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Absalom, Absalom! ">When William Faulkner Set the World Record for Writing the Longest Sentence in Literature: Read the 1,288-Word Sentence from Absalom, Absalom!

in Books , Literature , Writing | March 14th, 2019 35 Comments

Image by Carl Van Vecht­en, via Wiki­me­dia Com­mons

“How did Faulkn­er pull it off?” is a ques­tion many a fledg­ling writer has asked them­selves while strug­gling through a peri­od of appren­tice­ship like that nov­el­ist John Barth describes in his 1999 talk “My Faulkn­er.” Barth “ reorches­trat­ed ” his lit­er­ary heroes, he says, “in search of my writer­ly self… down­load­ing my innu­mer­able pre­de­ces­sors as only an insa­tiable green appren­tice can.” Sure­ly a great many writ­ers can relate when Barth says, “it was Faulkn­er at his most invo­lut­ed and incan­ta­to­ry who most enchant­ed me.” For many a writer, the Faulkner­ian sen­tence is an irre­sistible labyrinth. His syn­tax has a way of weav­ing itself into the uncon­scious, emerg­ing as fair to mid­dling imi­ta­tion.

While study­ing at Johns Hop­kins Uni­ver­si­ty, Barth found him­self writ­ing about his native East­ern Shore Mary­land in a pas­tiche style of “mid­dle Faulkn­er and late Joyce.” He may have won some praise from a vis­it­ing young William Sty­ron, “but the fin­ished opus didn’t fly—for one thing, because Faulkn­er inti­mate­ly knew  his Snopses and Comp­sons and Sar­toris­es, as I did not know my made-up denizens of the Mary­land marsh.” The advice to write only what you know may not be worth much as a uni­ver­sal com­mand­ment. But study­ing the way that Faulkn­er wrote when he turned to the sub­jects he knew best pro­vides an object les­son on how pow­er­ful a lit­er­ary resource inti­ma­cy can be.

Not only does Faulkner’s deep affil­i­a­tion with his char­ac­ters’ inner lives ele­vate his por­traits far above the lev­el of local col­or or region­al­ist curios­i­ty, but it ani­mates his sen­tences, makes them con­stant­ly move and breathe. No mat­ter how long and twist­ed they get, they do not wilt, with­er, or drag; they run riv­er-like, turn­ing around in asides, out­rag­ing them­selves and dou­bling and tripling back. Faulkner’s inti­ma­cy is not earnest­ness, it is the uncan­ny feel­ing of a raw encounter with a nerve cen­ter light­ing up with infor­ma­tion, all of it seem­ing­ly crit­i­cal­ly impor­tant.

It is the extra­or­di­nary sen­so­ry qual­i­ty of his prose that enabled Faulkn­er to get away with writ­ing the longest sen­tence in lit­er­a­ture, at least accord­ing to the 1983 Guin­ness Book of World Records , a pas­sage from Absa­lom, Absa­lom! c onsist­ing of 1,288 words and who knows how many dif­fer­ent kinds of claus­es. There are now longer sen­tences in Eng­lish writ­ing. Jonathan Coe’s The Rotter’s Club   ends with a 33-page long whop­per with 13,955 words in it. Entire nov­els hun­dreds of pages long have been writ­ten in one sen­tence in oth­er lan­guages. All of Faulkner’s mod­ernist con­tem­po­raries, includ­ing of course Joyce, Wolff, and Beck­ett, mas­tered the use of run-ons , to dif­fer­ent effect.

But, for a time, Faulkn­er took the run-on as far as it could go. He may have had no inten­tion of inspir­ing post­mod­ern fic­tion, but one of its best-known nov­el­ists, Barth, only found his voice by first writ­ing a “heav­i­ly Faulkner­ian marsh-opera.” Many hun­dreds of exper­i­men­tal writ­ers have had almost iden­ti­cal expe­ri­ences try­ing to exor­cise the Oxford, Mis­sis­sip­pi modernist’s voice from their prose. Read that one­time longest sen­tence in lit­er­a­ture, all 1,288 words of it, below.

Just exact­ly like Father if Father had known as much about it the night before I went out there as he did the day after I came back think­ing Mad impo­tent old man who real­ized at last that there must be some lim­it even to the capa­bil­i­ties of a demon for doing harm, who must have seen his sit­u­a­tion as that of the show girl, the pony, who real­izes that the prin­ci­pal tune she prances to comes not from horn and fid­dle and drum but from a clock and cal­en­dar, must have seen him­self as the old wornout can­non which real­izes that it can deliv­er just one more fierce shot and crum­ble to dust in its own furi­ous blast and recoil, who looked about upon the scene which was still with­in his scope and com­pass and saw son gone, van­ished, more insu­per­a­ble to him now than if the son were dead since now (if the son still lived) his name would be dif­fer­ent and those to call him by it strangers and what­ev­er dragon’s out­crop­ping of Sut­pen blood the son might sow on the body of what­ev­er strange woman would there­fore car­ry on the tra­di­tion, accom­plish the hered­i­tary evil and harm under anoth­er name and upon and among peo­ple who will nev­er have heard the right one; daugh­ter doomed to spin­ster­hood who had cho­sen spin­ster­hood already before there was any­one named Charles Bon since the aunt who came to suc­cor her in bereave­ment and sor­row found nei­ther but instead that calm absolute­ly impen­e­tra­ble face between a home­spun dress and sun­bon­net seen before a closed door and again in a cloudy swirl of chick­ens while Jones was build­ing the cof­fin and which she wore dur­ing the next year while the aunt lived there and the three women wove their own gar­ments and raised their own food and cut the wood they cooked it with (excus­ing what help they had from Jones who lived with his grand­daugh­ter in the aban­doned fish­ing camp with its col­laps­ing roof and rot­ting porch against which the rusty scythe which Sut­pen was to lend him, make him bor­row to cut away the weeds from the door-and at last forced him to use though not to cut weeds, at least not veg­etable weeds ‑would lean for two years) and wore still after the aunt’s indig­na­tion had swept her back to town to live on stolen gar­den truck and out o f anony­mous bas­kets left on her front steps at night, the three of them, the two daugh­ters negro and white and the aunt twelve miles away watch­ing from her dis­tance as the two daugh­ters watched from theirs the old demon, the ancient vari­cose and despair­ing Faus­tus fling his final main now with the Creditor’s hand already on his shoul­der, run­ning his lit­tle coun­try store now for his bread and meat, hag­gling tedious­ly over nick­els and dimes with rapa­cious and pover­ty-strick­en whites and negroes, who at one time could have gal­loped for ten miles in any direc­tion with­out cross­ing his own bound­ary, using out of his mea­gre stock the cheap rib­bons and beads and the stale vio­lent­ly-col­ored can­dy with which even an old man can seduce a fif­teen-year-old coun­try girl, to ruin the grand­daugh­ter o f his part­ner, this Jones-this gan­gling malar­ia-rid­den white man whom he had giv­en per­mis­sion four­teen years ago to squat in the aban­doned fish­ing camp with the year-old grand­child-Jones, part­ner porter and clerk who at the demon’s com­mand removed with his own hand (and maybe deliv­ered too) from the show­case the can­dy beads and rib­bons, mea­sured the very cloth from which Judith (who had not been bereaved and did not mourn) helped the grand­daugh­ter to fash­ion a dress to walk past the loung­ing men in, the side-look­ing and the tongues, until her increas­ing bel­ly taught her embar­rass­ment-or per­haps fear;-Jones who before ’61 had not even been allowed to approach the front of the house and who dur­ing the next four years got no near­er than the kitchen door and that only when he brought the game and fish and veg­eta­bles on which the seducer-to-be’s wife and daugh­ter (and Clytie too, the one remain­ing ser­vant, negro, the one who would for­bid him to pass the kitchen door with what he brought) depend­ed on to keep life in them, but who now entered the house itself on the (quite fre­quent now) after­noons when the demon would sud­den­ly curse the store emp­ty of cus­tomers and lock the door and repair to the rear and in the same tone in which he used to address his order­ly or even his house ser­vants when he had them (and in which he doubt­less ordered Jones to fetch from the show­case the rib­bons and beads and can­dy) direct Jones to fetch the jug, the two of them (and Jones even sit­ting now who in the old days, the old dead Sun­day after­noons of monot­o­nous peace which they spent beneath the scup­per­nong arbor in the back yard, the demon lying in the ham­mock while Jones squat­ted against a post, ris­ing from time to time to pour for the demon from the demi­john and the buck­et of spring water which he had fetched from the spring more than a mile away then squat­ting again, chortling and chuck­ling and say­ing ‘Sho, Mis­ter Tawm’ each time the demon paused)-the two of them drink­ing turn and turn about from the jug and the demon not lying down now nor even sit­ting but reach­ing after the third or sec­ond drink that old man’s state of impo­tent and furi­ous unde­feat in which he would rise, sway­ing and plung­ing and shout­ing for his horse and pis­tols to ride sin­gle-hand­ed into Wash­ing­ton and shoot Lin­coln (a year or so too late here) and Sher­man both, shout­ing, ‘Kill them! Shoot them down like the dogs they are!’ and Jones: ‘Sho, Ker­nel; sho now’ and catch­ing him as he fell and com­man­deer­ing the first pass­ing wag­on to take him to the house and car­ry him up the front steps and through the paint­less for­mal door beneath its fan­light import­ed pane by pane from Europe which Judith held open for him to enter with no change, no alter­ation in that calm frozen face which she had worn for four years now, and on up the stairs and into the bed­room and put him to bed like a baby and then lie down him­self on the floor beside the bed though not to sleep since before dawn the man on the bed would stir and groan and Jones would say, ‘fly­er I am, Ker­nel. Hit’s all right. They aint whupped us yit, air they?’ this Jones who after the demon rode away with the reg­i­ment when the grand­daugh­ter was only eight years old would tell peo­ple that he ‘was lookin after Major’s place and nig­gers’ even before they had time to ask him why he was not with the troops and per­haps in time came to believe the lie him­self, who was among the first to greet the demon when he returned, to meet him at the gate and say, ‘Well, Ker­nel, they kilt us but they aint whupped us yit, air they?’ who even worked, labored, sweat at the demon’s behest dur­ing that first furi­ous peri­od while the demon believed he could restore by sheer indomitable will­ing the Sutpen’s Hun­dred which he remem­bered and had lost, labored with no hope of pay or reward who must have seen long before the demon did (or would admit it) that the task was hope­less-blind Jones who appar­ent­ly saw still in that furi­ous lech­er­ous wreck the old fine fig­ure of the man who once gal­loped on the black thor­ough­bred about that domain two bound­aries of which the eye could not see from any point.

