Most low Writing scores are decided before the first sentence is written. Students start writing immediately, run out of ideas halfway through paragraph two, and finish with a conclusion that disagrees with their introduction. Examiners see this every day. A 5-minute plan fixes all three problems — and five minutes is all it takes, if you follow the same steps every time.

Minute 1 — Break down the question

Underline the topic and the exact instruction. “Discuss both views and give your own opinion” is a different essay from “To what extent do you agree or disagree?” Decide your position now, in one sentence, and do not change it later. A clear position is the first thing the examiner looks for.

Minutes 2–3 — Choose two main ideas

You need exactly two ideas for the side you are arguing (or one for each side, in a discussion essay). Choose ideas you can explain and exemplify — not ideas that sound impressive. For each idea, write three short notes: the point, why it is true, and a real-world example.

Minute 4 — Order your notes

Put your stronger idea first. Under each idea, arrange your notes in the order: point → explanation → example → small conclusion. This order becomes your paragraph, sentence by sentence.

Minute 5 — Plan the introduction and conclusion

Write the paraphrase of the question and your position statement as bullet notes. Your conclusion is already decided: it is your position, restated. Nothing new ever goes in a conclusion.

Worked example

Question: Some people believe university education should be free for all students. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
  • Position: largely disagree — students should contribute; support should target the poorest.
  • Idea 1: graduates earn more → fair that they contribute → example: higher lifetime salaries of degree holders.
  • Idea 2: free-for-all costs the state hugely → money better spent on targeted grants → example: bursaries for low-income students.
  • Introduction: paraphrase + position. Conclusion: restate position.

That plan took under five minutes and the essay now writes itself — every sentence has a job. See the model introduction and full structure on the Writing lessons page →

The three planning mistakes to avoid

  • Listing five ideas instead of developing two — depth scores, breadth does not.
  • Planning examples first — an example without a point is a story, not an argument.
  • Skipping the plan “to save time” — unplanned essays are rewritten in your head while you write, which costs far more than five minutes.