Here is an example of an essay topic and a possible plan. Here’s some essay questions and the key phrases you’d want to highlight: Will artificial intelligence threaten the future of work? These linking sentences should be provided throughout to give cohesion to your essay. Subscribe to our FREE newsletter and start improving your life in just 5 minutes a day. Although this may sound obvious, many students do not fully answer the essay question and include irrelevant information. Copyright © 2003 - 2020 - UKEssays is a trading name of All Answers Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales. Persuasive Plan Template – Persuasive essays can be tricky. Now, move on to the assigned readings. Any major topic or subject that you plan to discuss in your essay must be introduced in the Introduction. But with this essay plan, you can get through any essay and do a stellar job! Example Essay Plan Proper Essay Structure Introduction: Every essay needs an introduction (3-5 sentences), so at the top of your essay plan just jot down introduction or intro, so you remember to write one. Let’s build on them to write a draft paragraph: Your turn – have a go at your own draft paragraphs based on your Mind-Map for your essay topic! It is a good idea to look at the references and bibliographies of these texts as they will give you more ideas about how to extend your own research. The best students finish their drafts early on so they have a good three or four weeks to come back and re-read their draft and edit it every few days. All good essays have clear paragraphs that start with a topic sentence. clear paragraphs that start with a topic sentence, ultimate guide on finding scholarly sources online, Gather your Sources and take Quick Notes (20 minutes), Write a No-Pressure Draft in 3 Hours (3 hours), Edit your Draft Once every Few Days until Submission (30 minutes). The use of material found at skillsyouneed.com is free provided that copyright is acknowledged and a reference or link is included to the page/s where the information was found. You may be tempted to stray from the main argument but it is important to stay focused, as you will be penalised if your argument is not always seen to be relevant to the question. These assigned readings were assigned for a reason: because they have very important information to read! Company Registration No: 4964706. Your teacher will have selected some readings for you to do for homework through the semester. Now your mind is tuned-in and you can start doing some preliminary research. Study for free with our range of university lectures! About The Helpful ProfessorCopyright © 2020 Helpful Professor. After you have completed your research you need to plan the structure of your essay. The primary aim of an academic essay is to answer the task set, in some detail. Have a play around with the order you want to discuss the ideas until you’re comfortable. When marking an assignment, a marker will look for some of the following elements, which will demonstrate you are able to: One main factor, always worth bearing in mind, is that a marker will usually only award marks for how well you have answered the essay question. In fact, according to the IPCC, over 98% of climate change scientists accept the scientific data that climate change is caused by humans (IPCC, 2018). They may be eBooks, Textbooks or Journal Articles. Discuss the possible motives which … Writing is often the best possible way to assimilate and organise information. Scan through them and see if there’s any more points you can add to your list of statistics and key ideas to discuss. For information on how to reference correctly please see our page on referencing. Essay planning is one of the most important skills I teach my students. Privacy PolicyTerms and ConditionsDisclaimer. The important thing is that you get words down on paper. Try to write each point in one sentence. Start and end with your strongest points; “Most scientists believe climate change is caused by humans. Let’s have a go at one together. Continue to: Write three or four key points that you think will support your argument. Your essay must be convincing enough to persuade your readers to take your side. Of course, you will make minor adjustments to your essay plan as you actually write. Feel free to change words around until things sound right. Remember it is perfectly possible to write an outstanding essay, but not to have answered the original question. This will, in all likelihood, mean a low mark. The best way to organize thoughts is to create a Mind-Map. You need to effectively introduce the issue, clearly state your position, and write your supporting evidences. Essay planning is a great way to ensure your essays make sense, have a clear and compelling argument, and don’t go off topic. The next thing to do is to decide how to conduct your research. 