Sample Writing

The following essays were written on a final exam in a 3000-level history course. While the question itself relies upon the knowledge students developed in the class, you should be able to determine from reading the following samples what makes a good essay good and what is missing from an essay which is not so good. The instructor has provided his/her assessment of each of the essays and has provided an explication of the question itself for your benefit.

In order to get the most benefit out of this page, we recommend that you first read the unedited versions of the question. While reading the question, ask yourself:

• What kinds of statements should be in the introduction to answer the question?
• What structure does the essay have to have?

When you have done this, look at the instructor’s comments on the question itself to see if you were right.

Then read the sample essays*. While reading these samples, ask yourself the following questions:

• Is the introduction effective?
• How well does the essay answer the question?
• Does the author organize their answer effectively?
• Are the points made in individual paragraphs supported with examples?
• What grade would YOU give the essay?

When you have done this, look at the instructor’s comments on each essay to see if you were right.

*NOTE: The students had seen the essay questions in advance of the exam although they did not know which question they would have to answer on the day of the test. The quality of the writing is thus not quite as refined as one would expect on a paper—where students have the opportunity to revise—and the grades given reflect these circumstances.