Annnnnd yet another IB post for ya’ll 
So I really need help with writing my hoa essays because I have been receiving 9’s ever since I started the class. This upsets me because I spend hours upon hours making my outlines. I think this is because I dont actually know how to STRUCTURE my essay.
Could anyone tell me where im supposed to insert my historians and how many I need and also is there a step by step guide i could use to help me write a great conclusion? Basically, how do you write your amazing essays?
The class is easy but these essays are killin me.
Thanks!!!
some simple steps that don’t describe the entire essay writing process in general (i’m not familiar with the particulars of the hoa essay, though):
- READ THE RUBRIC!!! a lot of people tend to lose marks on essays simply by not following instructions.
- read examples of successful essays. the more you read them, the more you’ll encounter technical details such as citing historians, analysis of historiography, etc. these things will eventually come naturally to you as you write.
- read your own essays. read the comments your teacher has given you. read the filled rubric. what was good? what are the consistent weaknesses? identify them before you start writing anything else
- write your strongest point first, both in your outline and actual piece. your strongest outlined point may not be the strongest point you end up writing, but the point remains. it really gets you going for the rest of the essay.
- conclusion: after writing the body, consider this the tl;dr of your essay. after you’ve written that, ask yourself, “so what?” and “who the heck cares?” in your most disdainful tone of voice. pretend you think your essay is absolutely useless. then, present arguments as to why it isn’t (consider: what can historians learn from your essay? what are the greater implications? and ideas along the lines of “what’s next?”). pick the ones that are strongest and add them to your conclusion.
- go back and write your intro. pretend you’re actually introducing it and start with a big idea. follow it up by repeating your thesis and main arguments from your outline. i sometimes copy paste and change a few words. simple.
- read your essay and grade it with the assignment rubric. are your weaknesses and strengths still there?
- picture an hourglass: your intro should start with a broad scope and narrow down to your thesis. your body paragraphs analyse the details and you return to your main idea in the conclusion, where you also think of greater implications.
idk if this helps, but good luck!