15th May 2020 How to Write a Plan for an Essay and Follow It. All the advice on this site is general in nature. Here are the most common resources teachers provide: The lecture slides are one of the best resources for you to access. How long you spend writing about each subject should reflect the importance of each subject. Lecture slides are usually provided online for you. Here’s our. To turn these brainstormed key points into an essay, you need to get that list you wrote in Step 5 and turn each point into a topic sentence for a paragraph. You can write them last. Producing an Essay Plan. No plagiarism, guaranteed! That way information will be fresh and you are more likely to be thinking about your essay plan as you do other things. The first thing to do when planning an essay is to look carefully at the question. Personal and Romantic Relationship Skills, Teaching, Coaching, Mentoring and Counselling, Understanding Your Preferences to Aid Learning, Top 10 Tips on How to Study While Working, How to Overcome Stress at University. Study Guide You'll get our 5 free 'One Minute Life Skills' and our weekly newsletter. And there’s a completely free version! Referencing and bibliographies are a major part of any well planned essay and should be constructed to reflect this in your planning. These are the key phrases you’re going to use frequently in your writing and use when you look for sources to cite in your essay!eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'helpfulprofessor_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_9',645,'0','0'])); eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'helpfulprofessor_com-leader-1','ezslot_14',667,'0','0']));The other top thing to look at is the marking criteria. Future research suggestions are important because you need to indicate to your reader that you have recognised the limitations of the scope of the present work and are interested enough to see where the topic might be developed. When I have one-to-one tutorials with my students, I always send them off with an essay plan and clear goals about what to write. You don’t want to just write things from the top of your head. Here’s my notes that I researched for the essay question “Is Climate Change the Greatest Moral Challenge of our Generation?” As you can see, it doesn’t have to be beautiful #Studygram notes! Do you have a 2:1 degree or higher? Download them, save them on your computer, and dig them up when it’s time to write the essay plan. Be careful not to allow your outline to become too complicated; stick to main points and keep it relevant to the question. In the main body of the essay you need to use evidence to support the points your make and each quotation you use must be properly referenced. Do your initial notes look a little disorganized? This may sound obvious but more students fail because they misread the question than for most other reasons, so it is essential that you read through and identify precisely what the question is asking. Make sure all the paragraph and sentence structure makes sense. His mission is to help thousands of unversity students understand their topics in an easy-to-read way. *You can also browse our support articles here >, Parenthetical in-text quotes identified by a reference list. Plagiarism is something which you must avoid at all costs as it is a serious problem and, even if done accidentally, if it’s detected your school, college or university will take a very dim view of it. The conclusion of your essay must be as carefully planned as the rest of your essay. Have you ever started writing an essay then realized you have run out of ideas to talk about? For this reason, it is useful to assign quotations that are to be used in evidence to a particular paragraph at the planning stage as this will help you to organise your research as well as ensuring that each point has sufficient evidentiary support. Those are the three weeks’ lecture slides you want to hone-in on.eval(ez_write_tag([[336,280],'helpfulprofessor_com-leader-2','ezslot_17',647,'0','0'])); Flick through those lecture slides and take quick notes on a piece of paper – what are the most important topics and statistics that are relevant to your essay question? How does the film ‘Frozen’ challenge and/or reaffirm gender roles for children who watch it? Here’s my order for my Climate Change essay: What are the current impacts of climate change? your response to the question; a brief outline of the methodology you intend to employ; and an overview of the works you intend to centre on. The original meaning of an essay is 'an attempt', or a try, at something. All work is written to order. Essays, and other academic writing, focus the mind and encourage you to come to conclusions about what you are studying. Now, if you have a marking criteria you really need to pay attention to this. Free resources to assist you with your university studies! You don’t want your marker to wait until the 3rd, 4th or 5th line of a paragraph before they figure out what you’re talking about in the paragraph. Academic essays usually have a word limit and writing within the word limit is an important consideration. Many institutions will penalise students for not writing the correct amount of words â for example, the essay question may call for a 2,000 word essay, there may be a 10% grace, so anything between 1,800 and 2,200 is acceptable. If you want top marks, you want some deep, detailed and specific pieces of information. Now