Some believe that history has little to teach us about today while others think that the study of the past helps us to understand the present. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

Many feel that the study of the past does little to inform the present
while
others believe it can help aid understanding. In my opinion,
past
Correct article usage
the past
show examples
certainly holds insights, but they are so deeply woven into a specific context so as to be as misleading as enlightening. Those who argue in favour of learning from history can point to the importance of understanding a civilization. A frequently cited example of
this
is the war between
Vietnam
and the United States in the
mid 1960s
Add a hyphen
mid-1960s
show examples
to early 1970s. Both before and during the war, the United States President and his advisors understood little about the past of
Vietnam
with its successive invasions from foreign nations including China and Japan. A deeper understanding of the unity and resilience of
Vietnam
might have led them to make a compromise regarding splitting the country in half and the escalation of ground troops. Mistakes born of ignorance take place all the time in international relations and even domestic politics. Regardless, the past only holds
lessons
for the keenest observer. Every historical moment passes through a complex set of circumstances, many of which are hidden from the history books, and cannot be reduced to simple
lessons
.
For example
, the
Vietnam
war
Capitalize word
War
show examples
is often summed up with the platitude that it is impossible to invade and occupy a foreign nation.
This
ignores the myriad reasons that led to defeat and supposes that other conflicts are identical. After the invasion of Iraq proved to be a quagmire, many relished the historical
lessons
of
Vietnam
without considering the very diverse set of circumstances that led to failure in each country. There are certainly insights to be gained from studying past conflicts, but they will rarely result in fixed,
black and white
Add a hyphen
black-and-white
show examples
rules
apply
Correct pronoun usage
that apply
show examples
to every new situation. In conclusion, antiquity is not a simple road map for the future. Those who are too avid to accept seemingly apparent
lessons
are doomed to lead themselves astray and make new mistakes.
Submitted by Serhii Baraniuk on

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For we to consider an essay structure a great one, it should be looking like this:

  • Paragraph 1 - Introduction
    • Sentence 1 - Background statement
    • Sentence 2 - Detailed background statement
    • Sentence 3 - Thesis
    • Sentence 4 - Outline sentence
  • Paragraph 2 - First supporting paragraph
    • Sentence 1 - Topic sentence
    • Sentence 2 - Example
    • Sentence 3 - Discussion
    • Sentence 4 - Conclusion
  • Paragraph 3 - Second supporting paragraph
    • Sentence 1 - Topic sentence
    • Sentence 2 - Example
    • Sentence 3 - Discussion
    • Sentence 4 - Conclusion
  • Paragraph 4 - Conclusion
    • Sentence 1 - Summary
    • Sentence 2 - Restatement of thesis
    • Sentence 3 - Prediction or recommendation

Our recommended essay structure above comprises of fifteen (15) sentences, which will make your essay approximately 250 to 275 words.

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Topic Vocabulary:
  • valuable lessons
  • insights
  • root causes
  • current problems
  • past mistakes
  • repeating
  • generations
  • informed decisions
  • irrelevant
  • unique
  • contemporary solutions
  • technological advancements
  • thorough understanding
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