plan my essay

How to plan an essay: Essay Planning

What's in this guide
Essay Planning
Additional resources

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

Fill in the table as follows:

Next, record each paragraph's main argument, as either a heading or topic sentence (a sentence to start that paragraph, to immediately make its point clear).

Finally, use dot points to list useful information or ideas from your research notes for each paragraph. Remember to include references so you can connect each point to your reading.

The other useful document for essay planning is the marking rubric .

This indicates what the lecturer is looking for, and helps you make sure all the necessary elements are there.

Pathways and Academic Learning Support

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Last Updated: Feb 15, 2024 1:23 PM
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7 Steps for Writing an Essay Plan

Have you ever started writing an essay then realized you have run out of ideas to talk about?

This can make you feel deflated and you start to hate your essay!

The best way to avoid this mid-essay disaster is to plan ahead: you need to write an Essay Plan!

Essay planning is one of the most important skills I teach my students. 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.

Essay Planning isn’t as dull as you think. 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!

Here’s my 7-Step method that I encourage you to use for your next essay:

The 7-Step Guide on How to write an Essay Plan

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 No-Pressure Draft in 3 Hours (3 hours)
Edit your Draft Once every Few Days until Submission (30 minutes)

I’ve been using this 7-Step essay planning strategy since I was in my undergraduate degree. Now, I’ve completed a PhD and written over 20 academic journal articles and dozens of blog posts using this method – and it still works!

Let’s go through my 7 steps for how to write an essay plan.

Prefer to Watch than Read? Here’s our video on writing an Essay Plan.

how to write an essay plan

1. figure out your essay topic. here’s how..

Where did your teacher provide you with your assessment details?

Find it. This is where you begin.

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. So print out your essay question and any other advice or guidelines provided by your teacher.

Here’s some things that your assessment details page might include:

The essay question;
The marking criteria;
Suggested sources to read;
Some background information on the topic

The essay question is really important. Once you’ve printed it I want you to do one thing:

Highlight the key phrases in the essay question.

Here’s some essay questions and the key phrases you’d want to highlight:

This strategy helps you to hone in on exactly what you want to talk about. 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!

The other top thing to look at is the marking criteria. Some teachers don’t provide this, but if they do then make sure you pay attention to the marking criteria !

Here’s an example of a marking criteria sheet:

Sample Essay Topic: Is Climate Change the Greatest Moral Challenge of our Generation?

Now, if you have a marking criteria you really need to pay attention to this. You have to make sure you’ve ticked off all the key criteria that you will be marked on. For the example above, your essay is going to have to make sure it:

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’);
Uses referencing to back up your points.

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 what to talk about!

Step 1 only takes you five minutes and helps you to clearly clarify what you’re going to be talking about! Now your mind is tuned in and you can start doing some preliminary research.

2. Gather your Sources and take Quick Notes. Here’s how.

Now that you know what your focus is, you can start finding some information to discuss. You don’t want to just write things from the top of your head. If you want top marks, you want some deep, detailed and specific pieces of information.

Fortunately, your teacher has probably made this easy for you.

The top source for finding information will be the resources your teacher provided. These resources were hand picked by your teacher because they believed these were the best sources available our there on the topic. Here are the most common resources teachers provide:

Lecture Slides;
Assigned Readings.

The lecture slides are one of the best resources for you to access. Lecture slides are usually provided online for you. Download them, save them on your computer, and dig them up when it’s time to write the essay plan.

Find the lecture slides most relevant to your topic. To take the example of our climate change essay, maybe climate change is only discussed in three of the weeks in your course. Those are the three weeks’ lecture slides you want to hone-in on.

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?

Now, move on to the assigned readings . Your teacher will have selected some readings for you to do for homework through the semester. They may be eBooks, Textbooks or Journal Articles.

These assigned readings were assigned for a reason: because they have very important information to read ! Scan through them and see if there’s any more points you can add to your list of statistics and key ideas to discuss.

Next, try to find a few more sources using Google Scholar. 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.

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! It’s just rough notes to get all the important information down:

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.

3. Brainstorm using a Mind-Map. Here’s how.

Do your initial notes look a little disorganized?

That’s okay. The point of Step 2 was to gather information. Now it’s time to start sorting these ideas in your mind.

The best way to organize thoughts is to create a Mind-Map. 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.

mind-map with essay question written in center

Then, select the biggest and most important key ideas that you think are worth discussing in the essay. To decide on these, you might want to look back at the notes you took in Step 2.

Each key idea will take up around about 200 – 350 words (1 to 2 sentences).

Here’s a rough guide for how many key ideas you’ll want depending on your essay length:

1000-word essay: 3 to 4 key ideas
1500-word essay: 5 to 7 key ideas
2000-word essay: 6 to 8 key ideas
3000-word essay: 9 to 12 key ideas

Once you’ve selected your key ideas you can list them in a circle around the essay question, just like this:

mind map with essay question and key ideas filled-in

Last, we need to add detail and depth to each key idea. So, draw more lines out from each key ideas and list:

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

Here’s how it might look once you’re done:

4. Arrange your Topics. Here’s how.

You’re well and truly on your way to getting your essay down on paper now.

There’s one last thing to do before you start getting words down on the manuscript that you will submit. You need to arrange your topics to decide which to write first, second, third, fourth, and last!

Here are some things to keep in mind:

Start and end with your strongest points;
Ensure the points logically flow.

To ensure your points logically flow, think about how you’re going to transition from one idea to the next . Does one key point need to be made first so that the other ones make sense?

Do two key points seem to fit next to one another? If so, make sure you list them side-by-side.

Have a play around with the order you want to discuss the ideas until you’re comfortable. Then, list them in order. Here’s my order for my Climate Change essay:

Each of these key ideas is going to turn into a paragraph or two (probably two) in the essay.

5. Write your topic Sentences in just 5 minutes. Here’s how.

All good essays have clear paragraphs that start with a topic sentence . 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.

It’s important that the first sentence of each paragraph clearly states the paragraph’s topic. Your marker is going to want to know exactly what your paragraph is about immediately. You don’t want your marker to wait until the 3 rd , 4 th or 5 th line of a paragraph before they figure out what you’re talking about in the paragraph.

So, you need to state what your key idea is in the first sentence of the paragraph.

Let’s have a go at turning each of our key ideas into a topic sentence:

6. Write a No-Pressure Essay Draft in just 3 Hours. Here’s how.

Okay, now the rubber hits the road. Let’s get writing!

When you write your first draft, don’t put pressure on yourself. 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. The important thing is that you get words down on paper.

To write the draft, have a go at adding to each of your topic sentences to turn them into full paragraphs. Follow the information you wrote down in your notes and Mind-Map to get some great details down on paper.

Forget about the introduction and conclusion for now. You can write them last.

Let’s have a go at one together. I’m going to choose the paragraph on my key idea “Is climate change caused by humans?”

I’ve already got my first sentence and my brainstormed ideas. Let’s build on them to write a draft paragraph:

screenshot of a section of a mind map displaying key ideas for the essay

“Most scientists believe climate change is caused by humans. 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). This figure is very high, signalling overwhelming expert consensus. This consensus holds that the emission of carbon from burning of fossil fuels in the 20 th Century is trapping heat into the atmosphere. However, a minority of dissenting scientists continue to claim that this carbon build-up is mostly the fault of natural forces such as volcanoes which emit enormous amounts of carbon into the atmosphere (Bier, 2013).”

Your turn – have a go at your own draft paragraphs based on your Mind-Map for your essay topic! If you hit a rut or have some trouble, don’t forget to check out our article on how to write perfect paragraphs .

Once you’ve written all your paragraphs, make sure you write an introduction and conclusion .

Gone over the word count? Check out our article on how to reduce your word count.

7. Edit your Draft Once every Few Days until Submission. Check out this simple approach:

Okay, hopefully after your three hour essay drafting session you’ve got all your words down on paper. Congratulations!

However, we’re not done yet.

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.

When coming back to edit your draft , here’s a few things to look out for:

Make sure all the paragraph and sentence structure makes sense. Feel free to change words around until things sound right. 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. 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. 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. Here’s our ultimate guide on finding scholarly sources online – it might be helpful for this step!

Before you go – Here’s the Actionable Essay Plan Tips Summed up for you

Phew! That essay was tough. But with this essay plan, you can get through any essay and do a stellar job! Essay planning is a great way to ensure your essays make sense, have a clear and compelling argument, and don’t go off-topic.

I never write an essay without one.

To sum up, here are the 7 steps to essay planning one more time:

The 7-Step Guide for How to Write an Essay Plan

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 5 Top Tips for Succeeding at University
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1 thought on “7 Steps for Writing an Essay Plan”

Nice fun and concise approach to essays, thank you

Planning an Essay

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This page is the first of two that describe the processes involved in producing an essay for academic purposes, for school, college or university and covers the planning stages of essay writing, which are important to the overall process.

The second page, Writing an Essay , provides more information on the steps involved in actually writing an essay. We recommend you read both pages to gain a full understanding.

Developing the skill of essay writing takes practice, time and patience , your essay writing skills will improve and develop the more you write.

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.

This page details general good practice in essay planning, including what you should do and what you should try to avoid. It is important however, that you understand the specific requirements of your school, college or university.

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.

Writing an essay (or other assignment) is an important part of the learning process. In the writing of an assignment, learning occurs as you think through and interpret the points raised (together with those of other writers on the subject).

Presenting your experience and showing understanding within your assignment will, from the marker's point of view, demonstrate your knowledge of the subject area.

The Purpose of an Essay

The original meaning of an essay is ' an attempt ', or a try, at something. It is therefore appropriate to consider writing an essay as a learning exercise.

Essays, and other academic writing, focus the mind and encourage you to come to conclusions about what you are studying.

Writing is often the best possible way to assimilate and organise information. Writing helps to highlight any areas that you have not fully understood and enables you to make further clarifications. 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.

The feedback you receive from the marker of your essay should help to advance your study skills, writing, research and critical thinking skills .

What is the Marker Looking For?

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.

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.

When marking an assignment, a marker will look for some of the following elements, which will demonstrate you are able to:

Find relevant information and use the knowledge to focus on the essay question or subject.

Structure knowledge and information logically, clearly and concisely.

