5.9. Recap

Present a logical plan to address an issue or execute an activity.

In proposal writing, the main purpose is to create a logical and structured plan. This plan is designed to either address a specific issue or to outline how to carry out an activity successfully. A good proposal clearly defines the problem at hand and proposes practical solutions.

Imagine you're planning a birthday party. Your proposal would outline how to celebrate the occasion, including details like the venue, guest list, menu, and activities. This logical plan helps ensure that everything runs smoothly on the day of the event.

Formal and clear.

The tone of a proposal should always be formal and clear. This means using professional language and avoiding colloquialisms or casual expressions. A formal tone helps convey seriousness and credibility, which are essential for persuading the reader to accept your proposal.

Consider how you might write a letter to a business. You would use formal language to convey professionalism. Similarly, in a proposal, maintaining this formal tone helps to respect the reader and the context.

Title → Objective → Steps → Justification.

The format of a proposal is structured into specific sections: it starts with a Title, followed by an Objective that states the purpose of the proposal, then Lists the Steps you plan to take, and finally explains the Justification for those steps. This format ensures the proposal is organized and easy to follow.

Think of a recipe for a dish. It lists the ingredients (Title), describes what the dish is (Objective), outlines the cooking process (Steps), and explains why the ingredients work well together (Justification).

Third-person, future tense, formal.

When writing a proposal, use the third-person perspective and future tense. This means avoiding personal pronouns like 'I' or 'we'. It helps maintain a formal tone. Additionally, using future tense indicates that the actions proposed will be carried out in the future.

If you were to say, 'I will plan a school event,' it is personal. In contrast, saying, 'The committee will organize a school event,' sounds more formal and objective, fitting the proposal's context.

Around 150–200 words.

Proposals typically have a word limit of 150 to 200 words. This constraint encourages conciseness and ensures that only the most important points are included. Keeping to this limit helps the reader grasp the core ideas quickly without getting overloaded with information.

Imagine trying to summarize a book into a single paragraph. You must choose your words carefully to cover the main plot points without going into excessive detail, similar to how proposals must be succinct.

Relevance, clarity, language, feasibility, and proper format.

When assessing a proposal, evaluators look for specific criteria: relevance (is the proposal suitable for the issue?), clarity (is it easy to understand?), language (is it appropriately formal?), feasibility (can the proposed actions realistically be accomplished?), and adherence to format (does it follow the prescribed structure?). Meeting these criteria ensures a better chance of approval.

Think of preparing for a school project. Your teacher will evaluate your work based on how relevant it is to the topic, how clear your arguments are, the quality of your language, the practicality of your methods, and if you followed guidelines. Similarly, a proposal is assessed on those same points.

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