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How to Write an Essay Outline + Essay Outline Examples

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Writing an essay can seem like a daunting task, but one of the best ways to tackle this challenge is to organize your ideas into a well-structured essay outline. This guide will walk you through the process of creating an essay outline, complete with essay outline examples, to ensure your next essay is a masterpiece.

We’ve compiled a variety of essay outline examples to help you understand how to structure your own essay. We'll cover persuasive essays, narrative essays, descriptive essays, expository essays, and even provide a sample research paper outline. Each example will provide you with an idea of how to lay out the structure and details for each type of essay.

Looking for a printable list of essay outline examples? Our printable PDF features essay outline examples and templates that your students can use as examples when writing research papers, or as a supplement for an essay-writing unit

Why write an essay outline? 

An outline serves as the skeleton of your essay, giving you a clear and organized path to articulate your thoughts. Not only does it make writing an essay significantly easier, but it also allows you to present your arguments coherently and effectively.

An essay outline will help you organize your main ideas and determine the order in which you are going to write about them.

Types of essay outlines

Several types of essay outlines can be used when writing an essay. The two most common types are the alphanumeric outline and the decimal outline.

An alphanumeric outline typically uses Roman numerals, capital letters, Arabic numerals, and lowercase letters, in that order. Each level provides a different level of specificity. This structure is a very effective way to think through how you will organize and present the information in your essay. It also helps you develop a strong argumentative essay.

Alternatively, a decimal outline uses only numbers, and each subsection is a decimal subdivision of the main section. This type of outline is often used in scientific papers.

Persuasive essay outline example 

In the following section, we'll explore a persuasive essay outline example on competitive swimming. The purpose of a persuasive essay is to convince the reader of a particular point of view or idea, using compelling arguments and evidence.

In this case, the argument is that competitive swimming is an ideal sport for kids. The essay will present a series of arguments to support this view, demonstrating the various benefits of competitive swimming for children.

Competitive Swimming, an Ideal Sport for Kids

Introduction

Start your argumentative essay outline by stating your point of view and/or presenting your persuasive argument.

Thesis: Competitive swimming is a great alternative to other youth sports.

Body Paragraph 1

Introduce your primary persuasive argument and provide supporting details in your argumentative essay outline.

Topic Sentence:   Competitive swimming provides the same benefits as other sports.

• Detail Sentence 1:   It is good exercise and builds muscular strength.
• Detail Sentence 2:   It promotes cooperation among team members, especially in relays.

Body Paragraph 2

Introduce a secondary argument and provide supporting details.

Topic Sentence:   Competitive swimming provides some unique additional benefits.

• Detail Sentence 1:   Swimming is an important skill that can be used forever.
• Detail Sentence 2:  Swimming poses a reduced risk of injury.
• Detail Sentence 3:   Each swimmer can easily chart his or her own progress.

Conclude your essay writing with a summary of the thesis and persuasive arguments. Brainstorming details that support your point-of-view is a great way to start before creating your outline and first draft.

Concluding Sentence:   There are many reasons why competitive swimming is a great alternative to other youth sports, including...

Narrative essay outline example

In the following section, we will examine a narrative essay outline example titled "How Losing a Swim Meet Made Me a Better Swimmer." Narrative essays aim to tell a story, often about a personal experience, to engage the reader and convey a particular point or lesson.

In this case, the narrative revolves around the author's personal journey of improvement and self-discovery through swimming. The essay will illustrate how an initial setback served as a catalyst for significant improvement and personal growth.

How Losing a Swim Meet Made Me a Better Swimmer

Introduce the subject of your narrative essay using a thesis statement and a plan of development (POD).

Thesis: The first time I participated in a competitive swim meet, I finished in last place. With more focused training and coaching, I was able to finish 2nd in the State Championship meet.

Plan of development:   I was very disappointed in my results from the first meet, so I improved my training and fitness. This helped me swim better and faster, which helped me to greatly improve my results.

Set the scene and provide supporting details. Again, start by brainstorming different ways to begin; then go ahead and craft an outline and a first draft.

Topic Sentence:   I was embarrassed at finishing last in my first competitive swim meet, so I began working on ways to improve my performance.

• Detail Sentence 1:   I spent extra time with my coach and the team captains learning how to improve my technique.
• Detail Sentence 2:   I started running and lifting weights to increase my overall fitness level.

Provide additional supporting details, descriptions, and experiences to develop your general idea in your essay writing.

Topic Sentence:   Over time, my results began to improve and I was able to qualify for the state championship meet.

• Detail Sentence 1:   My technique and fitness level made me faster and able to swim longer distances.
• Detail Sentence 2:  I steadily got better, and I began winning or placing in the top 3 at most of my meets.
• Detail Sentence 3:  My results improved to the point that I was able to qualify for the state championship meet.

Body Paragraph 3

The next step in the writing process is to provide additional supporting details, descriptions, and experiences. You can then divide them up under different headings.

Topic Sentence:   With my new confidence, techniques, and fitness level, I was able to finish 2nd at the state championship meet.

• Detail Sentence 1:   I was able to swim well against a higher level of competition due to my training and technique.
• Detail Sentence 2:  I was no longer embarrassed about my last-place finish, and was able to use it as motivation!

Conclude the narrative essay with a recap of the events described or a reflection on the lesson learned in the story. Briefly summarize the details you included under each heading.

Concluding Sentence:   I used my last-place finish in my first competitive swim meet as motivation to improve my performance.

Descriptive essay outline example

We will now delve into a descriptive essay outline example. Descriptive essays aim to create a vivid and detailed description of a person, place, object, or event to paint a picture for the reader. The intention is to immerse the reader in the subject matter fully.

In this case, the essay provides an in-depth description of a visit to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. The essay will use sensory and descriptive details to create a vivid and memorable experience for the reader.

Visiting the Hockey Hall of Fame

Introduce the subject of your descriptive essay with a thesis statement covering the person, place, object, etc. you are writing about.

Thesis: The Hockey Hall of Fame is full of sights, sounds, and experiences that will delight hockey fans of all ages.

Set the scene and provide factual details.

Topic Sentence:   The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Canada and features exhibits from amateur and professional hockey.

• Detail Sentence 1:   The Hall is located in downtown Toronto and is visited by 1 million people every year.
• Detail Sentence 2:   You can see exhibits ranging from the early beginnings of the sport to the modern NHL and Olympics.

Provide additional sensory details, descriptions, and experiences.

Topic Sentence:   There are many types of exhibits and shows, including activities you can participate in.

• Detail Sentence 1:  Player statues, plaques, and jerseys decorate the walls in every room of the Hall.
• Detail Sentence 2:  Many of the exhibits have movies and multimedia activities that make you feel like you're part of the game.
• Detail Sentence 3:  You can even practice shooting pucks on virtual versions of some of the game's greatest goalies!

Conclude the essay with a paragraph that restates the thesis and recaps the descriptive and sensory details.

Concluding Sentence:   The Hockey Hall of Fame is an experience that combines the best sights, sounds and history of the game in Toronto.

Expository essay outline example

In the following section, we will explore an example of an expository essay. An expository essay aims to explain or describe a topic using logic. It presents a balanced analysis of a topic based on facts—with no references to the writer’s opinions or emotions.

For this example, the topic is "Why The School Year Should be Shorter". This essay will use logic and reason to demonstrate that a shorter school year could provide various benefits for students, teachers, and school districts.

Why The School Year Should be Shorter

Introduce the primary argument or main point of an expository essay, or other types of academic writing, using a thesis statement and context.

Thesis: The school year is too long, and should be shortened to benefit students and teachers, save districts money, and improve test scores and academic results. Other countries have shorter school years, and achieve better results.

Describe the primary argument and provide supporting details and evidence.

Topic Sentence:   A shorter school year would benefit students and teachers by giving them more time off.

• Detail Sentence 1:   Students and teachers would be able to spend more time with their families.
• Detail Sentence 2:  Teachers would be refreshed and rejuvenated and able to teach more effectively.

Provide additional supporting details and evidence, as in this essay outline example.

Topic Sentence:  A shorter school year would save school districts millions of dollars per year.

• Detail Sentence 1:   Districts could save money on energy costs by keeping schools closed longer.
• Detail Sentence 2:  A shorter school year means much lower supply and transportation costs.
• Detail Sentence 3:  Well-rested and happy students would help improve test scores.

Provide additional or supplemental supporting details, evidence, and analysis, as in the essay outline example.

Topic Sentence:   Shortening the school year would also provide many benefits for parents and caregivers.

• Detail Sentence 1:   A shorter school year would mean less stress and running around for parents.
• Detail Sentence 2:  Caregivers would have more balance in their lives with fewer days in the school year.

Conclude the essay with an overview of the main argument, and highlight the importance of your evidence and conclusion.

Concluding Sentence:   Shortening the school year would be a great way to improve the quality of life for students, teachers, and parents while saving money for districts and improving academic results.

Sample research paper outline

Now let’s dive into a research paper outline. Unlike a typical essay, a research paper presents a thorough and detailed study on a specific topic. However, it shares the same foundation with an essay in terms of structuring the ideas logically and coherently. The outline for a research paper includes an introduction, a series of topic points that cover various aspects of the main topic, and a conclusion.

This research paper will explore the background of Mt. Everest, the major explorers who attempted its summit, and the impact of these expeditions on Mt. Everest and the local community.

The Conquest of Mt. Everest

• Location of Mt. Everest
• Geography of the Surrounding Area
• Height of the mountain
• Jomolungma (Tibetan name)
• Sagarmatha (Nepalese name)
• The number of people who have climbed Everest to date
• First to reach the summit (1953)
• Led a team of experienced mountain climbers who worked together
• Norgay was an experienced climber and guide who accompanied Hillary
• Sherpas still used to guide expeditions
• Leader of the failed 1996 expedition
• Led group of (mainly) tourists with little mountain climbing experience
• Loss of trees due to high demand for wood for cooking and heating for tourists.
• Piles of trash left by climbing expeditions
• Expedition fees provide income for the country
• Expeditions provide work for the Sherpas, contributing to the local economy.
• Introduction of motor vehicles
• Introduction of electricity

The Everest essay outline template is based on a research paper submitted by Alexandra Ferber, 9th grade.

