The 16 Mark "How Far do you Agree" Question: Asia (Q4) (AQA GCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Natasha Smith
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
Summary of Question Four
Question Four requires you to evaluate the statement in the question
You need to evaluate the importance of the statement given in the question against other reasons
These other reasons will not be mentioned in the question
The question can be based on cause, consequence, change and/or continuity
Amount of marks | 16 + 4 SPaG |
|---|---|
The time that you should spend on the question | No more than 25 minutes Spend 5 minutes planning Spend 20 minutes writing |
An example of the type of question you may encounter can be seen below:
In previous years, this question has focused on the following topics:
Year of Exam | Question Topic |
|---|---|
2018 | The main reason why the Vietnam War ended was because of the Anti- War movement in America |
2019 | |
2020 | Domino Theory was the main reason why American forces stayed in Vietnam for so long |
2021 | American actions were the main reason for the development of the Korean War |
2022 | The main reason for the escalation of the Vietnam War was the Gulf Tonkin incident |
Sample 1 | The support of the Vietnamese people was the main reason for the Vietcong’s success |
Sample 2 | The removal of Communist forces in South Korea was the main result of the Korean War |
Making judgements in History
The 16-mark question relies on your ability to weigh all the evidence and state your opinion. Students often find this part the hardest to do
There are some common mistakes students make when making a judgement, they include:
Not giving a clear judgement. Students do this by:
Explaining that all of the reasons are the most important
Failing to decide which factor is the most important
Using language in their answer which is not decisive e.g. “kind of” or “maybe”
Contradicting your judgements
Students sometimes haven’t planned their answers properly. They start to write their answer with one judgement and then change their opinion halfway through
Doing this means that there is not a sustained judgement and you can not access Level 4 (10- 12 marks)
Good judgements will:
Explain which reason is the most important
There is no 'right' or 'wrong' answer in History
If you are unsure of your opinion, pick the side of the argument that you have better or more evidence to support
Consider other reasons
Even if you fully believe a reason is the most important, you still need to present evidence for other reasons
Be sustained throughout your answer
They should be used to structure your answer and help you explain
This is why planning your answer is important
Try to explore the relationships between causes/ changes/ factors/ consequences that you have presented in your argument
This will help you to evaluate your argument
For the example question, when evaluating why the conflict in Vietnam escalated in the 1960s, one could argue that the Gulf of Tonkin Incident was the main reason. In your answer, you could highlight the policy of containment and the actions of Ngo Dinh Diem
What Makes a Great Conclusion in GCSE History?
Conclusions are usually where most of your judgement marks will be awarded
Students often rush their conclusions so they are not as developed as they could be
All great conclusions have these three elements:
Judgement – Start with your opinion. Try to include the words from the question. Consider second-order concepts like short- and long-term consequences, change and continuity and significance
Counter – Give an example from the other side of the argument to show your awareness of this
Support – Explain why, after considering all the evidence, you have reached your judgement. Use your best piece of evidence to show your opinion
How to get SPaG Marks
In Paper 1B, students have access to an additional four marks for answering Question 4
This is awarded for SPaG (Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar)
SPaG marks are allocated in the following categories:
SPaG mark | Reason for this mark |
|---|---|
0 |
|
1 |
|
2-3 |
|
4 |
|
You can boost your SPaG marks by:
Ensuring key terms mentioned in the question are spelt correctly in your answer
Making sure that you use paragraphs in your answer
Allowing yourself an appropriate amount of time to re-read your answer to check for mistakes
Reading the answer in your head as if you were speaking it. Where you would take a breath, make sure there is a comma or full stop
How to Answer a “How Far do you Agree” Question
The "How far do you agree" question will present you with a statement which you have to create a substantiated judgement around
For the example question, this is:
"The Gulf of Tonkin incident was the main reason why the conflict in Vietnam escalated in the 1960s." How far do you agree with this statement?
