Hey there, former JC teacher here, and this is ONE of the possible conclusion styles that are taught.
Begin with what the question is asking:
For example: "In this essay, we have addressed the reasons why...".
Then address the views - you can categorize them into contrasting sides for clarity.
"On the one hand, it can be argued that (view 1) was... because..., and because..."
"On the other hand, it can also be argued that (view 2)... because... and because..."
Then state what your essay's stand is:
"This essay believes that (state chosen view), because...
(note: For this section, secondary school teachers often encourage "i believe", which I personally discourage, because it is written in the first person, and is therefore unsuitable at higher levels of academic writing. ALSO it creates a mind block in student that they can ONLY argue what they really believe in, rather than develop higher order skills of perspective, of understanding what OTHERS believe in.)
The reason to justify the stand can be as short or as long as you wish.
Longer justifications tend to try to state what others believe, before tearing it down.
Shorter ones just go straight to the point.
Regardless, if the question is on what is the most important factor, MOST justifications are along the line of
a) The factor had a greater impact.
b) The factor laid the foundations for further development.
Other questions require different justifications (for example was party X successful in accomplishing outcome Y).
These will usually depend on your criteria:
a) Absolute criteria: If it does not achieve X amount of outcome, it is a failure.
b) Relative criteria: If it improves, it is somewhat a success. If it gets worse, it is a failure.
Both are acceptable.
I hope that helps.
Not sure if your child is in JC now, but if you know anyone needing history tuition at JC level, feel free to drop me a PM.
faithfuldad123 wrote:Hi all,
I was wondering if anybody could provide an example of how to write the final paragraph for the "Judgment"/"Evaluation" type of SEQ questions (Eg "Stalin rose to power because of Trotsky's unpopularity in the Politburo. Do you agree or disagree with this statement?" Points: Trotsky's unpopularity in Politburo, non-disclosure of Lenin's testament and Stalin's own manipulation). My DS is unable to get it right for the life of him. His history teacher has told him to compare his points via short term/long term, extent of impact and root cause. Even though my DS has tried his best to follow this format, he still is unable to secure the final 2 marks.
The reason I am concerned about this is because my DS's SBQ skills are much weaker compared to his SEQ skills, and those 2 marks may mean the difference between an 'A' or a 'B' grade!
Your help is much appreciated!