history is fun

Someone once said, in the humanities (geography notwithstanding), it is not always about what you know (i.e. the content), but what you do with it.

In this case for SEQs, it is all nice and well if you can regurgitate the textbook, but if you cannot explain the significance of these facts with regard to the question, then you have failed to build on your knowledge.

What constitutes explanation?

Let's have a look at a paragraph from an earlier post.

First, with the coming of the immigrants, Singapore began to open itself up as a centre for entrepot trade. It began to import and export goods for different areas to different parts of the world. These immigrants also provided important support services such as workers in the dockyards, plantations, factories and some even provided daily necessities for traders all over the world. All these contributions of the immigrants helped to maintain Singapore as an attractive trading centre and kept it competitive. Without them, Singapore would not have grown so fast from a backwater island to a bustling island of trade and other commercial activities. Hence, the impact of the coming of the immigrants leading Singapore to a well-grown trading centre was the most important.

The section of the paragraph in bold is the explanation, but can we break it down even further?

All these contributions of the immigrants [This component can be called the cause, i.e. sum up the evidence that you have presented in the earlier section]
helped to maintain Singapore as an attractive trading centre and kept it competitive. Without them, Singapore would not have grown so fast from a backwater island to a bustling island of trade and other commercial activities. [This component can be called the effect, i.e. what did the evidence lead to in relation to the issue?] Hence, the impact of the coming of the immigrants leading Singapore to a well-grown trading centre was the most important. [This component can be called the consequence, i.e. what was the final consequence and the outcome as a result of the 'effect']

In most instances, students are able to write the cause and the consequence. However, they are not able to clearly state the effect which links the cause and the consequence. The contributions of immigrants may not always lead to a well-grown trading centre. Therefore, it is very important to make this link between the contributions of the immigrants and Singapore becoming a well-grown trading centre.

Try breaking down this paragraph yourself! Comment if you are not sure.

The lack of preparations for the defence of Singapore by the British was responsible for the Japanese victory. The British had underestimated the Japanese capabilities as they had inadequate intelligence and were caught by surprise by the better Japanese equipment. The British also had poor and obsolete equipment which was no match for the Japanese which resulted in Japanese air superiority which gave the Japanese a tremendous advantage over the British. In addition, the British soldiers were not well trained in jungle warfare and were unable to match the Japanese during their battles. Because of their lack of preparations, the British inferiority in all areas was quickly exposed by the Japanese which resulted in one Japanese victory after another. As a result, Malaya and Singapore fell within a short space of 4 months resulting in a Japanese victory.