Composition: Planning, Paragraphing and Register
What the examiner tests
Composition tests sustained, organised writing: an essay, article, report or speech developed for a purpose and audience. The examiner looks for a clear stand, logical paragraphing, relevant support, appropriate register and accurate sentences. Length and format instructions are part of the task.
Core rules
- Decode the prompt: topic, purpose (inform, persuade, describe, narrate), audience, format, tense and word limit.
- Plan before writing: thesis or controlling idea, three or four supporting points, evidence or examples, a counterpoint where useful.
- Paragraph structure: topic sentence, explanation, example or evidence, link back to the question.
- Introduction frames the issue; conclusion evaluates or recommends, without introducing a new argument.
- Use cohesive devices (however, therefore, in contrast, for instance) but do not overuse them.
- Register: formal articles avoid contractions, slang and 'I think' overload; speeches may use direct address.
- Narrative needs a controlled chronology; description needs sensory selection; argument needs claims plus reasons.
Worked example
Prompt: 'Write an article on the value of school libraries in the digital age.' A weak answer lists 'books are good' and 'the internet is fast'. A strong plan: thesis that libraries teach selection, not just supply information; paragraph 1 on access and equity; paragraph 2 on guided research and digital literacy; paragraph 3 on quiet reading and concentration; counterpoint that digital resources are useful but uncurated; conclusion that the library is a method, not a warehouse. Each paragraph begins with a claim and supports it with a concrete example. That is the reasoning the examiner wants to see.
Traps
Ignoring the format (article vs report vs speech); writing one-sentence paragraphs; unsupported generalisations; informal tone in a formal task; repeating the same point; exceeding the word limit; adding a new argument in the conclusion.