Read purposefully and critically. (See our page: Critical Reading for more)

Relate theory to practical examples.

Analyse processes and problems.

Be persuasive and argue a case.

Find links and combine information from a number of different sources.

Answer the Question

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.

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.

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.

Planning Your Essay

Planning is the process of sorting out what you want to include in your essay.

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.

Essay assignments are usually formulated in one of the following ways:

As a question

A statement is given and you are asked to comment on it

An invitation to ‘ outline’ , ‘ discuss’ or ‘ critically assess’ a particular argument or point of view

Remember always write your essay based on the question that is set and not on another aspect of the subject. Although this may sound obvious, many students do not fully answer the essay question and include irrelevant information. The primary aim of an academic essay is to answer the task set, in some detail.

To help you do this, you might find the following list of stages helpful.

Producing an Essay Plan

The essay plan below contains ten steps.

It is often useful to complete the first six steps soon after receiving your essay question. That way information will be fresh and you are more likely to be thinking about your essay plan as you do other things.

Study the essay question intently.

Write the essay question out in full.

Spend some time, at least half an hour, brainstorming the subject area.

Write down your thoughts on the question subject, its scope and various aspects.

List words or phrases that you think need to be included.

Note the main points you should include to answer the question.

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.

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.

Skim through any course material or lecture handouts and start to build up a more detailed outline. Scan through your own lecture notes, and if anything strikes you as relevant to the assignment task, write where to find it on your detailed outline

Write down where you will find the necessary information on each of the points in your detailed outline (lecture notes, course handouts etc.). Indicate on the outline where you feel that some further research is necessary.

Be careful not to allow your outline to become too complicated; stick to main points and keep it relevant to the question.

If you have been given a reading list or a core text book then check the relevant sections of that.

See our page: Sources of Information for more ideas of where you can find relevant information for your essay.

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 – 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.

Think about the main elements that need to be covered in the essay. Make sure you allocate the greatest number of words to the 'main body of the essay' and not to a subsidiary point.

Decide how much space you can devote to each section of your outline. For example, a third of a page for the introduction, half a page for point 1 which has two sub-points, one and a half pages for point 2 which has five sub-points etc. Although you will not follow such a space scheme rigidly, it does enable you to keep things under control and to know how much detail to put in, keeping the balance of the essay as you originally planned.

Of course, you will make minor adjustments to your essay plan as you actually write. However, do not make major adjustments unless you are absolutely certain about the alternative and how it fits into your original scheme.

Having a strong essay plan makes the actual task of writing an essay much more efficient.

Continue to: Writing an Essay Sources of Information

See also: Essay Writing Tips Note-Taking for Reading Finding Time To Study

Essay writing

Introduction

Answering the question

Generating ideas, planning your essay, different planning methods.

Writing your essay
Developing your essay writing

Useful links for writing essays

Study Advice Helping students to achieve study success with guides, video tutorials, seminars and one-to-one advice sessions.
Academic writing LibGuide Expert guidance on punctuation, grammar, writing style and proof-reading.
Guide to citing references Includes guidance on why, when and how to use references correctly in your academic writing.
Reading and notemaking LibGuide Expert guidance on managing your reading and making effective notes.
Academic Phrasebank Use this site for examples of linking phrases and ways to refer to sources.
Ten stages of assignment success (Prezi) Based upon Burns and Sinfield, Essential Study Skills.
Critical Thinking A short video on Critical Thinking that the BBC have prepared in partnership with The Open University

The first thing to do when preparing to write an essay is to make a plan. You could just rush in and write everything that comes into your head, but that would make it difficult for your marker to read and would reduce the effectiveness of your ideas. These will make much stronger arguments if you group them together than they would do on their own.

The guidance on this page will show you how to plan and structure your essay to produce a strong and focused response to the question.

A very common complaint from lecturers and examiners is that students write a lot of information but they just don't answer the question. Don't rush straight into researching – give yourself time to think carefully about the question and understand what it is asking.

Underlining key words – This is a good start point for making sure you understand all the terms (some might need defining); identifying the crucial information in the question; and clarifying what the question is asking you to do (compare & contrast, analyse, discuss). But make sure you then consider the question as a whole again, not just as a series of unconnected words.

Re-read the question – Read the question through a few times. Explain it to yourself, so you are sure you know what it is asking you to do.

Try breaking the question down into sub-questions – What is the question asking? Why is this important? How am I going to answer it? What do I need to find out first, second, third in order to answer the question? This is a good way of working out what important points or issues make up the overall question – it can help focus your reading and start giving your essay a structure. However, try not to have too many sub-questions as this can lead to following up minor issues, as opposed to the most important points.

Answering the question and planning (video) Watch this brief video tutorial for more on the topic.
Answering the question and planning (transcript) Read along while watching the video tutorial.

The kinds of things to note briefly are:

What you already know about the topic – from lectures, seminars, general knowledge.
Things you don't know about the topic, but need to find out in order to answer the question.
Initial responses or answers to the question – what you think your conclusion might possibly be.

This helps you start formulating your argument and direction for answering the question. It also helps you focus your reading, as you can pinpoint what you need to find out and go straight to the parts of books, chapters, articles that will be most relevant.

After reading - After your reading, it is often good to summarise all your findings on a page. Again, a spider diagram can help with this.

Bringing together the key points from your reading helps clarify what you have found out, and helps you find a pathway through all the ideas and issues you have encountered. If you include brief details of authors and page nos. for key information, it can act as a quick at-a-glance guide for finding the evidence you need to support your points later.

It also helps you see how your initial response to the question might have changed or become more sophisticated in light of the reading you've done. It leads into planning your essay structure.

It enables you to work out a logical structure and an end point 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!

You need to work out what to include, and what can be left out. It is impossible to cover everything in an essay, and your markers will be looking for evidence of your ability to choose material and put it in order. Brainstorm all your ideas, then arrange them in three or four groups. Not everything will fit so be prepared to discard some points (you can mention them briefly in your introduction).

Outline what you are going to include in each section:

Introduction : Address the question, show why it's interesting and how you will answer it.
Main body : Build your argument. Put your groups of ideas in a sequence to make a persuasive argument. One main point in each paragraph.
Conclusion : Summarise your arguments and evidence, and show how they answer the original question.

Writing a summary - Some people plan best once they have written something, as this helps clarify their thinking. If you prefer to write first, try summarising the central idea of your essay in a few sentences. This gives you a clear direction for working out how you are going to break it down into points supported by evidence. You can then use one of the methods below to write a more detailed plan.

Structuring your essay (video) Watch this brief video tutorial for more on the topic.
Structuring your essay (transcript) Read along while watching the video tutorial.

Bullet points / linear plans - This type of plan lists the main points using bullet points or numbers. It can be a brief outline of the main point per paragraph, or a more detailed plan with sub-points and a note of the evidence to support each point (e.g. source and page no.).

No plan is perfect, so be prepared for your ideas to change as you write your essay. However, once you have an initial plan it is much easier to adapt it and see where new things fit if your thinking does change.

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Last Updated: Jan 29, 2024 11:27 AM
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Essay Writing Guide

Essay Outline

Last updated on: Jun 10, 2023

A Complete Essay Outline - Guidelines and Format

By: Nova A.

13 min read

Reviewed By: Melisa C.

Published on: Jan 15, 2019

To write an effective essay, you need to create a clear and well-organized essay outline. An essay outline will shape the essay’s entire content and determine how successful the essay will be.

In this blog post, we'll be going over the basics of essay outlines and provide a template for you to follow. We will also include a few examples so that you can get an idea about how these outlines look when they are put into practice.

Essay writing is not easy, but it becomes much easier with time, practice, and a detailed essay writing guide. Once you have developed your outline, everything else will come together more smoothly.

The key to success in any area is preparation - take the time now to develop a solid outline and then write your essays!

So, let’s get started!

On this Page

What is an Essay Outline?

An essay outline is your essay plan and a roadmap to essay writing. It is the structure of an essay you are about to write. It includes all the main points you have to discuss in each section along with the thesis statement.

Like every house has a map before it is constructed, the same is the importance of an essay outline. You can write an essay without crafting an outline, but you may miss essential information, and it is more time-consuming.

Once the outline is created, there is no chance of missing any important information. Also, it will help you to:

Organize your thoughts and ideas.
Understand the information flow.
Never miss any crucial information or reference.
Finish your work faster.

These are the reasons if someone asks you why an essay outline is needed. Now there are some points that must be kept in mind before proceeding to craft an essay outline.

Easily Outline Your Essays In Seconds!

Prewriting Process of Essay Outline

Your teacher may ask you to submit your essay outline before your essay. Therefore, you must know the preliminary guidelines that are necessary before writing an essay outline.

Here are the guidelines:

You must go through your assignments’ guidelines carefully.
Understand the purpose of your assignment.
Know your audience.
Mark the important point while researching your topic data.
Select the structure of your essay outline; whether you are going to use a decimal point bullet or a simple one.

Paper Due? Why Suffer? That's our Job!

How to Write an Essay Outline in 4 Steps

Creating an essay outline is a crucial step in crafting a well-structured and organized piece of writing. Follow these four simple steps to create an effective outline:

Step 1: Understand the Topic

To begin, thoroughly grasp the essence of your essay topic.

Break it down into its key components and identify the main ideas you want to convey. This step ensures you have a clear direction and focus for your essay.

Step 2: Brainstorm and Gather Ideas

Let your creativity flow and brainstorm ideas related to your topic.

Jot down key pieces of information, arguments, and supporting evidence that will strengthen your essay's overall message. Consider different perspectives and potential counterarguments to make your essay well-rounded.

Step 3: Organize Your Thoughts

Now it's time to give structure to your ideas.

Arrange your main points in a logical order, starting with an attention-grabbing introduction, followed by body paragraphs that present your arguments.

Finally, tie everything together with a compelling conclusion. Remember to use transitional phrases to create smooth transitions between sections.

Step 4: Add Depth with Subpoints

To add depth and clarity to your essay, incorporate subpoints under each main point.

These subpoints provide more specific details, evidence, or examples that support your main ideas. They help to further strengthen your arguments and make your essay more convincing.

By following these four steps - you'll be well on your way to creating a clear and compelling essay outline.

Essay Outline Format

It is an easy way for you to write your thoughts in an organized manner. It may seem unnecessary and unimportant, but it is not.

