Prewriting

Anything you do before you start writing is prewriting. You should always start your writing process by making sure you understand the assignment. Other activities you may do in this stage are brainstorming, choosing a focus, and outlining.

Understand the assignment

Make sure that you understand the requirements of the task. If there is a specific prompt you are supposed to use, make sure your writing addresses the prompt. If you need to write a specific style of essay (e.g., argumentative), make sure you use the right style. Always clarify any requirements that you do not understand with your teacher.

Brainstorm

Sometimes you are given a specific prompt (e.g., Should colleges use online textbooks?), but sometimes you can choose your topic. If you can choose your topic, then brainstorming can help you generate ideas to write about. There are many methods you can use for brainstorming. You can discuss the topic with a partner, do a free write, make a list of ideas, make an idea map, etc. The following idea map was created to think of ideas for an essay about having a healthy lifestyle.

Choose a focus

If your topic is too broad, you need to narrow the topic down to a more specific focus. For example, if you choose to write about the problems students face, you will probably need to focus on a few specific types of problems (e.g., financial problems). Repeating a brainstorming activity with a broad topic may help you choose your focus. If you don’t have a narrow focus, your writing may end up too general as you try to “cover” the entire topic. Without specific details and examples in your writing, your reader will not be able to understand your main idea clearly.

EXERCISE: Choose a focus

Outline

Making an outline is a prewriting activity you should do for everything you write. An outline is a plan that will make your essay easier to write and understand.

Not all outlines are the same. If you are writing a timed essay, your outline will be very simple. If you are writing a drafted essay, your outline may be more detailed.

To create your outline, think about the question that your essay answers (e.g., why is exercise important?). Answer the question. The supporting points in your answer will become your topic sentences (abbreviated TS). Write the main idea of your essay, your thesis (abbreviated TH), by summarizing your supporting points into one sentence.

The following outline is a simple outline for the example essay in this chapter. Look at the outline. How does it show the writer's plan to answer the question why is exercise important?

EXERCISE: Identify topics sentences and thesis statements

EXERCISE: Evaluate and revise outlines

EXERCISE: Create an outline

The basic outlines you have practiced in this section are the type of outline you can use when you are writing a timed essay (like the independent task on the TOEFL). Other essays may require a more detailed outline.

The amount of detail required in the outline depends on the purpose of the essay as well as the purpose of your outline. Your teacher may ask you for a very detailed outline of your essays so that you can show your whole plan. When you need to make an outline, be sure to ask how much detail your teacher expects you to include.

The following outline is a detailed outline for an example essay you will see later in this chapter.