A Beginners Guide to Essay Planninf

1. A Beginner’s Guide

2. For international students, essay planning is vitally
important. Why do you think this is?
“If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”. What does this
saying mean?
What should you include in your plan?
How detailed should your plan be?

3. Reading
Critical
Thinking
PlanningWriting
Redrafting

4.  They tell you what you have to write.
 Remember most academic essay questions
ask you to explain WHY.

5.  What instruction words can you think of?
 To what extent do you agree
 Discuss
 Analyse
 Explain
 Show
 Compare and contrast

6.  Many people are now travelling to other
countries to find jobs.
 Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of
this.
 What are the key words?

7.  Many people are now travelling to other
countries to find jobs.
 Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of
this.
 What are the key words?

8.  Many people are now travelling to other countries
(focus) to find jobs (Topic)
 Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of
this. Pros and cons
 What is the TOPIC?
 What is the FOCUS?
 What is the INSTRUCTION?

9. 1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

10. 1. Introduction
2. Main Body: First topic
3. Main Body: Second topic
4. Main Body: Third topic
5. Conclusion

11.  Make a list of topics /ideas related to the
question.
 Then choose the most interesting

12.  Make a list of topics /ideas related to the
question.
 Why do people go to other countries to find jobs?
More money
Get social benefits
Get experience
Want to live in a different country
Few possibilities in your home country
To increase possibilities of emigration
Better quality of life
To increase work opportunities
High unemployment in home country
Problems with religion, culture
Want to learn a new language

13. Narrow
and
deep

14. Get the readers’ attention
Provide context
Thesis statement

15. •Introduce topic
•Support with reasons, examples and explanations
•Conclude topic1
•Introduce topic
•Support with reasons, examples and explanations
•Conclude topic2
•Introduce topic
•Support with reasons, examples and explanations
•Conclude topic3

16. Summarise
Restate thesis
Interesting final comment