It is one of the most crucial steps for essay writing as it shapes your entire essay and aids the writing process.

An essay outline consists of three main parts:

1. Introduction

The introduction body of your essay should be attention-grabbing. It should be written in such a manner that it attracts the reader’s interest. It should also provide background information about the topic for the readers.

You can use a dramatic tone to grab readers’ attention, but it should connect the audience to your thesis statement.

Here are some points without which your introduction paragraph is incomplete.

To attract the reader with the first few opening lines, we use a hook statement. It helps engage the reader and motivates them to read further. There are different types of hook sentences ranging from quotes, rhetorical questions to anecdotes and statistics, and much more.

Are you struggling to come up with an interesting hook? View these hook examples to get inspired!

A thesis statement is stated at the end of your introduction. It is the most important statement of your entire essay. It summarizes the purpose of the essay in one sentence.

The thesis statement tells the readers about the main theme of the essay, and it must be strong and clear. It holds the entire crux of your essay.

Need help creating a strong thesis statement? Check out this guide on thesis statements and learn to write a statement that perfectly captures your main argument!

2. Body Paragraphs

The body paragraphs of an essay are where all the details and evidence come into play. This is where you dive deep into the argument, providing explanations and supporting your ideas with solid evidence.

If you're writing a persuasive essay, these paragraphs will be the powerhouse that convinces your readers. Similarly, in an argumentative essay, your body paragraphs will work their magic to sway your audience to your side.

Each paragraph should have a topic sentence and no more than one idea. A topic sentence is the crux of the contents of your paragraph. It is essential to keep your reader interested in the essay.

The topic sentence is followed by the supporting points and opinions, which are then justified with strong evidence.

3. Conclusion

When it comes to wrapping up your essay, never underestimate the power of a strong conclusion. Just like the introduction and body paragraphs, the conclusion plays a vital role in providing a sense of closure to your topic.

To craft an impactful conclusion, it's crucial to summarize the key points discussed in the introduction and body paragraphs. You want to remind your readers of the important information you shared earlier. But keep it concise and to the point. Short, powerful sentences will leave a lasting impression.

Remember, your conclusion shouldn't drag on. Instead, restate your thesis statement and the supporting points you mentioned earlier. And here's a pro tip: go the extra mile and suggest a course of action. It leaves your readers with something to ponder or reflect on.

5 Paragraph Essay Outline Structure

An outline is an essential part of the writing as it helps the writer stay focused. A typical 5 paragraph essay outline example is shown here. This includes:

State the topic
Thesis statement
Introduction
Explanation
A conclusion that ties to the thesis
Summary of the essay
Restate the thesis statement

Tough Essay Due? Hire Tough Writers!

Essay Outline Template

The outline of the essay is the skeleton that you will fill out with the content. Both outline and relevant content are important for a good essay. The content you will add to flesh out the outline should be credible, relevant, and interesting.

The outline structure for the essay is not complex or difficult. No matter which type of essay you write, you either use an alphanumeric structure or a decimal structure for the outline.

Below is an outline sample that you can easily follow for your essay.

Essay Outline Sample

Essay Outline Examples

An essay outline template should follow when you start writing the essay. Every writer should learn how to write an outline for every type of essay and research paper.

Essay outline 4th grade

Essay outline 5th grade

Essay outline high school

Essay outline college

Given below are essay outline examples for different types of essay writing.

Argumentative Essay Outline

An argumentative essay is a type of essay that shows both sides of the topic that you are exploring. The argument that presents the basis of the essay should be created by providing evidence and supporting details.

Persuasive Essay Outline

A persuasive essay is similar to an argumentative essay. Your job is to provide facts and details to create the argument. In a persuasive essay, you convince your readers of your point of view.

Compare and Contrast Essay Outline

A compare and contrast essay explains the similarities and differences between two things. While comparing, you should focus on the differences between two seemingly similar objects. While contrasting, you should focus on the similarities between two different objects.

Narrative Essay Outline

A narrative essay is written to share a story. Normally, a narrative essay is written from a personal point of view in an essay. The basic purpose of the narrative essay is to describe something creatively.

Expository Essay Outline

An expository essay is a type of essay that explains, analyzes, and illustrates something for the readers. An expository essay should be unbiased and entirely based on facts. Be sure to use academic resources for your research and cite your sources.

Analytical Essay Outline

An analytical essay is written to analyze the topic from a critical point of view. An analytical essay breaks down the content into different parts and explains the topic bit by bit.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Outline

A rhetorical essay is written to examine the writer or artist’s work and develop a great essay. It also includes the discussion.

Cause and Effect Essay Outline

A cause and effect essay describes why something happens and examines the consequences of an occurrence or phenomenon. It is also a type of expository essay.

Informative Essay Outline

An informative essay is written to inform the audience about different objects, concepts, people, issues, etc.

The main purpose is to respond to the question with a detailed explanation and inform the target audience about the topic.

Synthesis Essay Outline

A synthesis essay requires the writer to describe a certain unique viewpoint about the issue or topic. Create a claim about the topic and use different sources and information to prove it.

Literary Analysis Essay Outline

A literary analysis essay is written to analyze and examine a novel, book, play, or any other piece of literature. The writer analyzes the different devices such as the ideas, characters, plot, theme, tone, etc., to deliver his message.

Definition Essay Outline

A definition essay requires students to pick a particular concept, term, or idea and define it in their own words and according to their understanding.

Descriptive Essay Outline

A descriptive essay is a type of essay written to describe a person, place, object, or event. The writer must describe the topic so that the reader can visualize it using their five senses.

Evaluation Essay Outline

Problem Solution Essay Outline

In a problem-solution essay, you are given a problem as a topic and you have to suggest multiple solutions on it.

Scholarship Essay Outline

A scholarship essay is required at the time of admission when you are applying for a scholarship. Scholarship essays must be written in a way that should stand alone to help you get a scholarship.

Reflective Essay Outline

A reflective essay is written to express your own thoughts and point of view regarding a specific topic.

Getting started on your essay? Give this comprehensive essay writing guide a read to make sure you write an effective essay!

With this complete guide, now you understand how to create an outline for your essay successfully. However, if you still can’t write an effective essay, then the best option is to consult a professional academic writing service.

Essay writing is a dull and boring task for some people. So why not get some help instead of wasting your time and effort? 5StarEssays.com is here to help you. All your do my essay for me requests are managed by professional essay writers.

Place your order now, and our team of expert academic writers will help you.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the three types of outlines.

Here are the three types of essay outline;

Working outline
Speaking outline
Full-sentence outline

All three types are different from each other and are used for different purposes.

What does a full-sentence outline look like?

A full sentence outline contains full sentences at each level of the essay’s outline. It is similar to an alphanumeric outline and it is a commonly used essay outline.

What is a traditional outline format?

A traditional essay outline begins with writing down all the important points in one place and listing them down and adding sub-topics to them. Besides, it will also include evidence and proof that you will use to back your arguments.

What is the benefit of using a traditional outline format and an informal outline format?

A traditional outline format helps the students in listing down all the important details in one palace while an informal outline will help you coming up with new ideas and highlighting important points

As a Digital Content Strategist, Nova Allison has eight years of experience in writing both technical and scientific content. With a focus on developing online content plans that engage audiences, Nova strives to write pieces that are not only informative but captivating as well.

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Ultimate Guide to Writing Your College Essay

Tips for writing an effective college essay.

College admissions essays are an important part of your college application and gives you the chance to show colleges and universities your character and experiences. This guide will give you tips to write an effective college essay.

Want free help with your college essay?

UPchieve connects you with knowledgeable and friendly college advisors—online, 24/7, and completely free. Get 1:1 help brainstorming topics, outlining your essay, revising a draft, or editing grammar.

Writing a strong college admissions essay

Learn about the elements of a solid admissions essay.

Avoiding common admissions essay mistakes

Learn some of the most common mistakes made on college essays

Brainstorming tips for your college essay

Stuck on what to write your college essay about? Here are some exercises to help you get started.

How formal should the tone of your college essay be?

Learn how formal your college essay should be and get tips on how to bring out your natural voice.

Taking your college essay to the next level

Hear an admissions expert discuss the appropriate level of depth necessary in your college essay.

Student Stories

Student Story: Admissions essay about a formative experience

Get the perspective of a current college student on how he approached the admissions essay.

Student Story: Admissions essay about personal identity

Get the perspective of a current college student on how she approached the admissions essay.

Student Story: Admissions essay about community impact

Student story: admissions essay about a past mistake, how to write a college application essay, tips for writing an effective application essay, sample college essay 1 with feedback, sample college essay 2 with feedback.

This content is licensed by Khan Academy and is available for free at www.khanacademy.org.

Essay Mapping Tool

Instructions.

Effective writing at university is a process:

Analyse the task → Gather content → Plan → Draft → Edit

This tool may help you to bridge from planning to drafting by helping you arrange your sentences in a logical order. It also provides tips for each component of an essay – the introduction, body, and conclusion. It can be used to improve your understanding of essay writing in general or as a planning tool for one of your university assignments.

Because this tool is for your personal use only, you may decide to write in bullet points, but we recommend full sentences. Once you have filled in each section, a complete essay overview will be generated which can be printed.

1. Introduction

Three paragraphs planning spaces have been provided for you. You can add or delete as necessary.

The purpose of the body is to logically develop the points made in your thesis and outline statements. There are no rules about the number of paragraphs required in assignment, but in general, you are advised to develop one idea per paragraph. This is done with a clear and coherent structure which introduces the topic in a topic sentence, defines or clarifies which aspect of the topic you are going to discuss, develops and supports your discussion and (optionally) concludes your discussion.

A topic sentence generally has two parts. You may refer to the overall essay topic and also introduce the specific aspect you plan to discuss in this paragraph. This is referred to as topic + controlling idea . You can also use a topic sentence to link to or contrast with the previous paragraph. This is an effective strategy to use with the second body paragraph onwards. You may choose to conclude the paragraph with a summary sentence; however, you are advised not to overuse this type of sentence as it may seem repetitious.

