how to answer a long essay question

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How to Write a Good Answer to Exam Essay Questions

Last Updated: July 9, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Tristen Bonacci . Tristen Bonacci is a Licensed English Teacher with more than 20 years of experience. Tristen has taught in both the United States and overseas. She specializes in teaching in a secondary education environment and sharing wisdom with others, no matter the environment. Tristen holds a BA in English Literature from The University of Colorado and an MEd from The University of Phoenix. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 649,739 times.

Answering essay questions on an exam can be difficult and stressful, which can make it hard to provide a good answer. However, you can improve your ability to answer essay questions by learning how to understand the questions, form an answer, and stay focused. Developing your ability to give excellent answers on essay exams will take time and effort, but you can learn some good essay question practices and start improving your answers.

Understanding the Question

Analyze: Explain the what, where, who, when, why, and how. Include pros and cons, strengths and weaknesses, etc.
Compare: Discuss the similarities and differences between two or more things. Don't forget to explain why the comparison is useful.
Contrast: Discuss how two or more things are different or distinguish between them. Don't forget to explain why the contrast is useful.
Define: State what something means, does, achieves, etc.
Describe: List characteristics or traits of something. You may also need to summarize something, such as an essay prompt that asks "Describe the major events that led to the American Revolution."
Discuss: This is more analytical. You usually begin by describing something and then present arguments for or against it. You may need to analyze the advantages or disadvantages of your subject.
Evaluate: Offer the pros and cons, positives and negatives for a subject. You may be asked to evaluate a statement for logical support, or evaluate an argument for weaknesses.
Explain: Explain why or how something happened, or justify your position on something.
Prove: Usually reserved for more scientific or objective essays. You may be asked to include evidence and research to build a case for a specific position or set of hypotheses.
Summarize: Usually, this means to list the major ideas or themes of a subject. It could also ask you to present the main ideas in order to then fully discuss them. Most essay questions will not ask for pure summary without anything else.

Step 3 Ask questions if anything is unclear.

Raise your hand and wait for your teacher to come over to you or approach your teacher’s desk to ask your question. This way you will be less likely to disrupt other test takers.

Forming Your Response

Take a moment to consider your organization before you start writing your answer. What information should come first, second, third, etc.?
In many cases, the traditional 5-paragraph essay structure works well. Start with an introductory paragraph, use 3 paragraphs in the body of the article to explain different points, and finish with a concluding paragraph.
It can also be really helpful to draft a quick outline of your essay before you start writing.

Step 3 Choose relevant facts and figures to include.

You may want to make a list of facts and figures that you want to include in your essay answer. That way you can refer to this list as you write your answer.
It's best to write down all the important key topics or ideas before you get started composing your answer. That way, you can check back to make sure you haven't missed anything.

Step 4 Begin your answer by rephrasing the essay question as a statement.

For example, imagine that your essay question asks: "Should the FIFA World Cup be awarded to countries with human rights violations? Explain and support your answer."
You might restate this as "Countries with human rights violations should not be awarded the FIFA World Cup because this rewards a nation's poor treatment of its citizens." This will be the thesis that you support with examples and explanation.

Step 5 Make sure that your answer has a clear point.

For example, whether you argue that the FIFA World Cup should or should not be awarded to countries with human rights violations, you will want to address the opposing side's argument. However, it needs to be clear where your essay stands about the matter.
Often, essay questions end up saying things along the lines of "There are many similarities and differences between X and Y." This does not offer a clear position and can result in a bad grade.

Step 6 Pay attention to your grammar and punctuation.

If you are required to write your answer by hand, then take care to make your writing legible and neat. Some professors may deduct points if they cannot read what you have written.

Staying Calm and Focused

Step 1 Stop and take a deep breath if you get too anxious.

If you get to a point during the exam where you feel too anxious to focus, put down your pencil (or take your hands off of the keyboard), close your eyes, and take a deep breath. Stretch your arms and imagine that you are somewhere pleasant for a few moments. When you have completed this brief exercise, open up your eyes and resume the exam.

For example, if the exam period is one hour long and you have to answer three questions in that time frame, then you should plan to spend no more than 20 minutes on each question.
Look at the weight of the questions, if applicable. For example, if there are five 10-point short-answers and a 50-point essay, plan to spend more time on the essay because it is worth significantly more. Don't get stuck spending so much time on the short-answers that you don't have time to develop a complex essay.

This strategy is even more important if the exam has multiple essay questions. If you take too much time on the first question, then you may not have enough time to answer the other questions on the exam.

If you feel like you are straying away from the question, reread the question and review any notes that you made to help guide you. After you get refocused, then continue writing your answer.
Try to allow yourself enough time to go back and tighten up connections between your points. A few well-placed transitions can really bump up your grade.

Community Q&A

If you are worried about running out of time, put your watch in front of you where you can see it. Just try not to focus on it too much. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
If you need more practice, make up your own questions or even look at some practice questions online! Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

Tips from our Readers

Look up relevant quotes if your exam is open notes. Use references from books or class to back up your answers.
Make sure your sentences flow together and that you don't repeat the same thing twice!

↑ https://www.linnbenton.edu/student-services/library-tutoring-testing/learning-center/academic-coaching/documents/Strategies%20For%20Answering%20Essay%20Questions.pdf
↑ https://success.uark.edu/get-help/student-resources/short-answer-essays.php

About This Article

To write a good answer to an exam essay question, read the question carefully to find what it's asking, and follow the instructions for the essay closely. Begin your essay by rephrasing the question into a statement with your answer in the statement. Include supplemental facts and figures if necessary, or do textual analysis from a provided piece to support your argument. Make sure your writing is clear and to the point, and don't include extra information unless it supports your argument. For tips from our academic reviewer on understanding essay questions and dealing with testing nerves, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to Answer Essay Questions – The Ultimate Guide

Posted by Brian Stocker MA
Date November 30, 2007
Comments 7 comments

Everyone Loves Essay Questions!

“I hate essays!” This battle cry is famous to most students. That’s because essay questions are either easy or difficult. Either way, there’s no certain formula. Even if you think you know the answer - don’t be overconfident - the critical part is how you make your essay worth reading. So how do you do it?

Audio Version of this Post

Tips for Writing an Essay

Read the question more than once. Some questions can be tricky so make sure you understand it to the letter. A lot of students commit error by simply not reading instructions very well. They read and then write a long essay, only to realize very late that they did not understand the question correctly.

Familiarize yourself with your professor or teacher’s style of organization, if you can. As students, it’s your role to know how your teachers want their essays answered.

Mentally go through your lecture notes before writing anything on your paper.

Create an outline of thoughts and related topics in connection with the essay question. By doing this you are helping yourself create a more organized answer.

Construct an idea in each paragraph. Go back to your essay outline if you think you are repeating yourself or not making sense at all.

Use the terminology of the course . Be professional in knowing what type of words to use in a particular topic or subject.

Read and go back to your previous paragraphs after you are finished with one paragraph. This will help you determine your flow of thought and if you are really making a point or giving an answer.

Don’t include ideas that are off-topic.

If there are too many ideas in your outline , cut out the least important ones. As much as possible, make your idea concrete and pointed, with arguments or statements that is easy to understand.

The body of your essay should have a summary or statement.

Support your summary or statement with adequate details and specifics. If you do not know how to add details, just expand on your generic idea.

Avoid jumping from one point to another.

Avoid vague descriptions if necessary . Include specifics to get your message across.

Review the question again and again so you will not lose your thread of thinking.

If you have time to make revisions, do so.

Use all the time you have to complete your essay. Review and re-check your answers before submitting your paper.

If you have nothing to write and don’t know what to write , don’t leave your paper blank. Write something at least.

Get the Complete Guide to Studying

Get the complete guide to taking notes, taking a test complete guide to multiple choice, essay check list.

