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"Explain" questions are a core component of the AQA GCSE History exam. They typically ask you to explain why something happened (causes) or what the consequences of an event were. These questions are worth 8 or 12 marks and require you to go beyond description to provide developed, analytical explanations. This lesson teaches you how to approach explain questions effectively.
| Question Type | Example | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| "Explain why..." | "Explain why the Great Plague spread so rapidly in London in 1665." | 12 marks |
| "Explain the significance of..." | "Explain the significance of the Royal Society in the development of science." | 8 marks |
| "Explain what was important about..." | "Explain what was important about the Declaration of Breda (1660)." | 8 marks |
| "Explain the consequences of..." | "Explain two consequences of the Raid on the Medway (1667)." | 8 marks |
| Describe (what happened) | Explain (why it happened / why it mattered) |
|---|---|
| "The fire started on Pudding Lane" | "The fire spread rapidly because the houses were timber-framed and packed closely together" |
| "2,000 ministers were ejected" | "This was significant because it created a permanent division between Anglicans and Nonconformists" |
| "Titus Oates made allegations" | "People believed Oates because there was a deep-rooted fear of Catholicism in England" |
Exam Tip: The single most important word in an explain answer is "because". Every point you make should include an explanation of why something happened or why it was significant. If your answer only describes events without using "because" or similar explanatory language, you will not move beyond Level 2.
For a 12-mark "explain why" question, you should aim to discuss three developed reasons, each in its own paragraph.
Each paragraph should follow PEE: Point, Evidence, Explanation.
| Element | What to Do |
|---|---|
| P — Point | State the reason clearly |
| E — Evidence | Support it with specific historical evidence (names, dates, facts) |
| E — Explanation | Explain why this factor contributed to the outcome |
Question: "Explain why the Great Plague of 1665 was so devastating in London." [12 marks]
Paragraph 1 (Living conditions):
One reason the plague was so devastating was London's overcrowded and unsanitary living conditions. London's population had grown rapidly, and many of the poorer areas, such as St Giles-in-the-Fields where the plague first appeared, were densely packed with timber-framed houses and lacked proper sanitation. This meant that the rats and fleas that carried the plague bacterium could spread easily from house to house, and the close proximity of people to each other allowed rapid transmission of the disease.
Paragraph 2 (Medical ignorance):
A second reason was the lack of medical understanding. In 1665, nobody understood that the plague was caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, transmitted by fleas on rats. Instead, people believed the plague was caused by miasma (bad air), God's punishment, or planetary alignments. Because the true cause was unknown, the measures taken to combat the plague — such as burning bonfires to purify the air or killing cats and dogs — were largely ineffective. Ironically, killing cats may have made the problem worse by allowing the rat population to grow.
Paragraph 3 (Flight of the wealthy):
A third reason was the flight of the wealthy and powerful from London. When the plague took hold in the summer of 1665, the King and court moved to Oxford, and many doctors, merchants, and other prosperous citizens left the city. This deprived London's remaining population — predominantly the poor — of leadership, medical care, and economic activity. Because those with resources fled, the poor were left to face the epidemic with minimal support, which increased the death toll and the social disruption.
For an 8-mark significance question, you should discuss two developed points.
| Aspect of Significance | Question to Ask |
|---|---|
| Impact | What effect did it have at the time? |
| Consequences | What did it lead to in the short and long term? |
| Change | Did it cause or represent a change? |
| Importance to people at the time | Why did people at the time think it mattered? |
| Legacy | Does it still matter today or did it influence later events? |
Question: "Explain the significance of the founding of the Royal Society (1660)." [8 marks]
The founding of the Royal Society in 1660 was significant because it established the first permanent institution for scientific research in England. Before the Royal Society, natural philosophers (scientists) worked largely in isolation or in informal groups. The Society provided a regular forum for presenting and debating experiments, which accelerated the pace of scientific discovery. For example, Robert Hooke's Micrographia (1665) and Robert Boyle's experiments on gas pressure were both supported by the Society's institutional framework.
The Royal Society was also significant because it promoted the principle that knowledge must be based on empirical evidence rather than ancient authority. Its motto, "Nullius in verba" ("take nobody's word for it"), encapsulated the shift from reliance on classical texts to observation and experiment. This principle became the foundation of modern science and influenced the development of scientific institutions across Europe. The Society's Philosophical Transactions, first published in 1665, was one of the world's first scientific journals and established a model for sharing research that continues to this day.
| Level | Descriptor | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Simple or generalised statements; limited knowledge | 1–3 |
| Level 2 | Identifies and describes reasons, but limited explanation | 4–6 |
| Level 3 | Explains reasons with accurate, relevant knowledge | 7–9 |
| Level 4 | Explains reasons with detailed, precise knowledge; shows how factors are linked | 10–12 |
Exam Tip: To reach Level 4, try to show how your factors are connected or linked. For example: "The overcrowded living conditions made the plague more deadly, and this problem was compounded by medical ignorance, which meant that even the measures taken to combat the plague were ineffective." Showing links between factors demonstrates a sophisticated understanding.
These follow a similar pattern but with lower mark boundaries. Two well-developed paragraphs with specific evidence and clear explanation should reach Level 3 or 4.
| Phrase | Function |
|---|---|
| "This was because..." | Introduces a cause |
| "This meant that..." | Introduces a consequence |
| "This was significant because..." | Signals analysis of importance |
| "As a result of this..." | Shows consequence |
| "This contributed to..." | Shows partial causation |
| "This factor was linked to..." | Shows connections between causes |
| "The most important reason was..." | Signals your judgement |
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