Relat­ed Con­tent:

5 Won­der­ful­ly Long Lit­er­ary Sen­tences by Samuel Beck­ett, Vir­ginia Woolf, F. Scott Fitzger­ald & Oth­er Mas­ters of the Run-On

Sev­en Tips From William Faulkn­er on How to Write Fic­tion

William Faulkn­er Reads from As I Lay Dying

Josh Jones  is a writer and musi­cian based in Durham, NC. Fol­low him at  @jdmagness

by Josh Jones | Permalink | Comments (35) |

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Comments (35), 35 comments so far.

Imag­ine read­ing a nov­el with a sen­tence that was 40 000 words long!

Ya know ya got ya ya girl ya ya know ya ya boy you got caught with them and then ya got a robot in the car with a car in your head that was the best dog ever and you can call me and call him when I wan­na is it time I get off work I will see if I got­ta I wan­na is a time I got a ride truck truck ride and iiiu­uyr

How did you do that. the longest thing that I have ever wrote was a 600 word para­graph and I just wrote that.

I think this is so cool that he spent this time on it but who would real­ly read this all

omg i have to read this about a week and im done and i just want to say this have made my day

i have wrote a sto­ry which has 12083 words in it. i broke the world record. but they did not give the award because i was a kid :C

Read this in an hour eas­i­ly

@arkin “It is sup­pos­ed­ly the world’s longest pub­lished nov­el in Eng­lish at 2.5 mil­lion words. If you have some extra time, you can read it at marienbadmylove.com. 4. A la recherche du temps per­du by Mar­cel Proust.”

I got a sen­tence that was 5639 words long

i just looked it up so can can copy and paste it on my school chat for fun not to read

I just want­ed to say, i real­ly like cheese, and…i think…i think my teacher is mad at me sry wait…shes mad because i was ask­ing my oth­er teacher ques­tions about work online… hmmm.…my teacher sure is a ##### ass fem­i­nist…

shutcho pick­el chin as up

i just wrote a sen­tence with 1,289 words so ha

oh real­ly i doubt it

oh real­ly i doubt it.

Maybe fact check before com­ing up with such bla­tant lies. 12083 is a mid length nov­el­ette.

hel­lo, I like to play Fort­nite it is a real­ly good game.

i just read this in a day

owfr­jt­nrgkzcb­vwruogjlv­da­jng­wruo­jl­nvdak­jefn­lvk aij hii­i­i­i­i­i­i­i­i­i­i­i­i­i­i­i­i­ii

This was so long

jfeo’is­b­hoaub­h­fvion­ad­k­fvb­skjvb efn­vkjnb­sx­uh­bgv hii­i­ii

Wow final­ly a wor­thy oppo­nent.

this has one word in it first per­son to see the gets $100 cash app njhce­whfb whebfuewhfjwenifbewiubfiebfebwqjfbwejnfewihfiuhweniufjeuirhfiuerfburiebfiewbjfkwefqhcewfhepwuhfiuwerfuiwqerpifjbruegferiuhfiuerwhfuiifewiviiuhuihrgiobguhtrbiuhtreiubhriurhviuwrhiuvht4rnrijpewvpiefhwnovjibrfpierfnhvipuerbfviuphrwipjvnwefkjvnpwiefv pirfnh­piejpo­er­w­pivher­w­poivh­wepri­u­vipr evi­jn­rei­jn­ro­jvwe­jr­fvoijer­reiobfr iuvfrvjo frvjr­weoijb­vweio­jr­foi­w­er­vice­br­wou­vb­wer­ou­vu perivoerijvoiuwerbviouweroiuberouvberfoefubvouiwriuebrouweuberwiuvherivyherwiubvewiurobviuwervuwervouwrewoiuvherwiuoeHIewijvhferiucbuhewjdhfewiufdhiu3riuheriufheriuhfiuerhfiuhwreiufhirwhiufhwiurhfiuhreiuhfiuheriwfhriehfiuerwhufihreuifheirhfiuwheruifherwoiuwfheruhwifhreiuhwoiuhfuerhfhwruifhriuehfueri

is it the word “be” found in the 17th, and 18th let­ters?

this is not a long para­graph it is mul­ti­ple

I am just not as pret­ty as my friend Haylee she is fab so give me a chance for this job

This has the word “his” in it

Had to trans­late this for his­to­ry class so I chose this sentence(How fing stu­pid of me)

That Was A lot Of Words

Bro I copied this and held paste and send it to my friend XD

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What are the six different essay lengths?

This is the second of three chapters about Essays . To complete this reader, read each chapter carefully and then unlock and complete our materials to check your understanding.   

– Discuss why essays might vary in length

– Outline the six major lengths of academic essay

– Provide defining features for each essay length

Chapter 1: What is an academic essay?

Chapter 2: What are the six different essay lengths?

Chapter 3: What are the seven different types of academic essay?

Before you begin reading...

• video and audio texts
• knowledge checks and quizzes
• skills practices, tasks and assignments

The length of essay you’re assigned will likely depend on where you are exactly in your academic course. Generally, assignments at the start of a bachelor’s degree will be shorter than those required in a student’s final years, just like master’s  and doctoral-level essays will continue to increase in both length and difficulty.

1. The One-Paragraph Essay

Generally about 150 to 250 words in length, the one-paragraph essay may be assigned by academic tutors simply in order to practise the basic concepts of paragraph writing, or it may also be used for specific purposes such as to practise summarising an article that’s been read in class or to write an extended definition of a concept. Additionally, one-paragraph essays may also be used as a diagnostic to quickly determine the level of a student’s writing. Unlike other essay lengths, for the one-paragraph essay, you’ll need to include at least some introductory, body and conclusive elements within the same paragraph.    

2. The Three-Paragraph Essay

Usually around 500 words in length, the three-paragraph essay is generally used to introduce students to the concept that all essays should maintain an introduction , body section and conclusion if the writer wishes to produce cohesive and a logical writing. The introduction and conclusion will be the first and last paragraphs and tend to be a little shorter in length, while the central body paragraph will contain the essay’s content or argument. A simple table explaining the balance of content in a three-paragraph essay has been provided below:

3. The Five-Paragraph Essay

Around 1,000 words in length, the five-paragraph essay is generally set by tutors who are content that their students understand the introduction-body-conclusion essay  structure and wish to allow more freedom to expand the ideas and arguments presented by the writer in the body section of the essay. This length of essay still only dedicates one paragraph to the introduction and conclusion , but allows three paragraphs to be dedicated to the exploration of the theme in the essay’s body. At this length, certain essay types such as cause and effect essays or compare and contrast essays may now be utilised. The following is a simple diagram of the balance of paragraph lengths in a five-paragraph essay.