Here is a great Checklist for answering Essay Questions from Tennessee State University:

Use the following as a guide when writing answers to discussion questions and as a checklist after you have written your answer.

1. Do I understand the question? What am I being asked to do? 2. Do I have a plan? What are my major points and how am I going to present them? 3. Does the reader know, just from reading the first sentence of my essay, both the question and how I will answer it? 4. Are my major points clear and do they stand out? 5. Do I support my argument with facts and examples? 6. Do I make clear and sensible transitions between major points? 7. Is my answer clear to someone who knows nothing about this? 8. Have I answered the question completely? Have I fully covered all of the major points required to completely answer the question? 9. Is there irrelevant material? 10. Do I have a conclusion and summary statement? 11. Have I proofed my essay for common spelling and grammatical errors? 12. Is my handwriting legible? Is there room for comments or additions?

Glossary of Essay Exam Terms

When taking an exam the first thing you should do is familiarize yourself with all instructions. At times this can be confusing especially if you do not understand the terms. Below you will find some common terms used on essay exams. Learning these terms is a key step in successful completion of most essay exams.

Compare (also Compare with): Discuss the similarities between two or more given subjects.
Contrast: Discuss the differences in two or more given subjects.
Criticize: Explain the value of a finding or theory. Include both negative and positive aspects based on implementation. This could be the ease of which it is applied, examples of false findings, etc…
Define: Describe precisely a term’s meaning as it applies specifically to a given subject.
Describe: Use exact detail to explain a given term. This may call for the use of examples, definitions, or discussion of the term.
Diagram: Use a visual representation of relevant information to explain implementation of a term. This usually calls for an explicit chart or graph which is thoroughly labelled. In some cases it may call for a detailed plan as well.
Discuss: The literal meaning of discuss is talk about. To do this in an exam you must thoroughly explain your subject with words.
Enumerate: Form a list of relevant points and explain each point. This may result in an outline like answer.
Evaluate: Discuss the pros and cons of the application of your given subject from a professional point of view. This differs from criticize because personal opinion should be avoided unless instructions specify otherwise.
Explain: Define the given material and give examples of how and why it is important to the subject.
Illustrate: Use a visual aid or a clearly defined example to explain a given subject.
Interpret: Explain the given question, include you personal feelings on the subject as well as a solution.
Justify: Use factual information to argue you view of the situation presented in a given problem.
List: Brief but thorough list of information that explains the given topic.
Outline: much like writing an outline for a paper. Answer the question by creating an outline that highlights the main ideas and key points of those ideas.
Prove: Discuss the topic in a way that readers are convinced to support or reject the idea discussed. This is done through presentation of facts or the step by step illustration of logical thinking.
Relate: Discuss the connection between two or more events, people, problems, etc…
Review: Close examination of a problem accompanied by brief comments that explain the main points.
State (also Give, Specify, or Present): Explain the major points of a subject in brief for. There is typically no need for further explanation.
Summarize: Create a brief description that highlights the major points of your subject.
Trace: Explain the progress of the given subject from conception to current date. Highlight anything that is considered a major topic as well as the reason for any changes.

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Every thing was educational. Had a good feeling on how to deliver good papers.

Please no pictures.

This is a great tool for us.

i learned a lot – – super

I still hate essays tho

I am a big fan.

Above all are logically important and desirably topics which is value for everyone,thanks.

Top tips and golden rules

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been told to ‘write the question at the top of every new page’- but for some reason, that trick simply doesn’t work for me. If it doesn’t work for you either, use this three-part process to allow the question to structure your essay:

1) Work out exactly what you’re being asked

It sounds really obvious, but lots of students have trouble answering questions because they don’t take time to figure out exactly what they’re expected to do – instead, they skim-read and then write the essay they want to write. Sussing out a question is a two-part process, and the first part is easy. It means looking at the directions the question provides as to what sort of essay you’re going to write. I call these ‘command phrases’ and will go into more detail about what they mean below. The second part involves identifying key words and phrases.

2) Be as explicit as possible

Use forceful, persuasive language to show how the points you’ve made do answer the question. My main focus so far has been on tangential or irrelevant material – but many students lose marks even though they make great points, because they don’t quite impress how relevant those points are. Again, I’ll talk about how you can do this below.

3) Be brutally honest with yourself about whether a point is relevant before you write it.

It doesn’t matter how impressive, original or interesting it is. It doesn’t matter if you’re panicking, and you can’t think of any points that do answer the question. If a point isn’t relevant, don’t bother with it. It’s a waste of time, and might actually work against you- if you put tangential material in an essay, your reader will struggle to follow the thread of your argument, and lose focus on your really good points.

Put it into action: Step One

Let’s imagine you’re writing an English essay about the role and importance of the three witches in Macbeth . You’re thinking about the different ways in which Shakespeare imagines and presents the witches, how they influence the action of the tragedy, and perhaps the extent to which we’re supposed to believe in them (stay with me – you don’t have to know a single thing about Shakespeare or Macbeth to understand this bit!). Now, you’ll probably have a few good ideas on this topic – and whatever essay you write, you’ll most likely use much of the same material. However, the detail of the phrasing of the question will significantly affect the way you write your essay. You would draw on similar material to address the following questions: Discuss Shakespeare’s representation of the three witches in Macbeth . How does Shakespeare figure the supernatural in Macbeth ? To what extent are the three witches responsible for Macbeth’s tragic downfall? Evaluate the importance of the three witches in bringing about Macbeth’s ruin. Are we supposed to believe in the three witches in Macbeth ? “Within Macbeth ’s representation of the witches, there is profound ambiguity about the actual significance and power of their malevolent intervention” (Stephen Greenblatt). Discuss. I’ve organised the examples into three groups, exemplifying the different types of questions you might have to answer in an exam. The first group are pretty open-ended: ‘discuss’- and ‘how’-questions leave you room to set the scope of the essay. You can decide what the focus should be. Beware, though – this doesn’t mean you don’t need a sturdy structure, or a clear argument, both of which should always be present in an essay. The second group are asking you to evaluate, constructing an argument that decides whether, and how far something is true. Good examples of hypotheses (which your essay would set out to prove) for these questions are:

The witches are the most important cause of tragic action in Macbeth.
The witches are partially, but not entirely responsible for Macbeth’s downfall, alongside Macbeth’s unbridled ambition, and that of his wife.
We are not supposed to believe the witches: they are a product of Macbeth’s psyche, and his downfall is his own doing.
The witches’ role in Macbeth’s downfall is deliberately unclear. Their claim to reality is shaky – finally, their ambiguity is part of an uncertain tragic universe and the great illusion of the theatre. (N.B. It’s fine to conclude that a question can’t be answered in black and white, certain terms – as long as you have a firm structure, and keep referring back to it throughout the essay).

The final question asks you to respond to a quotation. Students tend to find these sorts of questions the most difficult to answer, but once you’ve got the hang of them I think the title does most of the work for you – often implicitly providing you with a structure for your essay. The first step is breaking down the quotation into its constituent parts- the different things it says. I use brackets: ( Within Macbeth ’s representation of the witches, ) ( there is profound ambiguity ) about the ( actual significance ) ( and power ) of ( their malevolent intervention ) Examiners have a nasty habit of picking the most bewildering and terrifying-sounding quotations: but once you break them down, they’re often asking for something very simple. This quotation, for example, is asking exactly the same thing as the other questions. The trick here is making sure you respond to all the different parts. You want to make sure you discuss the following:

Do you agree that the status of the witches’ ‘malevolent intervention’ is ambiguous?
What is its significance?
How powerful is it?