Happy writing!

Writing an essay outline is a crucial step in crafting a well-structured and coherent essay. Regardless of the type of essay - be it persuasive, narrative, descriptive, expository, or a research paper - an outline serves as a roadmap that organizes your thoughts and guides your writing process. The various essay outline examples provided above serve as a guide to help you structure your own essay. Remember, the key to a great essay lies not just in the content but in its organization and flow. Happy writing!

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A Complete Essay Outline - Guidelines and Format

By: Nova A.

13 min read

Reviewed By: Melisa C.

Published on: Jan 15, 2019

To write an effective essay, you need to create a clear and well-organized essay outline. An essay outline will shape the essay’s entire content and determine how successful the essay will be.

In this blog post, we'll be going over the basics of essay outlines and provide a template for you to follow. We will also include a few examples so that you can get an idea about how these outlines look when they are put into practice.

Essay writing is not easy, but it becomes much easier with time, practice, and a detailed essay writing guide. Once you have developed your outline, everything else will come together more smoothly.

The key to success in any area is preparation - take the time now to develop a solid outline and then write your essays!

So, let’s get started!

On this Page

What is an Essay Outline?

An essay outline is your essay plan and a roadmap to essay writing. It is the structure of an essay you are about to write. It includes all the main points you have to discuss in each section along with the thesis statement.

Like every house has a map before it is constructed, the same is the importance of an essay outline. You can write an essay without crafting an outline, but you may miss essential information, and it is more time-consuming.

Once the outline is created, there is no chance of missing any important information. Also, it will help you to:

• Organize your thoughts and ideas.
• Understand the information flow.
• Never miss any crucial information or reference.
• Finish your work faster.

These are the reasons if someone asks you why an essay outline is needed. Now there are some points that must be kept in mind before proceeding to craft an essay outline.

Easily Outline Your Essays In Seconds!

Prewriting Process of Essay Outline

Your teacher may ask you to submit your essay outline before your essay. Therefore, you must know the preliminary guidelines that are necessary before writing an essay outline.

Here are the guidelines:

• You must go through your assignments’ guidelines carefully.
• Understand the purpose of your assignment.
• Know your audience.
• Mark the important point while researching your topic data.
• Select the structure of your essay outline; whether you are going to use a decimal point bullet or a simple one.

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How to Write an Essay Outline in 4 Steps

Creating an essay outline is a crucial step in crafting a well-structured and organized piece of writing. Follow these four simple steps to create an effective outline:

Step 1: Understand the Topic

To begin, thoroughly grasp the essence of your essay topic. 

Break it down into its key components and identify the main ideas you want to convey. This step ensures you have a clear direction and focus for your essay.

Step 2: Brainstorm and Gather Ideas

Let your creativity flow and brainstorm ideas related to your topic. 

Jot down key pieces of information, arguments, and supporting evidence that will strengthen your essay's overall message. Consider different perspectives and potential counterarguments to make your essay well-rounded.

Step 3: Organize Your Thoughts

Now it's time to give structure to your ideas. 

Arrange your main points in a logical order, starting with an attention-grabbing introduction, followed by body paragraphs that present your arguments. 

Finally, tie everything together with a compelling conclusion. Remember to use transitional phrases to create smooth transitions between sections.

Step 4: Add Depth with Subpoints

To add depth and clarity to your essay, incorporate subpoints under each main point. 

These subpoints provide more specific details, evidence, or examples that support your main ideas. They help to further strengthen your arguments and make your essay more convincing.

By following these four steps - you'll be well on your way to creating a clear and compelling essay outline.

Essay Outline Format

It is an easy way for you to write your thoughts in an organized manner. It may seem unnecessary and unimportant, but it is not.

It is one of the most crucial steps for essay writing as it shapes your entire essay and aids the writing process.

An essay outline consists of three main parts:

1. Introduction

The introduction body of your essay should be attention-grabbing. It should be written in such a manner that it attracts the reader’s interest. It should also provide background information about the topic for the readers.

You can use a dramatic tone to grab readers’ attention, but it should connect the audience to your thesis statement.

Here are some points without which your introduction paragraph is incomplete.

To attract the reader with the first few opening lines, we use a hook statement. It helps engage the reader and motivates them to read further. There are different types of hook sentences ranging from quotes, rhetorical questions to anecdotes and statistics, and much more.

Are you struggling to come up with an interesting hook? View these hook examples to get inspired!

A thesis statement is stated at the end of your introduction. It is the most important statement of your entire essay. It summarizes the purpose of the essay in one sentence.

The thesis statement tells the readers about the main theme of the essay, and it must be strong and clear. It holds the entire crux of your essay.

Need help creating a strong thesis statement? Check out this guide on thesis statements and learn to write a statement that perfectly captures your main argument!

2. Body Paragraphs

The body paragraphs of an essay are where all the details and evidence come into play. This is where you dive deep into the argument, providing explanations and supporting your ideas with solid evidence. 

If you're writing a persuasive essay, these paragraphs will be the powerhouse that convinces your readers. Similarly, in an argumentative essay, your body paragraphs will work their magic to sway your audience to your side.

Each paragraph should have a topic sentence and no more than one idea. A topic sentence is the crux of the contents of your paragraph. It is essential to keep your reader interested in the essay.

The topic sentence is followed by the supporting points and opinions, which are then justified with strong evidence.

3. Conclusion

When it comes to wrapping up your essay, never underestimate the power of a strong conclusion. Just like the introduction and body paragraphs, the conclusion plays a vital role in providing a sense of closure to your topic. 

To craft an impactful conclusion, it's crucial to summarize the key points discussed in the introduction and body paragraphs. You want to remind your readers of the important information you shared earlier. But keep it concise and to the point. Short, powerful sentences will leave a lasting impression.

Remember, your conclusion shouldn't drag on. Instead, restate your thesis statement and the supporting points you mentioned earlier. And here's a pro tip: go the extra mile and suggest a course of action. It leaves your readers with something to ponder or reflect on.

5 Paragraph Essay Outline Structure

An outline is an essential part of the writing as it helps the writer stay focused. A typical 5 paragraph essay outline example is shown here. This includes:

• State the topic
• Thesis statement
• Introduction
• Explanation
• A conclusion that ties to the thesis
• Summary of the essay
• Restate the thesis statement

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Essay Outline Template

The outline of the essay is the skeleton that you will fill out with the content. Both outline and relevant content are important for a good essay. The content you will add to flesh out the outline should be credible, relevant, and interesting.

The outline structure for the essay is not complex or difficult. No matter which type of essay you write, you either use an alphanumeric structure or a decimal structure for the outline.

Below is an outline sample that you can easily follow for your essay.

Essay Outline Sample

Essay Outline Examples

An essay outline template should follow when you start writing the essay. Every writer should learn how to write an outline for every type of essay and research paper.

Essay outline 4th grade

Essay outline 5th grade

Essay outline high school

Essay outline college

Given below are essay outline examples for different types of essay writing.

Argumentative Essay Outline

An  argumentative essay  is a type of essay that shows both sides of the topic that you are exploring. The argument that presents the basis of the essay should be created by providing evidence and supporting details.

Persuasive Essay Outline

A  persuasive essay  is similar to an argumentative essay. Your job is to provide facts and details to create the argument. In a persuasive essay, you convince your readers of your point of view.

Compare and Contrast Essay Outline

A  compare and contrast essay  explains the similarities and differences between two things. While comparing, you should focus on the differences between two seemingly similar objects. While contrasting, you should focus on the similarities between two different objects.

Narrative Essay Outline

A narrative essay is written to share a story. Normally, a narrative essay is written from a personal point of view in an essay. The basic purpose of the narrative essay is to describe something creatively.

Expository Essay Outline

An  expository essay  is a type of essay that explains, analyzes, and illustrates something for the readers. An expository essay should be unbiased and entirely based on facts. Be sure to use academic resources for your research and cite your sources.

Analytical Essay Outline

An  analytical essay  is written to analyze the topic from a critical point of view. An analytical essay breaks down the content into different parts and explains the topic bit by bit.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Outline

A rhetorical essay is written to examine the writer or artist’s work and develop a great essay. It also includes the discussion.

Cause and Effect Essay Outline

A  cause and effect essay  describes why something happens and examines the consequences of an occurrence or phenomenon. It is also a type of expository essay.

Informative Essay Outline

An  informative essay  is written to inform the audience about different objects, concepts, people, issues, etc.

The main purpose is to respond to the question with a detailed explanation and inform the target audience about the topic.

Synthesis Essay Outline

A  synthesis essay  requires the writer to describe a certain unique viewpoint about the issue or topic. Create a claim about the topic and use different sources and information to prove it.

Literary Analysis Essay Outline

A  literary analysis essay  is written to analyze and examine a novel, book, play, or any other piece of literature. The writer analyzes the different devices such as the ideas, characters, plot, theme, tone, etc., to deliver his message.

Definition Essay Outline

A  definition essay  requires students to pick a particular concept, term, or idea and define it in their own words and according to their understanding.

Descriptive Essay Outline

A  descriptive essay  is a type of essay written to describe a person, place, object, or event. The writer must describe the topic so that the reader can visualize it using their five senses.

Evaluation Essay Outline

Problem Solution Essay Outline

In a problem-solution essay, you are given a problem as a topic and you have to suggest multiple solutions on it.

Scholarship Essay Outline

A  scholarship essay  is required at the time of admission when you are applying for a scholarship. Scholarship essays must be written in a way that should stand alone to help you get a scholarship.

Reflective Essay Outline

A reflective essay  is written to express your own thoughts and point of view regarding a specific topic.

Getting started on your essay? Give this comprehensive essay writing guide a read to make sure you write an effective essay!

With this complete guide, now you understand how to create an outline for your essay successfully. However, if you still can’t write an effective essay, then the best option is to consult a professional academic writing service.

Essay writing is a dull and boring task for some people. So why not get some help instead of wasting your time and effort?  5StarEssays.com is here to help you. All your  do my essay for me  requests are managed by professional essay writers.

Place your order now, and our team of expert academic writers will help you.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the three types of outlines.

Here are the three types of essay outline;

• Working outline
• Speaking outline
• Full-sentence outline

All three types are different from each other and are used for different purposes.

