A neutral civic example describes what an institution did and what followed, and leaves out praise or blame. It keeps the focus on evidence, which is what a history answer is marked on.
This lesson finishes the sovereignty cluster. A related skill is covered in writing inclusive civic examples without stereotyping.
What does neutral wording look like?
Neutral wording uses verbs that report, such as “passed”, “announced”, “ruled” and “voted”. It avoids adjectives that judge, such as “wise”, “brilliant” or “reckless”.
Reporting does not make an answer dull. It makes it precise, because each verb points to something a source could confirm.
The describe-do-not-praise test
Read each civic sentence and ask two questions.
- Does this sentence say what someone did, or what I think of them?
- Could a reader with a different view still agree that it happened?
If the second answer is no, rewrite the sentence as a report of the action.
Worked example: a rewrite
Sovereignty disputes are an easy place for strong feelings to creep in. Take the 2008 ruling on Pulau Batu Puteh.
Endorsing sentence: “The unfair court robbed Malaysia of Batu Puteh, which proves the judges were biased.”
The words “unfair”, “robbed” and “biased” are opinions. The sentence also does not say what the Court decided.
Neutral sentence: “On 23 May 2008 the International Court of Justice awarded Pedra Branca/Pulau Batu Puteh to Singapore and Middle Rocks to Malaysia, and said that South Ledge belongs to the state in whose waters it lies 1.”
The neutral version names the institution, the date and the decision. Every part can be checked, and no party is praised or blamed.
Neutral against loaded
| Loaded | Neutral |
|---|---|
| “Malaysia triumphed gloriously over Indonesia at the Court.” | “On 17 December 2002 the Court found that Ligitan and Sipadan belong to Malaysia 2.” |
| “The foolish officials gave away Batu Puteh.” | “On 23 May 2008 the Court awarded Pedra Branca/Pulau Batu Puteh to Singapore 1.” |
In each pair, the neutral version states the action and the result. The reader can form a view from the facts.
The mistake that costs marks
The common slip is to add a flourish to show confidence. A line such as “this proves how great the system is” adds nothing a marker can credit.
Another slip is to name a current party or person as an example to support a point. Use the institutions and events your textbook gives instead, and keep the focus on the role and action.
Check yourself
Rewrite in neutral wording: “Malaysia’s shameful loss at the Court humiliated the nation.”
Answer
“In 2008 the International Court of Justice awarded Pulau Batu Puteh to Singapore, while awarding Middle Rocks to Malaysia 1.”
The rewrite drops “shameful” and “humiliated”, which are judgements, and reports the decision instead. If you want to say whether the outcome was justified, that belongs in an evaluate answer with evidence.
What to study next
Test yourself in the sovereignty practice set. The mistake log can record loaded words you notice in your own drafts.
For teacher support, see online one-to-one Sejarah tuition.