Cohesion and coherence refer to how effectively sentences are connected and how smoothly the writing flows. This is not simply achieved by following a logical paragraph structure, but also by using linking words (e.g. however/furthermore/consequently ) and referring words (e.g. this/that/these/those )

When you develop your argument, remember to use a range of support. You can use examples, logical reasoning, speculation, statistics and citations

Paragraph 1

Write the topic and controlling idea (one sentence).

Support your controlling idea using evidence, examples, elaboration or explanations. Do not go off topic. Do use in-text references.

Sum up the paragraph and link to your thesis OR link to the next paragraph (one sentence).

Paragraph 2

Paragraph 3, 3. conclusion.

The purpose of the conclusion is to summarize the key points you have discussed; however, it often contains a paraphrase of the thesis statement. This helps link the whole essay together. A conclusion may also contain a statement which links the essay to the broader topic or suggests a future action.

You can begin with the phrase ' In conclusion, ' but there are other phrases you could consider: In summary/This assignment has…/In this essay, I have… . Avoid Finally/Briefly/

Remember to reference any sources you have used. Refer to CDU Library for more information on referencing.

Introduction

To save as a PDF, click the Print button and then change your printer destination to "Save As PDF".

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IELTS Preparation with Liz: Free IELTS Tips and Lessons, 2024

Test Information FAQ
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Computer IELTS: Pros & Cons
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IELTS Writing Task 2: Essay Planning Tips

IELTS essay planning tips. Learn how to plan your IELTS essay successfully. Learn how to use your time to plan ideas and paragraphs as well as other essential aspects of your IELTS essay.

Should I spend time planning my essay?

Yes, you should. 50% of your marks as based on your ability to answer the essay question directly, present relevant ideas, have clear supporting points to extend the main ideas, to organise your ideas and have logical paragraphing. So, spending time planning is essential for any student aiming for band score 6, 7, 8 or 9.

When you get to writing task 2, you will be tired. You will already have done the listening test, reading test and writing task 1. This means your concentration and energy levels will be low. It is easy to make a mistake with the essay question, lose focus in your writing and present disorganised ideas. This is another reason why planning is so important. It helps you focus and create a clear strategy with clear ideas. This will make writing your essay easier and help you write a strong essay.

How much time should I spend planning?

Some teachers will tell you to plan for at least 10 minutes. This is good advice but I know what most students are too nervous to spend so much time planning. Other teachers advise students to spend about 3 minutes. This is enough to plan main ideas but not to plan supporting points and to organise ideas.

I advise you to spend at least 5 minutes planning. You must practice planning your essay and calculate how long it really takes you to create a strong plan for your essay. Whatever you decide, know that planning is critical. Lack of planning is the common downfall of most students.

What should I plan before I start writing?

You should have a clear outline of the following before you start your essay:

identifying the issues in the essay question
brainstorming main points
choosing the best main points
planning supporting points
organising paragraphs

Should I practice planning my essays at home before my test?

Yes, definitely. There is a skill to good logical essay planning which you need to practice. On this blog, I have over 100 essay questions for IELTS writing task 2. While it might be difficult to practice writing over 100, you should certainly spend time planning a lot of them even if you don’t have time to write the full essay. The better you are at planning, the better your essay will be. See the link below for essay questions.

Where can I write my plan?

You can write your plan on the question paper. There is plenty of room to write on the question paper and the examiner will not see it. The examiner only sees the answer sheet. So, use the question paper to plan your essay.

I have seen many high level students with very good English fail to get band score 7, not because of their English, but because of their poor essay planning. Don’t let that happen to you! Plan your essay thoroughly before you start writing your essay.

Recommended

Band Scores 5 to 8 Explained for Writing Task 2
Over 100 Essay Questions for IELTS
Essay Ideas for Writing Task 2
All Writing Task 2 Lessons & Tips

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Thank you Liz for all you do for us. Please I wrote an essay on this topic; Some people think that the government is wasting money on the arts and that this money could be better spent elsewhere. To what extent do you agree with this. Most people believe that the government spends a lot of money on the arts and that the money could be invested in something better. In my opinion,I agree that the government spends a lot of money on arts than investing in health. Firstly,health is an aspect of an individual’s life that deals with a state of well being either physically, emotionally, socially and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Health encompasses the state of being free from sickness but the government does not invest well on this aspect as can be seen in the areas where there are no rehabilitation centres or programmes to help persons in the society who may be recovering from mental stress or sickness,to help them adapt well into the society,neither are there good hospitals and facilities to improve people’s health and well being. Some hospitals lack essential equipments that is necessary to carry out investigations and sometimes the hospitals make use of worn-out instruments which gives false readings and hence leading to judgement of a wrong diagnosis. On the one hand, the government maps out huge amount of money to be used on arts,artworks, exhibitions and displays . She also redecorates the museum always and forgets some important aspect of of every individual’s life. Yes,it is true that the museum should be in good shape and function so that the crafts and old artifacts in it will be preserved but if the people that would utilize it are not with good health, of what essence is it? In conclusion, I would recommend that less money should be spent by the government on arts and more invested in science , technology and health so as to create a balance and improve the lives of the people.

Please help to rate it let me know how much I need to practice. Thank you.

Children brought up in families with less money are better prepared for life than those from whealthy families? To what extend do you agree or disagree?

Ans- childhood is a age when children learn useful skills and with its help make their future better . Some people think that pupils from middle class familiea are provident for their future comparing to those belong from prosperous families . However, in my point of view ,family financial status alone cannot impact much on children future prepration

On the one hand ,children from poor families know the conditions of their family life and they donot waste money . Poor family students often seen doing best in school ans universities . However ,some children from middle class families donot get proper financial support from their family and will not able to take admission in finer school and college . children from poor families work somewhere to fulfil their needs that donot provide them much time for studies.

On the other hand, pupils from rich families often seen in parties ,pubs and clubs .They donot care for money because their families have enough money to give them facilities to join superior university and can hire personal tutor. Needless to say, that not every child belong form wealty family is week in studies and donot care for their future.

In conclusion, it is often seen that children from middle class families are much aware comparing to those belong from high class families .But i personally believe that, family conditions alone cannot allow pupils to take decision for future .Family environment ,parents behaviour and student own thinking ability also play a crucial role to be prepared for future

Please tell me that how many band this essay can get i will be happy if you reply😊

Hi liz Thank you so much for your website I have a question and hope you could help me asap. I’m close to my exam but confused. You know far better than me one criterion for band 7 8 is that “each paragraph focuses on one central topic” . I saw an IELTS learning video says do not put two three points in one paragraph base on law above. It will lower your score. That says just tell one, then explain it and finally give an example. So, is it true? In your videos you are putting some numbers of reasons in a paragraph (showing them with firstly, secondly, one problem, another issue). Although you extended every points, it is not against rule of “one central topic on one paragraph”?! Is not several topic?

I will be grateful if you answer. I used to your method as more answers give the chance to write more to reach 250 word limit and in my level, extending just one topic could not be that easy. What do you think? Thanks.

I can understand your confusion. The band score descriptors do say “each paragraph focused on one central topic”. For example, all advantages in one paragraph is a central topic – it is a collection of advantages. This is 100% normal for IELTS and does come under the category of central topic. Paragraphing in IELTS is very largely about logic. I hope this helps.

I have two more days for my IELTS and I`ve realized that I`m nowhere close to scoring more than 6 due to lack of my preparation.I’m relying on your videos and whatever I score, I owe it to you. I found your videos and you are my savior. Thank you Liz.

Use your two days carefully. Make sure you review this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-help-faq/ and also read this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-exam-tips-on-the-day/ . Make a short list of other things to check. Good luck!

Thank you for this amazing IELTS source. I have struggle with generating ideas for writing task-2. My mind always goes to writing fancy ideas but it ends with not organizing my thoughts properly. Could you please tell me how to organize ideas?How to simple simple and find relevant ideas?

Organising ideas is about technique. Gaining ideas is about learning ideas. For technique, see my Advanced Lessons. For ideas see my Ideas E-book: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/

Hi dear Liz I used to think it is incorrect to mention ” I will discuss ” in an academic essay until two weeks ago that I was told by my Ielts tutor that I “must” use the pronoun “I” in my IELTS writing task 2. I was wondering what is the correct answer?

That is 100% untrue. If the instructions ask for your opinion, you must give it. The only way to write your personal opinion in English is to write: I think or I believe or In my opinion or I agree etc. So, you must use “I” if the instructions call for it. If the instructions do not call for it, you don’t use it. Just follow the instructions. See this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/

Hello Liz I’m Alphonse Taju from Cameroon. I appreciate ur wonderful work here. Infact it’s really helping me through my preparation. I’m so privileged to have come to know this blog.

Pls is there a link which explains other forms of task 2 essay questions apart from opinion essay?? Thanks in advance for ur reply

Click on “Writing task 2” on the RED BAR at the top of the website.

Hello Liz, Do we get higher band score for better ideas ? If I maintain the structure and give supporting points along with examples, will it still not boost the band score? Please advise mam

All your answers are found on this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/

Hi Liz, I am Nitin Singh from India. I read your blog posts & article about tips to get high score in IELTS exam. Your viewpoints are really worth to follow and your suggestions are really good. I was doing practice for IELTS general writing task 2 by writing essays. When I saw few examples, I found a line “This essay will first discuss about advantages of and then outline about disadvantages” (for an essay about advantages or disadvantages) . This line “This essay will first discuss……and then…..” was written in all different type of essays (Opinion/Advantages or disadvantages/Discussion etc). My question- is it OK to write this line in all types of messages? Will it make structure of my essay better to get more score? Kindly guide me.

This is an English test. You are marked on your ability to create your own sentences.

Would mind showing us an example how do you plan an essay? Maybe you could use an essay from the suggested 100.

My full writing task 2 lessons are my advanced lessons: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/

I want to purchase your all videos but I live in Turkey ,Paypal is forbidden here . I need to buy ıf there is another method , for example I have credıt card. You have mentioned about your site but ı could not find this method to buy it.

Please help me.

Using either an account or card is fine, but paypal will process the transaction. Try asking a friend elsewhere to buy the lessons for you.

The last link in this article is linked to a 404 (not found) page.

Thanks for letting me know – I fixed it.

Thank you so much for all your tutorials. I found them very beneficial. I am currently practicing Writing Task 2 GT and I would like to see sample answers to some of the common essay questions. Is there a link for that?

