CNoW Section A
Structure:
Introduction
○Make reference to the controversy (wider historical debate)
■ Eg. FRWs: Some historians argue it is the first total war
■ Eg. ACW: Lost Cause Myth - the Southern armies honourably fought a lost cause against much
stronger North who relied on basic tactics to win victories.
○ Locate the view each historian has on the wider debate
Useful signposting phrases:
● Both passages acknowledge that…
● However, passages A and B differ as to…
○ Essentially, the passages are debating… (eg. the importance of French command in revolutionising
warfare)
● Passage A places particular emphasis on… arguing that...
● By contrast, passage B emphasises the importance of… suggesting that…
2 x Main Paragraph: (Fully evaluate Passage A, then Passage B)
● Firstly, passage A argues that… and has some merit in doing so.
● Passage B places particular emphasis on … rather than… as the key reason for … and has some merit in doing
so.
● Use quotes from source to show an argument the writer is making
○ Passage A has merit in emphasising/arguing that … **QUOTE*
○ Passage A's argument that… is thoroughly convincing
● Use evidence to support their view
○ Certainly.. **FACT to support claim**
■ As a result…
● Use evidence to contest the view
○ However, passage A perhaps overlooks the fact that… and so is not necessarily a convincing explanation
as to…
● Come to a judgement on their argument based on your evidence
○ Overall… / Hence...
■ Passage A's argument is only partially convincing
■ Passage A is accurate to an x extent as…
■ Passage B is justified in his view that…
■ ... does/doesn’t substantiate the historian’s view that…
■ Passage B’s view is credible/persuasive
■ Passage B's argument is thoroughly/highly convincing
■ The importance of … is perhaps over-emphasised by passage A, and so passage A's
interpretation is only partially convincing.
■ Passage B's argument is on the whole unconvincing
○ Repeat for 3-4 quotations
In conclusion… (Make sure you explicitly answer the question!)
● Whilst both passages acknowledge that… they differ as to the importance they place on the role of…
○ Namely, passage A places particular importance on…
■ Give best evidence
○ By contrast, passage B suggests that…
■ However, given that… is over-emphasised (evidenced by the fact that…), I find passage B's
interpretation thoroughly unconvincing.
○ Therefore, I find passage A more convincing as an explanation of…
Structure:
Introduction
○Make reference to the controversy (wider historical debate)
■ Eg. FRWs: Some historians argue it is the first total war
■ Eg. ACW: Lost Cause Myth - the Southern armies honourably fought a lost cause against much
stronger North who relied on basic tactics to win victories.
○ Locate the view each historian has on the wider debate
Useful signposting phrases:
● Both passages acknowledge that…
● However, passages A and B differ as to…
○ Essentially, the passages are debating… (eg. the importance of French command in revolutionising
warfare)
● Passage A places particular emphasis on… arguing that...
● By contrast, passage B emphasises the importance of… suggesting that…
2 x Main Paragraph: (Fully evaluate Passage A, then Passage B)
● Firstly, passage A argues that… and has some merit in doing so.
● Passage B places particular emphasis on … rather than… as the key reason for … and has some merit in doing
so.
● Use quotes from source to show an argument the writer is making
○ Passage A has merit in emphasising/arguing that … **QUOTE*
○ Passage A's argument that… is thoroughly convincing
● Use evidence to support their view
○ Certainly.. **FACT to support claim**
■ As a result…
● Use evidence to contest the view
○ However, passage A perhaps overlooks the fact that… and so is not necessarily a convincing explanation
as to…
● Come to a judgement on their argument based on your evidence
○ Overall… / Hence...
■ Passage A's argument is only partially convincing
■ Passage A is accurate to an x extent as…
■ Passage B is justified in his view that…
■ ... does/doesn’t substantiate the historian’s view that…
■ Passage B’s view is credible/persuasive
■ Passage B's argument is thoroughly/highly convincing
■ The importance of … is perhaps over-emphasised by passage A, and so passage A's
interpretation is only partially convincing.
■ Passage B's argument is on the whole unconvincing
○ Repeat for 3-4 quotations
In conclusion… (Make sure you explicitly answer the question!)
● Whilst both passages acknowledge that… they differ as to the importance they place on the role of…
○ Namely, passage A places particular importance on…
■ Give best evidence
○ By contrast, passage B suggests that…
■ However, given that… is over-emphasised (evidenced by the fact that…), I find passage B's
interpretation thoroughly unconvincing.
○ Therefore, I find passage A more convincing as an explanation of…
