Outlining for anEssay

What is anoutline?

• Outlining is an exercise in division. You are taking a broad idea and breaking it down into more specific ideas/content with each division.
• This outline is your plan for your essay. At a glance, you can see your thinking and the essay's direction with all ideas arranged in an appropriate and strategic order.
• It can be helpful to include your introductory and concluding paragraphs. Their content needs to be "planned" also.
• Always write the entire thesis statement at the top of the outline. The thesis should be written in one or two sentences and must clearly indicate the topic and focus idea of the essay. The rest of the outline may be written in phrases (a topic outline).

OutlineFormat:

Essay Title

ThesisStatement:

I. (Use romannumerals for the main ideas. Each will probably be a paragraph in your essay.)

     A. (This indicates asubtopic of I and presents a main point in developing the focus      idea of the paragraph.)

     B. (There should alwaysbe at least two subtopics.)

          1.(This must support B above and is a more specific explanation, definition,         example,etc. of B.)

          2.(If there is a 1, there should be a 2.)

               a.(Thought 2 needs at least two supports.)

                   (1)[This gives even more concrete support.]

                   (2)[more support]

                        (a)[Finer support is given.]

                        (b)[This also supports (2).]

               b.(Another support for thought 2)

II. (Keep thenumerals and letters of the same kind in a direct line,)

     A.

     B.

          1.

          2.

               a.

               b.(etc.)