4. The Extended Essay

The extended essay is the most common type of essay that’s assigned during a bachelor’s or master’s degree , and it may be of any length – although it’s unusual for such essays to be above 5,000 words. The most common lengths for an extended essay are 1,500, 3,000 and 5,000 words, with a word count allowance of plus or minus 10%. Such essay types will most certainly require research and referencing skills , and may also begin to follow more complex structures such as are found in dissertations and theses rather than simply following the introduction-body-conclusion structure of shorter essays.

5. The Dissertation

Generally assigned as the final project for both bachelor’s   and master’s degree , the typical length of an academic dissertation is 10,000 or 15,000 words. Unlike shorter essay types , dissertations have more complex structures and are almost always based around primary research (original research that the writer has conducted themselves). The following table demonstrates some of the key parts of a dissertation as well as the rough word count  percentages for each section:

6. The Thesis

Finally, the thesis is the longest academic essay type and the one that’s reserved for doctorate students studying PhDs. Generally between 40,000 and 60,000 words in length, the doctorate thesis may contain all the elements of a dissertation but in much more detail and with more careful investigation. Such essays  are almost certainly original and are based on primary research , with a larger focus on the accuracy of the literature review , data collection and data analysis . Many students will never encounter this essay type. 

Once you can recognise which essay length you’ve been assigned, the next question covered in Chapter 3 is about determining the type of essay you have to write. This is because each essay type will require particular styles, structures, foci and language.

To reference this reader:

Academic Marker (2022) Essays . Available at: https://academicmarker.com/academic-guidance/assignments/essays/ (Accessed: Date Month Year).

• Harvard Writing Center
• Leeds University Library
• Purdue Online Writing Lab

Downloadables

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Our essays academic reader (including all four chapters about this topic) can be accessed here at the click of a button.

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September 15, 2021

2021-2022 Prize for the Longest College Essays

It’s that time of year. Awards season. And while Emmys will be given out this weekend, we’d like to give out another award: the prize for the longest college essays of the 2021-2022 college admissions season. So which university takes home the grand prize? Is it the University of Chicago with their two long essays? Stanford University with their three somewhat long essays and then laundry list of short answers? Columbia University with their two fairly long essays and super long lists, some of which happen to be shorter than in years past? No, no. None of these schools have claimed the 2021-2022 grand prize for the longest college essays among elite universities.

Tulane University Asks the Longest Essay Prompts

The grand prize goes to…drum roll please…Tulane University. That’s right. Tulane University, which historically has presented applicants with a long supplement in the past , outdoes itself this year. This year, the school asks applicants to respond to two 800-word essays and one 250-word essays. We can’t think of any other elite university that asks applicants to respond in up to 800 words — unless the school doesn’t specify a word count. And to ask two 800-word essays and a 250-word essay? Well, who can accuse Tulane of trying to bump up its US News & World Report ranking by making it easier for students to apply? The school is making them jump through quite the hoop when it comes to its essays.

Tulane University Asks 3 Essay Prompts, Including Two 800-Word Essays

And what exactly are the Tulane essay prompts, you ask? The first prompt reads, “Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences.” Applicants are asked to respond in 250 words. And while the essay is “optional,” loyal readers of our college admissions blog know all too well that “optional” means diddly-squat in elite college admissions. The second prompt reads, “Please describe why you are interested in attending Tulane University.” This essay, too, is optional and applicants are given 800 words to respond. And the third essay reads, “Tulane values the lessons gained from pursuing an education alongside a student body that represents a wide range of experiences and perspectives and is reflective of our multicultural world. If you would like to share a perspective related to your family, cultural group, sexual or gender identity, religious group, or some other aspect that has shaped your identity, please do so here.” This essay, like the other two, is also optional. Applicants are given 800 words to respond just like for the second prompt.

Congratulations to Tulane University for winning the 2021-2022 grand prize for longest college essays!

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• James Cropper Paper

Written Into History: World's Longest Letter

Cumbria’s Longest Letter Sets Official Record

When eight schools in Cumbria set out to write the World’s Longest Letter during National Stationery Week 2015, they hoped to set records for their epic writing efforts. Now it’s official, with the Official World Record organisation verifying the 290 metre letter as the longest letter believed to have ever been written.

Written on Ambassador paper, which is more often used for high-quality, commercial stationery, invitations and reports, the letter was started by children from Queen Katherine School, Castle Park School, Vicarage Park, Stramongate Primary School, Ghyllside Primary School, Grayrigg Primary School, St Oswald’s Primary School and St Thomas’ Primary School, all local to the James Cropper mill in Kendal, Lake District. Each child stepped up to say what it was about their local area that they loved, with the letter proposed to be part of the Lake District National Park’s bid for UNESCO World Heritage Site status.

In summer 2015, it was decided by James Cropper and the National Park that the public should have their say and the letter was displayed in Brockhole, the Lake District Visitor Centre, with visitors of all ages invited to put pen to the letter. As the letter grew in length, so did the strength of people’s feeling towards the famously beautiful region, which James Cropper calls home. Many heartfelt messages were left, acclaiming everything from the breath-taking scenery to fantastic local food.

When the time to measure the letter came and bring the attempt to an end in October, Peter Hensman, chair of the Lake District National Park Partnership’s Business Task Force, Tim Tidman, Product Manager at James Cropper Paper and children from three of the participating schools came together to celebrate the end of a fantastic effort. Now, with the letter verified as a world record just a few weeks after it was completed, Mr Hensman and the 25 organisations responsible for the Lake District’s bid for World Heritage status in 2016 will use the tributes to show the UNESCO judging panel just what the region means to so many people.

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12 of the Longest Words in the World, By Category

By kevin kampwirth | mar 9, 2023, 2:35 pm est.

Antidisestablishmentarianism, everyone’s favorite agglutinative , entered the pop culture lexicon on August 17, 1955, when Gloria Lockerman, a 12-year-old girl from Baltimore, correctly spelled it on The $64,000 Question as millions of people watched from their living rooms. At 28 letters, the word—which is defined as a 19th-century British political movement that opposes proposals for the disestablishment of the Church of England—is still regarded as the longest non-medical, non-coined, nontechnical word in the English language (though according to Merriam-Webster, it’s rarely used outside of being "a really long word"). And it keeps some robust company. Here are some examples of the longest words by category.

1. Methionylthreonylthreonyglutaminylarginyl ... isoleucine

Note the ellipses. All told, the full chemical name for the human protein titin is 189,819 letters, and takes up to three-and-a-half hours to pronounce. The problem with including chemical names is that there’s essentially no limit to how long they can be. For example, naming a single molecule of DNA, with its millions and millions of repeating base pairs, could eventually tap out at well over 1 billion letters.

2. Nirantarāndhakāritā … lokān

According to Guinness World Records , the longest word in any language is a "compound 'word' of 195 Sanskrit characters (transliterating to 428 letters in the Roman alphabet) describing the region near Kanci, Tamil Nadu, India, which appears in a 16th-century work by Tirumalãmbã, Queen of Vijayangara.”

3. Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis

At 45 letters, this is the longest defined word you’ll find in a major dictionary. An inflated version of silicosis, this is the vaguely scientific-sounding name for a disease that causes inflammation in the lungs owing to the inhalation of very fine silica dust. Despite its inclusion in the dictionary, it’s generally considered superfluous, having been coined simply to claim the title of the longest English word.

While pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis is often given as the longest word in a dictionary, it’s not that straightforward. As explained in a 1997 article by Darryl Francis in the journal Word Ways , dictionaries—especially the Oxford English Dictionary—have the defined words but also quotations to show usage. So the first entry under hamburger , for example, contains a 55-letter word, with nary a space in sight: “You are asked if you will have ‘porkchopbeefsteakhamandegghamburgersteakorliverandbacon.’” Allowing for any non-space punctuation, under the word journey there’s this behemoth from 1938: “feeling-upset-physically-and-mentally-with-anticipatory-excitement-and/or-anxiety”—71 letters (and some hyphens and a slash; but no spaces). Francis even points out that there’s a 100-character “word” hiding under lincomycin , but that’s a chemical name. The longest word in the dictionary is, therefore, somewhat open to interpretation.

4. Parastratiosphecomyia Stratioshecomyioides

The longest accepted animal binomial, at 42 letters, is a species of soldier fly native to Thailand. The name dwarfs the creature, which has a length of just over 10 millimeters.

5. Pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism

This 30-letter medical condition is the longest non-coined word to appear in a major dictionary.

More Articles Related to Words:

6. Floccinaucinihilipilification

By virtue of having one more letter than antidisestablishmentarianism , this is the longest non-technical English word. A mash-up of five Latin elements, it refers to the act of describing something as having little or no value. While it made the cut in the Oxford English Dictionary , Merriam-Webster volumes refuse to recognize it, chalking up its existence to little more than linguistic ephemera.

7. Subdermatoglyphic

At 17 characters, this is often considered the longest isogram , a word in which every letter is used only once, and refers to the underlying dermal matrix that determines the pattern formed by the whorls, arches, and ridges of our fingerprints. 

8. Squirrelled

Though the more commonly accepted American English version carries only one L , the version with two is fully accepted—and in some accents it’s pronounced as one-syllable, making it possibly the longest non-coined monosyllabic English word at 11 letters.

9. Transtendinous

Are you having a surgery that might involve going through the tendon ? Then you might hear the word transtendinous thrown around. Are you at a conference of lexicographers ? You might hear transtendinous thrown around as, at 14 letters, potentially the longest English word to use all five vowels in order exactly once. But as that word (and the equally 14-letter lamelligomphus , a dragonfly genus) has yet to enter the hallowed halls of the better dictionaries, you might be better off with the 12 letters of abstemiously and affectiously , both of which have a pleasing Y to round out the word (and a special shout out to uncomplimentary , which, at 15 letters, has all five—though not the Y —in reverse alphabetical order).

10. Tattarrattat

At 12 letters, this word—coined by James Joyce in Ulysses and meaning a knocking at the door—is likely the longest palindromic word in English. 

Joyce had a penchant for coining weird words that no one uses, so a better candidate for longest non-coined palindromic word in major dictionaries might be the nine-letter Malayalam , which is a Dravidian language spoken in parts of India. (A third candidate— detartrated —appears in some chemical glossaries and older food science publications , but is rarely included in dictionaries.)

11. and 12. Euouae and Psst

Euouae and psst are the longest words comprised entirely of either vowels or consonants appearing in a major dictionary. Euouae, a medieval musical term, is technically a mnemonic, but has been accepted as a word in itself.

As for longest without vowels, Guinness World Records gives the record for “ Longest word in the English language without any of the five main vowels ” as twyndyllyngs , the plural of an obscure 15th-century variant of an obscure now dialectical word meaning “twin.” But as American students learn, Y is sometimes a vowel.

Some argue cwtch ( cupboard/hiding place or a special hug ) or crwth ( a type of musical instrument ) hold the record, but in both of those, the W is taking the vowel role, as it can happily do in the Welsh both are loaned from. For something with neither a vowel letter nor a vowel sound , the best option is likely psst , which is a fully accepted word in the Oxford English Dictionary.

Austin Thompson contributed to this piece. A version of this story ran in 2016; it has been updated for 2022.

How to Write a History Essay with Outline, Tips, Examples and More

Before we get into how to write a history essay, let's first understand what makes one good. Different people might have different ideas, but there are some basic rules that can help you do well in your studies. In this guide, we won't get into any fancy theories. Instead, we'll give you straightforward tips to help you with historical writing. So, if you're ready to sharpen your writing skills, let our history essay writing service explore how to craft an exceptional paper.

What is a History Essay?

A history essay is an academic assignment where we explore and analyze historical events from the past. We dig into historical stories, figures, and ideas to understand their importance and how they've shaped our world today. History essay writing involves researching, thinking critically, and presenting arguments based on evidence.

Moreover, history papers foster the development of writing proficiency and the ability to communicate complex ideas effectively. They also encourage students to engage with primary and secondary sources, enhancing their research skills and deepening their understanding of historical methodology.

History Essay Outline

The outline is there to guide you in organizing your thoughts and arguments in your essay about history. With a clear outline, you can explore and explain historical events better. Here's how to make one:

Introduction

• Hook: Start with an attention-grabbing opening sentence or anecdote related to your topic.
• Background Information: Provide context on the historical period, event, or theme you'll be discussing.
• Thesis Statement: Present your main argument or viewpoint, outlining the scope and purpose of your history essay.

Body paragraph 1: Introduction to the Historical Context

• Provide background information on the historical context of your topic.
• Highlight key events, figures, or developments leading up to the main focus of your history essay.

Body paragraphs 2-4 (or more): Main Arguments and Supporting Evidence

• Each paragraph should focus on a specific argument or aspect of your thesis.
• Present evidence from primary and secondary sources to support each argument.
• Analyze the significance of the evidence and its relevance to your history paper thesis.

Counterarguments (optional)

• Address potential counterarguments or alternative perspectives on your topic.
• Refute opposing viewpoints with evidence and logical reasoning.
• Summary of Main Points: Recap the main arguments presented in the body paragraphs.
• Restate Thesis: Reinforce your thesis statement, emphasizing its significance in light of the evidence presented.
• Reflection: Reflect on the broader implications of your arguments for understanding history.
• Closing Thought: End your history paper with a thought-provoking statement that leaves a lasting impression on the reader.

References/bibliography

• List all sources used in your research, formatted according to the citation style required by your instructor (e.g., MLA, APA, Chicago).
• Include both primary and secondary sources, arranged alphabetically by the author's last name.

Notes (if applicable)

• Include footnotes or endnotes to provide additional explanations, citations, or commentary on specific points within your history essay.

History Essay Format

Adhering to a specific format is crucial for clarity, coherence, and academic integrity. Here are the key components of a typical history essay format:

Font and Size

• Use a legible font such as Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri.
• The recommended font size is usually 12 points. However, check your instructor's guidelines, as they may specify a different size.
• Set 1-inch margins on all sides of the page.
• Double-space the entire essay, including the title, headings, body paragraphs, and references.
• Avoid extra spacing between paragraphs unless specified otherwise.
• Align text to the left margin; avoid justifying the text or using a centered alignment.

Title Page (if required):

• If your instructor requires a title page, include the essay title, your name, the course title, the instructor's name, and the date.
• Center-align this information vertically and horizontally on the page.
• Include a header on each page (excluding the title page if applicable) with your last name and the page number, flush right.
• Some instructors may require a shortened title in the header, usually in all capital letters.
• Center-align the essay title at the top of the first page (if a title page is not required).
• Use standard capitalization (capitalize the first letter of each major word).
• Avoid underlining, italicizing, or bolding the title unless necessary for emphasis.

Paragraph Indentation:

• Indent the first line of each paragraph by 0.5 inches or use the tab key.
• Do not insert extra spaces between paragraphs unless instructed otherwise.

Citations and References:

• Follow the citation style specified by your instructor (e.g., MLA, APA, Chicago).
• Include in-text citations whenever you use information or ideas from external sources.
• Provide a bibliography or list of references at the end of your history essay, formatted according to the citation style guidelines.
• Typically, history essays range from 1000 to 2500 words, but this can vary depending on the assignment.

How to Write a History Essay?

Historical writing can be an exciting journey through time, but it requires careful planning and organization. In this section, we'll break down the process into simple steps to help you craft a compelling and well-structured history paper.

Analyze the Question

Before diving headfirst into writing, take a moment to dissect the essay question. Read it carefully, and then read it again. You want to get to the core of what it's asking. Look out for keywords that indicate what aspects of the topic you need to focus on. If you're unsure about anything, don't hesitate to ask your instructor for clarification. Remember, understanding how to start a history essay is half the battle won!

Now, let's break this step down:

• Read the question carefully and identify keywords or phrases.
• Consider what the question is asking you to do – are you being asked to analyze, compare, contrast, or evaluate?
• Pay attention to any specific instructions or requirements provided in the question.
• Take note of the time period or historical events mentioned in the question – this will give you a clue about the scope of your history essay.

Develop a Strategy

With a clear understanding of the essay question, it's time to map out your approach. Here's how to develop your historical writing strategy:

• Brainstorm ideas : Take a moment to jot down any initial thoughts or ideas that come to mind in response to the history paper question. This can help you generate a list of potential arguments, themes, or points you want to explore in your history essay.
• Create an outline : Once you have a list of ideas, organize them into a logical structure. Start with a clear introduction that introduces your topic and presents your thesis statement – the main argument or point you'll be making in your history essay. Then, outline the key points or arguments you'll be discussing in each paragraph of the body, making sure they relate back to your thesis. Finally, plan a conclusion that summarizes your main points and reinforces your history paper thesis.
• Research : Before diving into writing, gather evidence to support your arguments. Use reputable sources such as books, academic journals, and primary documents to gather historical evidence and examples. Take notes as you research, making sure to record the source of each piece of information for proper citation later on.
• Consider counterarguments : Anticipate potential counterarguments to your history paper thesis and think about how you'll address them in your essay. Acknowledging opposing viewpoints and refuting them strengthens your argument and demonstrates critical thinking.
• Set realistic goals : Be realistic about the scope of your history essay and the time you have available to complete it. Break down your writing process into manageable tasks, such as researching, drafting, and revising, and set deadlines for each stage to stay on track.

