Transcript Tips on Formal Historical Writing

Opening
JournalExplain the Watchdog argument from
Yesterday’s Lesson
Mini-lesson

History Writing
Tips on Formal
Historical Writing
►What
is Historical Writing?
►What is Formal Writing
►General Grammar Tips
What is Historical Writing?
The Thesis
► History
does not simply tell a story
► Historical Writing MUST have a thesis
► A thesis MUST make an argument
 A thesis is not a subject/topic or a statement of
fact.
 An argument is not a value-based opinion.
 An argument is a statement with which
someone could reasonably disagree.
 A thesis should seek to answer the question:
why is this important?
Topic/Statement of Fact
Not a Thesis:
► Honor
was important in colonial Latin American
society.
► This essay will discuss the importance of honor in
colonial Latin American society.
► Mexico
experienced turmoil in the nineteenth
century because of conflict between Liberals and
Conservatives.
► This essay will discuss the Conservative philosophy
in nineteenth-century Mexico.
Value-based opinion
Not a Thesis:
► The
honor code in Colonial Latin America
was unfair.
► Nineteenth-century
Mexican Conservatives
were wrong and can be blamed for near
constant instability.
Historical Writing
Narrative versus Analysis
► Historical
essays should not be simply
narrative accounts of what happened.
 From lecture notes or textbook
► Essays
should incorporate examples.
 From Journal readings and primary documents
► Essays
should include analysis of those
examples and how they support the overall
thesis.
Historical Writing:
Active versus Passive
PASSIVE: The town was raided by vandals.
ACTIVE: Vandals raided the town.
PASSIVE: The French were defeated by the
English.
ACTIVE: The English defeated the French.
Historical Writing:
Passive and “to be” verbs
“To be” verbs = is, are, was, were, have been, will
be, etc.
► “To be” verbs are linking verbs
► They should be used to link nouns with descriptive
words
 Dr. Rankin is short
► They
should not be used in sentences that want to
be active.
 NOT: It was a challenge – INSTEAD: It challenged
 NOT: He was successful – INSTEAD: He succeeded
 NOT: The author’s argument is – INSTEAD: The author
argues
Historical Writing:
Plain Old Past Tense
► Use
past tense verbs
 The president died and eventually his cousin replaced
him.
► Avoid
the “historical present”
 The president dies and eventually his cousin replaces
him.
► Avoid
the conditional
 “Would” should only be used in conjunction with the
word “if”
 The president died and eventually his cousin would
replace him.
Formal Writing
Write in 3rd Person
► 3rd
Person = He, She, They, It
► Do
not use 2nd person
 Your reader was not there
► 2nd
person = You
 In colonial Latin America, if you were not
sexually pure, you did not have honor.
Formal Writing:
Write in 3rd Person
► Do
not use 1st person
► 1st person = I, me, we, us
► 1st
person can weaken formal writing:
 We can see the colonial honor code in this
example.
 I think the Mexican Revolution was important
because …
Formal Writing:
Spell Out Numbers
► Generally
spell out cardinal numbers 1-12.
► Spell out all ordinal numbers:
 First, second, third (not 1st, 2nd, 3rd)
 Nineteenth century (not 19th century)
► Exceptions:
 Dates
►October
1, 2005 – (not October 1st, 2005)
 Serial Numbers
►King
Charles V, Figure 3
Formal Writing:
Clichés, Jargon, Casual Speak
► Clichés:
 A blessing in disguise.
 Fall through the cracks.
 The bitter end.
► Jargon:
 Key (not an adjective)
 Impact, access, research (not verbs)
► Casual
 Get
Speak:
Formal Writing
Be Concise
Never use more words than necessary
► At this very moment = Now
► In spite of the fact that = Although
► As a result of = Because
► In the month of May = In May
► During the time that = While
► Have need of = Need
► Is of the opinion of = Believes
Formal Writing:
Miscellaneous
► Avoid
contractions
 Did not (instead of didn’t)
► First
and last name
 Lazaro Cardenas (the first time in the essay,
thereafter Cardenas)
► Presidential
(or royal) administrations
 In parenthesis the first time in the essay
 Lazaro Cardenas (1934-1940)
► Italicize
foreign words
 Ejido, Mita, Criollos
General Grammar Tips:
Agreement
► Subject-Verb
Agreement:
 The group of soldiers were tired and hungry.
 The group of soldiers was tired and hungry.
► Pronoun-Antecedent
Agreement
 Someone born into the lower class could not change
their status.
 Someone born into the lower class could not change
his or her status.
 People born into the lower class could not change
their status.
General Grammar Tips:
Split Infinitives
► Infinitive
= “to” plus verb
 Must never be split by a modifier
 To boldly go where no man has gone before
► Incorrect:
To effectively govern
► Correct: To govern effectively
► Incorrect:
To completely defeat
► Correct: To defeat completely
General Grammar Tips:
The Poor Overused Apostrophe
► Apostrophes
make words possessive
 The soldier’s guns (Belonging to one soldier)
 The soldiers’ guns (Belonging to more than one soldier)
 They also form contractions – but this is not appropriate
in formal writing
► They
do not make words plural
► They do not make numbers or acronyms plural
 1500s (not 1500’s)
 MREs (not MRE’s)
General Grammar Tips:
Commonly Misspelled Words
► Their
(possessive), There (place), They’re (they
are)
► To (direction), Two (2), Too (also)
► Affect (verb, influence), Effect (noun, result)
► Allusion (suggestion), Illusion (deception)
► Eminent (noteworthy), Imminent (impending)
► Than (comparison), Then (at that time)
► Ensure (make certain), Insure (indemnify)
Work Period
Write a short (3-Paragraph) Essay on WHY
did American Revolution Happen?
Closing

HOMEWORK
–
5 paragraph FRQ- The French & Indian War altered the
relationship between Britain and the North American
Colonies. Assess this change between 1763-1775 with
regard to two of the following:



Politics
Land Acquisition
Economics