1 The planning process
Teachers frequently complain that students do not answer the question set, but this can be
avoided by care at the planning stage. Planning is necessary in all academic writing, but clearly
there are important differences between planning in exams, when time is short, and for
coursework, when preparatory reading is required. However, in both cases, the process of
planning should include these three steps:
1 Analyse the title wording
2 Decide how long each section should be
3 Prepare an outline using your favourite method
See Unit 4.4 Longer Essays
From
Understanding
Titles to
Planning
UNIT
1.4
In both exams and coursework, it is essential for students to understand what an
essay title is asking them to do. A plan can then be drawn up, which should prevent
time being wasted, while ensuring the question is answered fully. This unit looks at:- key words in titles
- essay length and organisation
- alternative methods of essay planning.