Start Your Research

Now that you've grasped the history essay topic and outlined your approach, it's time to dive into research. Here's how to start:

• Ask questions : What do you need to know? What are the key points to explore further? Write down your inquiries to guide your research.
• Explore diverse sources : Look beyond textbooks. Check academic journals, reliable websites, and primary sources like documents or artifacts.
• Consider perspectives : Think about different viewpoints on your topic. How have historians analyzed it? Are there controversies or differing interpretations?
• Take organized notes : Summarize key points, jot down quotes, and record your thoughts and questions. Stay organized using spreadsheets or note-taking apps.
• Evaluate sources : Consider the credibility and bias of each source. Are they peer-reviewed? Do they represent a particular viewpoint?

Establish a Viewpoint

By establishing a clear viewpoint and supporting arguments, you'll lay the foundation for your compelling historical writing:

• Review your research : Reflect on the information gathered. What patterns or themes emerge? Which perspectives resonate with you?
• Formulate a thesis statement : Based on your research, develop a clear and concise thesis that states your argument or interpretation of the topic.
• Consider counterarguments : Anticipate objections to your history paper thesis. Are there alternative viewpoints or evidence that you need to address?
• Craft supporting arguments : Outline the main points that support your thesis. Use evidence from your research to strengthen your arguments.
• Stay flexible : Be open to adjusting your viewpoint as you continue writing and researching. New information may challenge or refine your initial ideas.

Structure Your Essay

Now that you've delved into the depths of researching historical events and established your viewpoint, it's time to craft the skeleton of your essay: its structure. Think of your history essay outline as constructing a sturdy bridge between your ideas and your reader's understanding. How will you lead them from point A to point Z? Will you follow a chronological path through history or perhaps dissect themes that span across time periods?

And don't forget about the importance of your introduction and conclusion—are they framing your narrative effectively, enticing your audience to read your paper, and leaving them with lingering thoughts long after they've turned the final page? So, as you lay the bricks of your history essay's architecture, ask yourself: How can I best lead my audience through the maze of time and thought, leaving them enlightened and enriched on the other side?

Create an Engaging Introduction

Creating an engaging introduction is crucial for capturing your reader's interest right from the start. But how do you do it? Think about what makes your topic fascinating. Is there a surprising fact or a compelling story you can share? Maybe you could ask a thought-provoking question that gets people thinking. Consider why your topic matters—what lessons can we learn from history?

Also, remember to explain what your history essay will be about and why it's worth reading. What will grab your reader's attention and make them want to learn more? How can you make your essay relevant and intriguing right from the beginning?

Develop Coherent Paragraphs

Once you've established your introduction, the next step is to develop coherent paragraphs that effectively communicate your ideas. Each paragraph should focus on one main point or argument, supported by evidence or examples from your research. Start by introducing the main idea in a topic sentence, then provide supporting details or evidence to reinforce your point.

Make sure to use transition words and phrases to guide your reader smoothly from one idea to the next, creating a logical flow throughout your history essay. Additionally, consider the organization of your paragraphs—is there a clear progression of ideas that builds upon each other? Are your paragraphs unified around a central theme or argument?

Conclude Effectively

Concluding your history essay effectively is just as important as starting it off strong. In your conclusion, you want to wrap up your main points while leaving a lasting impression on your reader. Begin by summarizing the key points you've made throughout your history essay, reminding your reader of the main arguments and insights you've presented.

Then, consider the broader significance of your topic—what implications does it have for our understanding of history or for the world today? You might also want to reflect on any unanswered questions or areas for further exploration. Finally, end with a thought-provoking statement or a call to action that encourages your reader to continue thinking about the topic long after they've finished reading.

Reference Your Sources

Referencing your sources is essential for maintaining the integrity of your history essay and giving credit to the scholars and researchers who have contributed to your understanding of the topic. Depending on the citation style required (such as MLA, APA, or Chicago), you'll need to format your references accordingly. Start by compiling a list of all the sources you've consulted, including books, articles, websites, and any other materials used in your research.

Then, as you write your history essay, make sure to properly cite each source whenever you use information or ideas that are not your own. This includes direct quotations, paraphrases, and summaries. Remember to include all necessary information for each source, such as author names, publication dates, and page numbers, as required by your chosen citation style.

Review and Ask for Advice

As you near the completion of your history essay writing, it's crucial to take a step back and review your work with a critical eye. Reflect on the clarity and coherence of your arguments—are they logically organized and effectively supported by evidence? Consider the strength of your introduction and conclusion—do they effectively capture the reader's attention and leave a lasting impression? Take the time to carefully proofread your history essay for any grammatical errors or typos that may detract from your overall message.

Furthermore, seeking advice from peers, mentors, or instructors can provide valuable insights and help identify areas for improvement. Consider sharing your essay with someone whose feedback you trust and respect, and be open to constructive criticism. Ask specific questions about areas you're unsure about or where you feel your history essay may be lacking.

History Essay Example

In this section, we offer an example of a history essay examining the impact of the Industrial Revolution on society. This essay demonstrates how historical analysis and critical thinking are applied in academic writing. By exploring this specific event, you can observe how historical evidence is used to build a cohesive argument and draw meaningful conclusions.

FAQs about History Essay Writing

How to write a history essay introduction, how to write a conclusion for a history essay, how to write a good history essay.

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The Mystery of the Continuously Functioning Battery From 1840

A battery at the University of Oxford has been incessantly ringing two bells for 175 years—but no one knows exactly why it’s lasted so long

Laura Clark

Jason Koebler over at Motherboard recently highlighted a scientific mystery that may not be solved any time soon.

In the mid-1800s, Robert Walker , a physics professor at the University of Oxford, acquired an interesting device. It was a battery designed to propel a hanging metal ball quickly back and forth, between two small bells. Today, 175 years after it was manufactured, the Oxford Electric Bell , as it is often referred to, is still ringing—in fact, it is said to have rung over 10 billion times.

Built  by  Watkins and Hill , a London instrument-manufacturing firm and with a note attached in Walker’s own hand reading “Set up in 1840,” the battery would eventually come to be displayed at the University’s  Clarendon Laboratory.

How exactly has the apparatus, dubbed the  “world’s most durable battery”  by the Guiness Book of World Records, functioned for so long? No one knows for sure. That’s because, as Koebler points out, opening the device could potentially “ruin an experiment to see how long it will last.”

We have a good idea about the basics of its composition, however. It is made up of dry piles, one of the first forms of electric batteries originally developed in the early 19th century by priest and physicist Giuseppe Zamboni .

“They use alternating discs of silver, zinc, sulfur, and other materials to generate low currents of electricity,” writes Koebler. He continues:

"What the piles are made of is not known with certainty, but it is clear that the outer coating is of sulphur, and this seals in the cells and the electrolyte," AJ Croft, a former researcher at the Clarendon Laboratory, wrote in a 1984 paper ​describing the bell in the  European Journal of Physics . "Piles similar to this were made by Zamboni, whose batteries were constituted of about 2,000 pairs of discs of tin foil glued to paper impregnated with zinc sulphate and coated on the other side with manganese dioxide."

Luckily for anyone who may be stationed nearby, the bell is not incessantly dinging like some possessed alarm clock. It's actually  barely audible , because the charge is so low—the metal ball responsible for the ringing only delicately vibrates between the two bells.

In order to solve the mystery of the Oxford Electric Bell once and for all, researchers will likely have to wait until either the battery finally loses its charge or else the ringing mechanism breaks on its own from old age.

For now, though, the contraption stands as the “longest running science experiment,” according to Mental Floss . The second longest? That would be the Beverly Clock at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand, which runs with the help of changes in atmospheric pressure and continues to tick-tock despite only last being rewound in 1864.

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Laura Clark is a writer and editor based in Pittsburgh. She's a blogger with Smart News and a senior editor at Pitt magazine.

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What is the longest essay ever written in history?