Step Two: Plan

Having worked out exactly what the question is asking, write out a plan (which should be very detailed in a coursework essay, but doesn’t have to be more than a few lines long in an exam context) of the material you’ll use in each paragraph. Make sure your plan contains a sentence at the end of each point about how that point will answer the question. A point from my plan for one of the topics above might look something like this:

To what extent are we supposed to believe in the three witches in Macbeth ? Hypothesis: The witches’ role in Macbeth’s downfall is deliberately unclear. Their claim to reality is uncertain – finally, they’re part of an uncertain tragic universe and the great illusion of the theatre. Para.1: Context At the time Shakespeare wrote Macbeth , there were many examples of people being burned or drowned as witches There were also people who claimed to be able to exorcise evil demons from people who were ‘possessed’. Catholic Christianity leaves much room for the supernatural to exist This suggests that Shakespeare’s contemporary audience might, more readily than a modern one, have believed that witches were a real phenomenon and did exist.

My final sentence (highlighted in red) shows how the material discussed in the paragraph answers the question. Writing this out at the planning stage, in addition to clarifying your ideas, is a great test of whether a point is relevant: if you struggle to write the sentence, and make the connection to the question and larger argument, you might have gone off-topic.

Step Three: Paragraph beginnings and endings

The final step to making sure you pick up all the possible marks for ‘answering the question’ in an essay is ensuring that you make it explicit how your material does so. This bit relies upon getting the beginnings and endings of paragraphs just right. To reiterate what I said above, treat your reader like a child: tell them what you’re going to say; tell them how it answers the question; say it, and then tell them how you’ve answered the question. This need not feel clumsy, awkward or repetitive. The first sentence of each new paragraph or point should, without giving too much of your conclusion away, establish what you’re going to discuss, and how it answers the question. The opening sentence from the paragraph I planned above might go something like this:

Early modern political and religious contexts suggest that Shakespeare’s contemporary audience might more readily have believed in witches than his modern readers.

The sentence establishes that I’m going to discuss Jacobean religion and witch-burnings, and also what I’m going to use those contexts to show. I’d then slot in all my facts and examples in the middle of the paragraph. The final sentence (or few sentences) should be strong and decisive, making a clear connection to the question you’ve been asked:

Contemporary suspicion that witches did exist, testified to by witch-hunts and exorcisms, is crucial to our understanding of the witches in Macbeth. To the early modern consciousness, witches were a distinctly real and dangerous possibility – and the witches in the play would have seemed all-the-more potent and terrifying as a result.

Step Four: Practice makes perfect

The best way to get really good at making sure you always ‘answer the question’ is to write essay plans rather than whole pieces. Set aside a few hours, choose a couple of essay questions from past papers, and for each:

Write a hypothesis
Write a rough plan of what each paragraph will contain
Write out the first and last sentence of each paragraph

You can get your teacher, or a friend, to look through your plans and give you feedback. If you follow this advice, fingers crossed, next time you hand in an essay, it’ll be free from red-inked comments about irrelevance, and instead showered with praise for the precision with which you handled the topic, and how intently you focused on answering the question. It can seem depressing when your perfect question is just a minor tangent from the question you were actually asked, but trust me – high praise and good marks are all found in answering the question in front of you, not the one you would have liked to see. Teachers do choose the questions they set you with some care, after all; chances are the question you were set is the more illuminating and rewarding one as well.

Image credits: banner ; Keats ; Macbeth ; James I ; witches .

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Student Advice

Exam Prep: Essay Writing Tips for Long Answer Questions

A new year has begun. With the holidays over, it’s time to return to the flow of work and school. You may have already listed all the upcoming assignments and exams to study for. Hopefully, you’re getting a head start on studying. For many students at the University of Toronto, courses that require extensive writing can be a source of stress. This is especially true during exams that will require you to structure all of your thoughts effectively under the pressure of limited minutes! Long answer questions that ask for a lengthy response can be intimidating, but there are ways to approach them effectively and squish those fears.

Here are a few writing tips that will help you organize your work and write a good essay (even under the extreme pressure of the clock ticking):

The most daunting task of long answer questions is not knowing how to begin an academic essay..

You may be fixated on perfecting your work within the first few sentences. While this is admirable, it may hold you back. This also factors in the stress of writing an essay. On an exam, you might not know what to expect (unless the professor gives major hints before the exam day). You usually have to start writing based on memorization. There is not much time to fixate on every superficial detail. Therefore, it is important to begin writing and let it flow.

How to practice this:

Pick any topic and start writing about it for fifteen minutes. Better yet, choose a relevant topic to the course you’re studying for and start writing about it as you would on an exam. It may also prompt you to research the topic in detail beforehand so you can absorb the information and test your knowledge. Do not focus on perfecting each sentence. Basically, this practice will help you clarify your thoughts and point out the inconsistencies. When you’re done writing the topic you selected, you can rearrange or change certain things. Maybe you forgot an important word or you were repetitive. As long as you jump over the hurdle of worrying and start writing, you help yourself understand your own thinking and discover what’s missing.

Get feedback from somebody other than yourself.

Please be mindful of who you select for providing feedback. Some people may not give you the full unvarnished truth. You should aim to receive feedback that is constructive and, at best, professional. This will assist you greatly in answering long answer questions. The University of Toronto has various options available such as writing instructors, workshops, and general advice (many of which are available at http://advice.writing.utoronto.ca ). Everything from annotated bibliographies to writer’s block is discussed. Additionally, there is always someone available to assist in organizing your writing. Remember to cultivate a network of people you can trust to give you proper constructive feedback.

Review the first round of feedback.

More importantly, read your essay out loud . Reading out loud will assist you in identifying good rhythm in your writing. Ask yourself if your writing flows logically. Or whether it jumps from one point to another — missing important information (or citations). Some final exams do not require proper citation, however, remembering authors may help you memorize important points on-the-spot and incorporate them into long answer questions effectively. After re-writing your work, you might have to re-write it again. As you practice, you become better at quickly curating a focus and rhythm, which will help you write a good response for long answer questions.

Practice reading comprehension to become a better writer.

Good flow with comprehension and structure alleviates any stress as you write your essay. You have to want to become comfortable with translating your thoughts into words. Reading comprehension, alongside daily writing practice, will assist you in developing focus and continuity of thought. This is very important to keep in mind as you structure your essays.

Best of luck as you write those exams this year!

Published on January 17, 2020

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Answering Assignment Questions

In order to decide how to answer an essay question, you need to identify what the question requires in terms of content and genre. This guide outlines some methods to help you analyse essay questions.

Analyse the question using key words

Assignment questions can be broken down into parts so that you can better understand what you are being asked to do. It is important to identify key words and phrases in the topic.

What are key words?

Key words are the words in an assignment question that tell you the approaches to take when you answer.

Diagram of task words in assignment questions

Make sure you understand the meaning of key words in an essay question, especially t ask words . As Task words are verbs that direct you and tell you how to go about answering a question, understanding the meaning helps you know exactly what you to do.

Content words tell you what the topic area(s) of your assignment are and take you halfway towards narrowing down your material and selecting your answer. Content words help you to focus your research and reading on the correct area.

Limiting words make a broad topic workable. They focus the topic area further by indicating aspects you should narrowly concentrate on.

If you're not sure about any aspect of the question, ask your tutor/lecturer for clarification. Never start any assignment until you know and understand exactly what you are being asked to do.

How to use key words

Look for the keywords in your essay question.
Underline them.
Spend a little time working out what they mean. Use the Glossary of task words to help you.

Example Question

Computers have had a significant impact on education in the 20th century. Discuss the changes they have made.

DISCUSS. Look up the meaning in the glossary of task words to find out what it means.

(See Glossary of task words )

Content Words

EDUCATION, COMPUTERS. Content words help you to direct your research and reading towards the correct area(s), in this case on computers and on education.