it’s time to start sorting these ideas in your mind. I’ve already got my first sentence and my brainstormed ideas. Structure your plan around the different parts of an essay. This figure is very high, signalling overwhelming expert consensus. We recommend you read both pages to gain a full understanding. With the help of your course tutor (teacher or lecturer) and peers (other students) and from constructive feedback from the marker of your work, writing an essay will become easier as you progress through your studies and your confidence increases. Remember that all referencing, in your in-text quotes and your reference list and/or bibliography, must be in the referencing style required by your school, college or university. (Note that the thesis statement and topic sentences have been written as complete sentences, rather than just as dot points. It’s important that the first sentence of each paragraph clearly states the paragraph’s topic. Okay, hopefully after your three hour essay drafting session you’ve got all your words down on paper. This can be quite difficult, especially if you find one particular aspect of a question particularly interesting. Takes an informed position on the issue of Climate Change, Critically examines competing perspectives on the topic, Applies theoretical ideas to practical situations. When you write your first draft, don’t put pressure on yourself. Discursive Essay Plan Okay, now the rubber hits the road. To help you do this, you might find the following list of stages helpful. In fact, it really does only take a short amount of time and can make you feel oh so relieved that you know what you’re doing! That essay was tough. Careful planning can help with this as you can ensure that when you make your essay plan, you are certain that each paragraph topic is linked directly to the question. Here’s an example of a marking criteria:eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'helpfulprofessor_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_19',110,'0','0'])); Is Climate Change the Greatest Moral Challenge of our Generation? Again, careful planning and notation of sources will prevent the possibility of this. The feedback you receive from the marker of your essay should help to advance your study skills, writing, research and critical thinking skills. Quotations can often lead to further points through analysis as well as supporting those you have already made… Writing an essay (or other assignment) is an important part of the learning process. Takes a position about whether climate change is a serious challenge for human kind; Discusses multiple different people’s views on the topic; Explores examples and case studies (‘practical situations’); Two sources that you will cite for each key idea; A statistic or example that you will provide for each key idea; Any additional interesting facts for each key idea. If a topic is more important, write about it first and write more words on it. Next, try to find a few more sources using Google Scholar. Step 1 only takes you five minutes and helps you to clearly clarify what you’re going to be talking about! A well-planned and organised essay indicates that you have your ideas in order; it makes points clearly and logically. In this way, a well-planned and structured essay enables the reader, or marker, to follow the points being made easily. Your library should have a copy of the style guide available for you to consult. To decide on these, you might want to look back at the notes you took in Step 2.eval(ez_write_tag([[728,90],'helpfulprofessor_com-leader-3','ezslot_18',659,'0','0'])); Each key idea will take up around about 200 – 350 words (1 to 2 sentences). What are the future impacts of climate change? In the main body of the essay you need to use evidence to support the points your make and each quotation you use must be properly referenced. I’ve been using this 7-Step essay planning strategy since I was in my undergraduate degree. Registered Data Controller No: Z1821391. Once you have finished the first six steps and you feel sure you know how to proceed, continue to expand on your initial thoughts and build a more in-depth essay outline. You notice more mistakes when you read a printed-out version; Work on adding any more details and academic sources from online sources like Google Scholar to increase your chance of getting a top grade. Registered office: Venture House, Cross Street, Arnold, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG5 7PJ. Remember that the main body of the essay is building towards a conclusion, so make your plan reflect this. Conducting research and finding references. Find the lecture slides most relevant to your topic. It is a common error to believe that the conclusion is simply a ‘tagged on’ repetition of your introduction but, in fact, nothing could be further from the truth. However, do not make major adjustments unless you are absolutely certain about the alternative and how it fits into your original scheme. We're here to answer any questions you have about our services. If, at this point, you feel unsure of what to include, talk to your tutor or a peer to clarify that you are on