Table of Contents

• 1 What is the longest essay ever written in history?
• 2 How many words does the longest essay have?
• 3 What is a 1000 word essay?
• 4 What is the longest story in the world?
• 5 How many pages is a 500-word essay?
• 6 What is the longest text ever?
• 7 What is the longest word in the world?
• 8 What is the longest word ever created?

David Perell on Twitter: “The essay is DONE. 16,000 words, which makes it one of the longest essays I’ve ever written.… “

How many words does the longest essay have?

Essay length guidelines

What’s the longest a college essay can be?

250 to 650 words Essays can be anywhere from 250 to 650 words total.” The shortest word limits for college essays are usually around 150 words (less than half a single-spaced page). Rarely will you see a word limit higher than around 650 words (over one single-spaced page).

What is a 1000 word essay?

A 1000 word essay is a paper written on your very own selected theme, composed in 1000 words. Usually, quantity of pages used in a 1000 word essay is four a4 sheets, not more, so perhaps a 1000 words paper isn’t as much as you think. 1000-word articles aren’t hard. A writer needs a strong subject and some arranging.

What is the longest story in the world?

The Guinness Book of World Records gives the honor to Marcel Proust’s elephantine Remembrance of Things Past, weighing in at 9,609,000 characters (including spaces).

What do 2000 words look like?

Answer: 2,000 words is 4 pages single-spaced or 8 pages double-spaced. Documents that typically contain 2,000 words include college essays, operating manuals, and longer form blog posts. A 2,000 word count will create about 4 pages single-spaced or 8 pages double-spaced when using normal margins (1″) and 12 pt.

How many pages is a 500-word essay?

2 PAGES How Many Words per Page?

What is the longest text ever?

What is the longest sentence written?

What is the longest word in the world?

What is the longest word ever created.

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What is the longest paper your high school student has written?

By history_junkie , December 4, 2012 in High School and Self-Education Board

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History_junkie.

I am a homeschool grad teaching in the homeschool community, and I'm just looking for some perspective. I am teaching a Rhetoric class and, while we have a lot of assignments, most of them are not very lengthy.

The longest paper I wrote was about 15 pages and that wasn't until my senior year. My husband wrote a 30 page thesis in his Honors level PS class.

What do you think is reasonable? How does that compare to the college experience you/ your dc had/anticipate?

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The longest my kids wrote in high school was ~5 pages or so.

At college no one could believe they hadn't written longer papers, but they did well and were able to overcome the lack of sufficient paper-writing in h.s.! :001_smile:

It probably didn't help their h.s. paper-writing that dh and I went to an engineering school -- until I wrote a thesis, I never had to write a paper onger than 5 pages! But my kids successfully wrote 15 page papers and theses, etc. Dd2 will continue the tradition of graduating not having written more than a 5-page paper!

Sunshine State Sue

In 10th grade, the longest paper ds wrote was a 10 page research paper (for Laurel Tree tutorials - highly recommend). 8-12 pages were required. Ds's had 3175 words.

In 11th grade, the longest paper ds has written so far was for CC Honors Composition 1. Required 700-1200 words. I'll have to see if I can find his paper.

I have a bachelor's in math and a master's in Industrial Engineering. I avoided writing like the plague all during high school, college, and grad school. Took the non-thesis grad option...

Harriet Vane

My longest paper in high school was a 12-page research paper my junior year.

I teach literature and writing now. My model in giving assignments was a teacher I had in high school for speech class. We gave sooooo many speeches that year. It was the very best way to make us comfortable with the process. Now, as a teacher myself, I require a ton of short essays with one or two longer papers (4-6 pages) per semester. A typical book might run like this:

Week one--Read a large assignment, taking notes on certain features as assigned. Their notes are highly informal, jotted quickly in short phrases so that their reading speed isn't slowed. Their notes almost always relate to a later essay assignment.

Week two--Finish the book if possible. (If not, there is an extra week built in similar to week one.) At this stage students will EITHER write a short essay (1-2 pages) that is lighter in nature, OR submit an outline for a longer paper (4+pages).

Week three--Final discussion on the book. Rough draft of long paper is due, OR a second, really short, light essay is due.

Week four--Start new book. If they are doing the longer paper, then the final draft is due this week. If they are doing a longer paper, often this week's reading assignment will be much, much shorter (poetry or a short story, or possibly just a shorter page count to read).

Doing it this way gives them experience in both a variety of short essays as well as in longer literature analysis. We also avoid a lot of insipid reading comprehension questions and busywork.

I should add, I also teach writing classes. For that, my students do the following:

--15 minutes daily writing. This is to both increase their ability to express themselves through writing and to practice specific skills (like writing a good introduction).

--2-3 page short essays all semester AND one longer paper each semester. First semester the long paper is a literary analysis; second semester the long paper is an 8-12 page research paper.

Vida Winter

Ten pages plus a few more pages for references, written for a Bravewriter class (research paper).

In 10th grade, the longest paper ds wrote was a 10 page research paper (for Laurel Tree tutorials - highly recommend).

Yes - my son did this in 9th grade, then in 11th he did at least one longer paper for AP Eng language class (can't remember the number of pages) and then graduated....He's in engineering now and doesn't write any papers.....

-15 minutes daily writing. This is to both increase their ability to express themselves through writing and to practice specific skills (like writing a good introduction).

Getting my dd to write is one of my difficulties - could I ask what your students write about each day? Do you have a list of topics? I just can't generate the ideas to motivate her to do this kind of daily writing - but it is very important for her to get that fluidity...and the practice of writing fast...

Thanks for all the replies! Any more??

I'm teaching a Rhetoric course, so my students write oodles of shorter assignments, but their longest paper is 12-15 pages. If they stick with the course sequence, they will not write a long paper in 12th grade, so my class is their last chance to practice writing a longer paper. I don't think it needs to be longer, but I do wonder if they should have some more 5-8 page papers throughout the year.

My son wrote a 10 page research paper his Sophomore year.

DD wrote a 22 pager her senior year. It was the necessary documentation on her research for a near-space weather balloon flight attempt.

That said, very, very few high schoolers ever produce a research paper. They write reports, maybe even long reports, but these are not research papers. Research papers require a more involved writing process and involve highly ordered thinking skills to pull together. These are normally skills taught at the college level in specific courses. Most freshman and even sophomore college level "papers" are merely reports with lots of documentation to make sure the student knows how to document properly. Unless the student is involved in research early on, they will not need this skill as a high school senior. What they do need are solid writing skills. If they've mastered the essay and report writing plus source documentation, they'll be fine. College professors and TA's will teach them how to write research papers.

If the student can manage 5-8 pages of solid content, well written and organized, with proper source documentation and can produce some good essays, everything will fall into place later. The single biggest problem most colleges face is that their incoming freshman cannot write good paragraphs, much less organize a report (not a book report, a scientific or historical report on a properly narrowed topic with five - ten reliable sources properly documented and end notes in their proper form WITHOUT plagerizing) or write a decent essay. So they have to teach high school level writing first in order to then teach college level writing.

Your student doesn't need to do a lot of report writing. However, what they do produce needs to be well organized. I give a LOT of coaching on the first two papers produced in high school and then slowly loosen then reins and see how they do on their own. Most of the papers are not for grade and have a tremendous number of rewrites with red ink all over the margins until they become accustomed to how to organize and express the content with relative ease.

I would not over burden young writers wth long writing assignments. Shorter bursts, lots of coaching, and provide them with many examples of excellence in writing. Look up award winning essays and papers on a variety of topics and have them read. Find some atrocious examples (you can get these from the AP website...look up some samples of say U.S History free writing and read ones that received high marks, medium marks, and low marks...the low marked ones are generally very, very poor....just wow....incoherent, unsupported, lacking content, grammatical errors every where, etc.) and discuss the differences. There are many sources online for good writing examples and I've had great success with being allowed to print these for ds.

Twenty pages? Not necessary at all.

It's very sad that so many "college writing" courses actually have to go back to "how to write a paragraph".

nancy in nj

The longest paper my daughter has written was a 12 page research paper for a Scholar's Online History class in 9th grade.

However, the most challenging paper she has ever written was her 1,500 word limit entry (about 6 pages) for the National Peace Essay Contest as part of her Junior Year AP English Language class with PA Homeschoolers. Her first draft (and most of her classmates) was in the 2,200 to 2,400 range which was the "natural" range given the complexity of the assignment. Editing that paper and scrutinizing the necessity of every single word had a significant impact on my daughter's writing.

I would highly recommend a single 5-6 page paper on a complex topic with a tight word limit!

