The Essay Writing

Plan
What is an Essay Writing Plan?
• An Essay Writing Plan (EWP) is a map for your essay that
includes your main ideas and important details.

• It allows you to organize your thoughts into an essay format

that makes sense and is logical.

• It allows you to think more deeply about the topic before you
begin writing (remember, you have ‘leveled up’).
Why is it important to you?
• During your career, you will be required to write reports,
technical sheets, case studies, etc.

• Your major courses, exams, IELTS will require you to write

academic papers.

• It helps you to become a serious, professional person

• Thinking deeply allows you to find details that others do not

find.
• - surface level example-tree
Pieces of the EWP
The EWP consists of 4 parts:

1. Brainstorm Diagram = a ‘storm’ of ideas in your mind, used

to find main ideas --- all ideas are good ideas

2. Prioritize Ideas = which ideas in the Brainstorm Diagram

are the strongest  these are your essay ideas.

3. Outline = place ideas into outline form to help organize the

essay (and don’t forget anything).

4. The WHY Question = ask and answer the WHY question to

find details to use in the body paragraphs of the essay.
Brainstorm Diagram Example
Let’s Practice

SCHOOL
Focus  Ideas and Details
The EWP will help you to discover details to
include in your body paragraphs.

Body paragraphs are where the difference

between average and great lives.

Details = descriptions, explanations,

examples, evidence.
Ask Yourself WHY?
Maybe the most powerful question in the
English language.

Answers to it create details that give your

essay power.

Each time you ask why, you get a different,

more deep detail. Tree example-roots – 5whyanalysis
Let’s Practice
TOPIC

Some people think that schools are no

longer necessary because people can
acquire information on the Internet.

To what extent do you agree or

disagree?
Let’s Practice

Agree Disagree

Learn from
Internet instead
of school