - topic sentence lays out what will be discussed, but does not make into argument
To3 - topic sentence needs to directly make clear what will be argued
WDTA - what does this add?
who - who are you talking about? Be specific, especially with regard to subsets of common categories like "Americans"
w/r/t – with respect to
[circled semicolon] - Kurt Vonnegut once wrote a semicolon represents "absolutely nothing. All they do is show you've been to college." Do you really need a semicolon here?