What does a full-sentence outline look like?

A full sentence outline contains full sentences at each level of the essay’s outline. It is similar to an alphanumeric outline and it is a commonly used essay outline.

What is a traditional outline format?

A traditional essay outline begins with writing down all the important points in one place and listing them down and adding sub-topics to them. Besides, it will also include evidence and proof that you will use to back your arguments.

What is the benefit of using a traditional outline format and an informal outline format?

A traditional outline format helps the students in listing down all the important details in one palace while an informal outline will help you coming up with new ideas and highlighting important points

As a Digital Content Strategist, Nova Allison has eight years of experience in writing both technical and scientific content. With a focus on developing online content plans that engage audiences, Nova strives to write pieces that are not only informative but captivating as well.

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Trying to devise a structure for your essay can be one of the most difficult parts of the writing process. Making a detailed outline before you begin writing is a good way to make sure your ideas come across in a clear and logical order. A good outline will also save you time in the revision process, reducing the possibility that your ideas will need to be rearranged once you've written them.

The First Steps

Before you can begin outlining, you need to have a sense of what you will argue in the essay. From your analysis and close readings of primary and/or secondary sources you should have notes, ideas, and possible quotes to cite as evidence. Let's say you are writing about the 1999 Republican Primary and you want to prove that each candidate's financial resources were the most important element in the race. At this point, your notes probably lack much coherent order. Most likely, your ideas are still in the order in which they occurred to you; your notes and possible quotes probably still adhere to the chronology of the sources you've examined. Your goal is to rearrange your ideas, notes, and quotes—the raw material of your essay—into an order that best supports your argument, not the arguments you've read in other people's works. To do this, you have to group your notes into categories and then arrange these categories in a logical order.

Generalizing

The first step is to look over each individual piece of information that you've written and assign it to a general category. Ask yourself, "If I were to file this in a database, what would I file it under?" If, using the example of the Republican Primary, you wrote down an observation about John McCain's views on health care, you might list it under the general category of  "Health care policy." As you go through your notes, try to reuse categories whenever possible. Your goal is to reduce your notes to no more than a page of category listings.

Now examine your category headings. Do any seem repetitive? Do any go together? "McCain's expenditure on ads" and "Bush's expenditure on ads," while not exactly repetitive, could easily combine into a more general category like "Candidates' expenditures on ads." Also, keep an eye out for categories that no longer seem to relate to your argument. Individual pieces of information that at first seemed important can begin to appear irrelevant when grouped into a general category.

Now it's time to generalize again. Examine all your categories and look for common themes. Go through each category and ask yourself, "If I were to place this piece of information in a file cabinet, what would I label that cabinet?" Again, try to reuse labels as often as possible: "Health Care," "Foreign Policy," and "Immigration" can all be contained under "Policy Initiatives." Make these larger categories as general as possible so that there are no more than three or four for a 7-10 page paper.

With your notes grouped into generalized categories, the process of ordering them should be easier. To begin, look at your most general categories. With your thesis in mind, try to find a way that the labels might be arranged in a sentence or two that supports your argument. Let's say your thesis is that financial resources played the most important role in the 1999 Republican Primary. Your four most general categories are "Policy Initiatives," "Financial Resources," "Voters' Concerns," and "Voters' Loyalty." You might come up with the following sentence: ÒAlthough McCain's policy initiatives were closest to the voters' concerns, Bush's financial resources won the voters' loyalty.Ó This sentence should reveal the order of your most general categories. You will begin with an examination of McCain's and Bush's views on important issues and compare them to the voters' top concerns. Then you'll look at both candidates' financial resources and show how Bush could win voters' loyalty through effective use of his resources, despite his less popular policy ideas.

With your most general categories in order, you now must order the smaller categories. To do so, arrange each smaller category into a sentence or two that will support the more general sentence you've just devised. Under the category of "Financial Resources," for instance, you might have the smaller categories of "Ad Expenditure," "Campaign Contributions" and "Fundraising." A sentence that supports your general argument might read: "Bush's early emphasis on fundraising led to greater campaign contributions, allowing him to have a greater ad expenditure than McCain."

The final step of the outlining process is to repeat this procedure on the smallest level, with the original notes that you took for your essay. To order what probably was an unwieldy and disorganized set of information at the beginning of this process, you need now only think of a sentence or two to support your general argument. Under the category "Fundraising," for example, you might have quotes about each candidate's estimation of its importance, statistics about the amount of time each candidate spent fundraising, and an idea about how the importance of fundraising never can be overestimated. Sentences to support your general argument might read: "No candidate has ever raised too much money [your idea]. While both McCain and Bush acknowledged the importance of fundraising [your quotes], the numbers clearly point to Bush as the superior fundraiser [your statistics]." The arrangement of your ideas, quotes, and statistics now should come naturally.

Putting It All Together

With these sentences, you have essentially constructed an outline for your essay. The most general ideas, which you organized in your first sentence, constitute the essay's sections. They follow the order in which you placed them in your sentence. The order of the smaller categories within each larger category (determined by your secondary sentences) indicates the order of the paragraphs within each section. Finally, your last set of sentences about your specific notes should show the order of the sentences within each paragraph. An outline for the essay about the 1999 Republican Primary (showing only the sections worked out here) would look something like this:

I. POLICY INITIATIVES

II.  VOTERS' CONCERNS

III.  FINANCIAL RESOURCES

            A.  Fundraising

                        a.  Original Idea

                        b.  McCain Quote/Bush Quote

                        c.  McCain Statistics/Bush Statistics

            B.  Campaign Contributions

            C.  Ad Expenditure

IV.  VOTERS' LOYALTY

Copyright 2000, David Kornhaber, for the Writing Center at Harvard University

Home / Guides / Writing Guides / Parts of a Paper / How to Write an Essay Outline

How to Write an Essay Outline

It’s 11 p.m., your paper is due tomorrow, and you’re only about halfway done. You’re typing along and when you realize that, wait…you’re actually not a huge fan of your argument or the supporting examples you’re using. Your options are to haphazardly keep writing or to backtrack and rehash what you’ve already done. Ugh. Unsurprisingly, both options aren’t great.

This scenario is scary, but totally avoidable! Though it’s tempting to just start writing, one of the best steps you can take before you type a single word is to create an outline for your paper. By taking the time to write a paper outline, you can prevent the scenario above and make your writing process a cinch!

Guide Overview

What is a paper outline, why it’s worth writing an outline.

• Step 1: gather your relevant materials
• Step 2: create your thesis
• Step 3: find examples
• Step 4: analyze your examples
• Step 5: arrange your examples

A paper outline is a skeletal version of your paper. Another way to think about an outline is to view it as a roadmap. An outline helps you organize and streamline your thoughts ahead of time. By front loading this work, you allow the eventual writing process to be much easier: instead of having to backtrack and see if your paper makes sense, you can refer to your outline and be rest assured that you’re on the right track.

It’s understandable if you think it’s not worth the time to write an outline. After all, writing a paper in itself is a lot of work – why add an extra step?

Here’s the secret: creating an outline and then writing your paper takes about the same amount of time as jumping straight into writing your paper. Why? By immediately writing, you run the risk of having to go back and see if the flow of your paper makes sense. Backtracking takes up a lot of time: having to go back and revise your paper because you missed a point can be a pain.

Taking the time to outline your paper gives you the space to see what arguments work, which examples to include, and more. Doing this prep work ahead of time prevents you from having to do it while in the middle of your paper. Your completed outline serves as a solid reference as you write your assignment. In an ideal world, your outline should be so thorough that the writing process is essentially just you converting your bullet points into sentences that flow together!

How to outline a paper

Step 1: gather your relevant materials.

The first step to take when outlining a paper is to gather all your relevant materials. If you’re writing a paper about a book you’re reading in class, start thinking about which passages from the book are relevant to your prompt. If you’re writing a paper about a broader topic, identify what sources you’ll need to construct your argument.

Pro tip: Avoid plagiarism and keep track of the sources you’re using at EasyBib.com! Easily create an APA or MLA format citation , try out our Chicago citation generator , and find help for other citation styles.

Step 2: Create your thesis

After you’ve compiled your materials, start thinking about your thesis statement. Revisit your assignment prompt, peruse your materials, and determine what your viewpoint is regarding the prompt.

Step 3: Find examples

Once you have your thesis, come up with ways to support it. Identify the quotes you need or the arguments you want to utilize in order to bolster your thesis.

Step 4: Analyze Your Examples

Write 3-4 bullet points connecting your examples to your thesis. The analysis part of your paper is the meat of your paper, so feel free to take as much time as you want during this step.

Step 5: Arrange Your Examples

Now that you have your examples and analysis, arrange them in a logical way that helps you develop and support your thesis. This is the step in which you can start copying and pasting your notes into an outline that mimics the flow of your paper. By the end of this step, you should have a solid outline!

Here’s a template for a five paragraph essay you can use for your papers moving forward:

Before you jump into writing your paper, it might pay to take a quick look at our EasyBib grammar guides . Discover what an abstract noun is, read a determiner definition , see the difference between regular and irregular verbs , and get familiar with other parts of speech.

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• Writing a Summary

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How to Write an Essay Outline

Have you ever tried writing an essay without an outline? If you have, chances are your ideas went all over the place even though you started out with a specific goal in mind. So when your professor reads the paper, they won’t know what points you’re trying to make or how those points support your thesis statement. If they can’t understand what they’re reading, there’s no way they’ll grade it an A+.

That’s why you should have an essay outline to organize your research or opinions in a way that makes sense for readers. An essay outline helps you structure your writing in a logical flow to get your ideas across more effectively, which also improves your overall writing quality . As such, it also ensures that you don’t accidentally leave out the most critical points you want to convey.

If you’re reading this, you probably don’t know how to write an outline for an essay (yet) or you want to get better at it. That’s exactly what this guide will help you with. You’ll discover what goes into an essay outline and how you can write one for your next paper. Let’s get started.

What is an outline?

An outline is an organization tool that helps authors plan their writing before they start. In other words, it’s a roadmap or a blueprint of your paper. It acts as the foundation of your piece, listing out the main ideas in a logical structure that flows well. Having a topical outline in place also makes it easier to remember all the points you need to form a strong argument or support your opinions.

