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Skills for answering essays and DBQs
Skills for studying history:

a) Cause and effects
b) comprehensive skills
c) detect bias
d) Comparing skills: find out similarities and differences
e) evaluation and assessment
f) argumentative skills

Skills for answering essay questions

Questions that ask you to remember facts

Key words and phrases:

Define 下定義               Describe 概述            Explain the meaning of 解釋
Outline 簡述                 Give an account of  闡釋           Show 申述
How   怎樣               Trace 追溯         In what ways 如何          What is meant by何謂

What the questions mean:
You may present your answer in a descriptive way
Your answer should be factual and straightforward, stressing cause-and-effect
You should present relevant facts and examples in chronological order
You may also impress the examiner by describing the facts in their order of importance (based on your own judgement)

Questions that ask you to look at an issue from all sides

Key words and phrases:

Discuss    討論                        How far  在什麼程度上              Do you agree 是否同意       
To what extent 在什麼程度上                  Examine探討

What the questions mean:
This kind of question requires a balanced presentation of relevant facts with the emphasis on a particular event, historical figure, crisis, etc.
Other factors, causes and reasons relating to the question (strengths, weaknesses; failure, successes; advantages, drawbacks) should also be mentioned.
You should show the examiner your ability to select and examine the relative importance of each possible factor relating to the question.

Questions that test your understanding

Key words and phrases:

Account for 解釋                      Give reasons for          
Analyse 分析                           What were the reasons
Explain why

What the questions mean:

Your answer should analyze the causes, reasons and factors relating to the question.
You should not just describe the events
using your own judgement, present your reasons or factors in order of importance, starting with the most important.

Questions that ask you to compare things

Key words and phrases:

Compare 比較                                      Compare and contrast比較

What the questions mean:

You should describe two things, bringing out their differences and similarities
You should not present your answer in table form, though you could make a rough table to help you plan your essay
You should not just describe two things, if you do so, you are not comparing them, i.e. you are not answering the question.

 Some useful words and phrases to use in history essays
When you want to list factors/reasons:
     First          Firstly               Last
     Second     Secondly          finally
     next          Thirdly          lastly
When you want to introduce an idea with a paragraph:
     economically               diplomatically             as far as ... is concerned
     socially               internationally     concerned
     politically               culturally          concerning
     internally               religiously          regarding
     domestically               militarily          with regard to
     externally               
When you want to give examples:
     for example          to illustrate          say
     for instance          that is               namely
When you want to give more information about something:
     moreover          in addition to          also
     furthermore          and      
When you want to compare two things:
     both........ and               not only ........ but also          similarly
     in a similar way          like                         
     likewise               similar to
When you want to show contrast between two aspects:
     yet               on the other hand          instead of
     however          on the contrary          unlike
     but               conversely
When you want to show cause and effect:
     accordingly          hence                    so
     thus               because               so that
     therefore          as a result               in order that
When you want to show developmental sequence:
     consequently          then                    at the same time
     eventually          next                    in the long run
     immediately          meanwhile               ultimately
     soon               in the meantime          by the way
When you want to make a conclusion:
     in short          to conclude               it can be concluded that
     all in all          to sum up               in conclusion
     as a conclusion     in brief