Why was Singapore chosen as a
trading settlement by the British?
Explain your answer.
INTRODUCTION:
ESTABLISH THE FOCUS OF YOUR ESSAY
I define the key
word “chosen”
I define the key word
“trading settlement”
The British selected Singapore to set up a place
for trade due to several reasons. The first was
the British’s need to break the Dutch monopoly.
The second was Singapore’s geographical
location and the last reason was due to
Singapore’s natural harbour.
I introduce Factor 1, 2 and 3. Each
factor is a reason why Singapore was
chosen as a trading settlement
ESTABLISH THE FIRST FACTOR
I clearly state what
the first factor is
The first reason why the British selected
Singapore as a trading settlement was because
of their need to break the Dutch monopoly. This
monopoly was the Dutch right to control trade
in South East Asia and was interfering with
British trade.
I define what this first factor “need
to break Dutch Monopoly” is. My
examples are based on this.
PROVIDE EXAMPLES OF THIS FIRST
FACTOR
I give examples related to my first factor. This is the first part
which is about the British need to break Dutch monopoly
Britain was concerned about losing its trade in
Asia and needed to find a new base to break the
Dutch Trade monopoly. The Dutch right to
control trade in South East Asia was because the
Dutch navy could deploy from its ports at
Batavia and Melaka to prevent British ships from
passing through the Straits of Melaka and Sunda
or force British ships to stop at the Dutch ports.
This example is also related to my first factor and is about what
the Dutch monopoly was
EXPLAIN THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE
EXAMPLE TO THIS FIRST FACTOR AND
THE QUESTION
I explain how Singapore could help prevent British ships from being
forced to stop at Dutch harbours
The British ships no longer had to stop only at
the Dutch ports of Batavia and Melaka.
Singapore was located close to both the Straits
of Melaka and Sunda. These were the two
routes that the British ships had to take. With
Singapore, the British now had a friendly port
for British ships to stop at.
My explanation is based on the examples I chose earlier. This
section is based on the example of the Dutch forcing British ships to
stop at Dutch ports
I explain how Singapore could help prevent British ships from being
harassed by the Dutch Navy
With Singapore being near to the centre of trade
and trade routes taken by British trading ships,
the British could quickly send out their British
warships and protect its trading ships from any
interference by the Dutch Navy. Singapore also
allowed the British to control the southern
entrance to the Straits of Melaka and break the
Dutch trade monopoly over that travel route.
My explanation is based on the examples I chose earlier. This
section is based on the example of the Dutch being able to send out
its navy.
SUMMARISE HOW YOUR ENTIRE
FACTOR ANSWERS THE QUESTION
(ATQ)
I repeat what my first factor was about to remind the marker of
what I was writing about in my first factor paragraph
Thus, Singapore was selected by the British as a
trading settlement port because it could fulfil
their need to break the Dutch monopoly. This
was because Singapore provided a friendly port
by which the British could nullify the Dutch right
to control trade in South East Asia.
I use this to remind the marker that I did not just write about the
first factor but also WHY the first factor made the British select
Singapore as a trading settlement, thus proving that my first factor
paragraph does ATQ.
ESTABLISH THE SECOND FACTOR
I clearly state
what the second
factor is
The second reason why the British selected
Singapore as a trading settlement was because
of Singapore’s geographical location. This was
where Singapore was situated in the region.
I define what this second factor
‘geographical location’ is. My
examples are based on this.
PROVIDE EXAMPLES OF THIS
SECOND FACTOR
Singapore was centrally located along the main
India-China trade route used by British ships. It
was within a week’s sail of China, and in the very
heart of the Malay Archipelago.
This example is related to my second factor as it shows
Singapore’s geographical location.
EXPLAIN THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE
EXAMPLE TO THIS SECOND FACTOR
AND THE QUESTION
I explain how Singapore’s central location (heart of the Malay
Archipelago) along the main India-China trade route used by
British ships helps British trade.
Due to Singapore’s central location in the region,
British trading ships could stop at Singapore to
conveniently trade, rest and replenish food and
water. This allowed the British trading ships to
carry more trading goods rather than supplies
and thus generate more trade profit.
I explain how by being within a week’s sail of China, Singapore
helps British trade.
Chinese goods could be quickly brought over to
Singapore and traded with Indian goods. British
ships need not make the full trip from China to
India and vice versa. Shorter trips meant more
journeys which would translate into more trade
profit.
SUMMARISE HOW YOUR ENTIRE
FACTOR ANSWERS THE QUESTION
(ATQ)
I repeat what my second factor was about to remind the marker of
what I was writing about in my second factor paragraph
Thus, Singapore was selected by the British as a
trading settlement port because of its
geographical location which could assist in
British trade and increase trade profits for the
British.
I use this to remind the marker that I did not just write about the
second factor but also WHY the second factor made the British
select Singapore as a trading settlement, thus proving that my
second factor paragraph does ATQ.
ESTABLISH THE THIRD FACTOR
I clearly state what
the third factor is
The third reason why the British selected
Singapore as a trading settlement was due to
Singapore’s natural harbour. This was the
characteristics that Singapore had which
allowed British trading ships to stop over in
Singapore.
I define what this third factor
‘Singapore’s natural harbour’ is. My
examples are based on this.
PROVIDE EXAMPLES OF THIS THIRD
FACTOR
Singapore had a broad sandy bay, a safe
harbour at the mouth of the Singapore river and
a plentiful supply of good drinking water.
This example is related to my third factor as it shows
the features of Singapore’s natural harbour.
EXPLAIN THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE
EXAMPLE TO THIS THIRD FACTOR AND
THE QUESTION
I explain how the broad sandy bay of the harbour helps British
trade
The broad sandy bay provided a flat ideal place to
build a settlement that would assist and promote
trade. Facilities could be easily built for ships to
dock, refit and replenish. The harbour could
protect trading ships from stormy winds who would
wait for the storm to stop before safely continuing
their journey along the trade routes. The plentiful
supply of drinking water could replenish water for
the trading ships. This made Singapore attractive to
trading ships as it provided a safe place for them to
stop, rest and trade.
SUMMARISE HOW YOUR ENTIRE
FACTOR ANSWERS THE QUESTION
(ATQ)
I repeat what my third factor was about to remind the marker of
what I was writing about in my third factor paragraph
Thus, Singapore was selected by the British as a
trading settlement due to its natural harbour.
This made it suitable for trading ships to safely
stop and rest and carry out trade.
I use this to remind the marker that I did not just write about the
third factor but also WHY the third factor made the British select
Singapore as a trading settlement, thus proving that my third
factor paragraph does ATQ.