Although an essay outline isn’t mandatory, it helps you get the job done faster and more easily. When you start writing without a proper plan in mind, however, there could be a lot of restructuring and rewriting. This not only takes time but can be mentally taxing, and you can’t afford that especially when you have other classes to catch up with.

Writing an essay outline involves a few steps – preparation, structuring, and organization. Since this can be a lot of work, it’s best to learn from a writing tutor who will guide you through the entire process and give you hands-on training. That doesn’t mean it’s impossible to learn it on your own, and this guide will give you all the basic ideas you need to cover when creating an outline.

Key elements of an essay outline

Regardless of what type of essay you’re writing, a formal essay outline typically has three essential elements – the introduction, the body, and the conclusion. Let’s take a closer look at each of these components:

The introduction

This is the section where you’ll introduce readers to your topic and describe why you’re writing about it. It needs to be relevant and attention-grabbing. When writing a college research paper outline, be sure to mention the topic and the thesis statement in your introduction.

Starting your outline with a thesis statement will give you a better sense of how to support the ideas and arguments you present in the body.

This is the section that will contain the most information and it’s where you’ll present ideas and arguments to support your thesis. It should have a minimum of three paragraphs and your outline should touch on each of them.

For each paragraph, note the topic or idea you’ll be discussing. Don’t forget to include the supporting evidence such as data, examples, expert opinions, and facts you plan to use for each paragraph.

The conclusion

This is the section where you wrap up the essay and remind readers about the points you were trying to make. Start by paraphrasing your thesis statement and summarize the purpose of your paper.

Outline formatting

In general, most formal essay outlines use a linear formatting style. This involves ranking your points or arguments in order of importance. So for example, you’ll start by discussing the most important point at the top of your essay body and then gradually move downward.

Considering all these elements, your essay outline will typically look like this:

3 Questions to ask before creating an outline

Before you’re ready to create your essay outline, ask yourself the following questions so you can start with a strong direction. Having all this information in place will make it easier to put together your outline:

1: What’s your goal?

What’s the purpose of writing this paper? Perhaps you want to inform your readers about a specific topic or maybe you want to persuade them to accept your argument. Identifying your goal will help you form a strong thesis statement as well.

2: Who will read it?

For whom are you writing your essay? Yes, you’ll consider writing for a professor when preparing a college research paper outline, but they aren’t your only target audience. Perhaps you’re writing for your classmates and peers, or you’re writing for experts in your field.

If you’re writing a college application essay, for instance, your target audience will be the members of the admissions committee. This means you should be writing for students, staff, and professors alike.

Identifying your target audience will help you understand how to form convincing arguments while considering their knowledge and points of view.

3: What’s your thesis statement?

Now based on the goal of your essay, come up with a strong thesis statement that details your argument and draws in the readers.

Structuring your outline

Once you have a goal and a thesis statement ready, it’s time to structure your essay outline. You can either use an alphanumeric outline structure like we’ve done in the above example, or you can also go for a decimal structure depending on what’s clearer to you.

Alphanumeric format:

Decimal format:

Remember, this isn’t your full essay yet so feel free to briefly outline your ideas in fragmented sentences. However, a college research paper outline will most likely need complete sentences if your professor is going to review it. This will help them understand the ideas and arguments you plan on presenting in your essay.

Putting this all together

Now let’s get to the main event – organizing your essay outline. Follow the topical outline structure of your choice and begin by outlining the introduction. In a sentence, describe the topic you’re writing about. Then follow up with your thesis statement.

You might also want to include an essay hook to make your paper even more enticing for readers. An essay hook is the opening sentence of your introduction, which instantly draws in readers and makes them want to read the entire piece. It could be anything from a relevant quote or a common misconception to an anecdote or a personal story.

Next, outline the body of your essay by noting down the topic or argument for each paragraph. Include the supporting evidence you plan on using such as stats , facts, examples, and expert opinions. Don’t forget to mention how the evidence ties in with the topic and thesis statement.

It will help to include a transition sentence in each paragraph so you can quickly structure your arguments in a logical flow. When you add more details to your essay outline, you’ll find it much easier to organize all the info as you write.

Finally, end it with an outline of your essay conclusion. Make sure you restate your thesis statement to remind your readers of your argument. Then follow up with a concluding statement to validate your thesis and propose any solution or plan to address the issue discussed in your essay.

Outline examples for different types of essays

While it’s helpful to read articles that tell you what to do and how to do it, working with a personal English tutor can give you a much more practical experience in writing essay outlines. Another excellent solution is to learn from example . So we’ve put together outline examples for the most popular types of essays:

Argumentative essay outline example

An argumentative essay, also known as a persuasive essay, involves using logical arguments to support your opinion and persuade readers. This type of persuasive writing will require solid evidence to back up your theory or argument such as facts, research, and examples.

Narrative essay outline example

A narrative essay is a form of descriptive writing where you narrate a story based on your personal experience or point of view. This is the easiest type of essay because it doesn’t require any research or supporting evidence. However, the most challenging part is providing specific and sensory details that would help readers understand your point of view.

Research essay outline example

A research essay is a form of academic writing which involves analyzing the works of other people on a certain topic and build on them using your own opinions or ideas. This is the most common type of essay you’ll have to write as a grad or post-grad student. It can be challenging as it requires plenty of research, coupled with original ideas and critical thinking.

Get ready to write sensational essays

All the tips and examples we’ve provided above will help you understand how and where to begin your essay writing process . It all starts with a good essay outline to organize your thoughts and structure your writing flow. Otherwise, you’ll end up losing your train of thought while you’re in the middle of writing. So make the most of our guide to develop your essay and outline writing skills.

Jacqueline Zote is a copywriter with a passion for all things relating to the English language. Her interests range from pop culture and mythology to social activism. Her short fiction has appeared in anthologies published by HarperCollins Publishers and Zubaan Books.

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How to Write an Essay Outline

Writing a comprehensive outline will save hours of writing and editing time, so it’s essential to master. Coming up with outlines is useful beyond just academics, any project you undertake will benefit from a well-structured outline. This article will cover everything you need to know about writing an essay outline and contains several handy templates!

What Is an Essay Outline?

Put simply, an essay outline is a brief plan of your paper. It lays out the structure of the essay, it includes all the main points, and it collects all your research and information. A good outline for essay writing helps you think about how the information will flow and makes sure that you have a plan moving forward. 

There can be many kinds of outlines depending on citation style and type of essay, but the key thing about all of them is that they help arrange and organize your main points to make the writing process easier.

How to Write an Outline For an Essay ?

Almost all forms of writing can benefit from an outline. An academic essay usually follows the classic 5 paragraph format of essay writing, so that’s a good way to start structuring your outline. This means you’ll have an introduction section, 3 body paragraph sections, and a conclusion section. 

An outline is just for you, so don’t worry too much about making it perfect, no one else is going to see it. Fill it with as much information as you need, but remember that outline essay writing is supposed to help you organize the final essay. In case you need to hand in your outline this article covers more structured outlining as well and has several templates for you to follow.

Outline Writing Tips 

Keep these things in mind when creating an outline of an essay

• Collect all your information in one place and they see what fits into your outline. 
• Your outline will go through many drafts, don’t feel pressure to make the first version perfect
• Follow a template and fill in the blanks, this will make sure your outline has some flow. But make sure you spend time restructuring the information, no template is perfect and you may see better ways of organizing your essay.
• Work on your thesis before you start outlining. This will help structure the outline and make sure you only include relevant information. 

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General Essay Outline Format

If your outline needs to be submitted to your teacher then they may ask you to follow a specific outline format for the essay, these are discussed after this section. If you just need an outline for yourself, then this is a simple and short essay outline template to follow. Remember, this is YOUR outline, add things, skip sections, draw arrows, do whatever you need to to make it work for you.

• The title of your essay
• Your teacher’s name
• The name of the course
• Introduction
• A catchy hook
• Two sentence summary of the purpose of your paper
• Your thesis statement
• Transition sentence to the first body paragraph
• Body Paragraph 1
• First main point, argument, or piece of evidence
• How it connects to your thesis
• Transition sentence to the second body paragraph
• Body Paragraph 2
• Second main point, argument, or piece of evidence
• Transition sentence to the third body paragraph
• Body Paragraph 3
• Third main point, argument, or piece of evidence
• Transition sentence to the conclusion
• Summary of the main points of the paper
• Your main conclusion
• Reiterate your thesis statement
• Works Cited/Bibliography

How to create an essay outline in MLA and APA styles

You’re probably familiar with the two main citation styles in use  - Modern Language Association (MLA) and American Psychological Association (APA). MLA is used for literature studies, philology, linguistics, etc. while APA is used for psychology, science, education studies, etc. 

In general, there are 2 types of outlines, a basic outline, and full sentence outline. The only difference between them is that a full sentence outline requires the use of full sentences in headings and a basic outline doesn’t. Ask your teacher which one is preferred if they want you to hand in an outline and they haven’t specified. In the next sections you’ll find an essay outline example in MLA and APA styles.

MLA Essay Outline Template

Though there is no specific format for an MLA outline, you should follow the general MLA format (double-spaced and Times New Roman 12 pt. font). Use an alphanumeric outline structure:

• Headings in Roman numerals (I, II, III), 
• Subheadings in uppercase letters (A, B, C); 
• Then numbers (1, 2, 3) 
• And finally lowercase letters (a, b, c). 
• Make sure to add a period to each one. 

Here’s a sample basic outline for an essay in MLA style to make things clear. 

• Introduction - Why the pyramids were confusing to Europeans
• Summary - Europeans had misconceptions about Africa
• Thesis statement - A lack of information, eurocentric pride, and disdain for Africa led to doubts about the origins of the pyramids
• Body paragraph 1 - Age of the pyramids
• First point - How they were discovered
• Explanation - Why the pyramids seemed impossible
• Subpoin - Tool use and geometry 
• Transition - European discovery
• Body paragraph 2 - Discovered by Europeans in the 1800s
• First point - Colonial mindset
• Explanation - Misconceptions about ancient Africa
• Transition - Modern findings
• Body paragraph 3 - The evidence
• First point - New analysis of ancient building techniques
• Explanation - Could have been done with hard work and dedication
• Transition - Not aliens
• Conclusion - An example of prejudiced thinking
• Summary - The story of how pyramids were understood
• Thesis - The past was strange
• Conclusion - We know better now

APA Essay Outline Template

APA has a specified format for outlines. The headings format is alphanumeric like for MLA outlines, but there are 3 types of APA outlines - APA basic format, full sentence format, and decimal format. ‍

APA basic format and full sentence format use the following heading structure:

• Main Heading use Roman Numerals
• The first level of subheadings use capital letters
• Further subheadings use numbers 
• Further subheadings use lower-case letters.
• Further subheadings use numbers in parentheses

The only difference between APA basic format and full sentence format is that you write a full sentence rather than just a fragment for each point. 

