The 10-mark answer, in 150 words
Questions 1 to 10 of GS Papers 1 to 3 are 10-mark questions. The word limit is printed against each one.
The facts
| Questions | 1 to 10 |
| Word limit | 150 |
| Marks | 10 each, 100 of the paper's 250 |
| Time to spend | 7 minutes |
150 words is about ten sentences of fifteen words.
The shape
| Part | Words | What goes in it |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction | 20 to 30 | Your answer to the question in one or two lines |
| Body | About 100 | Three points. Each point is a claim, then the evidence for it |
| Conclusion | 20 to 30 | What follows, or what should happen next |
Three points in 100 words gives each point about 33 words. That is room for a claim and one piece of evidence. Five points gives each one 20 words, which is only enough to name it.
Seven minutes
| Step | Time |
|---|---|
| Read the question, underline the directive, number the parts | 30 seconds |
| Plan three points in the margin, with one example each | 1 minute |
| Write | 5 minutes |
| Check the answer covers every part | 30 seconds |
Steps
- Underline the directive word, or the question word if there is no directive.
- Count the parts. Two parts means two sections in the body.
- Choose three points. Put the strongest first.
- Write the introduction as your answer to the question.
- Give each point a short heading, a claim and one piece of evidence.
- End on what follows from your three points.
Worked example
Why was there a sudden spurt in famines in colonial India since the mid-eighteenth century?
(UPSC Mains 2022, GS Paper 1, 10 marks, 150 words)
There is no directive word. Why asks for causes, most important first.
An average answer.
India is an agricultural country and depends on the monsoon. Famines have occurred since ancient times. In the colonial period there were many famines, such as in 1770, 1876 and 1899. There were many reasons such as drought, British policies, land revenue, commercialisation, drain of wealth, poor transport and lack of relief. The British set up Famine Commissions. Famines caused great suffering to the people.
A strong answer.
Failed monsoons started colonial famines. Revenue, trade and relief policy turned those shortages into mass deaths, from Bengal in 1770 to the 1890s.
Revenue in cash. The Permanent Settlement and the ryotwari system fixed revenue in cash and collected it in bad years too. Peasants sold grain to pay, so they had no reserve when the rains failed.
Cash crops and exports. Indigo, cotton and opium took land from food crops. Railways carried grain to the ports, and it kept moving out during the famine of 1876 to 1878.
Relief policy. Officials expected the market to move grain where it was needed, so relief was kept to a minimum. In 1877, relief camps in Madras Presidency paid a ration below what heavy labour required.
The Famine Commission of 1880 led to the Famine Codes, which made relief a duty of the state. Revenue demand was left largely unchanged.
| What changed | Average answer | Strong answer |
|---|---|---|
| First sentence | Background on agriculture and the monsoon | The answer to why, in two lines |
| Causes | Seven named in one sentence | Three, each explained |
| Evidence | Years listed with nothing attached | Each cause tied to a named policy or famine |
| Conclusion | "Famines caused great suffering" | What changed after 1880 and what did not |
Mistakes and what to do instead
| Mistake | What to do instead |
|---|---|
| Opening on background, such as "India is an agricultural country" | Open on your answer to the question |
| Defining a term the question did not ask about | Define only when the answer depends on the definition |
| Naming six or seven points in a list | Three points, each with a claim and evidence |
| Running to 200 words | Stop at three points. The extra time comes out of a later answer |
| A conclusion that repeats the body | Say what follows, or what should be done |
Your turn
✍️ Your turn
Here is an opening that spends its first 40 words before reaching the question: "Water is the most important natural resource for human life. The world population has grown rapidly over the last century. Many regions of the world are now facing problems related to water, and this has become a serious global issue." The question was: "Why is the world today confronted with a crisis of availability of and access to freshwater resources?" (UPSC Mains 2023, GS Paper 1, 10 marks). Rewrite the opening in 25 words or fewer so that it starts answering.