To explain a proposed administrative change, say what it would alter, who it would affect and why it was put forward. Then stop, and keep the reaction for a separate paragraph.
This lesson opens political transition after war. Command-word habits are covered in decoding state, explain, compare and evaluate commands.
What are the three parts of a proposal?
Use a what-who-why frame.
- What: the change to how the territory would be run.
- Who: the people or bodies whose position would change.
- Why: the problem the planners wanted to solve.
Write one sentence for each part, in that order.
Worked example: the Malayan Union
After the Japanese surrender, Britain planned a new system of rule for Malaya. The Malayan Union was introduced on 1 April 1946 1.
What: the nine Malay states, Penang and Melaka would be brought under one British colonial administration 4.
Who: the Malay rulers would lose their power to rule, which was limited to custom and religion, and citizenship would be given to people born in Malaya and Singapore, including immigrants who had lived there for more than 10 years 2. The rulers had already signed the MacMichael agreements in 1945 3.
Why: the British wanted a single, more efficient administration for Malaya after the war. Your textbook may add further reasons, such as defence and the wish to give the peoples of Malaya a common stake in the territory.
Notice that each sentence describes the plan. None of them says whether people liked it.
A list against an explanation
| Answer | What it does |
|---|---|
| “The British proposed the Malayan Union.” | States the proposal only |
| “The British proposed the Malayan Union to unite the Malay states, Penang and Melaka under one administration, although the Malay rulers would concede their powers except in religious matters.” | Gives what, who and why |
The second answer is one sentence, but it tells the reader what changed, for whom and for what purpose.
The mistake that costs marks
The common slip is to mix the proposal and the reaction in the same sentence. “The Malayan Union was unfair, so Malays opposed it” gives an opinion and a reaction before the plan itself has been explained.
Fix it by answering the question in order. Describe the plan, then add a new paragraph for reactions, as in comparing reasons for acceptance and opposition.
Check yourself
The Federation of Malaya replaced the Malayan Union on 1 February 1948. Write a what-who-why answer.
Answer
What: nine State Agreements were signed on 21 January 1948 5, and the Federation of Malaya was proclaimed on 1 February 1948 1. Who: it restored the sovereignty of the Malay rulers and tightened the conditions for citizenship, so Malays and non-Malays were affected differently 6. Why: it replaced the Malayan Union after strong Malay opposition, as a compromise that the British hoped would be more acceptable.
The answer describes the plan only and adds no opinion. Check the details against your textbook.
What to study next
Continue with comparing reasons for acceptance and opposition. The evidence-to-explanation planner has a what-who-why layout.
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