Planning

Start with the question – what is it asking?

Look at key words – think about how these will form the basis of the essay structure.

• War creates a heavy financial burden for many developing nations. If armaments stopped being produced and sold in the developed nations then developing countries, deprived of their wars, could look to other forms of trade and become richer. Discuss.

Here we are asked to ‘discuss’ the statement.

We need to address more than one aspect or side of the topic even if we are firmly in one camp!

Key words and phrases might be;

• War, financial burden, developing nations, stopped, armaments produced and sold, other trade, become richer

Other things to note are;

• if (this is hypothetical)

So, we are being asked to consider that; should the trade in armaments be stopped it would solve the problems of poverty in developing countries.

What are the Pros and Cons?

Make a list or mind map/spider diagram of these.Some might be;

Pros leaders could not use armies to support them they would need the support of their peoples things would be more democratic wealth would be shared more poverty would be lessened

Cons weapons would be bought from the black market they would cost even more leaders might be worse as a result – they wouldn’t need to practice diplomacy no influence from developed nations would exist there would be less wealth there would be more poverty

These then need to be organised into an overall structure.

A classic discussion essay would be:

• Introduction

• Arguments ‘for’

• Arguments ‘against’

• Conclusion (with or without personal point of view)

Make notes under each section from your list of ideas

• now you are almost ready to begin writing your essay.
• we need to address the length required and how many points to make

Go to cohesion to help with this.