Limiting Words

CHANGES, SIGNIFICANT IMPACT, 20TH CENTURY. Limiting words further define the topic area and indicate aspects you should narrowly concentrate on. For example, in this question, do not just write about computers in education, Discuss the SIGNIFICANT IMPACT they have had and the CHANGES computers have made to education during a certain time: the 20TH CENTURY.

See next: Implied or complex questions

Essay and assignment writing guide.

Essay writing basics
Essay and assignment planning
Complex assignment questions
Glossary of task words
Editing checklist
Writing a critical review
Annotated bibliography
Reflective writing
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Answering Essay Questions

How to Answer Essay Questions on an Exam

By: Angelina Grin

From high school English comprehension exams all the way up to college entrance exams and the GRE, essay questions are a mainstay. They can be broadly broken down into four categories: factual recall, analysis, synthesis, and opinion.

Understanding the Question

Identify the question category, writing your response, check yourself, short answer examples, how to answer long essay questions, tips on how to answer an essay question.

How can you spot a good essay question?
Why do students find essay questions challenging?
What is the #1 takeaway for answering these questions?
How can I write better answers?

You have one hour to respond to as many as five different short essay questions, each of which requires you to write a paragraph. Writing an essay requires you to break it up into several paragraphs. Within the allotted time, you might be asked to compose just one extended essay , or maybe even two of them.

In this article, we will show you how to answer essay-style exam questions.

What are the Steps for Answering Essay Questions Properly?

There are four basic steps you need to focus on.

You are strapped for time in every exam but understanding the question is the most important part. If you cannot understand what it is that you need to do, you will write a quality answer, no doubt, but it will be misguided and wrong, and you will have wasted all that time, resulting in poor test scores. Therefore, to save time in the long run, you have to understand what relevant facts are being asked of you before you commit to a course of action.

The strategy is to begin the exam by answering essay questions. You'll save time by dealing with the most stressful issue first. You should also pay particular attention to the questions themselves: read them 2-3 times to properly comprehend what they are asking of you, paying special attention to the verbs, and ask the examiner before the test begins if you have any doubts or confusions. It will also make answering the question much easier if you underline or highlight the essential terms inside it.

Speaking of relevant terms, that is what we will talk about next.

Essay questions typically include a list of specific keywords that teachers and professors want students to focus on when composing their responses. For instance, an essay question that asks you to "describe" an issue will be different from an essay question that asks you to "argue" a position. Both of these types of questions are part of an essay. When you read an essay question, it is imperative that you locate and identify the corresponding keyword. The following are some of the most frequently used keywords:

To analyze something means to explain its what, where, who, when, why, and how components. Include a summary of the benefits and drawbacks, the positives and negatives, etc.
Compare means to talk about the parallels and dissimilarities that exist between two or more things. Remember to explain why the comparison is helpful in your response.
To contrast is to discuss the ways in which two or more things are different from one another or to differentiate between them. Be sure to include an explanation of why the contrast is helpful.
Define means to state what something is, what it does, what it accomplishes, etc.
Describe means to enumerate the qualities or characteristics of something. It's possible that you'll also need to summarize something, such as an essay prompt that asks you to "Describe the major events that led up to the Civil War."
"Discuss" calls for a more analytical approach. In most cases, you start by describing the topic at hand, and then you move on to presenting either pro or con arguments. You might need to conduct an analysis of the benefits or drawbacks associated with your topic.
To evaluate something means to present both the advantages and disadvantages, the perks and drawbacks of a topic. You might be asked to analyze a claim to determine whether it is supported by logic or an argument to determine whether it has any flaws.
To justify your position means to explain why or how something occurred or by explaining why you hold a particular opinion.
"Prove" is typically saved for essays that are more scientific or objective. In order to build a case for a particular position or set of hypotheses, you might be asked to include evidence and research in your argument.
To list the most important ideas or themes of a topic is typically what is meant when the term "summarize" is used. It is also possible that you will be asked to present the main ideas and thoroughly discuss them. The vast majority of questions will not ask for a straightforward summary with nothing else attached.


	Name, list, state, summarize, define	Refer to the essay or your notes and write about what instructors want you to do. Stick to facts. Do not venture opinions.
	Explain, discuss	You will have to write descriptively about what they want. Refer to causes and effects and use comparisons to drive your point. Do not venture opinions.
	Analyze, evaluate, explain, illustrate, justify	Think about how you can apply things you learned in class to write answers like these. They should be relevant to the subject matter for you to draw from them. Do not venture opinions.
	What do you think about…?	Venture all the opinions you want, but you will have to strive to prove your outlook with evidence and critical thinking. You will have to persuade the readers to accept your line of thinking.

Okay, now you have a grasp on what the question demands from you. That’s great. The next step involves writing your answer. How to structure answers to essay questions? Let’s find out.

In most cases, sticking to the usual five-paragraph formula will work. This consists of an introductory paragraph, up to three body paragraphs, and a final paragraph where you summarize your arguments and conclude your answer.

There is no universally applicable standard for how to answer essay-type exam questions in college or university. One thing is certain, though: your introductory paragraph has to make a strong impact. It's the first thing people will read, so if it doesn't hook them, the rest of the essay better be excellent. It needs to be competent, at the very least. The introduction should take up about 10% of the total number of words in the essay. If you write a 1500-word essay, for instance, your introduction will be about 150 words.

The body of the essay will nearly write itself once you have a plan in place. All that's left to do is fill in the main ideas. Now that you know what they are, it's time to employ the key terms you found in the question. In order for the text to make sense, each paragraph needs to make some sort of connection back to the topic sentence. You will have access to far more data than is actually useful, so write only that which is absolutely necessary. Avoid fluff. You want to be comprehensive but not at the cost of putting your professor to sleep.

In the concluding paragraph of your essay, you will restate your main points. It is crucial, so make sure to always include one. The examiner will spend the least amount of time on this section, but it will have the greatest impact on the final grade.

You should restate the primary points you made and make direct reference to the question's keywords. The most important thing is that it doesn't add anything to what you've already said. It's too late to say anything else that hasn't already been said.

Following this structure for your essay answers is a good way to learn how to write a paper to answer a bunch of questions essay.

Even with the essay questions answered, you’re not finished yet. When you’re done with your essay answer, give yourself some time to go through what you wrote. No matter how carefully you craft the answer in your head and how quickly you write it, you are bound to make some spelling errors. Even if you go through it and find that you didn’t make any, you can now be sure that you didn’t! That in itself is worth the time to go through and proofread your well-rounded essay.

In this section, we will talk about answering multiple questions in essay format examples. By studying these illustrations, we will see how and why they work.

: Rain, snow, or fog with a pH lower than that of uncontaminated rain is acid precipitation.

: This is how to answer a what essay question. Short and to the point, this answer works because it answers the question asked and gives just as much information as requested.

: The dominant usage of brass and piano in jazz, as opposed to drums in reggae, is a big reason why jazz is my preferred musical genre. Moreover, I favor the calmer Jazz rhythms over the lively Reggae beats.

: This answer is a perfect example of how to create an essay answering questions because it gives a clear, personal preference, along with a reason, while also describing the main features of both.

: Debt securities issued by a company or government are called bonds. Shares of stock represent a fractional piece of an organization's overall ownership.

: This is a question that asks us to compare two things, and the answer does this by telling us what each item is. If you want to know how to answer a how and why essay question, you can hardly do better than this.

: According to the law of demand, the demand for a good or service falls when its price goes up and rises when the price goes down. Contrarily, the law of supply states that when prices are high, more of a given economic good is produced, whereas when prices are low, fewer of the same are produced.

: The question asks for two items to be defined, and that is exactly what the answer provides, making it a model for how to answer an essay question.

: The mountain ranges along the west coast of North America were formed as a result of the collision of the North American and Pacific crustal plates. Many of the earthquakes that have shaken California in recent years have their origins in the ongoing friction between two tectonic plates.

