What is brainstorming?

Brainstorming is a way of gathering ideas about a topic. Think of a storm: thousands f drops
of rain, all coming down together. Now imagine thousands of ideas “raining” down onto your
paper! When you brainstorm, write down every idea that comes to you. Don’t worry now
about whether the ideas are good or silly, useful or not. You can decide that later. Right now,
you are gathering many ideas you can.
You will learn FIVE types of brainstorming in this module:

1. Making a list
2. Matrix
3. Outlining
4. Mapping = Clustering = Web = Bubble network
5. Freewriting

The following examples of ways to organize your thoughts all use the question below:

TOPIC: Advertising is com m on throughout the world. Som e people feel that advertising is
generally helpful and others feel that it is generally harmful. Discuss your ideas of the good
and bad effects of advertising, and decide whether you think it is generally helpful or harmful.
Use specific exam ples to support your point of view.

1. Making a list

The following example of brainstorming is based on the above example question about
advertising.

Step 1: After reading the question, write down all the ideas that come to your mind about
the topic. Don’t stop to think about whether you will use the ideas or not. Just
write them down. Write quickly. Use single words or short phrases, not complete
sentences. Don’t try to organize anything yet.

Example:
television
bad
radio
newspapers (can help)
songs and stories
too loud
funny pictures
learn about products
expensive to m ake
not true som etimes
signs (ruin the view)
helps me know what is on sale
saves tim e choosing a store
the bicycle I brought
the things I bought that I do not need

Step 2: Look at your list, and then read the question again. Think again about what you
are asked to discuss.
 Example:
Advertising is com m on throughout the world. Some people feel that advertising is
generally helpful and others feel that it is generally harm ful. Discuss your ideas of the
good and bad effects of advertising, and decide whether you think it is generally helpful
or harmful. Use specific exam ples to support your point of view.

Step 3: Classify your list and make a brief outline or list of ideas in each of your
categories. Add more details if necessary.
Example:
Places to advertise
TV, radio, newspapers, signs
Helpful effects
learn about the product (m y bicycle)
helps m e know what is on sale (m y boots)
saves tim e in choosing a store (m y radio)
know prices on food
Harm ful effects
too loud (TV and radio)
ruins the view (signs)
m akes me buy what I don’t need

Examples
bicycle
boots
radio

Step 4: Use your list as a guide. Add an introduction and conclusion. Write your essay

2. Matrix
An organizational matrix gives you a space to write the main ideas and supporting details.
Read the question carefully and analyse what the question is asking. What information does
the question want you to describe, explain, compare, or interpret? Then write your main ideas
on the left side of the page. Across from the main ideas, write the specific details or examples
that you will use to support your main ideas. Use this matrix as a basis. Then add an
introductory statement and a concluding statement.

MATRIX

Main ideas Supporting Details

Advertising comes in m any form s.
Ads are helpful.
Ads are harm ful.
I think they are generally helpful.
TV, radio, newspaper, telephone, books
1. tell me what is on sale
2. can save tim e in com paring prices
3. give m e inform ation
1. disturb m e (too loud on TV)
2. feel like I am being brainwashed
3. som etimes buy what I don’t need
They give m e inform ation to make a choice.

3. Outlining
When you outline, you usually already have a good idea in your mind of how you will begin
and what major points you plan to discuss. You write the outline to check your ideas, to make
sure that they are well organized, and to use as a guideline to refer to as you write.
Below are two possible methods of outlining a compare/contrast question, using the question
about advertising.
Method 1

I. Places to advertise
A. TV and radio
B. Newspaper and signs
II. TV and radio
A. Helpful
1. learn about products
2. know what is on sale
3. save time
B. Harmful
1. too loud and disturbing
2. feel like I’m being em barrassed
III. Newspapers and signs
A. Helpful
1. remind m e of what I want
2. I can read when I want to
B. Harmful
1. take too much space
2. signs ruin the view outside
IV. My opinion

Method 2

I. Places to advertise
A. TV, radio, newspapers, signs
II. Helpful
A. learn about products
Exam ple: TV, radio
B. know what is on sale
Exam ple: newspaper
C. save tim e
Exam ple: newspaper
D. remind m e of what I want
Exam ple: TV, radio, newspaper, signs
E. I can read when I want to
Exam ple: newspaper
III. Harm ful
A. too loud and disturbing
TV and radio
B. feel like I am being brainwashed
TV and radio
C. take too m uch space
Newspaper and signs
D. ruin the view outside
signs
IV. My opinion
4. Mapping = Clustering

To make a map, use a whole sheet of paper, and write your topic in the middle, with a circle
around it. Then put the next idea in a circle above or below your topic, and connect the circles
with lines. The lines show that the two ideas are related.

The example below shows a map of “What should I study in college?” The writer connected
favorite subjects to the main idea. Art and English are connected to favorite subjects to show
that they are related.

become a the past

teacher?

history too much

photography reading?

favorite travel
subjects
painting art English

job
sculpture What should I
study?
biology

good subjects least favorite

for jobs subject science
journalism

business experiments physics

boring? good money

math

5. Freewriting

When you freewrite, you write whatever comes into your head about your topic, without
stopping. Most freewriting exercises are short (just five to ten minutes).
Freewriting helps you practice fluency (writing quickly and easily). When you freewrite, you
do not need to worry about accuracy (having correct grammar and spelling). Don’t check
your dictionary when you freewrite. Don’t stop if you make a mistake. Just keep writing!

Here is an example of a students’ freewriting:

There are too so many subjects to study at university, it is difficult to choose one for
my major. I’ve always made good grades in math, but I don’t like it very much. I don’t like
physical physics or any science very much. W riting! I have always liked writing. Would
journalism be a good course to take? Newspapers have pictures, too, so maybe
photograph would be good. I’ve maybe definitely looking forward to meeting new friends
at university. And what about reading? Reading is a part of any course, but literature
includes a lot of reading and it probably includes a lot of writing, too.

Notice how the writer’s ideas jump around. When she makes a mistake, she just crosses it out
and continues writing. One thought (writing) leads to another (journalism), and then to
another (photograph). There are some details that are not exactly about her topic (looking
forward to meeting new friends), but that’s OK in freewriting. You want to get as many ideas
on paper as you can. You can take out unnecessary words and sentences later.