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Essay planner

Plan an essay before you write it: a thesis, then each paragraph's claim, evidence and analysis, a counter-argument and a conclusion. For GCSE, A-level and university essays; copy the outline when you are done.

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Example

    Outline done? Draft it in Notes

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    How it works

    Essay Planner gives your essay a clear shape before you write a single paragraph: a thesis, a hook, body paragraphs built from point, evidence and explanation, and a conclusion. It works for anything from a short school essay to a longer university assignment.

    1. Give the essay a title and, if you have one, a word target. The tool suggests a split: about 10% for the introduction, 10% for the conclusion and the rest across your body paragraphs.
    2. Write your essay question or thesis, then a hook to open the introduction.
    3. Fill in each body paragraph: a main point or topic sentence, your evidence or example, and an explanation that links it back to the thesis. Add more with Add body paragraph, reorder them with the arrows, and set a word target per paragraph if you like.
    4. Press + Counterargument on any paragraph to add an opposing view and your rebuttal. Use Attach source to link entries from your Citation Generator bibliography.
    5. Add a final thought for the conclusion, then copy the outline or download it as .md or .txt. Use New essay to keep a separate outline for each assignment.

    Tips

    • Write the thesis as one sentence someone could disagree with. 'Social media does more harm than good for teenagers' gives you something to prove; 'Social media is interesting' does not.
    • Give every body paragraph one main point. If the evidence box keeps growing, you probably have two paragraphs.
    • Spend real time on the explanation box. Linking the evidence back to the question is usually where the marks are.

    FAQ

    What is the difference between evidence and explanation?
    Evidence is the fact, quote, statistic or example. Explanation is your reasoning about it: why it matters and how it supports your thesis. Most paragraphs need both.
    Can I turn a mind map into an essay outline?
    Yes. When you send an outline over from the Mind Map tool, a bar appears here offering to import it. Each main branch becomes a body paragraph and its smaller branches become that paragraph's evidence.
    Are my outlines saved?
    Yes. Every outline is saved as you type in this browser's local storage on this device, and you can switch between them from the menu at the top. Nothing is uploaded unless you sign in to an optional free Brainlag account, which syncs your outlines across devices. Clearing your browser data deletes them, so download anything important.

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