HOW TO WRITE THE
LONG ESSAY
QUESTION
AP European History
Mrs. Dillon
The Long Essay Question
 The LEQ is an essay that must be written in 35 minutes.
 You will choose ONE from two options on the exam.
 It is scored with a rubric of 6 points possible.
 There are four different types of LEQ’s, based on Historical Thinking
Skills:




Causation
Comparison
Periodization
Continuity and Change Over Time
 You will not know ahead of time which Historical Thinking Skill (HTS) you will be
tasked with until the exam.
 There are different rubric requirements for each HST type of essay.
Tips for Writing Essays in History (AP class or not)
 Always think of your reader. Be clear, specific, and EXPLAIN.
 Avoid vague language.
 Use black or blue ink only
 Do not use contractions (use “do not” instead of “don’t”)
 Write in the 3rd person
 First person = I, we, our, us, me, mine, my… NEVER.
 Second person = you, your…… NEVER.
 Write in the past tense, because it’s history.
 You may mark out mistakes. BUT…
 Do not try to be “cute”
 Use STANDARD ACADEMIC ENGLISH!
 Use correct historical terms
 i.e. “normalcy” is not a standard English word, but it is a historical term
 Facts are names, dates, people, events, places, things
The Structure of the Essay
 Your whole essay should be between 3 to 5 paragraphs
 Introduction Paragraph
 Body Paragraphs: 2-3
 (Optional)Conclusion Paragraph
Thesis Statement/Argument: 1 POINT
 The introduction paragraph is a good place to include historical
context.
 What time period are you writing about? What major events are taking place around
this particular topic in your essay? BE SPECIFIC.
 Was there something that led up the events in the essay?
 Must include your THESIS STATEMENT. (1 POINT)
 Your thesis must be CLEAR and DIRECTLY ANSWER ALL PARTS OF THE QUESTION.
 Cannot just re-state the question.
 Must make a HISTORICALLY DEFENSIBLE CLAIM and consist of one or more
sentences located in one place. Your thesis can also be in the conclusion, but it is
recommended to write it in the introductory paragraph.
 A CLAIM is your point of view, or argument, about a given topic.
 To be HISTORICALLY DEFENSIBLE means it must be BASED ON FACTS.
 To strengthen your thesis, include at least 2 to 3 facts (EVIDENCE) in your thesis.
The Body Paragraphs: Evidence and Support for Thesis: 2 POINTS
 Supports the stated thesis, or makes a relevant argument, using specific evidence
(1 POINT)
 The essay is thesis-driven, meaning it clearly and consistently states how the
evidence supports the thesis AND establishes clear linkages between the evidence
and the thesis. (1 POINT)
 Each of your body paragraphs should focus on a specific piece(s) of evidence.
 Use SPECIFIC evidence. Do not write in vague terms (i.e. “a lot of stuff was
happening during that time” is NOT evidence!!)
 ANALYZE your evidence. Explain WHY or HOW this evidence supports your thesis. It
is not enough to simply give a laundry list of facts (“data-dumping”). You must
explain why this fact proves your argument is true.
Historical Thinking Skills: 2 POINTS
 There are four different types of essays. You will only write one on the
AP exam.
 Causation
 Comparison
 Periodization
 Continuity and Change Over Time
 Refer to the Historical Thinking Skills Chart handed out in class.
HST: Causation
 DESCRIBES causes AND/OR effects of a historical development, event, or
process (1 POINT)
 Example: The Protestant Reformation
 Describe CAUSES- What was the Renaissance? What was the printing press? When
and where was it invented? What were indulgences? Who was Martin Luther?
 Describe EFFECTS- What was the Peace of Augsberg? Who were the Calvinists? What
was the Anglican Church? What were the religious wars, and where were they fought?
Who fought them?
 ANALYZES specific examples that illustrate causes and/or effects of a
historical event, development, or process (1 POINT)
 Explains the reasons for the causes/effects
 Analyze CAUSES- How did the Renaissance inspire new religious ideas? How did the
printing press help to spread new ideas? Why were indulgences problematic for many
Europeans and clergy? How did Martin Luther influence the movement? What
inspired him?
 Analyze EFFECTS- What brought about the Peace of Augsberg, and how did it affect
Europe? What conflicts brought about the development of Calvinism and
Anglicanism? How did the division of Christendom bring about political conflict and
wars in Europe?
HST: Comparison
 Describes similarities AND differences among historical
individuals, events, developments, or processes (1 POINT)
 Describes specific examples, and…
(1POINT)
 Analyzes (explains) the reasons for their similarities and
differences
OR (depending on the prompt)
 Evaluates the relative significance of the historical developments.
 i.e., discuss strengths and weaknesses of each event/process/event,
or give your opinion (in 3rd person) of how significant or important
each was.
HST: Periodization
 DESCRIBE the ways in which the historical development specified in the prompt was
different from OR similar to developments that preceded and/or followed. (1 POINT)
 ANALYZE (explain) the extent to which the historical development specified in the
prompt was different from AND similar to developments that preceded and/or
followed, providing SPECIFIC EXAMPLES to illustrate the analysis. (1 POINT)
 Note: Historical events and processes can be organized into specific blocks of time.
AP Euro organizes the content into 4 periods:
 Period 1: 1450 to 1648 (Renaissance, Columbus, Reformation, Religious Wars, ending with
the Treaty of Westphalia)
 Period 2: 1648 to 1815 (Scientific Revolution, early Industrialism, Trade Wars and Colonial
Empires, The Enlightenment, French Revolution, and Age of Napoleon, ending with the
Congress of Vienna)
 Period 3: 1815 to 1914 Rise of Nationalism New Industrialism, New Imperialism and
Expansion, Age of Revolutions, ending just before WWI begins)
 Period 4: 1914 to the present (WWI, rise of totalitarian dictatorships, Soviet Union, WWII,
The Cold War, Decolonization, End of the Cold War, modern day Europe)
HST: Continuity and Change Over Time (CCOT)
 DESCRIBES continuity AND change over time (1 POINT)
 CONTINUITY: How much did “things” (society, politics, economics, religious life,
art, etc) remain mostly the same or consistent?
 CHANGE OVER TIME: How much did things change over a specified amount of
time?
 ANALYZES using specific examples that explain the reasons for the
continuity AND change over time (1 POINT)
 CONTINUITY: Why and how did society, politics, economics, religious life, art, etc
remain largely the same over a specified amount of time? Use specific
examples.
 CHANGE OVER TIME: Why and how did society, politics, economics, religious life,
art, etc change so much over a specified amount of time? Give examples.
SYNTHESIS (1 POINT)
 For any of the following:
 Extends the argument by explaining the connections
between the argument (thesis) and ONE of the following:
 A development in a different historical period, situation, era, or
geographical area.
 A course theme and/or approach that is not the focus of the essay
(think GPERSIA: geographical, political, economic, religious, social,
intellectual, artistic, cultural, race/ethnicity, or gender)
 A different discipline or field of inquiry (such as economics,
government and politics, art history, science, environmental
studies, biology, criminal justice, etc)