[Herbsy]

I have been given some homework, in which we have to evaluate sources of the Munich Crisis 1938. However, I am unsure if it is better to imply that a source is reliable or useful without actually writing 'This source is reliable because...'. I think I have subtly mentioned that my sources are reliable, by covering important information such as the 30 year rule for the release of british historical documents, the fact that a historian has studied other historian views, written by a well known historian....However I am worried that if I don't specifically say 'this source is reliable...' marks will be lost! Many Thanks Mark

[MrJohnDClare]

I take your point strongly, and in a perfect world you would be correct.
However, like you, I would tend to worry that, if I didn;t spell out the matter in words of one syllable, the examiner would 'miss the point'.
So I'm afraid That my counsel would be to slot in a frw phrases like 'this source is therefore reliable/useful/valid/valuable...' etc just to 'dot the 'i's and cross the 't's'.

Also, you are absolutely correct in believeing that - in the ultimate aylsis - exams are about scroing marks, not about intellectual validity or satisfaction!
In your shoes, I would go the the exam board website and pull down a markscheme from a past paper to see how the marks were scored for that particular question.

It's always best to realise that in exam you write what the examiner wants to see - what scores the marks - rather than what you might particularly want to write!

Best of luck with the essay - tell us how you get on!