Thanks again Nadine

You can find essay questions here: https://ieltsliz.com/100-ielts-essay-questions/ . you can find all tips, lessons and model essays here: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/

Hello Liz mam I revently had a discussion with a ielts trainer near my house.He said you can get a high band score only if u write factual information.For example write international examples, write dates of events related to information of your topic. He said start reading newspaper for this..google search etc. What should i do? I AM TOTALLY CONFUSED

The examiner does not check dates or facts. Do you really think the examiner reads your task 2 essay and then researches your data? Of course not. The examiner will mark you on the following band requirements: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2-band-scores-5-to-8/ . Accuracy of data is not part of the writing task 2 marking criteria. Also see my model essays on this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/

Hello Liz Mam I use very long sentences during my ielts writing practise. Please give me some tios for better writing and a good score.

I am currently writing a grammar list e-book for writing task 2 – I hope to have it ready to purchase in a couple of months. Long sentences are not always good. You should be limiting the length and selecting different types of sentence structures.

Hello Liz, I am interested with the book. Could you notify me, when it is ready to purchase. You can send me the email.

I’ll post a notice on this site when it’s ready. I’m hoping to have it ready by March or April. Sorry it can’t be sooner.

Can I write task 2 essay entirely based on personal experience?

It is a formal essay so keep a formal content.

Hello Liz my question is that it is very difficult to me to analyze many questions in writing task 2 . I don’t know how to write introduction paragraph in a good way . Similarly, planning brainstorm ideas, and how to describe it with example, mentioning topic sentence is more difficult for me. Please Liz help me about this issue I am very weak in ielts task 2. I am unable to get good marks in writing. How can I get at least 6.5 in ielts writing thank you ..

It sounds like you need to learn step by step. I suggest you get one of my advanced writing task 2 lessons. They are not cheap but they will answer your questions and help you see more clearly and write an essay more easily: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/

Hi Liz I want to know how much panulty made on grammatical mistakes both inWT-1 and 2

Grammar counts for 25% of your marks in writing. Your grammar is assessed by range and accuracy.

Hey Liz , I have my exam within 3 days . I would like to know, do they reduced the score if cancel out or strike out your mistake and rewrite in above it . It looks shabby atimes . Could please answer my question .

If the examiner can easily read your writing, it’s fine. If the examiner can’t easily read your writing, it will impact your score.

1.So the strike words or crossed words will be ignore and not affect the score right as long as it can be read ? 2.Also can I put a small arrow “^” to indicate the word have replaced is it wrong or right ? 3. Neat and non strike essay increase your band score .

Thank for the reply Could please answer these questions too.

I don’t know what you mean by non-strike essay. This is not an English term. You can alter mistakes, insert new words and as long as it is clear, it won’t affect your score.

This tip will really help me to manage my time in writing . All your lessons were also great help to me to prepare for the exam . Thank you so much 🙂

First of all thank you for such useful tips. My question is, Does poor hand writing affect getting a good band? My hand writing is not very clear no matter how hard I try, it never looks pretty on paper. Please advise.

Many thanks Sajid

If the examiner can’t read it, you will get a low score.

Liz I was wondering if I could write some samples for the writing tasks both 1 and 2 and send you for comments and suggestions. Would that be all right? How would I mail them to you? I missed out on my required band score just by 0.5 getting a 6.5 instead of 7 so I really need to improve it! Thanks.

I’m so sorry but I don’t offer that service.

I wish to confirm few things from you regarding TASK-2 in GT. 1) If in the Question, it’s not mentioned to give relevant examples and we quotes them, will we be marked negatively on that? 2) In my previous exams, I wrote approx 390-400 words and I got 6.5…was I marked negatively if I exceed the limit ?

1) it’s fine to use examples when you want 2) a long essay will produce more errors and be less focused – so it will not help your score. You should aim for between 270 and 290 words for task 2 with no errors (this means spending time proof reading).

Hi Liz. Wanted to know regarding the writing task 1 do we give any opinion or suggestion or possible explanation for the graph/pie figures or only describe the data?

You NEVER give an opinion. Task 1 is a factual report based on the information given – not your views. See this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-1-lessons-and-tips/

Hi Liz, Thank you for your help. I normally come up with good answers ( main points ) and examples ; however, I found out that my weak point is to develop supporting points. can you talk more about this part please?

Thanks Abdu

People think supporting points are special and different ideas. Your body paragraph should contain a topic sentence which is your main point. All sentences after that explain your main point in more detail – that’s all. Supporting sentences are just more details.

Dear Liz, Just now I bought your Advanced lessons to improve my writing skill. I took IELTS GT last month and got 6.5 in writing. I want to get 7. Hope I would get 7 in next sitting after studying your advanced lesson. If you have any special advice for students those who are struck on 6.5, please do share with us

Here are some pointers: 1. Avoid errors in grammar or vocab. This means – don’t make your sentences too long, keep them accurate, don’t use words you are not 100% sure about. Aim for accuracy and don’t try to impress. 2. This is a language test. That means each sentence is unique to you and your essay. Don’t use learned expressions or phrases, such as “this essay will discuss the …” 3. Address all issues in the question and follow the instructions. Never add anything that isn’t asked for. 4. Learn from my advanced lessons. I’m sure you will have your eyes opened.

Hi Liz, I found out your blog while searching for IELTS tips on the internet. Thank you very much for this resourceful and very helpful blog. This is just what I was looking for. Since I’m preparing by myself, I was afraid of the process of studying. Your blog is a guide for me from now on. Thank you very much!!

I’m glad you found my website. Remember , the more you understand about the test, the less confused you will feel and the more your confidence will grow 🙂 Good luck!

Hi Mam, Good day to you. could you please give your opinion that, which book is right choice to buy? Is it Cambridge IELTS 11 or 12 Academic?

They are both fine. Book 12 is more recent.

Thank you so much . You are the best !

Hi Mam, Is it advisable to use pencil for the task 2 in the academic?

It’s your choice entirely in the writing test. What do you feel most comfortable using?

I think that using pencil will make me to write without any mistakes I mean in case if i need to correct it can easily handle . Do I need to make sure that my entire writing is neat? Is that more important?

It needs to be easy for the examiner to read.

I think I understand how to write an essay before I write it.

Hi Liz, Have you covered your lessons, tips and lectures in a book? If so, how and where can I find it. A book would be really helpful. Thanks

I don’t have a book but I do have advanced writing task 2 lessons: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/

Hi Liz, I recently took my IELTS exam and I got a 6.5 on my Writing and I was aiming for at least a 7.0. As I was taking my Writing exam, I had trouble with time. I wrote an introduction, 2 body paragraphs and a conclusion but the words weren’t enough. Also, due to the topic, which I was not familiar with (Space Tourism) and the time constraint, I wasn’t able to organize my thoughts completely. Before I took the test, I was chatting with some of the other test takers and one of them said that she planned to do the Task 2 first and never mind if she doesn’t answer the Task 1 well or AT ALL. I was wondering if this is a good exam strategy. Should I answer the Task 2 first then get to my Task 1 after IF I have more time? What if I don’t get to finish my Task 1 because I spent too much time trying to pass my Task 2? Since in the Writing Test, Task 2 has a bigger point percentage than Task 1.

You can decide which one to do first. But to decide that task 1 isn’t worth much is wrong. It is worth 33% of your marks – that’s quite a lot. You should be training yourself to do task 2 in 40 mins and task 1 in 20 mins. You should be practising this at home. The topic of space tourism is well known in IELTS and it is listed on my essay questions page: https://ieltsliz.com/100-ielts-essay-questions/ . This means you didn’t prepare all the topics sufficiently. Start preparing ideas for common topics and recent topics: http://www.ieltsliz.com/recent-ielts-questions-and-topics and also practise timing.

Hi liz thank you very much for the very nice level of the information you are giving to us. i have one point which is really confusing me always in task 2 writing . for example, the video that you posted in you tube about single sex schools VS mixed schools or the essays which have the same way of presentation. should i mention advantages and disadvantages of the single sex schools and then go to the mixed schools paragraph and again mention advantages and disadvantages. or i should plan my essay by writing FIRSTLY the advantages of the single sex schools and then mixed schools and SECONDLY the disadvantages of the single sex schools and mixed schools. or i should mention only the advantages of both kind of schools in 2 paragraphs. thank you

I posted a video about ideas for co-ed schools or single sex schools – only the ideas. You must use those ideas appropriately for the essay question. I suggest you start looking at model essays and other tips: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/

Dear Lize, First, i am extremely appreciating what you did for us as IELTS success seekers. I had so mush of your tips and lessons through the last few months. I did my IELTS test on 13th May 2017. I thing my performance in Reading, Writing and Speaking was OK (thanks to your videos and tips), however, i don’t think my grade in Listing will be as i was wishing. For the Writing test: Task 1: write a letter responding to Airline company survey about your last trip with them. how you heard about them, what did you like and what is your recommendations. Task 2: some people thing that employees at the age of 60 or 65 should be retired, but others think they shouldn’t be released until they choose to. what is your opinion? for the Speaking test: after the casual introduction. where you live and what you like about it, do you wish to stay living there and why? speak about a situation when you tried new foreign food, when and where, what did like and dislike. Do you like shoes? do you think that people expend so much on shoes, do people choose based on where it made? and why? choosing based on where it made, is it discrimination? why and why not? My results will be after 13 days. Please wish me luck.

Thanks for sharing 🙂 Good luck!!

Hi Liz, i have been following your webpage from a week and very thankful for your prompt replies and valuable suggestions. Im currently using this blog for my GT prepration. Below i have made an attempt to task1 above assuming it to be formal, i may be wrong but appreciate your quick comments and suggestions. If you were an examiner, what band do you give. Sorry but im curious here. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dear Sir, My name is Jagan. I have come across your advertisement and considered your airliner for one of my recent trip to London. I am writing this letter in response to your survey request to prvide my feedback followed by some recommendations.

I have booked my travel ticket using your webpage. It is very intutive and well organised. I personally liked the way you have communicated the flight departure information with all germane details.

I also liked and enjoyed the inside ambience of your aircraft that was clean and hygenic. Arrangements like magazines, music CDs and ear phones are much appreciated. The onboard crew’s response and politeness is impressive. The food was delicious and served with care.

