Gateway skill · Foundation skill 5 of 6

Idea Generation

Planning teaches you how to narrow a plan down to two strong ideas. This lesson is about the step before that — getting from a bare question to a handful of genuinely different ideas worth narrowing from.

15–20 min · 5 drills · Task 2

Looking for Task 1?

Task 1 has no idea-generation step. The chart, table, or diagram already gives you everything you need to write about — your job is to select and describe the data accurately, not invent ideas about it.

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Before you start

Quick drill

Before you brainstorm, know the question type — the right technique depends on it.

Many countries are experiencing rising levels of plastic waste in rivers and oceans. What are the causes of this problem, and what measures could be taken to solve it?

Which brainstorming technique fits this question type?

Practice 1 of 4

Quick drill

Recognize when a brainstorm never leaves a single angle.

Question: Should governments ban single-use plastic bags in shops? Brainstorm produced: (1) it protects marine animals, (2) it keeps oceans cleaner, (3) it reduces harm to sea creatures, (4) it stops plastic hurting wildlife.

What is the actual problem with this brainstorm?

Two techniques, matched to question type

Idea generation fails quietly when every idea is really the same idea restated. The fix is not trying harder — it’s using a technique that forces you into a genuinely different angle each time.

Lens sweep

Opinion · Discuss both views · Advantages/disadvantages

Sweep across angles instead of digging into the first one: individual, community, economic, environmental. You need at least two that are genuinely different.

Fishbone (cause categories)

Problem/Solution · Two-part cause questions

Sort causes into categories — economic, technological, social, policy — so each cause can be matched to a solution from the same category.

A third tool: the why-chain

For a question that asks about one specific cause, a single “because” is usually too shallow. Ask why again, and again: Why do people drive instead of using public transport? Because it’s more convenient. Why is it more convenient? Because routes and schedules are limited. Why are they limited?Two or three rounds usually reaches something specific enough to support — here, a policy-level cause (underinvestment in routes), not just “convenience.”

Practice 2 of 4

Select all that apply

Apply a lens sweep: pick the ideas that come from genuinely different angles.

The technique

For Opinion, Discuss-both-views, and Advantages/disadvantages questions, sweep across angles instead of digging deeper into the first one: individual (one person's daily life), community (local shops, neighbourhoods), economic (cost, jobs, business), and environmental (pollution, resources). You don't need all four for every essay — you need at least two that are genuinely different, so your two body paragraphs aren't the same point twice.

Question: Should governments ban single-use plastic bags in shops? Position: largely agree.

Select two ideas that come from clearly different angles.

Environmental angle — plastic bags harm marine life and pollute waterwaysEconomic angle — small shops face extra cost switching to paper or reusable alternatives, so the transition needs supportEnvironmental angle — plastic bags damage ocean ecosystemsIndividual angle — plastic bags are more convenient for shoppers than alternativesThis is an important environmental issue that governments should take seriously

What usually goes wrong while generating ideas

1. One idea, said five ways

Weak

“It protects marine animals. It keeps oceans cleaner. It reduces harm to sea creatures. It stops plastic hurting wildlife.”

Four sentences, one idea — all environmental harm, no other angle explored.

Strong

“Environmental — protects marine life. Economic — reduces the cost burden of ocean cleanup on coastal industries like fishing and tourism.”

Two genuinely different angles, each with its own kind of support.

2. Judging ideas while generating them

Weak

“Thinking 'the economic angle is probably too hard to support' and dropping it before writing it down, ending up with only one angle on paper.”

Judging and generating at the same time usually means settling for the first safe idea, not the best one.

Strong

“Writing down every angle first — individual, economic, environmental — then judging which two are strongest only after all of them exist on paper.”

Generate first, judge after. Planning is where the judging happens — not here.

3. Drifting off the actual question

Weak

“Question: should governments ban plastic bags? Ideas drift to: plastic packaging in general, then recycling programs, then climate change broadly.”

Each step feels like a natural next thought, but three steps later the ideas no longer answer the actual question asked.

Strong

“Question: should governments ban plastic bags? Every idea stays anchored to that specific policy — its cost, its environmental effect, its practicality.”

Check each new idea against the original question, not against the idea before it.

Practice 3 of 4

Select all that apply

Apply the fishbone technique: sort causes into categories so each one can be matched to a solution.

The technique

For Problem-Solution and cause-type questions, don't list causes randomly — sort them into standard categories: economic (cost, income, price), technological (available tools or their absence), social (habits, awareness, culture), and policy (laws, enforcement, incentives). Sorting first makes solutions easy: a policy-category cause needs a policy-category solution, not a vague general fix.

Question: What are the causes of rising plastic waste in rivers and oceans, and what measures could be taken to solve it?

Select the two causes that belong in genuinely different categories, ready to pair with different solutions.

Economic — plastic packaging is far cheaper for manufacturers than biodegradable alternativesPolicy — many countries lack laws requiring proper disposal or recycling of plastic wasteEconomic — plastic remains the lowest-cost material for most packagingPlastic waste is a serious and growing problem worldwideSocial — many people are unaware of how long plastic takes to decompose

Practice 4 of 4 — new topic

Quick drill

Brainstorm a new question from scratch, choosing the right technique first.

Many countries are considering making one year of national service compulsory for all young adults after leaving school. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Before choosing below: decide the question type, then write 3-4 raw ideas using the matching technique. Then compare against the option below.

Which brainstorm set is ready to hand to Planning — genuinely different angles, each specific enough to support?

60-second check

Before you narrow down

□ Question type identified, matching technique chosen
□ At least 3-4 raw ideas written down before judging any
□ At least two ideas from genuinely different angles or categories

Watch for

□ The same idea restated as if it were new
□ An idea that has drifted off the actual question
□ Judging an idea before it's even written down