How to plan your way to success in iGCSE and GCSE Transactional Writing

I’ve had so many debates with students during my One to One Tuition English lessons this week about the importance of planning – the most common counterargument is that ‘planning is a waste of time.’ Students from Hong Kong to Hastings, Singapore to Sudbury have argued their case with me this week but eventually, they come round to agree with me (I mean, I only have 18 years of teaching experience and 10 years as a GCSE and iGCSE examiner…)

To each student, I’ve listened patiently and sympathetically to their concerns about timing but one thing I will not budge on is this: it’s essential to have a plan for your GCSE Transactional Writing tasks. Effective planning can help you manage your time, organize your thoughts, and ensure that you produce a high-quality piece of writing. In my experience as an examiner for GCSE and iGCSE English Language, all successful answers, regardless of your target grade, have one thing in common – some evidence of planning. I always return to my mantra: If you create a successful plan, your writing will take care of itself. By producing an effective plan, you can focus more on how you will present your ideas, allowing you more opportunities to craft and control your writing – key words in the top band of the AO5 mark scheme – rather than focusing on what you will write.

So how do we produce an effective plan?

Step 1: Understand the task

The first step to creating an effective plan is to understand the task. Make sure you know what type of writing you need to produce, whether it’s a letter, email, article, or report. Pay close attention to the task instructions and any specific requirements, such as the tone or audience you need to address. Unfortunately, over the years, as an examiner and one to one English tutor, I’ve seen so many bright students lose valuable marks in the GCSE English Language exam because they have not acknowledged the text type or audience they have been asked to write for. Grab your highlighter and highlight the key words in the question – it will focus your attention and ensure that you give yourself the best chance of success.

Step 2: Mindmap ideas

Once you are confident that you have understood the task, start mapping out ideas – this can be done in any form you wish – there are multiple different ways to plan so experiment with which approach works best for you. Jot down any relevant information you can think of, such as key points, examples, or supporting evidence – this will not be assessed so write down everything and anything that comes to mind – you don’t have to use everything. Consider your audience and what they would want to know, and think about the purpose of the writing. Noting your key points will help you to organise your thoughts and give you a starting point for your plan.

Step 3: Create an outline

With your ideas in mind, it’s time to create an outline. Use your ideas from your mindmap to create a few main points that you want to cover in the body of the writing. Make sure each point is relevant to the task and supports your overall argument. Start with an introduction that captures the reader’s attention by opening with a shocking idea or image to set the tone for the rest of the writing.Finally, include a conclusion that summarises your main points and leaves the reader with something to think about.

Step 4: Plan your time

Once you have an outline, it’s time to plan your time. In both GCSE and iGCSE English Language, you are advised to spend around 45 minutes in total on the Transactional Writing task. Consider how long you have to complete the task – I advise students to spend between 5-7 minutes planning, 35 minutes writing and 5 minutes checking. Break the task down into smaller, more manageable sections, and allocate time for each. Make sure you leave enough time for editing and proofreading – valuable marks can be gained at the end by checking the clarity of our expression, editing punctuation and amending paragraphing.

Step 5: Draft your writing

With your plan in place, it’s time to start writing. Use your outline as a guide and work through each section. Remember to keep your audience in mind and use a tone that’s appropriate for the task – the exam criteria specifically references language choices that are appropriate for audience and purpose, so make sure you show your GCSE examiner that you have these skills. Use your planned ideas to support your main points and make sure each section flows logically into the next – again, the exam criteria rewards ideas that are linked together and build on points rather than the lower grade list-like structure that can be so common.

Step 6: Edit and proofread

Once you’ve completed your draft, it’s time to edit and proofread. Read through your writing carefully, checking for any errors in grammar, spelling, or punctuation. Make sure your writing is clear and concise, and that your arguments are well-supported.

If you were in the ‘planning is a waste of time’ camp before you read this blog, I hope you’ve been convinced of the value that an effective plan can bring to your GCSE Transactional Writing. If you need to improve your transactional writing fast, you may want to think about enrolling on one of my Two Week Transformations Courses, where we cover planning as one of the eleven lessons in this unit.

You can access various free and paid resources to further guide your revision here.

It may take some time to perfect, but planning is absolutely crucial to your success in GCSE English Language. Good luck!