To answer this question successfully you should
Read the answer carefully and multiple times (if you have the time)
Annotate the question to find the key demands of the question
Plan your answer
In your plan include what key knowledge you wish to use and an outline of your argument
This will help you to create a sustained judgement
To achieve Levels 3 and 4 (9-16 marks) you must discuss the stated reason in the question
If the question was on the Domino Theory you must discuss this theory in one of your paragraphs
“How Far do you Agree” Question Structure
Your answer should consist of:
Specific knowledge
Relevant evidence
Substantiated judgement
A conclusion
If you want to include an introduction you can, but it is not necessary
Your answers should be written in PEEL paragraphs:
P - Make a point about the question
This should include your judgement
E - Use evidence that supports the point that you have made
Evidence needs to be relevant and specific
E - Explain why this evidence supports your point
L - Link your explanation back to the question by stating how it or is not the most important reason
To achieve Level 4 (13-16 marks) you should aim to write three paragraphs and a conclusion
Worked Example of a “How Far do you Agree” Question
Worked Example
'The Gulf of Tonkin incident was the main reason why the conflict in Vietnam escalated in the 1960s.'
How far do you agree with this statement?
[16 marks + 4 SPaG]
Answer:
A reason why the conflict escalated was due to the Gulf of Tonkin incident, but it was not the main reason. On August 4th 1964, a US destroyer ship called "Maddox" detected a North Vietnamese attack. The captain who raised the alarm had doubts and saw his men may have read the sonar wrong. In response to these reports on 7th August 1964 the US government passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution giving President Johnson the power to take any military action if necessary to stop the spread of communism and the power of the North Vietnamese in Vietnam. This Gulf Tonkin incident officially started the war allowing combat troops to be sent. This is not the main reason the conflict escalated because, without US policies like containment, the US would not have been alarmed by the sonar readings in the Gulf of Tonkin.
The main reason why the conflict escalated was due to international American politics in the 1960s. President Johnson maintained an ant-communist stance set by his predecessors and supported President Eisenhower in his idea of the Domino Theory. This was the idea that if one country fell to communism, every country around it would become communist affecting US trade. America's hatred for communism was strong, Johnson had to appear tough on communism to maintain public support. Johnson also had to appear tough on communism because weapons companies funded his presidential campaigns in the hope they would be primary weapons providers in war. Thus, the theory of the Military Industrial Complex stakes that Johnson may have felt pressured to be involved in the war to make a profit for these companies, appeasing big businesses. These internal American politics were the most important reason why the war escalated because President Johnson's drive to maintain public support by upholding anti-communist attitudes and policies, such as containment, was an important driving force behind many of the American actions in Vietnam. A tough stance on anti-communist foreign policy was essential for any US President in this period as anti-communist sentiment in America was so high, that it had to be a priority to maintain this public office.
A final reason why the conflict also escalated was due to the Viet Cong’s tactics, however, this was not the main reason. The Viet Cong was a guerrilla force and their tactics against the US were effective in disorientating the US as they went against traditional fighting tactics. The Viet Cong had no uniform, no known headquarters, and hid in jungles and tunnels they constructed. Their guerrilla tactics resulted in 51% of US deaths, through the use of ambushes, and 11% of US casualties were due to booby traps like punji traps (sharpened bamboo in the ground covered with leaves). These tactics created widespread paranoia in the US soldiers resulting in low morale. The American army found it difficult to progress against the Viet Cong and soldiers grew angry. This anger led to events like the My Lai Massacre, the use of Agent Orange which burnt acres of jungles, and Operation Rolling Thunder to drop over a million tonnes of bombs on Vietnam. This caused an escalation in this war because the Viet Cong’s tactics caused the Americans to act in desperation. The killing of civilians and destroying the country’s environment, resulted in the conflict escalating as more Vietnamese civilians turned to the Viet Cong for support, and became more resilient to American attempts to win the war. However, it is not the main reason because, without American politics of the 1960s, the Viet Cong would not have had to use these tactics.
To conclude, the Gulf of Tonkin incident was an important reason for conflict amplification, however it was not the main reason. The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which allowed for the original conflict to begin, would not have been passed if it was not for internal American politics and the US policy of containment. This caused the US to have destroyer ships in the Gulf in the first place as a threat to the communist north. Although the Viet Cong’s tactics led to increased conflict in Vietnam, they mainly prolonged the war as the Viet Cong did not give up as easily as the US had hoped. America's tactics would not have been so harsh if America's attitudes towards communism weren’t so important, as politicians needed to show that they would be harsh against communism to maintain public support at home.
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