: Questions related to history usually require context but this one is very to the point and so the answer follows the same theme. It is crisp and brief but doesn’t seem incomplete.

Hopefully, by reviewing these short essay question examples, you now have a better grasp on how you want to do things. These are the kinds of answers admissions officers look at on personal statements when you apply to graduate school.

In this section, we will take two essay answers that are on the longer side and dissect them. We will discuss what makes them good, and why you should try to model your style after them if you can.

Encoding, storing, and retrieving information are the three fundamental activities that take place in memory. The process of encoding entails utilizing aural, visual, or semantic codes in order to assist in the storage of an item in memory. The process of storing anything involves keeping the item in memory utilizing either episodic, procedural, or semantic forms of long-term memory. The retrieval process includes locating the thing in memory and bringing it back to consciousness through the use of recall or recognition.

: This answer works because it answers the question succinctly but doesn't skimp out on detail. Had the question asked you to name the three processes and leave it at that, the first sentence would have been enough. However, the question goes on to ask about the definition of each, which the answer provides. The answer also has proper grammar and spelling and doesn’t take long to read. These are all bonuses that make this answer such a good example of how to respond to essay questions.

Understanding human perception can be approached from one of three perspectives: the computational approach, the constructivist approach, or the ecological approach. Researchers in psychology who take a computational approach aim to figure out what kind of calculations a computer would need to make in order to solve perceptual difficulties. They hope that by using computers to simulate these computations, they can learn more about the processes by which animals and humans create mental models from sensory input.

Much of what we know about how people perceive things comes from two older but still relevant perspectives: the constructivist and ecological approaches. Both the constructivist and ecological approaches place an emphasis on the information provided by the environment, but the constructivist approach places a greater emphasis on the theory that perception is strongly influenced by expectations and inferences built on past experiences, i.e. prior knowledge.

: This answer is a bit longer than the last one but still a very good example of how to outline answering essay questions. We begin the text with some contextual information leading us into the matter at hand. It is a somewhat specialized subject and so the answer needs to approach this steadily as well. The arbiter uses the first paragraph to set up the scene and then uses the second paragraph to furnish us with the relevant facts. It’s a straight one-two approach that is very effective and well-liked by teachers.

The writer also writes about complex topics in a simple manner, ensuring that all those who read it, whether they know the subject or not, understand what is being said. This is an extremely important aspect that is often overlooked. It is easy to fill an answer with jargon to make it seem smart, but it is far more effective to express ideas in a simple way.

There are a lot of things you can do to improve the essay answers you write. In this section, we will discuss the top five things you can and should do in order to write better answers for your tests.

To begin an essay prompt response, you should try restating the question as a statement. To show that you have read and comprehend the question, you should begin your essay with an introduction like this. Changing the wording of the question forces you to focus on answering that specific question from the get-go. Take the following as an example of a potential question: "Should drugs be made available for recreational use? Defend your position by providing examples and explanations." You may rephrase that as "Recreational drug usage should be legalized." This is the main argument that you'll elaborate on and provide evidence for.
In a compare and contrast essay, you still need to have a strong thesis statement. If you're arguing for or against legalizing recreational drugs, for instance, you need to answer the other side's position. However, your essay's position on the issue must be made clear. There are many parallels and contrasts between X and Y, which is a common theme in essay prompts. There is no distinct position presented, which can lead to a low grade.
Bad punctuation, sentence structure, and poor grammar might lower an otherwise good grade on an essay question. There might not be time to go back and fix your grammar and punctuation, so make an effort to do it as you write. It's always a good idea to check what you've written if you find yourself with some extra time. If you need to write your response down, make sure it is easy to read. If your professor has trouble understanding what you've written, they may reduce your grade.
Keep in mind that your thesis statement should be an answer to the issue that was posed, and that everything you say should support that simple statement. In a formal essay, you can afford to let your thoughts wander, but in an essay exam, you must respond directly to the prompt. If you don't include everything that's needed, you risk giving irrelevant details and getting fewer points. If you find yourself wandering away from the question, go back and read it, as well as any notes you may have made. After refocusing, proceed with the rest of your response.
An excellent response to an essay question demonstrates your understanding of the topic at hand and provides a pertinent answer. Think about how you can use the information you've gathered in your research to come up with the most effective strategy for achieving this objective without overanalyzing. You might find it helpful to compile a list of the information you intend to include in your essay response. As you compose your response, you can then consult this checklist. Before you begin preparing your answer, it's a good idea to make a list of all the major points you want to make. In this method, you may double-check your work and make sure nothing important was overlooked.

Following these five tips will have shown you how to answer essay questions but they will also improve the overall quality of your test-taking experience as well. You should put these into practice when you take timed mock tests at home to prepare for the exam . The more you write essays, the better position you will be in when the date for the actual test rolls around.

How can you spot a good essay question? 🔥

You can tell whether most essay questions are good just by reading them. It will be clear about what it wants and to the point.

Why do students find essay questions challenging? 😓

Time management. Reading the essay, noting information, understanding the question–all of these take time, and that makes it tough for middle school students to master and leads to a desire for essay question help.

What is the #1 takeaway for answering these questions? 🥇

Answering questions in essay form can be hard. The main thing you need to do is understand what the question wants. Once you get that, it’s only a matter of writing it down. So give yourself some time while you read it to understand it effectively.

How can I write better answers? ✏️

The key to answering essay questions is to think fast and write fast. You have to recall the main topic from the passage and apply it quickly. And you also have to give yourself enough time to check your answer for errors afterward.

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Writing short and long answer essay questions

As the Fall term is nearing its end and everyone is nose deep in assignments and projects, final exams are the last thing on students’ minds. But nevertheless, these exams are coming and preparing for them sooner rather than later will reduce much unneeded stress and potential white hairs.

There are many different types of exams but the most common ones no matter what program students are in is the short/long answer essay questions. These are one of the trickiest kinds of exam questions due to their ability to test students on any topic and requires them to completely know the topic to get full marks. This is not multiple choice where you can make an educated guess to get the answer.

For help, register for the Long Night Against Procrastination (LNAP) event. LNAP is on Thursday November 9th from 6-11pm at the Student Life Centre (SLC) , where you can get more tips and tricks on not just essay writing but everything to do with surviving the harsh uni life.

There will also be a professor there to talk about writing short/long essay answers on exams too! This insider scoop will give you a professor’s perspective on exam writing, so don’t miss out on this great opportunity.

But if you can't make it, here are some quick tips on how to get through writing these kinds of essays:

This makes it easier to connect different points between paragraphs to improve the overall flow of the essay.
Having an outline prevents mistakes later on that require drastic changes in sentence structure. We all know that making these changes is especially difficult and time consuming when writing in pen (and of course that one white-out gets stuck or runs out when you need it the most…).
Using words learned in the course can be very helpful when writing essay answers because they are relevant to the topic and if used correctly show your understanding of the course content.
A stealthier way to do this may be using synonyms of the term to show that you can apply the concept differently and to prevent repetition in your writing.
key words ,
outlining ,
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Exam Strategies: Short Answer & Essay Exams

Essay exams involve a significant written component in which you are asked to discuss and expand on a topic. These could include written responses in the form of a formal essay or a detailed short-answer response.

Short answer vs essay questions

Preparing for an essay exam

Answering essay questions.

Check out our visual resources for " Test Taking Strategies: Short Answer & Essay Questions " below!

What is the difference between a short answer and an essay question?