The only difference between the decimal format and the other two is that it uses a different numbering system.

Decimal format example:

• First heading is 1.0.
• First paragraph in the first heading is 1.1.
• First point of your first paragraph is 1.1.1.
• Second sentence of your first paragraph is 1.1.2.
• Third sentence of your second paragraph is 1.2.3.
• Second heading is 2.0.
• Third sentence in the second paragraph under the second heading is 2.2.3.

If that seems complicated, don’t worry! It’s very rarely asked for and it’s very simple to get used to. 

Here’s a full sentence APA template to go over.

• Introduction - The pyramids have been fascinating to people since they were first constructed over 6000 years ago, but when they were re-discovered by Europeans some absurd theories came into existence.
• Summary - European misconceptions about ancient tools and building techniques as well as African history led to many misconceptions.
• Thesis statement - A lack of information, eurocentric pride, and disdain for Africa led to doubts about the origins of the pyramids.
• Body paragraph 1 - It’s staggering to think that the ancient Egyptians were as old to the ancient Romans as the ancient Romans are to us now.
• First point - The pyramids have been visible and famous since they were constructed, but Europeans visiting Egypt in the middle ages claim to have rediscovered them and did not believe in their African origins.
• Explanation - The massive size and fine construction of the pyramids made it seem impossible.
• Subpoin - Knowledge of what building tools and methods were available in ancient Egypt were not available.
• Subpoin - The size and precision cutting of the stones stumped scientists.
• Transition - The enlightenment and age of science helped solve some of these mysteries.
• Body paragraph 2 - It wasn’t till Napoleon in the 18th century that European scientists started analyzing ancient Egyptian culture.
• First point - Till then, the prevailing colonial mindset was just to loot and plunder as much as possible.
• Explanation - Europe had a dogma of “civilizing the savages”.
• Transition - These new scientific studies started unearthing clues to how the pyramids were constructed.
• Body paragraph 3 - After 1940 many expeditions and excavations took place and since the 1980s many questions have been answered.
• First point - The discovery of the village of workers made it clear that the pyramids were of African Origin.
• Explanation - A greater understanding of ancient Egyptian culture based on scientific data gave more evidence.
• Transition - Finally people could confidently answer that it wasn’t aliens!
• Conclusion - This was a glaring example of prejudiced thinking during the middle ages.
• Summary - The story of how pyramids were understood is connected to the discovery of how ancient Egypt used to be.
• Conclusion - We can learn not to judge before we have reliable data and evidence.

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Find your essay outline template by your essay type

Different types of essays need different kinds of information and some have unique structures of their own. In this section you’ll find simple essay outline templates for 5 common essay types.

Argumentative essay outline example

An argumentative essay uses evidence and logic to convince the reader that your point of view on an issue is correct. An outline is especially useful for this type of essay since it helps organize your arguments. Take a look at this outline example for essay template. 

• Background information
• First argument
• Second argument
• Opposing argument 1
• Your counterclaim with the evidence
• Opposing argument 2
• Summary of your main arguments
• Importance of your viewpoint

Expository essay outline example

An expository essay presents facts from both sides of an issue and makes an unbiased observation at the end. Keep your own opinions and emotions out of this type of essay. An outline can help arrange the various perspectives as well as make sure you don’t accidentally show bias. Here’s a template for you to follow.

• Present your topic
• First topic sentence
• Evidence 
• Analysis 
• Transition 
• Second topic Sentence
• Third topic Sentence
• Summary of the main points
• Importance of the topic 
• Possible further research

Reflective essay outline example

Reflective essays are one of the most fun essays to write. They ask you to write about an experience in your life and analyze how it impacted you. These are less formal than typical academic essays and are usually written in the first person (so use personal pronouns like “I”). These types of essays offer a lot of freedom so there is no particular way to write them, still, an outline can help organize your thoughts and clarify which emotions, feelings, and sensations you want to write about.

• Teaser for the full story
• Introduce the story
• Antagonist/conflict
• The build-up
• Details about the conflict
• Role of characters 
• The resolution of the climax
• The conclusion of the story 
• Summary of the events
• What you learned
• How it impacted you

Compare and contrast essay outline example

Compare and contrast essays ask you to analyze two things and examine any connections. This type of essay isn’t as formal or structured as expository essays so you don’t have to follow a specific structure. An outline is helpful to collect all the information and to help draw conclusions though, so here’s an example outline.

• Background information about the 2 points
• Connect point 1 and point 2
• Similarities
• Differences
• Comparisons
• Conclusions from analysis
• Other points to compare against
• Further research

Research essay outline example

A research essay requires finding reputable sources, analyzing and synthesizing information, and presenting your conclusion backed by evidence. These are popular assignments because they require critical thinking skills as well as research skills. Always use an outline if you’re assigned a research essay, it will help organize information and shorten writing time.

• First research finding
• Second research finding
• Analysis of research
• What you agree with and why with the evidence
• What you disagree with and why with the evidence
• Summary of research
• Importance of research

Quick Wrap Up

There is no denying that an outline helps with the writing process. Famous authors, YouTube scripts, speechwriters, everyone uses outlines to help organize their thoughts and present information effectively. Make sure you master this skill because it’s going to be useful throughout your life. 

If an outline is just for you (it’s not going to be given to a teacher) then follow a template, but there’s no reason to stick to it exactly. Draw on it, add sections, delete sections, do whatever you need to do to make the information you have to make the most sense to you. On the other hand, if it’s supposed to be handed in, check what format it’s supposed to be in and follow the format. 

The specific templates in this article are a good starting point, but you may need to add body paragraphs or make other minor changes here and there. After all, a template is just a guide.  

Hopefully, this article has given you tips, outlines, and a bunch of other helpful information, but if you need any help essay writer service or custom essay writing ,  Studyfy also offers custom essay writing services , " write my admission essay " service and coursework writing service help. If you need a top-quality paper that meets all your requirements, just say, write my paper for me , and our essay writers online will take care of the rest. Our custom essay writing services are designed to help you achieve academic success and get good grades. Trust us to provide you with the best possible outcome and reach out to us today to learn more about our services.

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How to Write an Essay Outline: MLA and APA Styles

Outlining is a form of organization which is used among authors of all writing styles. The common organizational method allows writers to list all of their research and ideas in one place before the writing process starts. Understanding the general college essay outline can go a long way in getting your thoughts structured, as well as positive feedback from your professor. Take a look at this guide from our coursework writing services team to learn how to write an outline.

What Is an Outline?

An essay outline is one of the main planning methods when it comes to writing academic papers, scholarly articles, informative guides, novels, and encyclopedias. The everyday paper outline contains the headings: Introduction, Body, and Conclusion. Every source is organized by relevance to strengthen the writing process. There are various formats when it comes to outlining, but the main formats required for a college essay outline is MLA and APA.

Regardless of whether you’re writing an MLA or APA outline, the organizational process remains the same with some minor differences. The main difference being APA uses abstracts, as it requires one or two sentences per line. APA is used for humanities, as MLA is used more for social studies. Other than that, the simple outline remains the same for any kind of academic paper structure.

How to Write an Outline?

The most common college essay is 5 paragraphs. Thus, an easy way to remember the general format of a writing plan is to think of it as planning a 5 paragraph essay outline where students would write an Introduction, Thesis, Body, and Conclusion. Then, fit a total of 5 paragraphs within the basic structure. The same practice can be done with planning, except rather than paragraphs, it’s notes. The exact same method would apply to an argumentative essay outline and any other kind of paper structure throughout and beyond college.

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The Key-Elements to Outlining

• Research & Notes: Before the writing process, it is essential to find credible sources and note them down. Search across credible websites, as well as academic search engines, Google Scholar or Oxford Academic, to find reliable references to include in an academic paper.
• Prioritize Your Thesis: As the thesis statement is a summary of the entire paper, start prioritizing it before working on the other sections of the outline. The thesis can guide you along the planning and writing process.
• Write Your Ideas: Assuming you have already written out the basic headings of an outline, write down all of the key points from your found sources in the Thesis and Body sections.
• Where to Include References: For cause and effect, AP English examinations, SAT essays, admission essays, along with other formal writing styles, all of the references are included in the body section. Excluding reflection paper and analytical papers, where it’s acceptable to include a citation within the introductory paragraph.
• Introduction: For most academic styles, the introduction is the opening line to the paper. Thus, it is essential to plan something catchy within the outline. As mentioned, writing styles, for example, reflection essay or analytical paper, allow for the use of citation as an opening.
• The Conclusion: The entire paper should be summarized in the final paragraph, restating the thesis in the first sentence, adding suggestions, predictions, and/or opinions in the sentences that follow. As for the final sentence, it should summarize the goal of the paper.

General Outline Format

Here is an outline format from our business essay writing services professionals:

• Essay Title:
• Student Name:
• Professor’s Name:
• Class (Optional)

Introduction

• Opening Paragraph.
• Brief Description of the Entire Paper.
• Link Sentence to the First Body Paragraph.

Body Paragraph 1

• Evidence/Reference.
• Explanation (Related to the Thesis).
• Link Sentence to the Second Body Paragraph.

Body Paragraph 2

• Link Sentence to the Third Body Paragraph.

Body Paragraph 3

• Link Sentence to the Conclusion.
• Summary of the Entire Paper.
• A Conclusive Sentence.
• Footnotes or Bibliography

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Outline Examples

We understand that it may be difficult to differentiate between an MLA & APA Outline. The methods both depend on the referencing styles. APA outlining makes the use of abstracts, as MLA uses sentence citations. In an MLA outline, a title page is not necessary. As the APA referencing style requires it, include it on the outline. Take a look at an outline example below to get a better idea.