Having enjoyed my travel, I would like to recommend availabilty of general physician onboard who could help the passengers with high altitude numbness and vomiting sensations. It would be great to increase the limit of water bottles to two from one.

I hope my recommendations will help you to serve better.

Yours Faithfully, Jagan Mudinendla ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks in advance….

Thanks Liz… your tips and lectures were amazing…. i jut prepared for two days from your blog and did very well in today’s exams… but not sure about speaking..

I’m glad to hear it went well for you. I’ll keep my fingers crossed you get a good score in speaking 🙂

hello mam, while writing in task 1 and task 2 should I underline with pencil the main points???????

Not in your writing, no. The examiner will know the main points because of the way you organise your essay. Purchase my advanced lessons if you need training: http://subscriptions.viddler.com/IELTSLizStore

Good afternoon liz

When we get an opinion type of essay, after brainstorming ideas and the selection of relevant ideas how can we for the explanation ? Do you have any method to explain our ponits / arguments?

Each body paragraph states one reason why you have your opinion. Each body paragraph presents one main point with explanation and detail to support or explain your view.

Hi Liz!! Can we use citations of authorities, of the news, science or just “most psycologist state that children…” as supporting points in Essay 2? I´m afraid about my arguments..

You are not marked on evidence or facts. You are marked on your language and your explanations which support your ideas. Just explain it in your own words.

great articles indeed

Hopefully next month 🙂

FIRST OF ALL I WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE AND THANK YOU FOR THE WONDERFUL WORK ON THIS SITE. THIS IS GREAT HELP FOR THE CANDIDATES.

IF YOU COULD POSSIBLY ANSWER ONE QUESTION I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THAT CAN I USE UNCOMMON VOCABULARY WHILE ATTEMPTING TASK 2 FOR EXAMPLE WORDS LIKE “ACQUIESCE ” IN STEAD OF AGREE ? AND IS THE PASSIVE VOICE MORE ACCEPTABLE FOR TASK 2?

Uncommon vocabulary is fine to use when it is appropriate but it will not give you a higher score when you use is inappropriately. In normal essay writing for IELTS, we do not write “acquiesce”, however we do use “agree”. Be appropriate at all times – any use of inappropriate vocabulary will lower your score. The passive voice is used when it is appropriate, for example “it is thought that” instead of “people think that”.

Thanks for your reply

I have an ambition to score 9 bands. Is it possible? If yes please give some tips.

Band 9 is possible if you have excellent English and understand IELTS thoroughly.

Hello Thanks for your useful website in Writing task2,what should we do if we would not know the meaning of the keyword.for example,if the topic asks us to explain our opinion about Anorixia(one of my friend`s topic) would you please guide me?

This is a difficult situation. In writing task 2, you are being marked on your ability to address all the issues in the essay question. If you don’t understand the words, you won’t get a high score. There is nothing you can do except try to guess the meaning and write your essay as closely to the topic as you can. Each exam is a gamble in some way as you can’t predict the topics which is why some students take more than one test.

Hi mam My ielts exam date 4 August 2016 Please send me some information writing task 2 questions

https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/

Hello liz.. I want to know about the singular and plural answers in listening.. if I could just catch the word and not the tense.. for example waiter and waiters.. what should I do. Can I write the answer using a slash for example.. waiter/waiters or a bracket like waiter(s)… to be on a safer side….

You write one answer.

Hi mam, I have an advise for everyone, please read the question at least three time .Then only you will understand the question clearly.

Good advice. Not only read it three times but underline key words in the question to ensure your essay addresses all parts of the task.

Hi mam can u please give me an example about how actually u prepare ur plan brainstorming for eassy give me some example so that i can practise a bit please?

See my advanced lessons which explain how to analyse the essay question and organise ideas: http://subscriptions.viddler.com/IELTSLizStore

Dear Liz Is it right if I have my topic sentence in the middle or at the end of a paragraph? I mean “starting the paragraph with explanation or supporting ideas, then putting the topic sentence if it is possible to logically and grammatically add it”. Will it increase my overall band score? I’m looking forward to hearing you at your earliest convenience. Thanks in advance

https://ieltsliz.com/liz-notice-2015-2016/

Mam can I write an idiom in the conclusion.. like for example.. in conclusion, I am of the opinion that children should be given formal education at school as it is the ‘need of the hour’.

Mam I also wish to know.. recently I appeared for an ielts exam. General category.. my essay question was Newspaper and music I available for free on internet. Is it a positive or negative trend? I should write both the advantages and disadvantages if I am not wrong.. (the question is not completely the same but near it for sure)

Just answer the question: do you think it is a positive trend or do you think it is a negative trend?

https://ieltsliz.com/using-quotes-or-idioms-in-your-ielts-essay/

hi😊 good day., i am practicing myself on the writing area where i only got a 5.5 score on my first ielts exam., i will retake ielts on saturday ( jan. 23) please help me do better to get a band score of at least 6 here is a writing on what i have done in a full 40 mins… >>there seems to be an increasing number of serious crimes committed each year. while some think the best way is to use the death penalty as a deterrant , many people believe that other measures will be needed. discuss both sides. it seems taht there is a growing number of serius crimes committed each year cycle. a number of people believe that the most effective method as a deterrent is to use the death penalty, on the other hand , people think that there are other measures that will be needed. death penalty have been implemented in some countries like china, uae and malaysia. by this punishment, people in their country are afraid to commit a crime. they are afraid to be caught and be put into death. though, there are still some who have committed crimes. before the day of their scheduled death penalty, their family members were the ones who were trying to convince the government to give them another chance and forgive the culprit. but having mercy with the relatives will not hinder the official to push through the punishment & abide to their law. another were the tourists. they have commited a crime because they are unaware of the law and their practices that such death penalty is being used in their country. though they are unaware, they are still unexcused to acquire the said penalty. as tonwhat the law states ” ignorance of the law excuses no one ” . many have witnessed death penalty is really implemented and no one is exempted because they are just following the law. thus, many people believe that death penalyty is the best method to reduce the number of crimes annually. however , other believe that other measures will be needed to control the increasing number of crimes. such measures are putting the culprit into jail,and also having the person person pay the damages he has done. this punishment will give the suspect a little chance to put right what he has done wrong. by this methods, the person will realize that it is not easy to be in prisonned and to pay a big amount of money. he is internalizing that he will not commit a crime agaiin because he is now suffering inside the cell and in paying a big amount of money, it is a big lost for the person. by this methods, folks will be aware that if you will commit a crime there is a certain punishment that would be given to you. this will be a factor to decrease the crimes that is happening in a year. 😊please have time to read it and please give comments on my weaknesses . thank you 😄

Mam I am confused about writing the main paragraphs of the essay , please help me on that

I have two questions

1. Even though I use a pencil, I keep missing words or phrases in the middle of sentences, which I notice later. What I always do is use the following arrow sign to add the info – ” ^ ” on top. But is it forbidden to use this technique in the IELTS exam?

2. Does neatness matter?

I am looking forward to your reply. And I really wanted to thank you for helping all of us prepare for this exam.

I bought 3 of your videos and I watched discussion essay video today. I have a query writing one sided discussion essays. As per video tutorial, in BP1, you have given your opinion along with others’ view and in BP2, opinions of people for other side . But is it not required to mention why we are not choosing the second opinion?

I am practising sample discussion essay questions now. Your video helped me a lot.

Thanks and Regards, Pallavi

If the question was “To what extent do you agree” you should certainly explain why you don’t agree with the other side because your whole essay is about giving your opinion in lots of detail. However, this is a discussion essay with an opinion. That means the opinion takes up only 30% of the whole essay. You don’t have enough words to explain why you support one side and also why you don’t support the other side. For this reason, the structures I have suggested work best. All the best Liz

I got your point now. Thanks for the detailed explanation.

Regards, Pallavi

My question is , is there any word limit for writing example in writing task 2. How many examples we can write in writing task 2.

Don’t write more than one for each main points. It is unnecessary to write more. Liz

Thanks for the wonderful information. I have a question, what tense shall I choose in writings task 2? Can I choose more than one tense? What about passive and active voices? And what shall I use?

See my model essays for writing task 2 can count the number of tenses I use. All the best Liz

Dear Liz Thanks for the reply in which you recommended me your video lesson on task conclusion /overview. But my problem is that I can’t open any of your video lessons. Don’t know how to get it open. If u could kindly help or if I can find these lessons in written form Thanks and regards

All my videos are hosted with youtube. The information is only contained on the videos. Sorry Liz

Dear Liz Do we have to write conclusion in task 1????? Waiting for your valuable reply

Please see this lesson: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-tips-conclusion-or-overview-for-writing-task-1/ Liz

Hello, I found in some Ielts task 2 questions of writing this sort of sentence : “Do you have any reservations?” or similar. Can you please explain me what this means Thanks

There is no IELTS writing task 2 question like that. You should only be using IELTS Cambridge test papers to practice writing. All the best Liz

Dear teacher, Should we use these terms: 1. However, we should not turn a blind eye to the unexpected outcomes, one of which is the… 2. This is not to say that… / Those who harbor the view that…would argue that…

Certainly don’t use the first one. You can’t memorise a whole sentence or 17 words together and pretend that they are your own. The examiner will know that you have memorised that language and will not count it. For the other examples, they are shorter and more flexible so are fine. All the best Liz

Thanks a lot for your advice 🙂 I also find this kind of question confusing: ‘Do you think this is a positive or negative development?’ do I discuss both sides along with giving my opinion? or should I focus on my chosen view?

I don’t know how to explain it more clearly. It does not ask for both, it does not say “and”. It says “or” which means you choose. Your opinion is your choice and is the only task given to you. The whole essay is your answer. You chose one and explain it. All the best Liz

Thank you so much for your fantastic website. For the essays that ask for the reasons of a specific problem as well as the solutions, can we include the solution at the end of each paragraph that starts with the topic of the reasons of the problem? If not, how can we arrange the paragraphs if we want to offer more than one solution? What I usually do is: introduction, 1st reason or main point in the 1st paragraph, 2nd reason in the other paragraph, and one solution that is included in conclusion. Is that okay? Also, I usually, write my thesis as: “This essay will explore the reasons of this issue as well as the solutions.” In this way, I try to attract the reader’s attention to follow the essay for my reasons and solutions, Is that okay or do I need to mention the specific reasons and solutions in my thesis? I’m a bit confused, would you please advise?