DD wrote a 22 pager her senior year. It was the necessary documentation on her research for a near-space weather balloon flight attempt.   That said, very, very few high schoolers ever produce a research paper. They write reports, maybe even long reports, but these are not research papers. Research papers require a more involved writing process and involve highly ordered thinking skills to pull together. These are normally skills taught at the college level in specific courses. Most freshman and even sophomore college level "papers" are merely reports with lots of documentation to make sure the student knows how to document properly. Unless the student is involved in research early on, they will not need this skill as a high school senior. What they do need are solid writing skills. If they've mastered the essay and report writing plus source documentation, they'll be fine. College professors and TA's will teach them how to write research papers.     It's very sad that so many "college writing" courses actually have to go back to "how to write a paragraph".  

That's interesting, because I was expected to know how to research in my college history classes, and the professors absolutely did not take the time to walk us through the process. My students are certainly not producing original research, but I am requiring them to stick to a defensible thesis and steer clear of the report. I know they can report, and I could too, but that wasn't enough for me.

I worked as a grader for a variety of freshmen classes, and I was appalled at the number of students who needed instruction on "how to write a paragraph" and "how to draw a conclusion."

That's interesting, because I was expected to know how to research in my college history classes, and the professors absolutely did not take the time to walk us through the process. My students are certainly not producing original research, but I am requiring them to stick to a defensible thesis and steer clear of the report. I know they can report, and I could too, but that wasn't enough for me.  

Hi, I think this is just a difference in how we define research. A defensible thesis at our house and at my alma mater in longer form was pretty much a very long persuasive essay, so to speak. Research writing, on the other hand, was a very complex level of documentation that included the supporting data for one's original research project approved by faculty and overseen by a faculty advisor - these papers were presented to the faculty of the entire department at the end of term and included oral questioning in which one had to defend one's paper. Since we are a very heavily science oriented house, I forget sometimes that others are referring to a very different thing when they say "research paper" and due to the nature of the research our kids do in their senior year, they also are subject to producing a research project in science with technical writing and oral defense. That's not the norm for most high schoolers and even in classical academies. It's just something we do and sometimes I forget that when others say "research" they mean something very different from what dh and I term "research" and what that meant at our alma mater where very complex research projects began the freshman year so we were definitely taught HOW to accomplish this and document it by faculty advisors or no one would have survived to their sophomore year.

Our rocket team writes a research paper and presentation each year. It looks nothing like a defensible thesis per se. Charts, graphs, data collection, proof of authenticity, supporting documents, documentation of research process and experimentation, elimination of variables, outside verification, etc. These are engineering papers and so highly technical and take a specialized form. That's the kind of animal I am referring to and for learning to write persuasively we pretty much stick to 1-3 page essays here.

So, sorry for the lack of explanation. When people say, "research" this is where my brain goes - to a very technical place. :D

    Hi, I think this is just a difference in how we define research. A defensible thesis at our house and at my alma mater in longer form was pretty much a very long persuasive essay, so to speak. Research writing, on the other hand, was a very complex level of documentation that included the supporting data for one's original research project approved by faculty and overseen by a faculty advisor - these papers were presented to the faculty of the entire department at the end of term and included oral questioning in which one had to defend one's paper. Since we are a very heavily science oriented house, I forget sometimes that others are referring to a very different thing when they say "research paper" and due to the nature of the research our kids do in their senior year, they also are subject to producing a research project in science with technical writing and oral defense. That's not the norm for most high schoolers and even in classical academies. It's just something we do and sometimes I forget that when others say "research" they mean something very different from what dh and I term "research" and what that meant at our alma mater where very complex research projects began the freshman year so we were definitely taught HOW to accomplish this and document it by faculty advisors or no one would have survived to their sophomore year.  

Thanks for the distinction. But, see, you've helped me a lot. Several of my students want to go into medical or science fields, so this is useful info for me to pass along to them. I don't have the science back ground to teach that sort of research paper, but if they can't handle my humanities research paper, they should rethink their career goals.

I wrote a 10 or 12 page paper for AP English but I had to do a 20 page paper with citations for AP Biology.

Laura Corin

For the IB, Calvin has to write an extended essay of about 4,000 words. So far, his longest has been more like 2,000.

In her senior year, my daughter wrote a 15-page history paper and an 18-page law and society paper. She's a first-year history major and so far has written one 8-10 page and one 15-20 page papers in college. She felt well-prepared.

So far, my sophomore hasn't written more than 5-6 pages.

In 8th grade, yes 8th grade , I wrote a 16 page paper (although double spaced). That was our research paper and it was a private school. During 7th & 8th grade we had to turn in 5 pages a week and 5 finished pieces every quarter that had to be at least 5 pages long each. Someone on another forum recognized this as some sort of specific schooling theory. I can't say what it is but I will say that it sure worked for me!

Then I went to public high school and my senior AP English research paper only had to be 6 pages long and had less requirements than the 8th grade paper.

Needless to say it was that 8th grade paper (and all the other writing in junior high) that prepared me for college. I did not graduate but I did 3 years as a BS major in meteorology and there were several papers we were required to write. I think I would have failed miserably if I'd only had what I learned in high school to fall back on.

My oldest is only in 3rd grade and has dysgraphia so I can't say just how much writing we'll do when it comes to junior high and high school but I do know we'll have a focus on it for sure.

Hi, I think this is just a difference in how we define research. A defensible thesis at our house and at my alma mater in longer form was pretty much a very long persuasive essay, so to speak. Research writing, on the other hand, was a very complex level of documentation that included the supporting data for one's original research project approved by faculty and overseen by a faculty advisor - these papers were presented to the faculty of the entire department at the end of term and included oral questioning in which one had to defend one's paper. Since we are a very heavily science oriented house, I forget sometimes that others are referring to a very different thing when they say "research paper" and due to the nature of the research our kids do in their senior year, they also are subject to producing a research project in science with technical writing and oral defense  

Thanks for pointing out this crucial difference.

When our science students do research , that means they are doing original work and find out things that are not yet documented elsewhere in literature. They are not merely researching what other people have written about a topic - that would be the step they have to perform before they can begin their own work.

What is called a "research paper" in high school is usually something where the student collects (and cites) information from a variety of sources, without doing any own original work, but merely synthesizes, summarizes, or interprets the findings of others.

  What is called a "research paper" in high school is usually something where the student collects (and cites) information from a variety of sources, without doing any own original work, but merely synthesizes, summarizes, or interprets the findings of others.  

I agree, and this is what I do mean by a humanities research paper.

I never had to write more than 2-3 handwritten pages in school. Nothing in college - I was a physics major, and we did not have to take any humanities.

My first longer paper was my 60 page Master thesis; my second paper my 100+ page dissertation.

My kids have never written more than 4 pages. I do not think writing longer papers is any harder than writing short papers; in fact, I believe the opposite is true.

Ds wrote a 10 page paper his freshman year. The longest so far this year is about 5, but I don't know if I'll assign a 10 page in the spring yet. The longest I wrote in high school was 10 pages and I only remember writing one longer than that in college.

I have never done original research which led to a paper. They were all humanities style research papers as defined above.

  My kids have never written more than 4 pages. I do not think writing longer papers is any harder than writing short papers; in fact, I believe the opposite is true.

I think this entirely depends on the person and their strengths. I can write short (4-5) page papers easily, but I am always under or just meeting the length requirements. I'm a very succinct writer, so longer papers required me to form more conclusions and engage more deeply with the material.

I think it depends also a lot on the field . In my field, the hardest papers are the "letters" where the journal limits the length to four journal pages, including all equations and figures. We all find it much easier to write a full length paper of 10+ printed pages, because that enables the writer to give a more thorough introduction into the background, cite more relevant literature, and present and discuss more of the vast amount of data one has created. Making the four page paper interesting and understandable while presenting a substantial amount of new data is extremely difficult. (Which is why our grad students begin by writing long papers; only a very advanced student will be allowed to attempt the more difficult short ones.)

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The Haiti That Still Dreams

By Edwidge Danticat

I often receive condolence-type calls, e-mails, and texts about Haiti. Many of these messages are in response to the increasingly dire news in the press, some of which echoes what many of us in the global Haitian diaspora hear from our family and friends. More than fifteen hundred Haitians were killed during the first three months of this year, according to a recent United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights report, which described the country’s situation as “ cataclysmic .” Women and girls are routinely subjected to sexual violence. Access to food, water, education, and health care is becoming more limited, with more than four million Haitians, around a third of the population, living with food insecurity, and 1.4 million near starvation. Armed criminal groups have taken over entire neighborhoods in Port-au-Prince and the surrounding areas, carrying out mass prison breaks and attacks on the city’s airport, seaport, government buildings, police stations, schools, churches, hospitals, pharmacies, and banks, turning the capital into an “ open air prison .”

