Which prewriting technique involves starting with a central idea and circling related words around it?

• A. Charting
• B. Clustering/mapping
• C. Listing
• D. Freewriting

Answer: (B)

Clustering, also called mapping, starts with a central idea placed in the middle of the page. You then circle or box related words and short phrases around it, drawing lines to show how ideas connect. This creates a visual web of relationships that helps you see how subtopics branch from the main idea and what order your writing might follow. It’s especially useful for planning because you can easily move ideas around as you develop the outline, making the path from topic to specifics clearer before you draft. Other prewriting methods serve different purposes—listing stacks ideas in a sequence, freewriting flows without a set plan, and charting organizes information into rows and columns—where clustering excels at revealing connections and organizing thoughts around a central theme.