Writing an outline is a crucial step in the essay writing process. An outline helps you organize your thoughts, ideas, and information before drafting the essay. It serves as a roadmap so your essay flows logically and stays focused on the main points.
An effective outline has a few key components:
- Introduction
- Body paragraphs
- Conclusion
The introduction outlines what your essay will be about – it states the main idea or thesis statement. The body paragraphs outline the supporting points, evidence, and examples you’ll use to develop the main idea. The conclusion outlines how you’ll wrap up and restate the core concepts.
Organizing your material
Organizing your material is crucial when creating an essay outline. Grouping related ideas together, using a logical organizing principle, and ensuring sufficient supporting evidence from relevant sources allow you to map out a clear structure for your argument.
Creating categories
When outlining an essay, it’s important to categorize your research material, quotes, and ideas into relevant sections that support your central argument or thesis statement. Look through your notes and try to identify the main themes, subjects, or key points that encompass the different aspects of your argument. Aim to create 2-3 categories or topics that can become the core sections of your outline.
For example, in a literary analysis, you may categorize your evidence based on major thematic elements. Carefully evaluate each category directly related to and strengthen your thesis. Eliminating irrelevant or redundant points will tighten your outline’s focus. Creating well-defined categories helps logically organize your material within the outline before drafting the full essay.
Order of information
After categorizing your research material and evidence into several core topics or sections, you’ll need to determine the optimal order to present them in the body of your outline and eventual essay. While the introduction and conclusion will bookend your paper, the sequence of the main points in between is up to you.
When deciding how to order your categories, consider:
- Is there a natural starting point or subject that should be addressed first to lay the groundwork for your overall argument? Leading with this can provide helpful context.
- Do certain categories flow and transition more logically if addressed in a particular order? Positioning related points together can create better unity.
- Are there points or categories that require setting the stage by first discussing prerequisite information or ideas? Strategically ordering points for clarity may be needed.
The organization of your outline’s body should facilitate a logical progression through your reasoning and evidence. Carefully structuring the sequence can maximize the persuasive impact and cohesiveness of your argument.
Presentation of the outline
When outlining an essay, each paragraph should focus on one main idea or argument point related to your overall topic or thesis statement. You’ll use multiple pieces of evidence, facts, examples, and analysis to thoroughly discuss and support that core paragraph concept.
In your outline, represent each paragraph’s key point as a concise sentence or phrase. Beneath it, use numbered sentences or phrases to list the specific supporting details and analysis you plan to include when writing that paragraph. If a supporting detail needs further broken down, you can use sub-numbering or sub-bullets beneath it.
Here’s a common template for how to structure and present a 5-paragraph essay outline:
Essay outline template
Examples of essay outlines
To better illustrate how to structure and present an effective outline, here are sample templates for three common essay formats:
Argumentative essay outline
This outline is for an argumentative essay about implementing mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policies to protect public health. It uses concise phrases and points to map out the main arguments.
Expository essay outline
This expository essay outline uses concise phrases to summarize the key factors that led to the rise of the opioid addiction crisis in the United States.
Literary analysis essay outline
This outline is for a literary analysis essay that examines the use of symbolic imagery and motifs in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby. It utilizes concise phrases to summarize the main focus of each paragraph, while describing the specific examples and analysis of the symbolic meanings through full sentences.
The body is divided into three paragraphs, each centered on a different symbolic element from the novel – the green light, the Valley of Ashes, and the significance of the book’s titles.