Thank you in advance

Always keep your paragraphing clear and logical. One body paragraph – reason(s) and one body paragraph for the solution(s). All the best Liz

Dear mam, I have just found your website and it’s very important every ielts test takers as I. So I first thank for you. I had five times ielts general module exam and unfortunately, every time I have received 5.5 for reading and listening how can I improve my score up to 7 for both .

Try this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-reading-tips-how-can-i-improve-my-score/ Liz

Respected Madame, Greetings to you.I got my UKVI IELTS Academic results just today.Unfortunate enough,I scored only 6.5 in writing module where I was requiring and expecting band 7.Additionally,I scored 7 in speaking and 8 in both reading and listening.I need to achieve band 7 in each module and overall for my NMC registration in U.K.. Albeit,I am contemplating on re-evaluation but am dithering about it for the fact that it takes 7 weeks for the outcome.Therefore,I request your valuable opinion regarding re-evaluation and the chances of getting band 7 from 6.5 when evaluated by a senior British examiner. In anticipation. Your faithfully, Bobby. P.S.: kindly oblige me by evaluating my leter.

You could consider a remark for writing if you can answer “yes” to the following questions: Task 1 1. did you write a clear overview in task 1? Did your overview contain ALL key features? 2. Did you avoid the conclusion? It isn’t needed. 3. Did you support your body paragraph with facts, dates and numbers, if you had a chart, table or graph? 4. Did you write over 150 words? If you didn’t don’t bother with a remark. Task 2 5. Did you write a clear answer to the essay question in your introduction? If you were asked for an opinion, did you put it in the introduction? 6. Did you write over 250 words? If you didn’t, don’t bother with a remark. 7. Did each body paragraph have a clear central topic? 8. Did you use a range of linking devices? If you use a reasonable range, it’s ok. 9. Did you finish your essay? Did you write a conclusion? If you didn’t don’t bother with a remark. 10. Did you over paraphrase? Did you try to change words too much which produces too many errors?

Hopefully that will help you make the right decision. It is possible to get an increase of 0.5 in one skill. But it does depend on your performance relating to the above points. All the best Liz

I need your suggestion as I’m unable to figure out where I am losing the score.

S-6.5, R-7.5, L-7.5, W-7.0 (1st attempt, 13 Jun) S-8.0, R-8.0, L-8.0, W-6.0 (2nd attempt, 27 Jun)

As I needed at least a 7 in each section, I knew it after 1st attempt that I’d messed it up in Speaking and immediately booked the next available date.

However, in next one as you can see, my score has dropped by an entire band (7.0 to 6.0) in Writing, though, the score went up in all the other sections.

As far as Writing goes, I think I’ve lost marks in task achievement section.

It was a double essay question and I did follow your paraphrasing techniques in the introduction as well as conclusion.

Also, made sure that I’ve directly answered both the questions.

But was not confident after exam in task achievement criteria.

Moreover, I’ve booked next exam in 2 weeks and need your suggestion on the things that I should concentrate on to get at least a 7 in Writing.

The problem with writing could lie in either task 1, task 2 or both. You mention Task Achievement but this is for task 1 not task 2. Task Response is for task 2. You need to learn more about how your writing is assessed and what the examiner is looking for. See my band score pages in the writing sections.

Also ask yourself these questions: Task 1 1. Did you write an overview? 2. Did the overview contain ALL key features? 3. Did you avoid the conclusion? 4. Did you use the right grammar, the right vocabulary and the right linking devices for the type of task? 5. Did you have two body paragraphs? 6. Did you avoiding giving too much detail? 7. Did you write over the word count?

If you answer “yes” to all the above questions, the problem might be writing task 2. You will need to review all lessons. It is a shame to book your next test in only two weeks when you don’t know where your problem lies. However, hopefully you will be successful and work on your weaknesses. All the best Liz

After you’ve pointed out, it indeed sounds silly that I’ve booked anothe exam before understanding my weaknesses.

Thanks for sharing this valuable advice.

Don’t worry. If you spend time trying to sort out your weak points, you can still do well 🙂

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10-Year Life Plan Essay

Educational plan, lifestyle plan, works cited.

Planning ten years of my life seems like a kind of challenge now. We can’t predict what will happen to us after several months. However, I believe that great success is impossible without personal motivation and clearly defined goals. Thus, my life plan essay should start with a clear objective.

In ten years, I want to own an event company that can be the best in its field. I have always been fascinated with this idea. The following 10-year life plan essay will consist of three parts that can help me structure my future and achieve all my goals.

I would like to organize great performances at different events every day. Can you imagine a holiday that never ends? And this will be my work. I will make people happier. Now I need to plan all the steps to help me achieve my dream.

The first step of the way of my goal’s achievement is education. My education will be done at the University of Nevada, where I am planning to study hospitality management as a major and event management as a minor. I am sure of the importance of hard study for my future work. I need to get at least a 3.5 GPA. The multiple locations can help me gain a diversified background and extend my knowledge.

Therefore, I want to do some internship while studying. Perhaps, I will visit different countries to explore the modern tendencies of business start and its future development. Swope says: “I cannot give you the formula for success, but I can give you the formula for failure, which is: “Try to please everybody” (Swope).

Therefore, I am planning to get experience in different fields because I am sure of their future importance for my business. The examples of some international companies can help me understand how to make my business prosper. To extend my experience, I will start my practice during the study.

I think that education is very important. The lack of knowledge can lead to the business’s incapacity and collapse. Today, the diploma plays a significant role. It gives an appropriate status and respect. A man with a diploma looks more confident and, of course, qualified.

Accreditation provides much more opportunities in life. Therefore, I am planning to study hard and get as much knowledge as possible. I am sure that the university I chose can help me achieve my goals. My education will give me the base for my future business.

It is the most important part of the life plan, which should clarify the goal and approaches to its achievement. Nowadays, the leaders of all companies know the value of settings achievable and understandable goals. Such issues are called smart goals, which need to get better results. These smart ideas help me share my vision of the business with the possible assistants (“Life Planning”).

My attention is turned to the use of certain tools that may help my project. For instance, I need to identify and list all the barriers that may be between me and my goal. I shouldn’t be scared of possible problems because it is an integral part of my future success. Being realistic, I realize all the difficulties I should overcome.

In the beginning, I have to clarify who will be involved in my business. This can be a family company, or I can cooperate with a wide circle of partners. What results do I want to achieve? I want to own a successful company that will be famous around the country.

Choosing the place location, I prefer my native city because it will be easier to find clients and partners. Thinking about these questions, I can clearly understand all the important keys to my goal’s achievement. I will get so many opportunities, so I shouldn’t be lazy in its use (Ashton 8). This is why I think it is the most important period of my life.

My lifestyle should accomplish my educational and professional background and skills. I am planning to do a huge social work and to promote equality among people. I want to help everyone that I can. But I have to learn more from the closest one.

My business will be closely related to people from different communities. Therefore, matching my wants, I should be ready to keep my mind open to different cultural issues and views. I plan to visit many countries to learn about cultural features. This will help in my work with clients.

According to Bukofsky, even my religious and spiritual conditions are very important for my business (34). Family relations also play a huge role in the business success achievement. Life planning is a process that may lead a person to take a more active role and to think about the future. Thinking about my future, I imagine a family that will support me and give me more motivation.

I totally agree with Carlson that “self-actualization is the key to self-help” (9). Although no one can control all life’s events, it is better to try being over random chance and fate.

There is a difference between the person who goes to one’s goal and the man who can easily be influenced by random events. I will structure my life according to the daily plan. This will allow me to follow the main idea, which will lead to success. The life plan is a perfect method to figure out what is really important in life.

I have so many ideas and interests in different fields. I am fascinated by people who can concentrate on the most important idea and follow the plan. However, I should follow my own life plan for the future result. I agree with the statement of Barnett that people should discipline themselves. Following the main idea of life, it is possible to get better results and to make it fast (Barnett).

I have always been a goal-setter. Thereby, my Ten Year Plan is focused on achieving my high ideals and realistic goals. From time to time, it seems that goals are something that we strive to achieve but fail due to personal reasons or social barriers.

However, I am completely sure that a good life plan and motivation can lead to success in spite of all problems that may occur. My Ten Year Life Plan helps me to specify my goals and to see the key moments and the most important steps which can lead me to success.

Ashton, Robert. The Life Plan: 700 Simple Ways to Change Your Life for the Better . 1st ed. UK: Prentice Hall, 2006. Print.

Barnett, John S. Discipline Yourself for Godliness . Tulsa, OK: Mullerhouse Publishing, 2007. Web.

Bykofsky, Sheree, and Richard Carlson. Me: Five Years from Now: The Life-Planning Book You Write Yourself! 1st ed. New York: Hyperion, 1999. Print.

“Life Planning”. myGoals, n.d. Web.

Swope, Herbert. “Failure Quotes.” Wisdom Quotes . Wisdom Quotes. Web.

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IvyPanda. (2023, October 30). 10-Year Life Plan Essay. https://ivypanda.com/essays/ten-year-life-plan/

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New York Takes Crucial Step Toward Making Congestion Pricing a Reality

The board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority voted to approve a new $15 toll to drive into Manhattan. The plan still faces challenges from six lawsuits before it can begin in June.

Multiple cars are stopped at a traffic light at a Manhattan intersection. A person responsible for controlling traffic stands nearby wearing a yellow reflective vest.

By Winnie Hu and Ana Ley

New York City completed a crucial final step on Wednesday in a decades-long effort to become the first American city to roll out a comprehensive congestion pricing program, one that aims to push motorists out of their cars and onto mass transit by charging new tolls to drive into Midtown and Lower Manhattan.

The program could start as early as mid-June after the board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the state agency that will install and manage the program, voted 11-to-1 to approve the final tolling rates, which will charge most passenger cars $15 a day to enter at 60th Street and below in Manhattan. The program is expected to reduce traffic and raise $1 billion annually for public transit improvements.

It was a historic moment for New York’s leaders and transportation advocates after decades of failed attempts to advance congestion pricing even as other gridlocked cities around the world, including London, Stockholm and Singapore, proved that similar programs could reduce traffic and pollution.

