Steps To Writing An FRQ (Free Response Question)

1. Steps To Writing An FRQ(Free Response Question) Mr. Manolis

2. STEP 1 – The Question • RELAX • Read the question carefully and slowly • Many mistakes often are due to a student misreading the question • Pay attention to what the question is asking • Read the question over several times • Note the time period, places, and people mentioned

3. STEP 2 – List Your Facts • Stay calm – don’t take the whole question on all at once, or you’ll get overwhelmed • Don’t just start writing your essay…this is all about the organization • Start listing EVERYTHING you know about the topic the question is addressing • It doesn’t have to be in any order just yet • EX: If the question is about New England during the 1600s – Puritans, John Winthrop, Salem Witch Trials, Church of England, Massachusetts Bay…

4. STEP 2 – List Your Facts • Imagine you just got to a new place and you are unpacking boxes • You have to take stuff out of the boxes before you figure out where it goes • Unpack before you organize • List and chart before you write

5. STEP 3 – Group Your Facts • After you’ve listed everything, take all your facts and group them according to the categories – intellectual, social, diplomatic, political, geographical, economic, religious • As you group, your thesis should already be forming… • Again, don’t get overwhelmed, you only need three sub-topics in your essay (body paragraphs) • Some can overlap, that’s okay • For example, the Emancipation Proclamation was political, or you can say it was also social, or even economic too, you just have to explain in your paper why it’s both

6. Step 4 – Chart Your Facts • Figure out what your three body paragraphs or sub-topics will be, then chart your facts • Remember, you aren’t listing just random stuff, you will be using these facts to support your answer to the question / thesis

7. Step 5 – Begin Writing • After you’ve charted your facts, begin writing • Your intro should be 5-7 sentences, should BRIEFLY mention all three of your sub-topics, and your thesis statement should ideally be 1-2 sentences. • Your three body paragraphs should address your sub-topics you charted • A good range is 7-10 sentences but go no less than 5 sentences. Less than 4 isn’t even a paragraph… • Your conclusion needs to wrap the thing up nicely. It’s basically an intro, reworded a little.

8. Things To Avoid • Using “I”, “we”, and “us”, and any other first person words and avoid using “you” • NEVER say “I think…” • You are presenting an answer to a question and using historical facts as evidence, not telling the reader something and you aren’t talking about what you think… • When you answer, present your answer seriously; avoid jokes and sarcasm; it doesn’t go over well with AP readers nor does it go well with your future college professors • If there’s some facts you are sketchy about or just plain don’t know at all, don’t write about them, this tends to make essays worse.

9. Things To Avoid • Never refer to a historical figure by their first name. Use their full name or their last name. • Example: Abraham was an important president who held our Union together during it’s most difficult time. • Advocating too much; answer the question, don’t advocate your own political or religious ideas… • We all have beliefs, but just answer the question…

10. Things To Avoid • QUALITY OVER QUANTITY • I’ve read some great long essays…and some really bad ones too • I’ve read some terrific shorter essays • Don’t feel like you have to write a textbook to prove your knowledge • Write clearly, legibly, and stick to the question, and stick to the five paragraph model • Disorganized papers are hard to read and you don’t want to frustrate your reader