Proposal

The proposal as a text type: A proposal is a professional text (Topic 2.2). You write it to an authority — a head teacher, a council, a manager — to put forward a plan, justify it with reasons, and ask them to approve it.

It is formal and persuasive: you are not just describing, you want the reader to say yes. Knowing its conventions is how you score Criterion C (Conceptual understanding) in Paper 1.

proposal

a formal plan put forward for others to consider and approve

to propose / to put forward

to suggest a plan or idea formally

aim / objective

what the proposal is trying to achieve

to justify

to give reasons that show why something is a good idea

benefit

a good result or advantage that the plan would bring

to implement

to put a plan into action

to approve

to officially agree to something

the authorities / management

the people with the power to say yes or no

feasible

possible to do; realistic and practical

in advance

before the event or deadline; ahead of time

to consider

to think about something carefully before deciding

to address (someone)

to direct your writing to a particular reader

Why this matters: If a Paper 1 task asks for a proposal, the examiner expects these conventions. A proposal that reads like an informal email or a diary entry loses Criterion C marks even if the language is good.

Formal and persuasive: A proposal is written to an authority you want to convince, so the register is formal and persuasive. Use full forms (not contractions), polite requests, and connectors that build an argument. Avoid slang, "hi", emojis and chatty asides.

Link your ideas: Connectors turn a list of wishes into an argument: firstly / secondly (to order), moreover (to add), therefore (to conclude), since / as (to justify). Use two or three in any proposal.

Read like Paper 2: Here is a short proposal — the kind of professional text Paper 2 (Reading) gives you, and a model of what your own writing should look like. Read it once for the general idea, then we'll work through one exam question together.

A weekend library: Proposal: a weekend opening for the school library

Dear Head Teacher,

I am writing to propose that our school library open on Saturday mornings. The aim of this proposal is to give students a quiet place to study before exams, since many of us do not have a suitable space at home.

I suggest that two teachers take turns to supervise the room, and that students sign up in advance so the library is never overcrowded. This would cost very little and would benefit the whole school, especially in the busy weeks before assessments.

For these reasons, I kindly ask you to consider this proposal. Thank you in advance for your time and consideration.

Yours faithfully, Marcus Hale

to supervise

to watch over and be responsible for

to sign up (in advance)

to put your name down to take part beforehand

overcrowded

having too many people in one place

suitable

right or appropriate for a purpose

assessment

a test or exam that measures what you have learned

Reading technique: For an "according to the text" question, find the exact line that proves your answer. In a proposal, the aim usually sits right after "The aim of this proposal is to…".

The task: Your school wants to be greener. Write a proposal to the head teacher: suggest a recycling scheme for the canteen, explain how it would work and why it would help, and ask for approval.

Use a formal, persuasive register. Write 250–400 words.

Why it scores: This answer hits all three Paper 1 criteria — here's what earns each one:

One stage at a time: Examiners often break a proposal into parts so you don't forget the title or the call to act. Practise each stage on its own, then you can assemble the whole text under exam pressure.

Build technique: Keep the same formal register across all three stages — a slip into "hey" or "thanks!" in the close undoes the formal opening and costs Criterion C marks.