Organising Information and Ideas

Organising Information and Ideas

Understanding the Task

• Begin by carefully reading the question or task.

• Identify what the examiner is asking for and underline the key words in the task.

• Make sure you understand the context (are you writing a letter, article, report?) and audience for your response.

Brainstorming Ideas

• Develop your ideas by brainstorming or mindmapping.

• Don’t limit your initial thoughts, the more ideas the better.

• Ask yourself questions to stimulate thinking.

• Group similar ideas together.

Planning Your Structure

• Plan the order in which to present your ideas.

• Ensure there is a clear introduction, body, and conclusion.

• Your introduction should provide an overview or hypothesis.

• The body of your answer should back up your hypothesis with arguments.

• Use the conclusion to summarise your answer and draw conclusions.

Paragraph Planning

• Break your key ideas into paragraphs.

• Each paragraph should focus on one sub-point or argument for your main idea.

• Balance your points with evidence or examples to support them, where applicable.

• Create linking sentences between each paragraph.

Reviewing Your Plan

• Review your plan before you start writing.

• Ensure your points are organised in a logical order.

• Make sure all the required components of the task are included in the plan.

• Check your timing. You need to manage your time effectively to write your response.

• Once you’re happy with your plan, start writing your response using it as your framework.