HOW TO WRITE THE AP
EUROPEAN HISTORY FRQ
ROBERT WADE
JOHN PAUL II HIGH SCHOOL
BOBWADE@JOHNPAULIIHS.ORG
THEEUROGUY@YAHOO.COM
USING THE SAME FORMAT
 Use the same basic format for each of the Free
Response Questions
 Enables students to concentrate on questions, not
how to set up their paper
 Allows the students to finish all of the questions,
hopefully with time to spare!
THE THESIS STATEMENT
 The “Introductory Statement”
 The “Although Statement”
 The “Explanatory Statement”
THE INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT
 Restates the question in a sentence that is in an
answer format, does not simply rewrite the question.
 It does tell the reader what the student will be writing
about in their essay.
 The sentence leads to the “Although Statement” by
simply retelling the reader the basic terms of the
prompt.
 The student should also use the “Introductory
Statement” to make sure that they have included all
aspects of the prompt when answering the question.
THE ALTHOUGH STATEMENT
 Key sentence in the first paragraph, this is the
position statement, must be explicit.
 It should create a natural “tension” in the paper,
stating what is most important by simply using the
word “although.”
 By default, it will then tell the reader the student’s
position using the word although, this word creates
the tension, thus the position.
 Worded correctly, it guides the reader throughout
the student’s paper, will even tell the reader what
they will be reading about in each paragraph.
THE EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
 It really tells the reader how or why the student has chosen
the position that they have taken on the question.
 It focuses on the “main” portion of the “Although
Statement.”
 It will help student set up their paper by giving the reader
just a little “insight” as to why they have taken the position
that they have.
 It may contain more than one sentence!
FREE RESPONSE QUESTION
 Compare and contrast the religious policies of TWO
of the following:
Elizabeth I of England
Catherine de Medicis of France
Isabella I of Spain
2002 Scoring Guidelines Question 2
 9-6 Essays that demonstrate superiority-
These essays will demonstrate the following
qualities:
 Has an explicit well- developed thesis.
 Is well-organized.
 Addresses all of the terms of the question.
 Supports thesis with specific evidence.
 May contain minor errors: even a “9” may not
be flawless.
INDICATORS OF A STRONGER ESSAY
 1. Provides a developed, balanced treatment of two of




the three figures.
2. Analyzes similarities as well as differences (6-7 may
have more emphasis on one than the other).
3. Analyzes goals/motivations (the why?) behind
religious policies; 6-7 may have more “linkage.”
4. Analyzes methods/means (the how?) achieve
religious policies; 6-7 may have more “linkage.”
5. Conveys a correct sense of chronology throughout the
paper, these queens were not contemporaries.
5-4 MIXED ESSAYS
 Contains a thesis, perhaps superficial or
simplistic.
 Uneven response to the question’s terms: task,
content, chronology, etc.
 This is a factual essay that answers the question
unevenly, with no real analysis, or even linkage.
 May contain errors, factual and/or interpretive.
INDICATORS OF A MIXED ESSAY
 1. Provides an uneven treatment of two of the three
figures.
 2. Mentions at least a similarity, but primarily
describes differences.
 3. Describes goals/motivations (why?) behind
religious policies.
 4. Describes methods/means (how?) to achieve
these goals.
 5. Muddled sense of chronology.
3-2-1-0 WEAKER ESSAYS
 Essays in this category will demonstrate the
following qualities in varying degrees.
 Essays scored 0 or 1 may attempt to address the
question but fail to do so.
 Thesis is confused, or absent, or merely restates
the question.
 Misconstrues the question or omits major tasks.
 May contain major errors.
INDICATORS OF A WEAKER ESSAY
 1. Provides a simplistic treatment of two of the
three figures.
 2. Simply states similarities and differences or even
omits one of these two major tasks.
 3. Provides limited awareness of goals/motivations
(why?) behind religious policies.
 4. Provides limited awareness of methods/means
(how?) behind religious policies.
 5. Lacks sense of chronology.
KEYS TO THE THESIS STATEMENT

Student’s relevant thesis must:
1. Address similarities AND differences in
TWO of the monarchs.
2. Address the actual “Religious Policies”
of the monarchs.
3. Be accurate for the time period,
remembering that these queens were not
contemporaries.
SAMPLE INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT
 There are both similarities and differences in the
religious policies of Elizabeth I and Isabella I.
Sentence explains that the student will be talking
about the religious policies of Elizabeth I and
Isabella I. Simple but to the point.
SAMPLE ALTHOUGH STATEMENT
 Although there were similarities in their policies
such as both using religion to further political
goals, because of their backgrounds the
contrasts in their policies were much greater.
Sentence explains that although there were
similarities, the differences between the two
were much greater.
SAMPLE EXPLANATORY SENTENCE
 Isabella went to great lengths to enforce religious
conformity in Spain, while Elizabeth, even though
Anglican, allowed a great deal of religious freedom in
order to deal with matters of state.
 Sentence explains that the student will discuss, in
detail, religious differences of the two monarchs.
 Thesis is actually contained in the second and third
sentence. Does NOT have to be in one sentence.
SAMPLE FIRST PARAGRAPH
 Both Elizabeth I of England and Isabella I used religious
policies to further their political goals. In Spain Isabella I,
after her marriage to Ferdinand, helped institute the
Reconquista to enforce religious conformity. This was later
followed by expelling the Jews and Muslims who she felt
might threaten their rule. Similar to Isabella, Elizabeth also
used religion to further her political goals. She often
“hinted” at marriage to protestant princes (and sometimes
catholic ones) in order to secure alliances. Elizabeth also
realized that religion could badly divide England so became
a politique to make sure it did not.
SAMPLE SECOND PARAGRAPH
 Isabella showed little toleration of other religions in
Spain. The Reconquista was instituted to rid Spain of
the Jews and Muslims. She later added to this by
forcing all Conversos and Moriscos to flee Spain. This
forced conformity proved detrimental to Spain as
these groups had made up most of the middle class in
Spain. Even though Spain later brought in silver from
the New World the Spanish economy never really
recovered. When this failed to establish the religious
conformity she wanted Isabella allowed Tourquemada
to institute the Inquisition to rid Spain of heretics and
other non-believers. Even though Isabella did what
she felt was necessary in Spain to establish one
religion her policies helped lead Spain down a path
from which it never really recovered.
SAMPLE THIRD PARAGRAPH
 Elizabeth, on the other hand, was mostly tolerant of other
religions. Her father Henry VIII had founded the Anglican
Church in England while her older sister “Bloody Mary”
had re-established Catholicism. Elizabeth was much more
interested in successfully ruling England than she was in
religion. Her passage of the Act of Toleration allowed nonAnglicans the right to worship as they pleased in private,
making most of them loyal to her. Her passage of Act of
Supremacy demonstrated her “real” desire which was the
rule of England, not religion! She also filled many key
government and military positions with non-Anglicans as
well thus strengthening England commercially and
militarily. She even chose never to marry, keeping both
protestant and Catholic princes hoping for alliances. The
religious toleration of Elizabeth helped England to become
a world power.