Benson
APUSH
How to Format a LEQ Response
Paragraph 1: Context and Thesis
1. Two to three sentences to establish context (time, place, background). Describe how the topic of the
prompt relates to broader regional, national, or global events occurring at the same time.
Contextualization is a required element of the DBQ, so just get used to putting in the LEQ as well.
2. Your thesis (one sentence), which directly addresses the question and has 2-3 organizational categories.
Paragraph 2: First body paragraph
1. Topic Sentence (directly address the question, introduces a particular category, takes a position on that
category)
2. SFI (specific factual information)
3. Analysis (how the SFI supports the thesis)
4. A second piece of SFI
5. Analysis (how the SFI supports the thesis)
Paragraph 3: Second body paragraph
1. Transition that shows addition (or contradiction if appropriate), then follow the same format as 1st body
paragraph.
Paragraph 4: Third body paragraph (if you have three categories)
1. Transition that shows addition (or contradiction if appropriate), then follow the same format as 1st body
paragraph.
Paragraph 4/5: Conclusion
1. Provide 2-3 sentences of synthesis. Synthesis can be achieve in one of three possible ways:
a) Appropriately extend or modify the thesis
b) Explicitly analyze an additional category of evidence that was not called for in the prompt
c) Connect the topic of the prompt to other historical periods, geographic areas, or set of circumstances