MLA Outline Example

• Introductory Sentence: Stonehenge is a vast hub for ancient history.
• Link Sentence to the Thesis: Standing 13 feet high, it is one of the oldest structures in the UK.
• Description of the Paper: The paper describes how Stonehenge was built and its purpose.
• First Argument/Claim: Stonehenge was built in 3001BC.
• Second Argument/Claim: Stonehenge is known to be a place for religious worship.
• Third Argument/Claim: Other Stonehenge-like structures exist around Europe.
• Reference: The circulation ditch around Stonehenge is believed to have been constructed around the year 3000BC, according to studies.
• Explanation/Claim: Around the end of stone-age, pagans got together and built the first segment to what has become stone-henge.
• Link Sentence: Which brings up the matter of belief.
• Reference: During the late Tudor era, most people believed that ancient Britons placed the stones for the sole purpose of religious practice.
• Explanation/Claim: From the late 2nd millennium AD to modern day, the practice of Paganism is the common explanation for the reason why stone-henge was built.
• Link Sentence: More evidence emerges regarding the mysterious structure.
• Reference: Around 1100 BC, Stonehenge-like stones emerged.
• Explanation/Claim : The structure is believed to have been built by migrants.
• Link Sentence:
• Summary of the Paper: Overall, the ancient stones have caused great interest throughout human history with science and assumptions.
• Conclusive Sentence: No one knows for sure how they were built.
• “History of Stonehenge” https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehenge/history-and-stories/history/
• “Why Was Stonehenge Built?” https://www.history.com/news/why-was-stonehenge-built
• “Stonehenge Is Not Alone: 7 Ancient Megaliths You've Never Seen.” https://www.fromthegrapevine.com/travel/stonehenge-not-alone-7-ancient-megaliths-youve-never-seen

APA Outline Example

• Title: The Dangers of Using Cell-Phones
• Student Name: Jake Smith
• Professor’s Name: Dr. Stephen Miller
• Class (Optional): Class of 2019
• Introductory Sentence: Mobile phones have taken a drastic effect on our daily lives in the worst possible way.
• Link Sentence to the Thesis: The everyday use of mobile technology has gone out of control.
• Description: The paper describes the regular dangers and negative effects on humans regarding cell-phone usage. The ordeal can be life-threatening, or simply socially depriving.
• First argument: High amounts of cell-phone usage results in negative health consequences.
• Second Argument: Cell-phone usage has a negative effect on human interaction.
• Third Argument: Texting while driving is worse than drinking and driving.
• Evidence/Reference: “Mobile phones communicate with base stations using radiofrequency (RF) radiation. If RF radiation is high enough, it has a ‘thermal’ effect, which means it raises body temperature. There are concerns that the low levels of RF radiation emitted by mobile phones could cause health problems such as headaches or brain tumors.” (“Mobile phones and your health”)
• Explanation/Claim: The radiation from phones possesses cancerous elements after long-term usage. In other words, one’s long-term cell-phone usage can put him or herself at risk of terminal illness, or worse. There is still a lack of evidence to this claim as cell-phones have not been around for very long.
• Link Sentence: Which brings us to how cell-phones are destroying human interaction.
• Evidence/Reference: “Sherry Turkle argues that the use of cell phones while in social situations affects the quality of human conversation. Turkle says that it makes people less open and honest in conversation. She also says it makes people less empathetic. She uses a school of children as an example, stating that the children do not seem to be able to understand each other or show empathy toward each other.” (“Cell-Phones and Human Interaction.”)
• Explanation/Claim: Mobile phone usage has gotten to the extent that humans are no longer communicating. Families go out to restaurants, cafes, and parks without interacting with each other due to their addiction to cell-phones. Humans have also possessed far less empathy compared with 15 years ago due to the missing interaction that could have been obtained during this time period. This shows mostly in school children who have been born into this way of life.
• Link Sentence: Apart from that, cell-phone usage while driving also comes with life-threatening risks.
• Evidence/Reference: “The Transport Research Laboratory found that motorists who use their mobile phone to send text messages (...) the research found, with steering control by texters 91 percent poorer than that of drivers devoting their full concentration to the road.” (“Texting while driving is more dangerous than drink-driving.” )
• Explanation/Claim: Using a mobile device while driving a motor vehicle has more of a drastic effect than drink-driving. On record, there have been more deaths around the world from text-driving and drink-driving.
• Link Sentence to the Conclusion: Humans are completely addicted to mobile phones, to the extent of dangerous driving, health-risks, and a lack of interaction.
• Summary of the Entire Paper: Restate the Thesis.
• Conclusive Sentence: The continuation of excessive usage of mobile phones is becoming a major threat to mankind in every aspect possible.
• “Mobile Phones and Your Health” https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/HealthyLiving/mobile-phones-and-your-health
• “Cell Phones and Human Interaction.” https://www.theodysseyonline.com/cell-phones-and-human-interaction
• “Texting While Driving Is More Dangerous Than Drink-Driving,” http://www.amta.org.au/articles/amta/Texting.while.driving.is.more.dangerous.than.drinkdriving

We also recommend reading The Divine Comedy Summary , our readers like it a lot, and it may also be helpful in writing essays.

Regardless of the writing style, the main essay format acts as a helping hand in multiple ways to any kind of author. Knowing the general plan of an essay can highly benefit those writing their everyday college paper or dissertation by having all of the ideas and references on a writing plan. For example, a persuasive essay outline does not differentiate from a research paper plan. Thus, knowing the general outline format can make producing academic papers far easier by simplifying the entire writing process. Sometimes when you start writing an essay, you may encounter various difficulties like not understanding the topic, lack of time, too tired. You may ask yourself "I want to pay someone to write my paper . Can anyone help me?" Sure! On EssayPro we can give you a hand! Just leave us a request and we'll help asap.

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Are you still having difficulty outlining? Our writers are here to give you a hand to create a well-structured essay outline with references and unique ideas included. Regardless of the subject, academic level, or outline format required, we have got you covered. Click on the button below if you have the " write research paper for me " request or need any other help.

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How to Write an Essay Outline?

28 August, 2020

8 minutes read

Author:  Tomas White

Now that the school year has begun, you will start to receive many essay assignments. One way to organize your thoughts before writing is to create an essay outline. What is an essay outline? It's a tool that helps you organize your ideas and write a better essay. In this article, we will discuss why writing an outline for your essay is helpful, how it will improve your writing, and how to go about creating one.

What is an Essay Outline?

An outline is a tool that you can use for organizing your ideas and structuring your essay in a proper manner. It should summarize your essay and help you organize your content in a logical order. An outline can guide you throughout the writing process and remind you of what you should be writing about. Most commonly, an essay is written following a 5-paragraph structure, addressing the key points that you have laid out in the outline. Below, you will find more about the proper structure of your essay outline and what these 5 paragraphs should include.

Why Do You Need It?

Sitting down to write an essay can be overwhelming. Writing an outline helps alleviate some of that frustration. Furthermore, it will help you organize thoughts, present ideas logically and with a natural flow, as well as clarify your thesis and conclusion.

Find out the basic essay information with this article: What is an Essay?

Overall, an outline will help you communicate your point in a clear and organized format. The structure of your essay will rely on the outline you compose.

Preparing Your Outline

Before you begin writing an outline for the essay, make sure you understand the assignment. Namely, what exactly is the instructor looking for? Our  essay writer  recommends you to follow these simple steps:

1. Develop a Topic

The first step in your outline is to identify your topic. Once you have a clear understanding of the instructor’s expectations, begin brainstorming topics that fit within the assignment. Make a list of ideas and pick the ones that are of your interest. If you are stuck between a few ideas, begin free writing. Give yourself 5 minutes for each idea and just write everything that first comes to mind without editing or stopping. The idea that inspires you the most may just be the perfect essay topic for this assignment. In fact, essays are easier to write and read if the author is passionate about what he/she is writing.

Related Posts: Argumentative essay topics | Compare&Contrast essay topics

2. Identify the purpose, audience, and argument/ideas

Once you have developed a topic, you will need to define the purpose (or the reason) for writing this essay as well as who you are writing for. By having a clear understanding of the purpose, the audience, and the necessary arguments/ideas that need to be addressed, you will be better prepared to write an influential essay.

Take a second to look back over the instructions for the assignment and ask yourself the following questions.

• What are the objectives of the assignment?
• Are there keywords that stand out in the instructions?
• Are you being asked to persuade, entertain, enlighten, or educate your audience?
• Who is your audience? Is it the teacher, the other students, or someone else?
• What arguments or counter ideas might the audience have for your topic/idea?
• What emotions might these ideas bring up and how can you counterbalance them with facts?

3. Develop a thesis statement

Now that you know your topic, purpose, audience and have developed your main arguments/ideas – it is time to write your thesis statement . A thesis is only one to two sentences long and highlights the question your essay will be answering. It does not state your opinion or list facts though, but rather identifies what you will be arguing for or against within the body of your essay. Keep in mind that thesis statements must be accurate, clear, and relevant to the topic.

Structuring Your Outline

Now that you have read the above information, the question is:  how to write an essay outline?

First, decide on what structure to use. There are two main essay outline formats to choose from:   alphanumeric and decimal .

The alphanumeric format uses Roman numerals (I, II, III, IV, etc), capital letters (A, B, C, D, etc.), Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, 4, etc.), and lowercase letters (a, b, c, d, etc.).  This one is more common than the other.

On the contrary, the decimal format only uses numbers. It begins with 1.0. Subsections add a decimal. The most important points under 1.0 would be 1.1, 1.2, etc. The subsections beneath 1.1 would be 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.1.3, etc. For a visual example of an essay outline scroll to the bottom of this article.

For the visual examples of the stated outline formats, scroll down to the bottom of this article.

Apply sub-section structure. The more detailed content of your essay will be found within the sub-sections, while the main sections are your fundamental ideas and arguments. Therefore, the sub-sections are the facts that support main sections. Think of the section title as the topic sentence for your paragraph and the sub-section as the tiny details that explain the idea of the topic. Notably, your sub-sections need to flow naturally from one to another.