the right track. The top source for finding information will be the resources your teacher provided. So, draw more lines out from each key ideas and list: Here’s how it might look once you’re done: You’re well and truly on your way to getting your essay down on paper now. The main body of the essay should be structured with each paragraph being separate (but linked to the overall theme) and have your argument developing throughout. Writing an essay helps you to consider the issues raised in your course and to relate them to your own experience, way of thinking, and also any wider additional reading and research you may have undertaken in order to tackle the essay topic. The conclusion should be a summation of your thinking in the essay plus a synthesis of your thoughts. It is likely that the marker will have a set of criteria or marking guidelines that will dictate how many marks can be awarded for each element of your essay. Writing helps to highlight any areas that you have not fully understood and enables you to make further clarifications. It is therefore appropriate to consider writing an essay as a learning exercise. Finally, do not leave the compilation of your bibliography until after you have written your essay. Part of the Skills You Need Guide for Students. eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'helpfulprofessor_com-mobile-leaderboard-2','ezslot_22',158,'0','0']));Then, select the biggest and most important key ideas that you think are worth discussing in the essay. The ability to write a good essay begins with careful and efficient planning. We bet, if you open your textbooks and look for the components of a great essay, a well-thought-out plan will be one of them. Seekprofessional input on your specific circumstances. Essay Writing Tips This means that the preparation and research of an essay are as important, if not more so, than the actual writing. Most scientists believe climate change is caused by humans. A Practical Guide, Subscribe to our Newsletter | Contact Us | About Us. It sounds exceptionally boring, but it actually works, as you need to follow the plan when writing your paper. To do this: Write your argument in one sentence at the top of the page – you'll flesh this out into your introduction. It develops your powers of criticism, analysis and expression, and gives you a chance to try out your and other writers' ideas on the subject. If a topic is … Figure out your Essay Topic (5 minutes) Gather your Sources and take Quick Notes (20 minutes) Brainstorm using a Mind-Map (10 minutes) Arrange your Topics (2 minutes) Write your topic Sentences (5 minutes) Write a … That’s okay. Remind yourself that this is the first of several attempts at creating a great essay, so it doesn’t need to be perfect right away. You need to arrange your topics to decide which to write first, second, third, fourth, and last! This consensus holds that the emission of carbon from burning of fossil fuels in the 20. VAT Registration No: 842417633. This is a great resource for finding more academic articles that you can read to find even more details and ideas to add to your essay. If you plan this carefully you will see that the conclusion has a key role to play in the writing of a well-structured essay. Gone over the word count? Essay assignments are usually formulated in one of the following ways: Remember always write your essay based on the question that is set and not on another aspect of the subject. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Body of the Essay: 400 words each. | Finding Time To Study The essay plan below contains ten steps. There’s one last thing to do before you start getting words down on the manuscript that you will submit. This strategy helps you to hone-in on exactly what you want to talk about. Does one key point need to be made first so that the other ones make sense? Each of these key ideas are going to turn into a paragraph or two (probably two) in the essay. Climate change is having an impact on people and environments right now. It is often useful to complete the first six steps soon after receiving your essay question. Once you’ve printed it I want you to do one thing: Highlight the key phrases in the essay question. eval(ez_write_tag([[728,90],'helpfulprofessor_com-box-3','ezslot_2',641,'0','0']));The best way to avoid this mid-essay disaster is to plan ahead: you need to write an Essay Plan! Planning is the process of sorting out what you want to include in your essay. As an essay - in the context of this page - is an assessed piece of work, it can be very useful to consider what the person who will be assessing the work, the marker, will be looking for.Â, Although different types of essays in different subject areas may vary considerably in their style and content there are some key concepts that will help you understand what is required of you and your essay.