Learning Skills
Essay Writing
The essay writing process
Step 3: Plan
You are now ready to plan your essay, or if you had an initial plan, return to it and add any new points or delete any that you have now discovered are irrelevant. Planning however does not simply mean randomly gathering information to support your argument. Planning involves grouping or categorizing information into a series of points and determining a logical order in which to present your points. Your aim is to develop a logical, coherent and transparent structure. The following steps will help you do this:
- Formulate your thesis: Did you start your research with a thesis? Has it changed now that you have researched the question further? Or have you developed a thesis now that you have researched your topic? What is your thesis or viewpoint? If you didn't have a viewpoint before you started your research you should have one now to help guide your response to the question. Remember, your thesis will help you structure your essay.
- Decide which points you wish to include in support of your viewpoint or thesis
- Check to see if there is a logical grouping of ideas or points
- Decide on an order of presentation. Order could be determined by, for example, level of importance, time and place, the question, geography or personal preference but it should follow the order indicated in the introduction
- Note if there are any points that refute your viewpoint that you should address
- Delete any points that you now consider irrelevant.
This is when you can start making use of headings. Give each point you are going to include a heading. Now list these in the order in which you will present them in your essay. Does your order make sense? If not, change it.
Assuming research lead to the thesis below, an essay plan for the following question might look like this:
The UAI (Universities Admissions Index) is a reliable predictor of success at university. (Discuss)
| Essay structure | Number of paragraphs | Content |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction | 1 |
|
| Body | Maybe 4-8 in this simple essay |
|
| Conclusion | 1 |
|
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