2.2. Generating Ideas & Planning

Why Planning Matters

Many students start writing immediately after reading the question. This is a mistake. Spending 3-5 minutes planning will:

• Prevent you from going off-topic
• Give your essay a clear, logical structure
• Help you write faster (because you know where each paragraph is going)
• Reduce the chance of running out of ideas halfway through

Think of it this way: a builder doesn't start laying bricks before they have a blueprint. Your plan is your blueprint.

The Planning Process (3-5 Minutes)

Step 1: Understand the Question (1 minute)

Use the techniques from Lesson 2.1:

• What is the specific idea?
• What question format is it? (opinion, advantages/disadvantages, problems/solutions, discuss both views, double question)
• What must you do? What must you NOT do?

Step 2: Generate Ideas (1-2 minutes)

Now you need ideas — reasons, examples, and arguments that respond to the question. Here are three techniques:

Technique 1: The Two-Column Table

For questions that have two sides (agree/disagree, advantages/disadvantages, causes/solutions), split your page and brainstorm:

Example question: "The only realistic alternative to fossil fuels is nuclear energy. To what extent do you agree?"

You don't need to use every idea. Pick the 2-3 strongest ones you can explain and exemplify clearly.

Technique 2: The Mind Map

For broader questions where you need to explore a topic from different angles, a mind map helps you think laterally:

<!-- [DIAGRAM NEEDED: A mind map with "Childhood in crisis?" at the centre. Five branches extend outward: "Media & Entertainment" (sub-nodes: violent video games, social media pressure, exposure to adult content), "Family Life" (sub-nodes: parents working long hours, disappearance of family mealtimes, less structured home life), "Education" (sub-nodes: exam pressure, more testing, competitive society), "Daily Life" (sub-nodes: less outdoor play, more screen time, children spending more time alone), "Society" (sub-nodes: peer pressure, unclear behaviour expectations, marketing targeting children). Caption: "A mind map for the question: 'Levels of depression in children have increased. Is childhood in crisis?'"] -->

The five angles you can apply to almost any topic:

• Personal — How does this affect individuals?
• Economic — What are the financial implications?
• Political — What role do governments play?
• Educational — How does this relate to learning/schools?
• Social/Cultural — How does society or culture factor in?

You don't need to cover all angles. The mind map just helps you generate possibilities so you can pick the best ones.

Technique 3: The "Explain It to a 10-Year-Old" Method

This technique is especially powerful when you have an idea but can't figure out how to explain it.

Imagine a child asks you: "Why do parents give toddlers phones?"

You might say: "Well, your mum needs to cook dinner, right? But she can't if she has to watch your little brother the whole time. So she gives him the phone for 30 minutes so he watches YouTube while she cooks."

That's your explanation. And it comes with a built-in example (cooking dinner). Write that down.

Why this works:

• Forces you to explain simply and clearly (which is what the examiner wants)
• Naturally produces concrete examples (not abstract waffle)
• Stops you from overcomplicating your ideas
• Tests whether your explanation is complete — if the child would ask "but why?", you need to extend it

Step 3: Choose Your Ideas (30 seconds)

You only need 2-3 main ideas for the whole essay. Choose ideas where you can:

1. Explain clearly — you can answer "why is that true?"
2. Exemplify concretely — you can give a specific, real-world example
3. Stay on-topic — the idea directly answers the question

Don't choose ideas based on what sounds impressive. Choose ideas based on what's easiest to explain and exemplify. An examiner would rather read a simple idea explained clearly than a complex idea explained poorly.

A common trap: choosing an idea like "mobile phones cause permanent eye damage." Unless you're a doctor, you can't explain how this happens, and you'd struggle to give a convincing example. Better to choose "phones keep children entertained so parents can complete household tasks" — easy to explain, easy to exemplify.