Both short-answer and essay questions ask you to demonstrate your knowledge of course material by relating your answer to concepts covered in the course.
Essay questions require a thesis (argument) and supporting evidence (from course material - lectures, readings, discussions, and assignments) outlined in several paragraphs, including an introduction, body, and conclusion.
Short-answer questions are more concise than essay answers - think of it as a “mini-essay” - and use a sentence or two to introduce your topic; select a few points to discuss; add a concluding sentence that sums up your response.
Review your course material - look for themes within the topics covered, use these to prepare sample questions if your instructor has not given direction on what to expect from essay questions.
Create outlines to answer your practice questions. Choose a definite argument or thesis statement and organize supporting evidence logically in body paragraphs. Try a mnemonic (like a rhyme or acronym) to help remember your outline.
Practice! Using your outline, try using a timer to write a full response to your practice or sample questions within the exam time limit.
Review the question carefully. Think about what it is asking - what are you expected to include? What material or examples are relevant?
Underline keywords in the question to identify the main topic and discussion areas.
Plan your time. Keep an eye on the time allowed and how many essay questions you are required to answer. Consider the mark distribution to determine how much time to spend on each question or section.
Make a plan. Take a few minutes to brainstorm and plan your response - jot down a brief outline to order your points and arguments before you start to write.
Include a thesis statement in your introduction so that your argument is clear, even if you run out of time, and help structure your answer.
Write a conclusion , even if brief - use this to bring your ideas together to answer the question and suggest the broader implications.
Clearly and concisely answer the question :
In your introduction, show that you understand the question and outline how you will answer it.
Make one point or argument per paragraph and include one or two pieces of evidence or examples for each point.
In your conclusion, summarize the arguments to answer the question.

"Test Taking Strategies: Short Answer & Essay Questions"

Does your next test have short answer or essay questions? Let's look at how to prepare for these type of questions, how to answer these types of questions, and strategies to keep in mind during the exam. Fight exam writer's block and achieve your best marks yet!

"Test Taking Strategies: Short Answer & Essay Questions" PDF
"Test Taking Strategies: Short Answer & Essay Questions" Video

Looking for more strategies and tips? Check out MUN's Academic Success Centre online!

Carnegie Mellon University. (n.d.). Successful exam strategies. Carnegie Mellon University: Student Academic Success. Retrieved April 1, 2022 from https://www.cmu.edu/student-success/other-resources/fast-facts/exam-strategies.pdf

Memorial University of Newfoundland. (n.d.). Exam strategies: Short answer & essay exams. Memorial University of Newfoundland: Academic Success Centre. Retrieved April 1, 2022 from https://www.mun.ca/munup/vssc/learning/exam-strategies-essays.php

Trent University. (n.d.). How to understand and answer free response or essay exam questions. Trent University: Academic Skills. Retrieved April 1, 2022 from https://www.trentu.ca/academicskills/how-guides/how-study/prepare-and-write-exams/how-understand-and-answer-free-response-or-essay-exam

University of Queensland Australia. (n.d.). Exam tips. University of Queensland Australia: Student support, study skills. Retrieved April 1, 2022 from https://my.uq.edu.au/information-and-services/student-support/study-skills/exam-tips

University of Waterloo. (n.d.). Exam questions: Types, characteristics, and suggestions. University of Waterloo: Centre for Teaching Excellence. Retrieved April 1, 2022 from https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/teaching-resources/teaching-tips/developing-assignments/exams/questions-types-characteristics-suggestions

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How To Answer Exam Questions: Practical Tips

Since 2006, oxbridge essays has been the uk’s leading paid essay-writing and dissertation service.

We have helped 10,000s of undergraduate, Masters and PhD students to maximise their grades in essays, dissertations, model-exam answers, applications and other materials. If you would like a free chat about your project with one of our UK staff, then please just reach out on one of the methods below.

Exams are an inevitable part of university life, testing your knowledge, understanding, and critical thinking skills. Whether you're facing multiple-choice, true or false, short answer, or essay questions, knowing how to answer exam questions effectively can make all the difference in your performance. In this guide, we'll explore strategies to help you confidently answer various types of exam questions, ensuring you make the most of your study efforts.

Understanding Different Types of Exam Questions

These questions present several options, with only one correct answer. While they may seem straightforward, they require careful consideration to avoid falling for traps.

With only two options, true or false questions demand precision and attention to detail. They may appear simple, but they can be deceptively tricky.

Short answer questions typically require concise responses that directly address the prompt. They test your ability to communicate ideas succinctly.

Essay questions are more open-ended, allowing you to explore topics in depth. They assess your analytical skills, critical thinking, and ability to articulate complex ideas coherently.

Strategies for Answering Exam Questions

1. Read Instructions Carefully

Before diving into the questions, take a moment to read the instructions thoroughly. Pay attention to any specific guidelines regarding formatting, word limits, or required components.

2. Manage Your Time Wisely

Allocate time for each question based on its complexity and point value. Don't spend too much time on any single question, and always leave a few minutes at the end to review your answers.

3. Analyse the Question

For every question, identify key terms and instructions. Understand what the question is asking and consider how you can tailor your response to address each component effectively.

4. Plan Your Response

For essay questions, consider drafting a brief outline before writing your answer. Organise your thoughts logically, outlining the main points you want to cover to ensure a coherent and structured response.

5. Be Concise and Clear

In short answer and essay questions, aim for clarity and brevity while addressing all aspects of the prompt. Avoid unnecessary verbosity and focus on conveying your ideas concisely.

6. Provide Evidence and Examples

Support your answers with relevant evidence, examples, and citations where applicable. This demonstrates a depth of understanding and reinforces the validity of your arguments.

7. Review and Revise

Take the time to review your answers before submitting your exam. Check for spelling and grammatical errors, ensure your responses are coherent and well-structured, and make any necessary revisions.

How to Structure Exam Answers

Read each option carefully, eliminating obviously incorrect choices. Pay attention to qualifiers such as "always," "never," "sometimes," as they can significantly alter the meaning of the statement. If unsure, use educated guesses based on your understanding of the material.

Avoid making assumptions; base your answer solely on the information provided. Pay close attention to qualifiers such as "all," "none," "some," as they can change the truth value of the statement. Be cautious of double negatives, as they can lead to confusion.

Begin with a clear and concise answer that directly addresses the prompt. Provide supporting evidence or examples to bolster your response. Lastly, ensure your answer is relevant and stays within the specified word limit.

Start with a strong introduction that outlines your main argument or thesis statement. Organise your essay into coherent paragraphs, each addressing a specific aspect of the prompt. Support your arguments with evidence from course materials, lectures, and external sources where appropriate. Conclude your essay by summarising key points and reinforcing your main argument.

Answer Exam Questions With Confidence and Precision

Answering exam questions is an art that requires careful preparation, critical thinking, and effective time management. By understanding the nuances of different question types and employing strategic approaches to tackle them, you can maximise your chances of success. Remember to stay calm, focused, and confident in your knowledge and abilities.

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To answer an essay question (EQ), students must assess the purpose of the essay question: factual recall, analysis (explanation of relationships) synthesis (application/transfer of previously learned principles) opinion

How much information to include, repeat, restate (intro needed? details needed?).

The chart below outlines 4 main types of essay questions, the verbs/cues that indicate the type of essay question and its purpose, and the strategy to be used to answer it.


		è Restate or summarize from your notes.
	(Main ideas and Major supporting points)	è explain in detail, based on the information in a lecture or reading è è use Cause/Effect; (C/E) è use Comparison/Contrast (C/C)
		è transfer the principles or material learned in class to another example or situation (synthesis /“think”-question)
		è State your opinion and it with examples and/or supporting points by referring to information from a lecture or reading.

