Essay Outline

Handout created by Justine White www.richlandcollege.edu/englishcorner

The English Corner at Richland College

Creating Outlines After you have a working thesis, create a rough outline. An outline will help you structure your research and organize your notes and materials. Use your rough outline to organize your thoughts.

I. Introduction A. Introduction

i. Attention grabber, sometimes called a hook. Grab your readers’ attention with a shocking statistic, startling fact, intriguing quote, or interesting anecdote.

ii. Roadmap that introduces what you will be writing about (subject, opposing viewpoint, and reasons). For example, “While some argue X, others believe Y.”

iii. Working thesis (generally, the last sentence of the introduction) II. Body paragraphs

A. Background information (include one, two, or all three is relevant) i. Explain the history of your topic

ii. Introduce any major people or concepts iii. Define any important terms

B. Counterargument i. Tell: Counterargument/Opposing view (topic sentence; begins with a

transition) ii. Show: What do “they say” against your argument? (quote, example,

statistic, fact) iii. Share: Explain the evidence and end with a summary sentence that shares

what the reader needs to know about the opposition C. Refutation

i. Tell: Refutation (explains why the opposing view above is wrong, incomplete, or problematic; begins with a transition and an acknowledgement of the opposition)

ii. Show: Supporting evidence to prove naysayer wrong (quotes, examples, statistics, facts)

iii. Share: Answer the “So what? Who cares? Why does it matter?” questions and relate back to your thesis.

D. Supporting paragraph i. Tell: Reason 1 (topic sentence)

ii. Show: Supporting evidence one (quotes, examples, statistics, facts; include direct quotes here, paraphrase, or summarize information).

iii. Share: Answer the “So what? Who cares? Why does it matter?” questions and then relate back to your thesis.

E. Supporting paragraph i. Tell: Reason 2 (topic sentence)

ii. Show: Supporting evidence two (quotes, examples, statistics, facts; include direct quotes here, paraphrase, or summarize information)

Handout created by Justine White www.richlandcollege.edu/englishcorner

iii. Share: Answer the “So what? Who cares? Why does it matter?” questions and then relate back to your thesis.

F. Supporting paragraph (strongest evidence goes here)

i. Tell: Reason 3 (topic sentence) ii. Show: Supporting evidence three (quotes, examples, statistics, facts;

include direct quotes here, paraphrase, or summarize information) iii. Share: Answer the “So what? Who cares? Why does it matter?” questions

and then relate back to your thesis. III. Conclusion

A. Real world consequences, a call to action, a future issue, or a solution Your outline doesn’t have to be written in full sentences. It can be phrases or fragments that help you remember ideas. When including quotes or paraphrases in your outline, don’t forget to include the name of the article, the author, and the page number(s) where you found the information, so it will be easier to cite as you complete the essay. Remember, this is just an example. You might have more reasons or more naysayers/counterarguments. Do not feel constrained or limited by a specific number of paragraphs. Use as many paragraphs as necessary to fully prove your claim. Additionally, you might reorder your paragraphs differently from the example above. Begin the body of your paper with a strong reason and evidence; place your weakest evidence in the middle, and finally, save your strongest argument for last. Beginning with the opposing view can be a good idea when it’s a highly controversial topic. That way, you begin with a good argument but leave your reader with the most powerful piece of evidence. Consider the strength of your evidence as you decide how to order paragraphs. For example, if your refutation isn’t your strongest argument, don’t place it last. Put it in the middle instead. Order your paragraphs according to the strength of their argument.