While other American cities have introduced related concepts by establishing toll roads or closing streets to traffic, the plan in New York is unmatched in ambition and scale.

Congestion pricing is expected to reduce the number of vehicles that enter Lower Manhattan by about 17 percent, according to a November study by an advisory committee reporting to the M.T.A. The report also said that the total number of miles driven in 28 counties across the region would be reduced.

“This was the right thing to do,” Janno Lieber, the authority’s chairman and chief executive, said after the vote. “New York has more traffic than any place in the United States, and now we’re doing something about it.”

Congestion pricing has long been a hard sell in New York, where many people commute by car from the boroughs outside of Manhattan and the suburbs, in part because some of them do not have access to public transit.

New York State legislators finally approved congestion pricing in 2019 after Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo helped push it through. A series of recent breakdowns in the city’s subway system had underscored the need for billions of dollars to update its aging infrastructure.

It has taken another five years to reach the starting line. Before the tolling program can begin, it must be reviewed by the Federal Highway Administration, which is expected to approve it.

Congestion pricing also faces legal challenges from six lawsuits that have been brought by elected officials and residents from across the New York region. Opponents have increasingly mobilized against the program in recent months, citing the cost of the tolls and the potential environmental effects from shifting traffic and pollution to other areas as drivers avoid the tolls.

A court hearing is scheduled for April 3 and 4 on a lawsuit brought by the State of New Jersey, which is seen as the most serious legal challenge. The mayor of Fort Lee, N.J., Mark J. Sokolich, has filed a related lawsuit.

Four more lawsuits have been brought in New York: by Ed Day, the Rockland County executive; by Vito Fossella, the Staten Island borough president, and the United Federation of Teachers; and by two separate groups of city residents.

Amid the litigation, M.T.A. officials have suspended some capital construction projects that were to be paid for by the program, and they said at a committee meeting on Monday that crucial work to modernize subway signals on the A and C lines had been delayed.

Nearly all the toll readers have been installed, and will automatically charge drivers for entering the designated congestion zone at 60th Street or below. There is no toll for leaving the zone or driving around in it. Through traffic on Franklin D. Roosevelt Drive and the West Side Highway will not be tolled.

Under the final tolling structure, which was based on recommendations by the advisory panel, most passenger vehicles will be charged $15 a day from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays, and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends. The toll will be $24 for small trucks and charter buses, and will rise to $36 for large trucks and tour buses. It will be $7.50 for motorcycles.

Those tolls will be discounted by 75 percent at night, dropping the cost for a passenger vehicle to $3.75.

Fares will go up by $1.25 for taxis and black car services, and by $2.50 for Uber and Lyft. Passengers will be responsible for paying the new fees, and they will be added to every ride that begins, ends or occurs within the congestion zone. There will be no nighttime discounts. (The new fees come on top of an existing congestion surcharge that was imposed on for-hire vehicles in 2019.)

The tolls will mostly be collected using the E-ZPass system. Electronic detection points have been placed at entrances and exits to the tolling zone. Drivers who do not use an E-ZPass will pay significantly higher fees — for instance, $22.50 instead of $15 during peak hours for passenger vehicles.

Emergency vehicles like fire trucks, ambulances and police cars, as well as vehicles carrying people with disabilities, were exempted from the new tolls under the state’s congestion pricing legislation .

As for discounts, low-income drivers who make less than $50,000 annually can apply to receive half off the daytime toll after their first 10 trips in a calendar month. In addition, low-income residents of the congestion zone who make less than $60,000 a year can apply for a state tax credit.

All drivers entering the zone directly from four tolled tunnels — the Lincoln, Holland, Hugh L. Carey and Queens-Midtown — will receive a “crossing credit” that will be applied against the daytime toll. The credit will be $5 round-trip for passenger vehicles, $12 for small trucks and intercity and charter buses, $20 for large trucks and tour buses, and $2.50 for motorcycles. No credits will be offered at night.

Grace Ashford contributed reporting.

Winnie Hu is a Times reporter covering the people and neighborhoods of New York City. More about Winnie Hu

Ana Ley is a Times reporter covering New York City’s mass transit system and the millions of passengers who use it. More about Ana Ley

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How to plan an essay: Essay Planning
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'.
7 Steps for Writing an Essay Plan (2024)
To sum up, here are the 7 steps to essay planning one more time: The 7-Step Guide for How to Write an Essay Plan. 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)
How to Write an Essay Outline
Revised on July 23, 2023. An essay outline is a way of planning the structure of your essay before you start writing. It involves writing quick summary sentences or phrases for every point you will cover in each paragraph, giving you a picture of how your argument will unfold. You'll sometimes be asked to submit an essay outline as a separate ...
The Beginner's Guide to Writing an Essay
Come up with a thesis. Create an essay outline. Write the introduction. Write the main body, organized into paragraphs. Write the conclusion. Evaluate the overall organization. Revise the content of each paragraph. Proofread your essay or use a Grammar Checker for language errors. Use a plagiarism checker.
How to Structure an Essay
The basic structure of an essay always consists of an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. But for many students, the most difficult part of structuring an essay is deciding how to organize information within the body. This article provides useful templates and tips to help you outline your essay, make decisions about your structure, and ...
How to Plan an Essay
Write the essay question out in full. Spend some time, at least half an hour, brainstorming the subject area. Write down your thoughts on the question subject, its scope and various aspects. List words or phrases that you think need to be included. Note the main points you should include to answer the question.
How to Create a Clearly Structured Essay Outline
An essay outline is a way of planning the structure of your essay before you start writing. In just 3 minutes, this video will show you how to organize your ...
Planning and structuring your essay
Introduction: Address the question, show why it's interesting and how you will answer it. Main body: Build your argument. Put your groups of ideas in a sequence to make a persuasive argument. One main point in each paragraph. Conclusion: Summarise your arguments and evidence, and show how they answer the original question.
How to Write an Essay Outline
Step 4: Add Depth with Subpoints. To add depth and clarity to your essay, incorporate subpoints under each main point. These subpoints provide more specific details, evidence, or examples that support your main ideas. They help to further strengthen your arguments and make your essay more convincing.
Essay plans
Essay plans. An essay plan is a way to identify, select, and order the points you want to make in your essay. It helps you to work out your argument and your structure before writing, which should make the writing process more efficient and focussed. Sometimes essay plans are set as formative assignments so tutors can provide feedback before ...
How to plan a winning essay
Essay planning step 2: Brainstorming or freewriting. Once you know how many ideas you need, the next step is writing down what you know (and what you still have to find out). There are many ways that this can be achieved. You can either create a mind map, or just write out all your ideas on a piece of paper.
Ultimate Guide to Writing Your College Essay
Sample College Essay 2 with Feedback. This content is licensed by Khan Academy and is available for free at www.khanacademy.org. College essays are an important part of your college application and give you the chance to show colleges and universities your personality. This guide will give you tips on how to write an effective college essay.
Example of a Great Essay
The structure of an essay is divided into an introduction that presents your topic and thesis statement, a body containing your in-depth analysis and arguments, and a conclusion wrapping up your ideas. The structure of the body is flexible, but you should always spend some time thinking about how you can organize your essay to best serve your ...
Essay Mapping Tool
A topic sentence generally has two parts. You may refer to the overall essay topic and also introduce the specific aspect you plan to discuss in this paragraph. This is referred to as topic + controlling idea. You can also use a topic sentence to link to or contrast with the previous paragraph. This is an effective strategy to use with the ...
5 Simple Steps for Planning Exam Essays
A simple way to plan exam essays. I hope some of you might try out my essay plan grid, and see if it helps gather your ideas quickly and clearly. Another thought… Sometimes you might have the option of writing your exam essays in booklets, rather than in the question paper. Whenever this happens, I encourage you to write your plans in one ...
IELTS Writing Task 2: Essay Planning Tips
When you get to writing task 2, you will be tired. You will already have done the listening test, reading test and writing task 1. This means your concentration and energy levels will be low. It is easy to make a mistake with the essay question, lose focus in your writing and present disorganised ideas. This is another reason why planning is so ...
Essay Outline Generator
Create an outline for your essay with a clear structure. HyperWrite's Essay Outline Generator is an AI-powered tool that takes your essay topic and text, and creates a structured outline to help you organize your thoughts and ideas. Powered by GPT-4 and ChatGPT, this tool provides you with a clear roadmap for your essay, including an introduction, main points, and conclusion.
College Essay Guy
College Essay Guy believes that every student should have access to the tools and guidance necessary to create the best application possible. That's why we're a one-for-one company, which means that for every student who pays for support, we provide free support to a low-income student. Learn more.
How to Write an Essay Introduction
Table of contents. Step 1: Hook your reader. Step 2: Give background information. Step 3: Present your thesis statement. Step 4: Map your essay's structure. Step 5: Check and revise. More examples of essay introductions. Other interesting articles. Frequently asked questions about the essay introduction.
10-Year Life Plan Essay
Learn More. In ten years, I want to own an event company that can be the best in its field. I have always been fascinated with this idea. The following 10-year life plan essay will consist of three parts that can help me structure my future and achieve all my goals. I would like to organize great performances at different events every day.
NYC Congestion Pricing and Tolls: What to Know and What's Next
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Upload your document to correct all your mistakes in minutes. Table of contents. Step 1: Look at the essay as a whole. Step 2: Dive into each paragraph. Step 3: Polish the language. Other interesting articles.
Criminal Justice Application Essay
In college, I plan to study criminal justice. After college, I plan to use my education to create a safer environment for citizens all over the world. If there is anything that I can do to help lower crime rates, give people the justice they need, or help educate others on criminal justice and laws, I am willing to do it.
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How to plan an essay: Essay Planning

How to plan an essay

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7 Steps for Writing an Essay Plan

how to write an essay plan

2. Gather your Sources and take Quick Notes. Here’s how.

3. Brainstorm using a Mind-Map. Here’s how.

4. Arrange your Topics. Here’s how.

5. Write your topic Sentences in just 5 minutes. Here’s how.

6. Write a No-Pressure Essay Draft in just 3 Hours. Here’s how.

7. Edit your Draft Once every Few Days until Submission. Check out this simple approach:

Before you go – Here’s the Actionable Essay Plan Tips Summed up for you

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Planning an Essay

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