The 4 Mark "Describe" Question: America 1840-1895 (Q4) (AQA GCSE History)

Summary of Question Four

• Question Four requires you to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of key features and characteristics of the period you have studied

• You should describe two parts of the issue outlined in the question 

• An example of the type of question you may encounter can be seen below:

• In previous years, this question has focused on problems in American history such as:

• Although previous examples have focused on problems in America, it may not always be focused on problems

How to Answer a Describe Question

• When answering a describe question you need to: 

  • Read the question carefully 

  • Include all of the key parts of the question in your answer 

  • Include specific and relevant knowledge 

  • Describe two reasons

• This is a describe question. Your answer should be: 

  • Concise 

  • Focused on the topic 

• You may want to consider using language like ‘one problem’ and ‘another problem’ at the start of each of your paragraphs to: 

  • Clearly show the examiners that you have described two reasons 

  • Make sure you do not write more than is needed in the answer 

• You do not need to explain the question 

“Describe” Question Structure

• You need to provide two points of the issue outlined in the question

• For each part, you should: 

  • Identify - write a relevant point based on the question topic (1)

  • Describe - add relevant specific information about the point you have made (1)

• To achieve full marks, you must complete these steps twice 

Worked Example of a “Describe” Question