Read the questions very carefully at least 2 or 3 times. Circle the main verb (= action verb/imperative) in the question and decide on the necessary rhetorical strategy for answering the question (cause-effect, comparison-contrast, definition, classification, problem-solution). Make sure you understand what type of answer the main verb calls for (a diagram a summary, details, an analysis, an evaluation). Circle all the keywords in the question. Decide if you need to write a 1-paragraph or a multi-paragraph answer. Write a brief outline of all the points you want to mention in your answer. Restate the question and answer it with a topic sentence (for a 1-paragraph answer) or a thesis statement (for a multi-paragraph answer). Answer the question according to general rules of academic writing. Use indentations; begin each paragraph with a topic sentence; support the topic sentence(s) with reasons and/or examples; use transition words to show logical organization; write a conclusion. Use correct punctuation throughout. Read over your answer again and check if all the main ideas have been included. Check your answer for grammar and punctuation.

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How long, on average, is a good response to a written exam question?

I've always assumed that the "blue book" exam answer booklet should contain answers to midterm or finals questions that are about one or at most, two, paragraphs long. In other words, you cannot expect a student to write full fledged essays on every question formatted in the form of head-body-conclusion. Now I'm not so sure; maybe while it should not be nearly as long as an essay assignment, it should have the format of head-body-conclusion in the least?

As an aside, do professors make it clear on the exam paper instruction section how long the responses should be for "longer response" type questions, before the students ask how long they should be?

That really depends on the instructor. If we say one thing she/he/they another, then which opinion counts? So if it is not clear, just ask your instructor. – Maarten Buis Commented Oct 9, 2023 at 9:55
4 This question in the title is literally a case of "how long, on average, is a piece of string". – Adam Přenosil Commented Oct 9, 2023 at 12:07

2 Answers 2

The average, though it exists, is meaningless in practice. It gives no guidance to either a professor or a student.

I can think of several independent axes on which there is variability including the individual professor, the field, the time allotted, the number of questions, the marking/grading criteria, and probably more.

In the extreme, an exam might have a single question allotted over three hours. At the other, twenty questions and an hour. (Maybe not the most extreme, actually). On another axis, an exam might have twenty questions with instructions to pick one to answer. Lots of possibilities, many not typical.

A professor should give some idea of the expectations, but not all do. If you are the professor, I suggest that you do that. If you are a student you could ask, prior to the exam, what might be expected.

Without guidance, if you are the student, try to capture the most important elements of the answer in the first paragraphs - sort of like the "newspaper style". Without guidance, try to say something useful about each question.

Taking the average would mean adding up a random sample of exam questions and then dividing. I suppose this could be done, but it would be similar to the guy who said that "On average, Switzerland is at sea level. Throw the mountains into the lakes and it all balances out."

I think it is perfectly reasonable to expect a student to write an essay that has head-body-conclusion, or some similar structure. But the professor should account for the amount of time and the number of questions. One part of university level learning is, indeed, learning how to structure things this way, relatively quickly (and that is so across disciplines, I think).

But there is doubtless wide variation across disciplines and within disciplines. There are surely examples where anything less than a couple pages would be ridiculous. And other cases where writing more than one paragraph would be silly. And, while guidance from the professor would be nice (especially in intro level courses), part of what you should learn is how to tell what a reasonable length answer is.

(And some professors give guidance in terms of how much the answer is worth.)

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AP World History: Modern Sample Long Essay Question

In the period 1850 to 2001, new technologies emerged that had significant social, political, and economic effects. Develop an argument that evaluates the extent to which changes in the spread of ideas/information before and after World War I impacted societies.

Step 1: Analyze the Prompt

As you choose which question you will answer, begin thinking about what your thesis will entail and how your essay will demonstrate a complex understanding. The notes of a sample high- scoring writer are below. Note that the writer plans to develop a complex argument by addressing not only changes, as required by the prompt, but also continuities in societies before and after World War I.

Thesis : changes: faster spread of ideas made news, politics, and war more immersive and fast-paced; continuity: cross-cultural interactions transform all cultures (complex understanding, historical skill)

Step 2: Plan Your Response

Context : Gutenberg → 2nd industrial revolution (steamship, train, telegraph) → digital revolution (radio, TV, Internet)
Thesis : changes: faster spread of ideas made news, politics, and war more immersive and fast-paced; continuity: cross-cultural interactions transform all cultures ( complex understanding, historical skill )
Evidence : War of 1812 versus WWII, Vietnam, Gulf War
Evidence : American Revolution versus Cold War
Evidence : language: Arab traders & Swahili, and modern business & English
¶ conclusion: impacts of tech on society have become more pervasive, though tendency towards cross-cultural influence has persisted

Step 3: Action! Write Your Response & Step 4: Proofread

Sample high-scoring response.

A key change between these eras of communication is how the speed of ideas’ dissemination impacts their force of impact and makes news more pervasive in civilians’ lives. In the distant past, the slow rate of communication caused reactions that were often months, or even years, after the initial communication. For instance, the final battle of the War of 1812 was fought after the signing of the war’s peace treaty because news had not yet traveled by ship across the Atlantic Ocean. In contrast, the peace treaties of WWII were celebrated in cities around the world mere minutes after news of their signing was shared by telegram and radio signals. The quick spread of images and video from the Vietnam conflict helped intensify Americans’ resistance to the war. In recent decades, 24-hour live coverage of conflicts, as in CNN’s being the first to provide constant coverage of a war during the Gulf War, allowed policy- makers and civilians to respond instantly to developments. As news became quicker, so its impact became more significant and more immediate.

Another change is that the quick and pervasive spread of ideas has made political conflicts more ideological and propaganda-based, further drawing societies into global disputes. Political rebellions of the eighteenth century, such as the American and French Revolutions, were based on Enlightenment ideals such as equality and representative government; they made use of propaganda in the form of printed political cartoons, tracts, and engravings to spread their ideals among the populace. However, the news communication made possible by radio and television after World War II helped propel the ideological conflict between the communist Soviet Union and the democratic United States into a worldwide phenomenon that intensely impacted both nations’ citizens. Technology was able to so effectively spread this war of ideas that the two major superpowers never engaged in direct battle themselves; still, citizens were drawn into a culture of propaganda that demonized the other side, made bomb shelters and bomb drills a part of daily life due to fear of nuclear warfare, and saw governments pour millions of dollars into the space race. Technology thus made it possible for conflicts to become all-immersive, even if they were based on ideas rather than physical confrontations.

Despite changes in communication, constants about its impacts remain. Cross- cultural communications still transform societies as they borrow and adapt ideas from others. For instance, from the eighth century onward, Arab traders who traveled throughout West Africa and along the eastern and northern coasts not only enriched communities economically but also spread Islam. Further, the necessity for communication among traders led to the rise of Swahili, a language that combined Arabic and African words and is still the lingua franca in much of East Africa today. Similarly, in modern times, as Britain and then the United States dominated world trade, English became a kind of worldwide lingua franca of modern business. Just as Arab traders spread their religion, American culture also diffused to other societies: almost every nation in modern times, for instance, built American-style fast food restaurants. Mirroring the trends related to the spread of news and politics, cultural diffusions in recent decades occurred at a faster rate and to a more pervasive extent than in the past. Whereas primarily traders would have adopted Swahili as it developed over generations, today English is taught in grade schools throughout the world.

Cultures that interact always influence each other. In the past century, how- ideas travel at a faster pace. As they have in ever, technology has made the impact of this spread of ideas more pervasive and significant as news and political the past, societies will continue to transform as they encounter ideas from other cultures, but with this increased intensity of communication, the impacts of ideas will continue to escalate.

AP World History Modern Sample Document Based Question

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Long answer (essay) technique lesson - OCR J277

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Complete lesson (120 minutes or two singles) on long answer/essay techique.

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Kamala Harris Isn’t Giving Interviews. Any Questions?

Critics say the vice president has been too cautious with the press. Her supporters think it’s the right strategy at the right time.

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Kamala Harris entering a room, with a crowd of photographers and reporters waiting for her.

