An outline is a clear, organized plan for an essay.
Basically, your will constitute three main sections: the Introduction, the Body and the Conclusion. But to make sure your paper is complete, consult your instructor for specific parts they wants to be included in your . Sample outlines for research papers will follow. But first, let’s discuss the main sections of your paper and what information each should cover.
Do you find yourself getting lost in the middle of writing an essay? It is usual for students to lose track of their thoughts and go wayward when composing an essay. A common reason for this is that one simply cannot remember every thought. One cannot cram ideas into their mind and write them out logically. So, how does one overcome this? With the help of an outline, of course! Once you've decided what topic you will be writing about, the next thing you should pay attention to is the scope of your paper or what you will be including in your . The broader your topic is, the more difficult it is to discuss the full details. This is why you should establish early on the scope and limitations of your paper which will provide the foundation for your research paper outline. An presents a balanced analysis of a subject solely based on facts. The gives you a better idea of creating a well-written outline for your essay. The detailed outline is a tool for organizing ideas, but it can be modified during the writing process (e.g. you might change the order of ideas or add or delete information). The traditional alphanumeric outline below is one of the most common in academic writing. It is easy to construct using the outline features in MS Word. I have students write their two-word position on the top of their outline form—phrases like “somewhat yes” or “decidedly not.” This keeps them laser-focused and on-track, and from a quick across-the-table glance, I know so much about the argument they are forming. You have to find out for yourself what works best for you, though it is fair to say that at least some planning is always a good idea. Think about whether your current practices are serving you well. You know you're planning too little if the first draft of your essays is always a disorganized mess, and you have to spend a disproportionate amount of time creating reverse outlines and cutting and pasting material. You know you're planning too much if you always find yourself writing your paper a day before it's due after spending weeks doing research and devising elaborate plans.
Rhetorical Analysis Essay Outline Example
When you have completed your first draft, and you think your paper can be better organized, consider using a reverse outline. Reverse outlines are simple to create. Just read through your essay, and every time you make a new point, summarize it in the margin. If the essay is reasonably well-organized, you should have one point in the margin for each paragraph, and your points read out in order should form a coherent argument. You might, however, discover that some of your points are repeated at various places in your essay. Other points may be out of place, and additional key points may not appear at all. Think of all these points as the ingredients of an improved outline which you now must create. Use this new outline to cut and paste the sentences into a revised version of your essay, consolidating points that appear in several parts of your essay while eliminating repetition and creating smooth transitions where necessary.
Narrative Essay Outline Example
It is self-evident that a well-planned paper is going to be better organized than a paper that was not planned out. Thinking carefully about how you are going to argue your paper and preparing an outline can only add to the quality of your final product. Nevertheless, some people find it more helpful than others to plan. Those who are good at coming up with ideas but find writing difficult often benefit from planning. By contrast, those who have trouble generating ideas but find writing easy may benefit from starting to write early. Putting pen to paper (or typing away at the keyboard) may be just what is needed to get the ideas to flow.
Expository Essay Outline Example
When writing an essay outline, you may decide to hold off on thinking about your introduction and conclusion until you actually begin writing. It’s important not to forget about these important “bookends” altogether, though, so you may wish to think about how you’re going to introduce and close your essay when you plan your essay outline. You can introduce your essay in a number of different ways, from including an anecdote to asking a question or offering a vivid description. To close your essay, you’ll want to sum up your main points or ideas and avoid bringing in any new information.
Below is an outline sample that you can easily follow for your essay.
Once you have your order and details listed out, you can consider including your ideas for how to transition from one paragraph to the next in your essay outline. Adding transitional phrases or sentences can be done in the last stage of writing your essay, after you have a first draft complete, but it can be helpful to jot down your transition thoughts as early as possible in your essay outline, so you don’t get stuck when you’re ready to transition from one paragraph to the next.