Â. Here’s how Mind-Maps often look: For your essay plan Mind-Map, write the essay question in the middle of the page and draw a circle around it. Read more about Chris here. These will become your topic sentences. This page covers the planning stages of essay writing, which are important to the overall process. Check out our article on how to reduce your word count. Although this varies (to some extent) according to the essay you are required to write, most academic essays conform to the following basic structure: The introduction must be brief, without quotations, and will include your thesis statement, i.e. For the example above, your essay is going to have to make sure it: eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'helpfulprofessor_com-mobile-leaderboard-1','ezslot_21',668,'0','0']));The reason you need to be really careful to pay attention to this marking criteria is because it is your cheat sheet: it tells you want to talk about! Twitter: @helpfulprof. Quotations can often lead to further points through analysis as well as supporting those you have already made. When coming back to edit your draft, here’s a few things to look out for: Phew! Having a strong essay plan makes the actual task of writing an essay much more efficient. Let’s get writing! Chris Drew, PhD (aka The Helpful Professor). Fortunately, your teacher has probably made this easy for you. Looking for a flexible role? You will need to look at the key texts for the subject you are going to discuss and jot down references from each piece to use as quotes to support the points you make in your essay. The second page, Writing an Essay, provides more information on the steps involved in actually writing an essay. Essay question / topic For most individuals, sporting activities are not associated with any material rewards. Now, far, far, far too many students end up writing essays that aren’t relevant to the essay question given to you by your teacher. Study the essay question intently. We've received widespread press coverage since 2003, Your UKEssays purchase is secure and we're rated 4.4/5 on reviews.co.uk. It is very important to stick to this as varying from it will lose you marks. Material from skillsyouneed.com may not be sold, or published for profit in any form without express written permission from skillsyouneed.com. If so, make sure you list them side-by-side. Developing the skill of essay writing takes practice, time and patience, your essay writing skills will improve and develop the more you write. To export a reference to this article please select a referencing stye below: Our academic writing and marking services can help you! Now that you know what your focus is, you can start finding some information to discuss. Even if you only take ideas, rather than direct quotes from texts, you need to reference them because otherwise you might be accused of plagiarism. A Practical Guide, A statement is given and you are asked to comment on it. The effects of climate change are expected to increase in coming decades. The window for reversing climate change is rapidly closing. It’s just rough notes to get all the important information down:eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'helpfulprofessor_com-large-mobile-banner-2','ezslot_15',649,'0','0']));eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'helpfulprofessor_com-large-mobile-banner-2','ezslot_16',649,'0','1'])); Once you’ve read the assigned lecture slides and readings, you should have a good preliminary list of ideas, topics, statistics and even quotes that you can use in step 3. To sum up, here’s the 7 steps to essay planning one more time: The Amazing 7-Step Guide for How to Write an Essay Plan, Chris Drew (aka the Helpful Professor) is a university educator and former school teacher. A good way of doing this is to look for key words in the question such as ‘compare, ‘contrast’, ‘analyse’, ‘discuss’ etc., as these words tell you the approach you need to take when constructing the essay and will help you to formulate your response to the question. The Amazing 7-Step Guide for How to Write an Essay Plan. Follow the information you wrote down in your notes and Mind-Map to get some great details down on paper. Then, list them in order. To ensure your points logically flow, think about how you’re going to transition from one idea to the next. These resources were hand picked by your teacher because they believed these were the best sources available our there on the topic. Writing an Essay I’m going to choose the paragraph on my key idea “Is climate change caused by humans?”. We'll never share your email address and you can unsubscribe at any time. Paragraphs: Every essay must be written in paragraphs. This page is the first of two that describe the processes involved in producing an essay for academic purposes, for school, college or university. If you have been given a reading list or a core text book then check the relevant sections of that. What are the most effective strategies for raising developing nations out of poverty? That’s why we do multiple rounds of edits over the course of a few weeks; Check for spelling, grammar and punctuation errors; Print out your draft and read it on paper. 98% of students improve their grades after using Grammarly to check their papers. You might find that the first time you edit something it sounds great, but next time you realize it’s not as good as you thought.
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