Integrate paragraphs into your outline. Start fleshing out your section and subsection notes. Your introduction will need to include your topic and thesis statement. For a short essay, this only needs to be one paragraph long. Then, refer to your assignment instructions to clarify the length. Next is the body part – a ‘skeleton’ on which the entire essay is based. This section will consist of several paragraphs, each playing a supportive role in the filling of your thesis. The final section of your outline is the conclusion. This is a summary of everything you have stated in your essay. In this part, paraphrase your thesis statement and highlight the arguments made within the essay to support it. Remember that presenting new ideas and concepts in the concluding sentences is a big academic mistake. Rather, your final words should only emphasize the points you’ve indicated earlier and focus on the already-highlighted ideas.

Essay Outline Examples

Now, it’s time to showcase the most common essay outline types. For you to get the right idea of what an outline actually is, we have transformed the content of the article you are currently reading into an outline.

Alphanumeric format essay outline sample:

Decimal format essay outline sample:

Drawing the Line

Now that you know how to use an essay outline, you are well on your way to writing clear, persuasive essays. This tool will help you improve your writing and earn a higher grade for your essay. Now it’s time for you to get started and make use of this tool.

In case you have any questions, you are free to skim through our essay writing guide where you can find helpful information on how to plan, structure and write different types of essays.

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How To Write An Essay Outline: Tips And Examples

• What Is An Outline?
• Why Are Outlines Helpful?
• Parts Of An Outline

To outline or not to outline: that is the age-old question. For a lot of people, outlines are a way to organize thoughts and gather information before they start writing, which can often save valuable time later on. But some writers prefer to craft essays more loosely, adding material and shaping their supporting paragraphs as they go.

Whether you’re new to outlines (or writing, period) or you’re just looking to hone your skills at crafting the perfect essay outline, there are some important things to know about the process. Follow along as we break down the why and the how of writing an effective outline and provide a step-by-step guide that will make writing your next essay a total cinch.

What is an outline?

An outline is “a general sketch, account, or report, indicating only the main features, as of a book, subject, or project.” In other words, it’s like a brief summary of the topics you plan to cover in a longer piece of writing.

In writing an outline, you create the skeleton of your essay, which provides a supportive structure on which you can arrange and organize each of your paragraphs. This helps you clarify the points you intend to make in your writing and also gives you an opportunity to tailor your research, which can make the writing process much easier later on.

Why are outlines helpful?

If you aren’t typically an outline writer, you might be wondering if you really need to put in the extra work to create one. Ultimately, everyone has a different writing style, and only you know what’s going to work for you, but here are four major reasons why many people find the outlining process helpful:

1. Outlines are brief and concise.

Remember: an outline is not the same thing as a rough draft. In an outline, each section contains only a sentence or two, and each topic is distilled to a single main idea.

2. Outlines help you write more efficiently.

You don’t have to worry about rambling or repeating the same statistic several times. You decide exactly where information belongs before you start writing.

3. Outlines are easy to edit.

You can move facts, details, and even entire sentences around easily without needing to rewrite whole paragraphs.

4. Outlines ensure supporting details connect to the thesis.

Once you see all of your work laid out, you might realize that certain paragraphs can be combined or that your conclusion doesn’t actually tie back to your thesis. Isn’t it nice to notice these potential errors before you’ve finished a draft?

Writer’s block? It’s part of the process. Here are some tips to overcome it and get your words flowing again.

The parts of a standard essay outline

Now that you understand the “why” behind writing an essay outline, let’s talk about how to do it. Here are the main parts to include in any essay outline:

Introduction

In an outline, your introduction consists of your thesis statement . This is a single sentence that states the subject, main idea, or main purpose of your essay.

When you write your essay, you will add a few sentences before and after your thesis statement to grab your reader’s interest and preview your essay’s main points. For the outline, you only need to narrow your point of view to a single, effective thesis that will inform the rest of the outline.

Body paragraphs

Body paragraphs are the parts of the essay in which you present information to back up your thesis. First, you’ll need to decide if you’re writing a three-paragraph essay or a five-paragraph essay . You may have anywhere from one to three body paragraphs, depending on what type you choose.

Each body paragraph in your outline should have:

• A main idea that aligns with your thesis.
• A topic sentence stating the main idea.
• A bulleted list of relevant research, quotes, anecdotes, and/or statistics.

Much like the introduction, your outline’s conclusion is all about your thesis statement. Here, you should:

• Restate your thesis
• Summarize the main points that support your thesis.
• Leave your reader with an impactful final thought or call to action.

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Example of a standard essay outline

Now that you know the parts of an essay outline, it might help to see them in action. Here’s an outline format you can use to plan your own essays, filled in with examples of a thesis statement, topic sentences for your body paragraphs, and the main parts of a strong conclusion.

• Thesis statement: There’s a lot of debate about which food category hot dogs fit into, but it’s clear from the evidence that a hot dog is a type of sandwich.

Body paragraph #1

• Topic sentence: To begin, hot dogs fit the dictionary definition of the word sandwich.
• Supporting detail: Sandwich is defined as “two or more slices of bread with a layer of meat, fish, cheese, and whatever other filling you’d like between them.”
• Supporting detail: A hot dog is a grilled or steamed sausage, usually made of pork or beef, which qualifies as a layer of meat.
• Supporting detail: Hot dog buns are split rolls, similar to the ones used for deli sandwiches.

Body paragraph #2

• Topic sentence: Secondly, hot dogs meet the legal definition of sandwiches in many places.
• Supporting detail: Mark Wheeler, a food safety specialist with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), says the organization defines a sandwich as “a meat or poultry filling between two slices of bread, a bun, or a biscuit.”
• Supporting detail: In New York state, tax law lists “hot dogs and sausages on buns” as types of sandwiches.
• Supporting detail: Additionally, tax law in California clearly includes “hot dog and hamburger sandwiches” served from “sandwich stands or booths.”

Body paragraph #3

• Topic sentence: Finally, most Americans agree that hot dogs are sandwiches.
• Supporting detail: In a poll of 1,000 people conducted by RTA Outdoor Living, 56.8% of respondents agreed a hot dog is a sandwich.
• Supporting detail: Many fast food chains that serve primarily burgers and sandwiches, like Five Guys burgers and Shake Shack, also sell hot dogs.
• Supporting detail: Lexicographers at Dictionary.com have also declared that hot dogs officially meet the criteria to be included in the sandwich category. (Curious? Read the article here for this and other great food debates explained .)
• Restatement of thesis: Hot dogs are a unique kind of food, but the evidence makes it clear that they are indeed a type of sandwich.

Now, get to planning that perfect essay! (But if you’re hungry for a snack first, we don’t blame you.)

Plan and write a five-paragraph essay that will earn your instructor's own five—high five, that is!

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Types of Outlines and Samples

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Alphanumeric Outlines

This is the most common type of outline and usually instantly recognizable to most people. The formatting follows these characters, in this order:

• Roman Numerals
• Capitalized Letters
• Arabic Numerals
• Lowercase Letters

If the outline needs to subdivide beyond these divisions, use Arabic numerals inside parentheses and then lowercase letters inside parentheses. Select the "Sample Outlines" PDF in the Media Box above to download the sample of this outline.

The sample PDF in the Media Box above is an example of an outline that a student might create before writing an essay. In order to organize her thoughts and make sure that she has not forgotten any key points that she wants to address, she creates the outline as a framework for her essay.

What is the assignment?

Your instructor asks the class to write an expository (explanatory) essay on the typical steps a high school student would follow in order to apply to college.

What is the purpose of this essay?

To explain the process for applying to college

Who is the intended audience for this essay?

High school students intending to apply to college and their parents

What is the essay's thesis statement?

When applying to college, a student follows a certain process which includes choosing the right schools and preparing the application materials.

Full Sentence Outlines

The full sentence outline format is essentially the same as the Alphanumeric outline. The main difference (as the title suggests) is that full sentences are required at each level of the outline. This outline is most often used when preparing a traditional essay. Select the "Sample Outlines" PDF in the Media Box above to download the sample of this outline.

Decimal Outlines

The decimal outline is similar in format to the alphanumeric outline. The added benefit is a system of decimal notation that clearly shows how every level of the outline relates to the larger whole. Select the "Sample Outlines" PDF in the Media Box above to download the sample of this outline.

Analysis of Commentary Essay Examples and Writing Tips

Table of Contents

Generally, composing a commentary essay as a part of an assignment might be daunting. However, it is not as complicated as several people say. With some commentary essay examples, you can easily understand the concept. In general, a commentary essay is just an analysis of a text, film, literary piece, or any other media.

But, when writing a commentary essay, instead of simply stating your opinion on the movie or text, you should make sure to support your claims by using evidence from that work itself. Most importantly, the commentary essay that you prepare should be well-structured and it should remain objective and analytical.

For your better understanding, in this blog, we have shared commentary essay examples analysis. In addition to that, we have also suggested some valuable tips for writing a perfect commentary essay.

Continue reading and update your knowledge of commentary essay writing.

What is a Commentary Essay?

A commentary essay is a type of essay that evaluates and examines a text or any other form of content. As a writer, in a commentary essay, you will have to analyze a specific text and share your opinion or interpretation of it. Particularly, to support your analysis in this essay type, you will have to present evidence from the content itself. Mostly, in college-level English courses, you will learn to write about commentary essay writing.

The commentary essays are of two types as specified below

• Literary Commentary: It is a comprehensive analysis of a passage from a literary work such as a poem, novel, sonnet, etc.
• Data Commentary: It is an analysis of a visual display like movies, and short films.

Commentary Essay Preparation

Usually, for your assignment, you will be asked to write a commentary for any piece of text. If you are about to prepare a commentary essay on a text, then first carefully read the entire text and annotate it. Annotation refers to making notes on the text itself. Also, when you read the text, take notes of the author’s argument or key point. Furthermore, take into account the supporting evidence the author has provided along with how well the author presents their case and whether or not you agree with them.

When writing a commentary essay, keep in mind that you are providing your view of the text. You should support your claims with proof from the text, but you should also be explicit about your opinions. Also, make a point of properly stating your position and explaining why you hold it.