Step 4: Plan Your Structure (30 seconds)

Now assign your ideas to paragraphs. For most Task 2 questions, the structure is:

Paragraph 1: Introduction (paraphrase + position)
Paragraph 2: Body 1 (first main idea)
Paragraph 3: Body 2 (second main idea)
Paragraph 4: Conclusion (restate position)

For different question types, here's what goes where:

Keep it to 4 paragraphs. Some students write 5 or 6 paragraphs. This usually means each paragraph is too short and underdeveloped. Four well-developed paragraphs (260-300 words total) is the sweet spot for time and quality.

What a Complete Plan Looks Like

Here's a real planning example for the question:

"It is irresponsible of parents to allow toddlers to use mobile phones and this will affect their development. Why is this the case? Is this a positive or negative development?"

Plan (written in ~3 minutes):

Type: Double question → answer both

Intro: Paraphrase. Position = positive because educational apps.

Body 1 (why?): Parents want to keep toddlers entertained/occupied
  - Explain: parents need time to do tasks (cooking, cleaning)
  - Example: mum gives phone while she cooks dinner

Body 2 (positive/negative?): Positive — educational benefit
  - Explain: not just entertainment, child is learning
  - Example: apps teach colours, shapes, words, numbers

Conclusion: Restate — positive development, parents have valid reason

That's it. This plan took about 3 minutes and gives you a clear roadmap for every paragraph.

Two Different Essay Outlines

For questions with two sides, there are two valid approaches to organising your essay. Neither is better — choose whichever feels more natural:

Outline A: Separated

Introduction
↓
Body 1: All arguments for one side
↓
Body 2: All arguments for the other side
↓
Conclusion: Your overall position

Outline B: Integrated

Introduction
↓
Body 1: Argument + Counter-argument (Point 1)
↓
Body 2: Argument + Counter-argument (Point 2)
↓
Conclusion: Your overall position

Example — Distance Learning question:

Both are logically organised, both answer the question, both would score equally. Pick the one that feels more natural to write.

Practice: Plan These Essays

For each question below, spend exactly 5 minutes:

1. Identify the question format
2. Brainstorm ideas (use any technique)
3. Choose 2-3 ideas
4. Write a paragraph plan

Question 1:

"The teaching of Information Technology is standard in most secondary schools and is now being introduced in primary schools, where children as young as six are learning to use computers. However, there is a danger that IT skills are being taught at the expense of more basic skills. To what extent do you agree or disagree?"

Question 2:

"A rise in childhood obesity is a real threat to health, with an increasing number of children now classified as overweight. What are the causes of this problem and what measures can be taken to solve it?"

Question 3:

"In many countries, children are engaged in some kind of paid work. Some people regard this as completely wrong, while others consider it valuable work experience. Discuss both views and give your own opinion."

Example plan for Question 2:

Type: Problems/Solutions

Intro: Childhood obesity is increasing, serious health issue.
Position: Caused by lifestyle changes, solvable through education + policy.

Body 1 (Causes):
  - Easy availability of unhealthy food (fast food, sugary drinks)
  - Less physical activity (screens, no outdoor play)
  - Example: children spending hours on phones instead of playing outside

Body 2 (Solutions):
  - Education: teach nutrition in schools
  - Policy: tax unhealthy food, subsidise healthy food
  - Example: some countries have sugar taxes that reduced consumption

Conclusion: Combination of education and government action needed.

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Key Takeaways

• Always plan for 3-5 minutes before writing — it makes you faster and keeps you on-topic
• Three idea generation techniques: two-column table, mind map, "explain to a 10-year-old"
• Choose ideas you can explain and exemplify — not ideas that sound impressive
• Use a 4-paragraph structure: Introduction → Body 1 → Body 2 → Conclusion
• Your plan doesn't need to be long — a few bullet points per paragraph is enough
• Two valid outline approaches: separated (all pros then all cons) or integrated (point + counterpoint)
• The plan is your blueprint — once you have it, writing becomes filling in the details