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Mastering Expository Essays: Brainstorming with the MMEPS Framework for ‘O’ Level Success
- Posted By Superadmin Lilbutmighty
- 07/26/2024
The expository essay is one of the possible questions you might encounter in Paper 1 of your ‘O’ Level exams. As you probably know, it is essential to organise the body paragraphs of an expository essay using the PEEL (Point, Explanation, Example, Link) structure. You may have already seen my previous blogpost on the importance of explaining your Examples in your expository essays instead of simply listing them out, in order to show that your examples effectively prove the chosen point for each PEEL paragraph. But what if you can’t even think of main points for your essay in the first place? Have any of you experienced difficulty while planning for an expository essay, and end up wasting a lot of time feeling utterly stuck on what points to use?
Well, if you’ve answered yes to the above question, fret no longer! To help you overcome this very common struggle, let me introduce you to a brainstorming framework called MMEPS to generate the main Points in your PEEL paragraphs. To remember this acronym, you can think of the word “maps” and how this framework will definitely pave the way towards a well-written expository essay!
So, how does MMEPS work? Essentially, if you realise that your expository essay question requires you to assess how a particular topic affects people, you can use MMEPS to consider how the topic affects the different aspects of a person’s well-being. Specifically, how does the given topic affect each of the aspects that MMEPS represents, namely Moral, Mental, Emotional, Physical, and Social?
Take a look at the table below for each of the specific aspects of MMEPS!
|
Aspect |
This aspect relates to a person’s… |
|
Moral |
Beliefs, values, virtues, and sense of purpose in life. |
|
Mental |
Mind, brain functions, intellect, and intelligence. |
|
Emotional |
Feelings, how we process them, and how we are affected by them. |
|
Physical |
Bodily functions, health, and fitness. |
|
Social |
Relationships, communication skills, and social networks.
|
Now, let’s take a look at how we can generate Points using MMEPS in response to an example essay question! Read through the analysed question below.
Then, take a look at how the following student has utilised MMEPS to generate some points in response to this question!
|
Aspect/Qn |
“Reading fiction is a waste of time.” What are your views? |
|
Mental |
(NO!) Reading fiction is not a waste of time as it allows one to improve their creative writing abilities. |
|
Emotional |
(NO!) Reading fiction is not a waste of time as it allows one to destress if they are going through a difficult time. |
|
Physical |
(YES!) Reading fiction is a waste of time because it eats into the extensive time needed to keep up one’s physical health. |
|
Social |
(YES!) Reading fiction is a waste of time especially if it results in the individual distancing themselves from social interaction.
|
As you can see in the above table which does not bring up a point for the MORAL aspect, take note that it’s not necessary for your essay to address all the aspects in MMEPS! It’s simply a framework to help you brainstorm the different Points you can explore in your essay, before you narrow down what you want to include.
Now, try to apply the MMEPS framework to another example question below. A guiding table has been included for you to print out to use and fill up as you try to brainstorm main points about how the question’s topic affects the different aspects of an individual.
Using the MMEPS framework below, think about how you can brainstorm Points related to the question. Don’t limit yourself and let your ideas flow! The purpose of planning this way is to think of as many relevant Points as possible. Then, you can narrow it down to the four Points (2 Supporting, 2 Opposing) that you want to use for this discursive essay. For this question, the Point can either be related to Help(ing students’ learning) or Hinder(ing students’ learning).
|
Do electronic devices, such as tablets or smartphones, help or hinder students in their learning? |
||
|
Aspect |
Main Point |
Help or Hinder? |
|
Moral (How do electronic devices affect students’ beliefs, values, virtues and sense of purpose?) |
e.g. Relying too much on electronic devices for learning could weaken students’ determination to retain information. |
Hinder |
|
Mental (How could an electronic device affect students’ minds, intellect, and/or intelligence?) |
e.g. Students can use digital tools on electronic devices to manage their academic tasks efficiently. |
Help |
|
Emotional (How does owning an electronic device affect students’ emotions, how they process them, and/ or how they are affected by them?) |
|
|
|
Physical (How can an electronic device affect a student’s body and/or physical health?) |
|
|
|
Social (How do electronic devices affect students’ communication skills and/ or social relationships?) |
|
|
Did you manage to use the MMEPS framework to come up with four main points? Share some of your main points below in the comments! We also have a model plan to share with those of you who are interested in reading through our suggested model points, so do drop us a message below to request for it. Alternatively, you can sign up for the O Level Toolkit below to gain access to the answer key.
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That’s all the tips I have to share today. In a nutshell, if you ever feel lost about how to generate Points for an expository essay, turn to MMEPS to brainstorm how an essay topic affects the different aspects of a person’s well-being! Hope you are one step closer to mastering expository essays!
Thank you for reading, take care, and bye for now 🙂
Ms Atifa
In her time teaching, she has incorporated elements of drama into her classes to engage her lower primary students. She tries her best to get to know all of her students and is always keen to find out each of their interests and hobbies. She believes that each student has personalised needs, and aims to make lessons fun and helpful for all of her students.
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