Also Read: Excellent College Essay Topics and Ideas

Steps for Writing a Commentary Essay

Wondering how to write a commentary essay? If yes, then simply follow the steps suggested below. It will help you in coming up with a great commentary essay.

• Carefully read and understand the commentary essay prompt.
• Brainstorm the essay topic and generate ideas from different viewpoints.
• Create a powerful thesis statement using one or two sentences. A thesis statement should be the key idea that you are about to discuss in your essay.
• Conduct deep research on the material and note down the major points.
• Develop a well-structured commentary essay outline by including essential components such as the introduction, body, and conclusion.
• Elaborate on the outline and compose an outstanding commentary essay. In the essay, you should analyze and share your opinion of the given text with supporting evidence from the text itself.
• Finally, proofread your essay multiple times and improve its quality. The draft that is ready for submission should be original and free from errors.

Commentary Essay Outline

When composing a commentary essay, this is how you will have to create an outline.

• Introduce your subject.
• Talk about your major point or argument.
• Provide proof to back up your point of view.
• Explain why your argument is important.
• Summarize your points and make suggestions for additional research on the subject.

Commentary Essay Examples

For your better comprehension, here, we have explained the concept of a commentary essay with examples. Without any hesitation, go through the commentary essay examples analysis and update your knowledge.

Mostly, you will be asked to give your commentary for a poem, a short story, or any other content. In such a scenario, before you begin writing your commentary essay, make sure to read the given text and note down the following things for your analysis.

• Title, author name, publication date, and the genre
• Theme, target audience, and core subject, it can be an event or characters in the novel
• How the text is presented. E.g. the usage of words, active or passive voice
• Mood and tone
• Literary devices

Commentary Essay Example 1: For a Poem

For commentary essay example, we have taken Christopher Dewdney’s “The Night Wind.” Look below and understand how to write a commentary essay for a poem.

Introduction

As said earlier, first you should start your essay with a catchy introduction. In specific, your introduction should include details such as the work title you are commentating on, the author’s name, and the genre. Also, in your introductory paragraph, you can express your main viewpoints and focus on things that affected you the most.

Find here, a sample of a commentary essay introduction.

“Recently, “The Night Wind” written by Dewdney impressed me a lot. He gives the wind a personality and a life of its own. Through this image, the author takes the reader on an intriguing voyage. The poem primarily focuses on an escape from life’s worries”

Next, in the body paragraph, you will have to share what you think is the purpose of the work and the intentions of the work. Here, you can discuss all the things that are impressive to you. Most importantly, in your commentary essay body, you need to evaluate the analyzed piece of literature and demonstrate your interpretation of the work. Use commentary sentences to highlight the text’s key ideas.

The following is an example of a commentary essay body.

“Note that there are no rhymes, meters, or schemes in the composition. Dewdney uses free verse to convey a lighthearted attitude. Also, through this way, he conveys the sense of freedom.”

Whenever you compose the body of the essay, make sure to back up your thoughts with valid examples as shared below. Keep in mind to use the quotes.

“The author uses uplifting phrases such as “The wind blows forever” to highlight the idea of freedom. Also, there are certain lines such as “Above me the Milky Way” that make the reader consider the grandeur of the universe.” 

Finally, wrap up your commentary essay with a powerful conclusion. In the conclusion, restate your position. To finish the comment excellently, paraphrase your primary idea.

See here the sample of a commentary essay conclusion.

“The poem “The Night Wind” represents an escape from the difficulties of everyday life. The text’s loose, sometimes whimsical form offers the reader a sense of lightness and calm. Reading such poetry transports the reader to the fantastic world of liberty.”  

Also Read: Best Process Essay Topics and Ideas

Commentary Essay Example 2: For an Essay

For the next commentary essay example, we have taken Christopher Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal.” Read and understand how to analyze an essay and come up with an engaging commentary essay.

In his “A Modest Proposal” essay, Swift says that the Irish poor sell their children to wealthy English landowners to lessen the country’s economic load. He makes his argument through satire and explains certain subtle jokes with the help of annotations.

Swift starts by describing the terrible circumstances that Ireland faces due to its extreme poverty and overcrowding. Next, he presents his “solution,” which involves selling Irish kids to the wealthy as food. Particularly, by using irony and sarcasm, Swift illustrates how absurd this idea is and how heartless the wealthy are toward the underprivileged. Finally, he concludes that in England, poor people are being treated like commodities regularly.

Swift’s suggestion is a stinging criticism of the English nobility and their treatment of the Irish people. Moreover, the annotations serve to explain Swift’s ideas and demonstrate why his essay is so compelling.

Tips for Writing a Commentary Essay

So far, we have seen a few commentary essay examples. Next, let us look at some valuable tips for writing a commentary essay. Following the commentary essay writing tips will assist you in improving the quality of your essay content.

• In the essay, always write a topic sentence with evidence and start the next sentence using the phrase “This shows that”. By using this method, you can explain the quote from the text.
• Provide thorough information about the original content starting from the author’s information to the research paper’s publication date. Try to use the Literary Elements and Techniques (LET) method. Typically, when you analyze a text, make sure to pay attention to the literary techniques, style, character, plot, viewpoints, language, settings, conflict, etc used by the author.
• Always keep your comments within a boundary. Avoid giving an appreciation for the original content.
• Make sure to include a key title that summarizes the information. Try to incorporate keywords from both your thesis statement and the original material.
• Follow the concept of 4 cells when analyzing a text. In this method, you will have to divide a sheet of paper into four parts. Then, after dividing, place a quote and topic sentences in the top two cells and write comments to them at the bottom squares. This method will assist you in analyzing each piece of text and integrating the comments into a single whole.
• Avoid summarizing the entire text because the reader won’t find it useful. Briefly discuss only the key points in the original work.
• Never make generalizations.
• Cite all the sources you have used. Avoid using irrelevant citations.
• Before submission of your essay, check over your work twice and correct if there are any grammar and structural errors.

Wrapping Up

Hopefully, by now, you will have gained a better understanding of how to write a brilliant commentary essay. If you are writing a commentary essay for the first time, then refer to the commentary essay examples shared above. It will give you an idea of how to share your opinions or comments for literature or any other work. In case, you are still not confident enough to handle commentary essay writing on your own, call us immediately. We have numerous skilled essay writers on our platform to offer affordable essay writing help . According to the guidelines you sent us, our essay helpers will prepare and deliver plagiarism-free essays of all types including a commentary essay.

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How to Create a Structured Research Paper Outline | Example

Published on August 7, 2022 by Courtney Gahan . Revised on August 15, 2023.

A research paper outline is a useful tool to aid in the writing process , providing a structure to follow with all information to be included in the paper clearly organized.

A quality outline can make writing your research paper more efficient by helping to:

• Organize your thoughts
• Understand the flow of information and how ideas are related
• Ensure nothing is forgotten

A research paper outline can also give your teacher an early idea of the final product.

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Table of contents

Research paper outline example, how to write a research paper outline, formatting your research paper outline, language in research paper outlines.

• Definition of measles
• Rise in cases in recent years in places the disease was previously eliminated or had very low rates of infection
• Figures: Number of cases per year on average, number in recent years. Relate to immunization
• Symptoms and timeframes of disease
• Risk of fatality, including statistics
• How measles is spread
• Immunization procedures in different regions
• Different regions, focusing on the arguments from those against immunization
• Immunization figures in affected regions
• High number of cases in non-immunizing regions
• Illnesses that can result from measles virus
• Fatal cases of other illnesses after patient contracted measles
• Summary of arguments of different groups
• Summary of figures and relationship with recent immunization debate
• Which side of the argument appears to be correct?

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Follow these steps to start your research paper outline:

• Decide on the subject of the paper
• Write down all the ideas you want to include or discuss
• Organize related ideas into sub-groups
• Arrange your ideas into a hierarchy: What should the reader learn first? What is most important? Which idea will help end your paper most effectively?
• Create headings and subheadings that are effective
• Format the outline in either alphanumeric, full-sentence or decimal format

There are three different kinds of research paper outline: alphanumeric, full-sentence and decimal outlines. The differences relate to formatting and style of writing.

• Alphanumeric
• Full-sentence

An alphanumeric outline is most commonly used. It uses Roman numerals, capitalized letters, arabic numerals, lowercase letters to organize the flow of information. Text is written with short notes rather than full sentences.

• Sub-point of sub-point 1

Essentially the same as the alphanumeric outline, but with the text written in full sentences rather than short points.

• Additional sub-point to conclude discussion of point of evidence introduced in point A

A decimal outline is similar in format to the alphanumeric outline, but with a different numbering system: 1, 1.1, 1.2, etc. Text is written as short notes rather than full sentences.

• 1.1.1 Sub-point of first point
• 1.1.2 Sub-point of first point
• 1.2 Second point

To write an effective research paper outline, it is important to pay attention to language. This is especially important if it is one you will show to your teacher or be assessed on.

There are four main considerations: parallelism, coordination, subordination and division.

Parallelism: Be consistent with grammatical form

Parallel structure or parallelism is the repetition of a particular grammatical form within a sentence, or in this case, between points and sub-points. This simply means that if the first point is a verb , the sub-point should also be a verb.

Example of parallelism:

• Include different regions, focusing on the different arguments from those against immunization

Coordination: Be aware of each point’s weight

Your chosen subheadings should hold the same significance as each other, as should all first sub-points, secondary sub-points, and so on.

Example of coordination:

• Include immunization figures in affected regions
• Illnesses that can result from the measles virus

Subordination: Work from general to specific

Subordination refers to the separation of general points from specific. Your main headings should be quite general, and each level of sub-point should become more specific.

Example of subordination:

Division: break information into sub-points.

Your headings should be divided into two or more subsections. There is no limit to how many subsections you can include under each heading, but keep in mind that the information will be structured into a paragraph during the writing stage, so you should not go overboard with the number of sub-points.

Ready to start writing or looking for guidance on a different step in the process? Read our step-by-step guide on how to write a research paper .

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Home — Essay Samples — Social Issues — Assisted Suicide — Persuasive Speech Outline for Assisted Suicide

Persuasive Speech Outline for Assisted Suicide

• Categories: Assisted Suicide Suicide

About this sample

Words: 482 |

Published: Mar 16, 2024

Words: 482 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

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Alleviation of suffering, preservation of dignity.

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