Writing: Planning and Organising Your Writing

Welcome to the writing section of this course. From this lesson onwards, we focus on the skills you need for the writing exam. This first writing lesson covers planning your writing (L1.23) and choosing the right format and structure (L1.24). These skills underpin everything else — a well-planned, well-organised piece of writing always scores better than one that rambles without direction.

Planning is not a waste of time. It is one of the most valuable things you can do in the exam. A 5-minute plan can turn a confusing, muddled answer into a clear, organised response that earns strong marks.

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Why Planning Matters

Many learners skip planning and start writing immediately. This often leads to problems:

Without Planning	With Planning
Ideas come out in a random order	Ideas flow in a logical sequence
You forget important points halfway through	All your points are listed before you start
You go off-topic	Your plan keeps you focused
Your writing has no clear structure	Each paragraph has a purpose
You run out of time because you keep crossing things out	You write more efficiently because you know what comes next

Exam Tip: Spend 5 minutes planning each writing task. This is time well spent — it will make your writing better AND save you time because you will not need to stop and think while writing.

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Simple Planning Methods

You do not need a complicated planning system. Here are three methods that work well at Level 1:

Method 1: Bullet Point List

Write a quick list of the points you want to make, in the order you want to make them.

Example task: Write an email to your manager requesting time off for a medical appointment.

Plan:

• Greeting (Dear Mr/Mrs...)
• Why I am writing (to request time off)
• Date and time needed (Thursday 14th March, 2pm appointment)
• How long I will be away (approximately 2 hours)
• What I have arranged (colleague covering my duties)
• Polite close (thank you, sign off)

Method 2: Spider Diagram

Write the topic in the middle, then branch out with your main points. This works well if you think of ideas in a non-linear way.

Method 3: Paragraph Plan

Write a number for each paragraph and a one-line summary of what it will contain.

Example task: Write a short report about a problem in your workplace.

Paragraph	Content
1	What the problem is (broken hand dryer in the toilets)
2	When it started and what effect it is having (been broken for 2 weeks, paper towels running out)
3	What I think should be done (repair or replace it, order more paper towels in the meantime)

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Paragraph Structure

At Level 1, you are expected to organise your writing into paragraphs. A paragraph is a group of sentences about the same topic or idea.

When to Start a New Paragraph

Start a new paragraph when you move to a:

• New topic or idea
• New time (e.g. "The next day...")
• New person speaking or being discussed
• New place

Basic Paragraph Structure

A good paragraph at Level 1 follows a simple pattern:

Part	What It Does	Example
Topic sentence	Tells the reader what the paragraph is about	"There are several problems with the current break room."
Supporting sentences	Give details, examples, or explanations	"The microwave has been broken for three weeks. The fridge is too small for everyone's lunch. There are not enough chairs for all the staff on break at the same time."
Closing sentence (optional)	Sums up or links to the next point	"These issues are affecting staff morale and need to be addressed."

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Choosing the Right Format

The exam question will usually tell you what format to use (e.g. letter, email, note, report). You need to know the basic layout for each common format.

Email

Part	Example
To:	j.smith@company.co.uk
Subject:	Request for Annual Leave
Greeting	Dear Mr Smith, / Hi John,
Body	Your message in clear paragraphs
Sign-off	Kind regards, / Best wishes, / Thanks,
Your name	Sarah Jones

Formal Letter

Part	Example
Your address	14 Oak Lane, Milltown, MT3 7PQ
Date	4th April 2026
Their name and address	Mr J. Smith, Manager, Greenfield Ltd...
Greeting	Dear Mr Smith,
Body	Your message in clear paragraphs
Sign-off	Yours sincerely, (if you used their name) / Yours faithfully, (if you used "Dear Sir/Madam")
Your name	Sarah Jones

Informal Letter or Note