Even those who know the country’s long and complex history will ask, “Why can’t Haiti catch a break?” We then revisit some abridged version of that history. In 1804, after a twelve-year revolution against French colonial rule, Haiti won its independence, which the United States and several European powers failed to recognize for decades. The world’s first Black republic was then forced to spend sixty years paying a hundred-and-fifty-million francs (now worth close to thirty billion dollars) indemnity to France . Americans invaded and then occupied Haiti for nineteen years at the beginning of the twentieth century. The country endured twenty-nine years of murderous dictatorship under François Duvalier and his son, Jean-Claude, until 1986. In 1991, a few months after Haiti’s first democratically elected President, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, took office, he was overthrown in a coup staged by a military whose members had been trained in the U.S. Aristide was elected again, then overthrown again, in 2004, in part owing to an armed rebellion led by Guy Philippe, who was later arrested by the U.S. government for money laundering related to drug trafficking. Last November, six years into his nine-year prison sentence, Philippe was deported by the U.S. to Haiti. He immediately aligned himself with armed groups and has now put himself forward as a Presidential candidate.

In 2010, the country was devastated by a 7.0-magnitude earthquake, which killed more than two hundred thousand people. Soon after, United Nations “peacekeepers” dumped feces in Haiti’s longest river, causing a cholera epidemic that killed more than ten thousand people and infected close to a million. For the past thirteen years, Haiti has been decimated by its ruling party, Parti Haïtien Tèt Kale (P.H.T.K.), which rose to power after a highly contested election in 2011. In that election, the U.S.—then represented by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton—and the Organization of American States helped the candidate who finished in third place, Michel Martelly, claim the top spot. Bankrolled by kidnapping, drug trafficking, business élites, and politicians, armed groups have multiplied under P.H.T.K, committing massacres that have been labelled crimes against humanity. In 2021, a marginally elected President, Jovenel Moïse, was assassinated in his bedroom , a crime for which many of those closest to him, including his wife, have been named as either accomplices or suspects.

The unasked question remains, as W. E. B. Du Bois wrote in “ The Souls of Black Folk ,” “How does it feel to be a problem?”

I deeply honor Haiti’s spirit of resistance and long history of struggle, but I must admit that sometimes the answer to that question is that it hurts. Sometimes it hurts a lot, even when one is aware of the causes, including the fact that the weapons that have allowed gangs to take over the capital continue to flow freely from Miami and the Dominican Republic, despite a U.N. embargo. Internally, the poorest Haitians have been constantly thwarted by an unequal and stratified society, which labels rural people moun andeyò (outside people), and which is suffused with greedy and corrupt politicians and oligarchs who scorn the masses from whose tribulations they extract their wealth.

Recently, at a loved one’s funeral, in Michigan, the spectre of other Haitian deaths was once again on the minds of my extended family members. Everywhere we gather, Haiti is with us, as WhatsApp messages continuously stream in from those who chose to stay in Haiti and can’t leave because the main airport is closed, and others who have no other home. In Michigan, during chats between wake, funeral, and repast, elders brought up those who can’t get basic health care, much less a proper burial or any of the rituals that are among our most sacred obligations. “Not even a white sheet over those bodies on the street,” my mother-in-law, who is eighty-nine, said, after receiving yet another image of incinerated corpses in Port-au-Prince. At least after the 2010 earthquake, sheets were respectfully placed on the bodies pulled from the rubble. Back then, she said, the armed young men seemed to have some reverence for life and some fear of death.

Lately, some of our family gatherings are incantations of grief. But they can also turn into storytelling sessions of a different kind. They are opportunities for our elders to share something about Haiti beyond what our young ones, like everyone else, see on the news. The headlines bleed into their lives, too, as do the recycled tropes that paint us as ungovernable, failures, thugs, and even cannibals. As with the prayers that we recite over the dead, words still have power, the elders whisper. We must not keep repeating the worst, they say, and in their voices I hear an extra layer of distress. They fear that they may never see Haiti again. They fear that those in the next generation, some of whom have never been to Haiti, will let Haiti slip away, as though the country they see in the media—the trash-strewn streets and the barricades made from the shells of burnt cars, the young men brandishing weapons of war and the regular citizens using machetes to defend themselves—were part of some horror film that they can easily turn off. The elders remind us that we have been removed, at least physically, from all of this by only a single generation, if not less.

We are still human beings, the elders insist—“ Se moun nou ye .” We are still wozo , like that irrepressible reed that grows all over Haiti. For a brief moment, I think someone might break into the Haitian national anthem or sing a few bars of the folk song “ Ayiti Cheri .” (“Beloved Haiti, I had to leave you to understand.”) Instead, they hum the music that the wozo has inspired : “ Nou se wozo / Menm si nou pliye, nou pap kase. ” Even if we bend, we will not break.

Except we are breaking. “It pains me to see people living in constant fear,” the Port-au-Prince-based novelist and poet Évelyne Trouillot recently wrote to me in an e-mail. “I dream of a country where children are not afraid to dream.” Internationally, U.S. deportations continue , Navy ships are ready to be deployed to intercept migrant boats, and Haitian asylum seekers could once again end up imprisoned on Guantánamo, as they did in the early nineteen-nineties. In conversations, whether with strangers or with younger family members, someone inevitably asks, “Is there any hope?”

I have hope, I say, because I grew up with elders, both in Haiti and here in the U.S., who often told us, “ Depi gen souf gen espwa ”—as long as there’s breath, there’s hope. I have hope, too, because the majority of Haitians are under twenty-five years old, as are many members of our family. Besides, how can we give in to despair with eleven million people’s lives in the balance? Better yet, how can we reignite that communal grit and resolve that inspired us to defeat the world’s greatest armies and then pin to our flag the motto “ L’union fait la force ”? Unity is strength.

The elders also remind us that Haiti is not just Port-au-Prince. As more and more of the capital’s residents are forced to return to homesteads and ancestral villages, the moun andeyò have much to teach other Haitians. “Historically, the moun andeyò have always been the preserver of Haiti’s cultural and traditional ethos,” Vivaldi Jean-Marie, a professor of African American and African-diaspora studies at Columbia University, told me. Rural Haitians, who have lived for generations without the support of the state, have had no choice but to rely on one another in close and extended family structures called lakou . “This shared awareness—I am because we are—will prevail beyond this difficult chapter in Haitian history,” Jean-Marie said.

Finally, I have hope because in Haiti, as the American writer and art collector Selden Rodman has written, “ art is joy .” This remains true even as some of the country’s most treasured cultural institutions, including the National School of the Arts and the National Library, have been ransacked. In the summer of 2023, Carrefour Feuilles, a district in Port-au-Prince that many writers, visual artists, and musicians call home, was attacked by armed criminal groups. The onslaught led to a petition that collected close to five thousand signatures. It read in part, “How many more hundreds of our women and children must be raped, executed, burned before the public authorities do everything possible to put an end to the plague of gangs and their sponsors?”

A few days later, the homes of two of the signatories, the multimedia artist Lionel St. Eloi and the writer Gary Victor, were taken over by a gang. The last time I saw St. Eloi was in 2019, in the courtyard of Port-au-Prince’s Centre d’Art, where he had a series of metal birds on display, their bejewelled bodies and beaks pointing toward the sky. Allenby Augustin, the Centre d’Art’s executive director, recently described how some artists, afraid of having to suddenly flee their homes and leave their work behind, bring their pieces to the center or keep them in friends’ homes in different parts of the city. Others add the stray bullets that land inside their studios— bal pèdi or bal mawon —to their canvasses.

St. Eloi, the patriarch of a family of artists, had lived in Carrefour Feuilles since the seventies, working with young people there. “The youth who were neglected or who could not afford to go to school were taken in by our family,” one of St. Eloi’s sons, the musician Duckyns (Zikiki) St. Eloi, told me. “We taught them to paint, to play guitar, and to play the drums. Now they are hired to run errands for gangsters who put guns in their hands.” In spite of what has happened, he still believes that art can turn some things around. He recently sent me a picture of a work by his younger brother Anthony—an image depicting gang members wearing brightly colored balaclavas and holding pencils, a book, a paint palette, a camera, and a musical instrument. “If there are gangs, we’d be better off with art gangs,” Zikiki said. “Gangs that paint, make music, recite poetry. Art is how we bring our best face to the world. Art is how we dream.” ♦

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