By Michael M. Grynbaum

Michael Grynbaum has covered the interactions between presidential candidates and the news media since 2016.

Follow live updates on the 2024 election .

The press has questions for Vice President Kamala Harris. She isn’t giving a whole lot of answers.

In the nearly three weeks since President Biden withdrew his candidacy, catapulting Ms. Harris to the top of the Democratic ticket, the vice president has shown little eagerness to meet journalists in unscripted settings. She has not granted an interview or held a news conference. On Thursday, after a rally in Michigan, she held her first “gaggle” — an impromptu Q.-and-A. session — with reporters covering her campaign.

It lasted 70 seconds.

Ms. Harris replaced a Democratic nominee who has hosted fewer White House news conferences than any president since Ronald Reagan. Now she is taking a similarly cautious approach, relying on televised rallies and prepared statements amid a tightly controlled rollout of her candidacy.

Asked on Thursday if she might sit for an interview anytime soon, Ms. Harris suggested that she would get through the convention first. “I want us to get an interview scheduled before the end of the month,” she said, as aides signaled to the scrum of journalists that question time was over.

Ms. Harris’s lack of engagement with the media has become a constant rallying cry on the political right, with Republican critics and Fox News stars accusing the vice president of ducking scrutiny. The Harris campaign says it is being thoughtful about how best to deploy its message, and to introduce a new candidate to crucial voters in battleground states.

David Axelrod, the architect of former President Barack Obama’s winning campaigns, believes that Ms. Harris — who on Thursday said she had agreed to a prime-time debate on Sept. 10 with her opponent, former President Donald J. Trump — was trying to strike a balance.

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Miss Manners: How do I politely tell my sister that her clean laundry smells bad?

Published: Aug. 14, 2024, 8:00 p.m.

Judith Martin, known as Miss Manners, answers a question about how to tell someone their clean laundry stinks. Canva

Judith Martin, Nicholas Ivor Martin and Jacobina Martin

DEAR MISS MANNERS: For many years, my dear sister has had a habit of leaving her wet laundry in the machine for a long time before moving it to the dryer. This leads to a consistent mildew odor on all of her fabrics.

We always notice the smell on the towels and linens when we visit. It never used to be a huge deal, but now her son is getting older, and he sweats quite a bit. Thanks to what one might call the “wet dog effect,” he always reeks of mildewy clothing.

For his sake (as well as hers), how can I convince her to change her laundry habits without hurting anyone’s feelings?

GENTLE READER: Criticizing another person’s laundry technique is not strictly within the bounds of good etiquette, but Miss Manners likes an occasional challenge.

Talking about what “we” (rather than “I”) have noticed, and calling her your Dear Sister will only alert your sibling that Something Is Up.

But making the issue about her son is a good start. And having, as a goal, not hurting anyone’s feelings is key.

A casual story about having the same problem and finding a solution -- for your own child (assuming you have one) or a friend’s (if not) -- will further remove any implied criticism. Of course, this will all come to nothing if you have raised the issue in years past without effect.

(Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com ; to her email, [email protected] ; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)

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How to cite ChatGPT

Use discount code STYLEBLOG15 for 15% off APA Style print products with free shipping in the United States.

We, the APA Style team, are not robots. We can all pass a CAPTCHA test , and we know our roles in a Turing test . And, like so many nonrobot human beings this year, we’ve spent a fair amount of time reading, learning, and thinking about issues related to large language models, artificial intelligence (AI), AI-generated text, and specifically ChatGPT . We’ve also been gathering opinions and feedback about the use and citation of ChatGPT. Thank you to everyone who has contributed and shared ideas, opinions, research, and feedback.

In this post, I discuss situations where students and researchers use ChatGPT to create text and to facilitate their research, not to write the full text of their paper or manuscript. We know instructors have differing opinions about how or even whether students should use ChatGPT, and we’ll be continuing to collect feedback about instructor and student questions. As always, defer to instructor guidelines when writing student papers. For more about guidelines and policies about student and author use of ChatGPT, see the last section of this post.

Quoting or reproducing the text created by ChatGPT in your paper

If you’ve used ChatGPT or other AI tools in your research, describe how you used the tool in your Method section or in a comparable section of your paper. For literature reviews or other types of essays or response or reaction papers, you might describe how you used the tool in your introduction. In your text, provide the prompt you used and then any portion of the relevant text that was generated in response.

Unfortunately, the results of a ChatGPT “chat” are not retrievable by other readers, and although nonretrievable data or quotations in APA Style papers are usually cited as personal communications , with ChatGPT-generated text there is no person communicating. Quoting ChatGPT’s text from a chat session is therefore more like sharing an algorithm’s output; thus, credit the author of the algorithm with a reference list entry and the corresponding in-text citation.

When prompted with “Is the left brain right brain divide real or a metaphor?” the ChatGPT-generated text indicated that although the two brain hemispheres are somewhat specialized, “the notation that people can be characterized as ‘left-brained’ or ‘right-brained’ is considered to be an oversimplification and a popular myth” (OpenAI, 2023).

OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (Mar 14 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat

You may also put the full text of long responses from ChatGPT in an appendix of your paper or in online supplemental materials, so readers have access to the exact text that was generated. It is particularly important to document the exact text created because ChatGPT will generate a unique response in each chat session, even if given the same prompt. If you create appendices or supplemental materials, remember that each should be called out at least once in the body of your APA Style paper.

When given a follow-up prompt of “What is a more accurate representation?” the ChatGPT-generated text indicated that “different brain regions work together to support various cognitive processes” and “the functional specialization of different regions can change in response to experience and environmental factors” (OpenAI, 2023; see Appendix A for the full transcript).

Creating a reference to ChatGPT or other AI models and software

The in-text citations and references above are adapted from the reference template for software in Section 10.10 of the Publication Manual (American Psychological Association, 2020, Chapter 10). Although here we focus on ChatGPT, because these guidelines are based on the software template, they can be adapted to note the use of other large language models (e.g., Bard), algorithms, and similar software.

The reference and in-text citations for ChatGPT are formatted as follows:

Parenthetical citation: (OpenAI, 2023)
Narrative citation: OpenAI (2023)

Let’s break that reference down and look at the four elements (author, date, title, and source):

Author: The author of the model is OpenAI.

Date: The date is the year of the version you used. Following the template in Section 10.10, you need to include only the year, not the exact date. The version number provides the specific date information a reader might need.

Title: The name of the model is “ChatGPT,” so that serves as the title and is italicized in your reference, as shown in the template. Although OpenAI labels unique iterations (i.e., ChatGPT-3, ChatGPT-4), they are using “ChatGPT” as the general name of the model, with updates identified with version numbers.

The version number is included after the title in parentheses. The format for the version number in ChatGPT references includes the date because that is how OpenAI is labeling the versions. Different large language models or software might use different version numbering; use the version number in the format the author or publisher provides, which may be a numbering system (e.g., Version 2.0) or other methods.

Bracketed text is used in references for additional descriptions when they are needed to help a reader understand what’s being cited. References for a number of common sources, such as journal articles and books, do not include bracketed descriptions, but things outside of the typical peer-reviewed system often do. In the case of a reference for ChatGPT, provide the descriptor “Large language model” in square brackets. OpenAI describes ChatGPT-4 as a “large multimodal model,” so that description may be provided instead if you are using ChatGPT-4. Later versions and software or models from other companies may need different descriptions, based on how the publishers describe the model. The goal of the bracketed text is to briefly describe the kind of model to your reader.

Source: When the publisher name and the author name are the same, do not repeat the publisher name in the source element of the reference, and move directly to the URL. This is the case for ChatGPT. The URL for ChatGPT is https://chat.openai.com/chat . For other models or products for which you may create a reference, use the URL that links as directly as possible to the source (i.e., the page where you can access the model, not the publisher’s homepage).

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