An essay plan is a roadmap that guides you through the process of writing an essay. It helps you organise your ideas, structure your arguments, and ensure that your essay flows logically from start to finish. Here’s how to write an essay plan that will help you produce a well-structured and coherent essay.
7 Steps of Writing an Essay Plan
1. Understand the Question
Before you start writing your essay plan, it’s crucial to understand the question. Read the question carefully and make sure you know what is being asked. Identify the keywords and concepts, and consider what the question is really asking you to do. This could be to compare and contrast, analyse, discuss, or evaluate.
2. Brainstorm Ideas
Once you understand the question, start brainstorming ideas. Write down any thoughts, concepts, or arguments that come to mind. Don’t worry about organising your ideas at this stage, just get everything down on paper. This will help you identify the main points you want to cover in your essay.
3. Organise Your Ideas
After brainstorming, organise your ideas into a logical order. Group related ideas together and discard any that are irrelevant. Consider the structure of your essay and how each point will fit into the introduction, body, and conclusion. This will help you create a clear and coherent structure for your essay.
4. Create an Outline
Once your ideas are organised, create an outline of your essay. Start with the introduction, where you’ll introduce the topic and your thesis statement. Next, outline the body of your essay, where you’ll present your arguments and evidence. Finally, outline the conclusion, where you’ll summarise your main points and restate your thesis.
5. Plan Your Introduction
Your introduction should grab the reader’s attention and provide a clear thesis statement. Start with a hook, such as a quote, a question, or a surprising fact. Then, provide some background information and introduce your thesis statement. Your thesis statement should clearly outline the main argument of your essay.
6. Plan Your Body Paragraphs
Each body paragraph should focus on a single argument or idea. Start with a topic sentence that introduces the main point of the paragraph. Then, provide evidence to support your argument such as facts, statistics, or quotes. Finally, analyse the evidence and explain how it supports your thesis statement.
7. Plan Your Conclusion
Your conclusion should summarise your main points and restate your thesis statement. Start by summarising your main arguments and evidence. Then, restate your thesis statement in a new and interesting way. Finally, consider the broader implications of your essay and suggest any future areas of research or investigation.
Mastering the Art of Essay Planning
Writing an essay plan can seem like a daunting task, but with careful planning and organisation, you can produce a well-structured and coherent essay. Remember to understand the question, brainstorm ideas, organise your ideas, create an outline, and plan your introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion.
If you require assistance with planning or writing your essay, we can help. Get in touch today to find out how we can help you produce a high-quality essay that meets your academic needs.
