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Welcome to GattPrep, your Guide for Life and Learning
Have you ever tried writing an essay without planning first—and found yourself confused halfway through? You’re not alone. Many students make the mistake of jumping straight into writing without a clear idea of where the essay is going.
That’s why this lesson focuses on the essential skill of planning and outlining. Whether it’s a narrative, descriptive, expository, or argumentative essay, a good plan helps you organize your thoughts, stay focused, and write with confidence.
In this lesson, you’ll learn how to brainstorm ideas, structure outlines for different essay types, and avoid the chaos of writing without a roadmap.
Planning an essay means thinking through your ideas before writing. It involves:
Understanding the topic or question
Deciding what type of essay is required
Generating and organizing key points
Choosing examples or supporting evidence
🧠 Think of it as building a house—you need a blueprint before you start laying bricks.
| Benefit | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Saves time | Helps you write faster by knowing what to say next |
| Improves focus | Keeps your essay on-topic and prevents repetition |
| Enhances structure | Ensures ideas flow logically from paragraph to paragraph |
| Reduces errors | Helps identify weak points before writing |
Let’s break down a reliable process you can use:
Carefully read the question. Ask yourself:
What kind of essay is this?
What is the exact demand of the question?
Are there key words to define or respond to?
✍️ Example Prompt: “Write a story that ends with: ‘And that was the last time I saw him.’”
Type: Narrative essay
Clue: End is already given — plan backwards to reach that conclusion.
Jot down anything that comes to mind. Think of:
Characters
Settings
Main ideas
Key events or arguments
Descriptive or emotional moments
You can use a list, mind map, or free writing.
Now structure your thoughts. Group similar ideas together.
Decide:
What comes first?
What builds on what?
What must be emphasized?
This helps you create a logical flow in your outline.
A good outline includes the main parts of your essay with short notes under each.
Let’s look at how outlines differ by essay type:
Prompt: Write a story about a day everything went wrong.
Outline:
Intro: I woke up late; signs of a bad day
Rising Action: Missed school bus, forgot homework
Climax: Caught in rain, fell in mud, humiliated
Falling Action: Friend helped me home
Conclusion: Lesson learned—laugh at yourself sometimes
Prompt: Describe your school compound in the morning.
Outline:
General view: Morning light, mist over field
Specific areas: Classrooms, noisy canteen, library
Sights and sounds: Students chatting, bell ringing
Emotions and tone: Mix of excitement and tension
Prompt: Explain the causes and effects of examination malpractice.
Outline:
Intro: Define exam malpractice
Cause 1: Fear of failure
Cause 2: Parental/societal pressure
Effect 1: Loss of credibility
Effect 2: Poor academic standards
Conclusion: Summary and call for honesty
Prompt: Mobile phones should be banned in schools. Discuss.
Outline:
Intro: Present the issue and thesis
Point For: Distractions during lessons
Point Against: Useful for research and emergencies
Rebuttal: Rules can manage usage
Conclusion: Balanced view or personal stance
Prompt 1: Describe a time you got lost and how you found your way back.
Type: ____________
Main Parts: ___________________________________________
Prompt 2: Argue for or against the idea that students should wear uniforms.
Type: ____________
Main Points: ___________________________________________
✅ Sample Answers:
Prompt 1: Narrative → Intro, Conflict, Climax, Resolution
Prompt 2: Argumentative → Intro, Points For/Against, Rebuttal, Conclusion
Prompt: Explain how young people can make a difference in their communities.
Fill in each part:
Introduction: ______________________________________
Point 1: ___________________________________________
Point 2: ___________________________________________
Point 3: ___________________________________________
Conclusion: _______________________________________
Choose any of the following prompts and create a mini-outline (3–4 bullet points only):
A frightening experience I’ll never forget
The importance of reading books
Describe your favorite teacher
Today you learned:
Every good essay starts with planning.
Planning helps organize your ideas and improves clarity.
Outlines differ based on essay type—but always include intro, body, and conclusion.
Use brainstorming, grouping, and structuring as your writing routine.
Think back to a time when you wrote an essay without a plan.
What went wrong—and how would outlining have helped?
Next time you write, what will you do differently at the planning stage?
GattPrep is built to inspire students, challenge curious minds, and unlock their full academic potential through engaging, focused learning.
