How to answer exam type questions - paper 2 - Revision Cards in GCSE History

"What is the message.." questions

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Say what the source is expressing and use source quotes to back up your interpretations.
Look at the source background (who, what, where, when, why) and use this alongside your own knowledge to judge if what the source is saying is true. Remember to bring in source evidence.
Reach a clear conclusion by comparing your evidence.
Details from the source show that...
This contrasts with the reality that...
The source was written by...therefore...

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Say what the source is and explain what it shows.
Pick out a message in the source that relates to the question. Pick out details from the source to support this.
Bring in your own knowledge to support the key message and explain why the source was published and the significance of the time that it was published.
The significance of the year is that...
Around this time...
The source relates to how...

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What is the source and what information does it give us? Back up your interpretations with evidence from the source.
Comment on any information that the source misses out, and the significance of this missing information. Question whether the source is biased.
Make a conclusion on how useful the source actually is (what it tells us and what it doesn't).
The source effectively portrays...
The source seems to ignore the fact that...
We know from our own knowledge that...

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Explain the ideas that are expressed in the first source and back these up with evidence from the source.
Explain what the second source says and comment on how different or similar it is to the first source, again using quotes.
Look at the context of the two sources and try to find reasons for the sources being different or similar. Use your own knowledge here.
The sources were written at different times, meaning...
Source two contradicts the ideas shown in source one because...
The sources were written at around the same time, and so...

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Paragraph explaining whether you agree or disagree with the statement. Use your own knowledge and evaluate the sources here.
Paragraph with the opposing viewpoint. Again, use your own knowledge and consider the opinions of others. Use the sources here too.
Reach a conclusion, stating whether you agree or not.
You could argue that at the time...
We need to consider that...
These ideas are contrasted in source 2, which shows...

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