1. Planning (The Outline)
1) Look at your brainstorm of ideas and choose the best ideas to use in your essay.
What is planning?
2) Then, organising your ideas into an outline

2. Why? WHY? “big rocks first” Help you cover everything
min.
Help you cover everything
Helps you focus and organize the main points and delete unimportant ones.
Helps you revise and make your essay better. - easier to change an outline than an entire essay.
You can practice with grammar and vocab.  

3. How? Planning (The Outline)
1) Start with your Brainstorm
(not enough ideas? Go back!!)
2) Choose TWO main points for each Body Paragraph
EACH main point needs:
example(s), explanation
Clear connection between each example and the main point

4. 2-sided opinion Essay Brainstorm Technique: Make a table like this
WHY is this IMPORTANT? (answer one or more of these questions
Is it new? (change from past to present)
Is it happening everywhere?
Is it very important for a certain group of people?
What is your opinion? (choose one that matches your real opinion)
Partly agree
Agree, but can see two sides
Disagree, but can see the other side 
Advantages
list at least 2 or
3 SEPARATE AND CLEAR POINTS 
Disadvantages
list at least 2 or 3
SEPARATE AND CLEAR POINTS
INTRODUCTION
Ideas for
Hint: get info from the exam itself
Don’t worry about spelling or grammar
Ideas for your BODY

5. More ideas for “Why is this Important?” (General Background)
Examples
#1 Why / where is it important? all over the world? In the UAE??
#2 When? Was there a big change from the past to the present???
#3 For who is it important? Everyone? For women? Parents? Students/??
See the first sentences of essays below. Which technique did they use?
Topic: English at UAE University – “English - international. Most countries teach, incl. UAE”
Topic: social Media - “All over world, people connected w/social media.”
Topic: Homework: “Students these days have more and more responsibility and homework.”
working women - “past, women in UAE - stayed home. Now - everywhere”
“10 years ago, no one knew about instagram”
“In the past, most people lived on. Now (These days, more and more people are…

6. Check your Brainstorm
How many words can you write in 1 minute - Raise your hand. A) between 1 and 5 ? B) between 5 and 10? C. between 10 and 20?
If I write 2 words/minute, how many words in 10 minutes?
If I write 5 words/ minute, how many words in 10 minutes?
If I take 10 minutes to brainstorm and plan, how many minutes left to write my essay ?
If you write 50 words in 10 minutes, how many words can you write in 50 minutes?
If you write 25 words in 10 minutes, how many words, in 50 minutes?
Should I leave time at the end for checking? – at least 5 min.
How much time to write my introduction? – at least 5-10.
GOAL – Write quickly, write a lot. But first PLAN
Brainstorming/Planning = minutes 50+ words wpm
Introduction – 5 minutes / minutes words = wpm
Body 1? minutes = 60 words
Body – words
Conclusion? 5 minutes 40 words = 8 words per min., correct spelling and grammar)
Checking 5 minutes
TOTAL words

7. Example Brainstorm
EXAM TOPIC – These days everyone uses mobile phones, but some people are against them
10 years ago no one had. Now, everyone would be lost without
I enjoy my mobile, but there are some drawbacks. 
Non stop communication
Emergency
Connect to internet
Good for business  
Bad relationships
Waste time
Always alone
Distracting for drivers
Noisy in public
cheating
75 words
10 minutes
7.5 words per minute

8. Example Brainstorm
EXAM TOPIC – These days everyone uses mobile phones, but some people are against them
10 years ago no one had. Now, everyone would be lost without
I enjoy my mobile, but there are some drawbacks. 
Non stop communication
Emergency
Connect to internet
Good for business  
Bad relationships
Waste time
Always alone
Distracting for drivers
Noisy in public
Cheating
(added) dangerous
75 words
10 minutes
7.5 words per minute

9. Mobile Phones Advantages Disadvantages Good for business/school
How many main ideas for each Body Paragraph??
Advantages
Good for business/school
Are good in emergencies
Disadvantages
Can be dangerous
Are a Waste time
Think of examples / experiences for each topic

10. Mobile Phones Disadvantages Advantages
How many main ideas for each Body Paragraph??
Advantages
1. Good for business/school
Example: can find info quickly on the internet
Example: can connect with colleagues and classmates
Explanation/result – help achieve better results on projects
2. Are good in emergencies
Example: on the road – need to call police
Example: Can use anywhere, time
Explanation/result: Can save lives Without phones, could not contact someone in emergency
Disadvantages
1. Can be dangerous
Example – distracting for drivers
Example – looking, texting, talking, listening to music, not watching the road
Result - many accidents were caused.
2. Are a Waste time
Example – spend too much time chatting or surfing internet
Example –
Result

11. Body Paragraph 1
Topic ADVANTAGES (this will be your topic sentence) 1st Advantage: Bring people together Example/explanation of 1st benefit:– family & friends in other countries; news Explanation/Result of 1st benefit – makes the world a smaller place 2nd Advantage: very useful in emergencies Example/explanation of 2nd benefit: at school or out on the road, tourists Explanation/Result of 2nd benefit – makes the world a smaller place 45 words – organized.

12. Body Paragraph 2 Topic 2 Disads –mobiles can be a NUISANCE
1st disadvantage: Noisy in public places
Example/explanation of 1st disadvantage: Public transport, cinemas, restaurants
Explanation/Result of 1st disadvantage: people get disturbed
2nd disadvantage: Distracting
Example/explanation of 2nd disadvantage: for drivers – may cause accidents
Example / Explanation/Result of 2nd disadvantage: students waste time, get addicted
Concluding– summary of disadvantages: can create some problems for society and individuals
(about 35 words)

13. Advantages
Disadvantages
First Advantage
First Disadvantage
Explain/Example
Result
2nd Advantage
2nd Disadvantage
Explain/Example
Result