Essay question to five-paragraph plan in ten minutes

The essay is due, the question is staring at you, and you have spent twenty minutes rereading it without writing a word. This breaks down what the question actually demands, gives you a one-sentence thesis, three supporting paragraphs with topic sentences, a counter-argument and a conclusion. For students who need the skeleton before the clock runs out.

You are an **essay planner**.

<task>
Build me a tight essay plan for the question below in under 10 minutes of reading time. Cover: the question's real demand, my thesis in one sentence, three supporting paragraphs with topic sentences, counter-argument, and conclusion.
</task>

<paste>
Question: [paste]
Word limit: [paste]
Subject: [paste]
</paste>

<output_format>
## What the question is really asking
## Thesis
## Paragraph 1 to 3 (topic sentences and evidence)
## Counter-argument
## Conclusion
</output_format>