STD 3 TO 8 ESSAY PLANNING

What is an essay?

An essay is a focused, academic discussion of a particular question, problem or issue.

Many of you have been writing essays for years, and are probably good at it. That's great, and everything you look at here will build on and develop those skills.

But it's worth asking: are there different things expected of a university essay from those for school, college, or other contexts?

The obvious answer is yes, and it takes time and effort to learn the range of writing skills needed to produce university essays effectively.

There are all sorts of reasons why essays are common forms of assessment. They allow you to explore a problem in-depth, express yourself concisely and precisely, and debate other people's published opinions on a topic.

They're also a good warm-up for traditional forms of academic publication, such as a journal article.

Academic essays usually follow an established organisational structure that helps the writer to express their ideas clearly and the reader to follow the thread of their argument.

An essay's structure is guided by its content and argument so every essay question will pose unique structural challenges.

Planning stages

Essay writing is a process with many stages, from topic selection, planning and reading around, through to drafting, revising and proofreading.

Breaking the task down and creating a clear plan with milestones and intermediate deadlines will allow you to focus attention more fully on the writing process itself when you put your plan into action either as part of an assignment or an exam.

1. Understand the question

Is the question open-ended or closed? If it is open-ended you will need to narrow it down. Explain how and why you have decided to limit it in the introduction to your essay, so the reader knows you appreciate the wider issues, but that you can also be selective.

If it is a closed question, your answer must refer to and stay within the limits of the question (ie specific dates, texts, or countries).

What can you infer from the title about the structure of the essay?

2. Brainstorm for ideas

What you know about the topic – from lectures, reading etc

What you don't know about the topic, but need to find out to answer the question

Possible responses or answers to the question – any ideas about your conclusion.

Consider using a mind map to organise your thoughts…

3. Make a plan

Planning your essay makes it more likely that you have a coherent argument

It enables you to work out a logical structure and an endpoint for your argument before you start writing

It means you don't have to do this type of complex thinking at the same time as trying to find the right words to express your ideas

It helps you to commit yourself to sticking to the point!

How to plan an essay

Essay planning is an important step in academic essay writing.

Proper planning helps you write your essay faster, and focus more on the exact question. As you draft and write your essay, record any changes on the plan as well as in the essay itself, so they develop side by side.

One way to start planning an essay is with a ‘box plan’.

First, decide how many stages you want in your argument – how many important points do you want to make? Then, divide a box into an introduction + one paragraph for each stage + a conclusion.

Next, figure out how many words per paragraph you'll need.

Usually, the introduction and conclusion are each about 10% of the word count. This leaves about 80% of the word count for the body - for your real argument. Find how many words that is, and divide it by the number of body paragraphs you want. That tells you about how many words each paragraph can have.

Remember, each body paragraph discusses one main point, so make sure each paragraph's long enough to discuss the point properly (flexible, but usually at least 150 words).

For example, say the assignment is

"Discuss how media can influence children. Use specific examples to support your views. Word count: 1200."
Discuss how media can influence children. Use specific examples to support your views.

1200 wordsIntroduction 120 words

Body paragraph 1240 words

Body paragraph 2240 words

Body paragraph 3240 words

Body paragraph 4240 words

Conclusion120 words


IMPORTANT LINK

STD 3 ESSAY CLICK HERE

STD 4 ESSAY CLICK HERE

STD 5 ESSAY CLICK HERE

STD 6 ESSAY CLICK HERE

STD 7 ESSAY CLICK HERE

STD 8 ESSAY CLICK HERE

મહત્વપૂર્ણ લિંક

શાળામાં ઉપયોગી નિબંધ ડાઉનલોડ કરવા માટે અહીં ક્લિક કરો

મહત્વપૂર્ણ લિંક

પ્રથમ સત્ર માટે ઉપયોગી નિબંધ ડાઉનલોડ કરવા માટે અહીં ક્લિક કરો

મહત્વપૂર્ણ લિંક

બીજા સત્ર માટે ઉપયોગી નિબંધ ડાઉનલોડ કરવા માટે અહીં ક્લિક કરો

મહત્વપૂર્ણ લિંક

ગુજરાતી નિબંધ-૧ ડાઉનલોડ કરવા માટે અહીં ક્લિક કરો

ગુજરાતી નિબંધ-૨ ડાઉનલોડ કરવા માટે અહીં ક્લિક કરો

મહત્વપૂર્ણ લિંક

હિન્દી નિબંધ ડાઉનલોડ કરવા માટે અહીં ક્લિક કરો

મહત્વપૂર્ણ લિંક

અંગ્રેજી નિબંધ ડાઉનલોડ કરવા માટે અહીં ક્લિક કરો