English Homework

OCCC Writing Program 1

Outline for Informative Essay

Instructions: 1. Create an outline for your informative essay following the order below. 2. You may download and type into this document or copy and paste what you need into a new document. 3. You need one (1) quote for each body paragraph. Integrate the quote with an attributive tag and use an

in-text citation, as needed. 4. Remember that summarized or paraphrased ideas and information you gathered from your sources also

require an attribute tag and an in-text citation. 5. Refer to your SQ4R notes and your annotated bibliography to help you choose which information to use

and where it belongs in the outline. 6. Consider the rhetorical appeals of ethos, pathos, and logos. Choose to provide a variety of reasons and

evidence so each of these appeals is used in your essay.

The pattern of the basic outline for this essay is as follows: I. Introduction II. Definitions Paragraph III. 1st Main Point Paragraph IV. 2nd Main Point Paragraph V. 3rd Main Point Paragraph VI. Overview of arguable issues related to this topic. VII. Conclusion

Creating Your Topic Level Outline: I. Introduction

a. Hook – maybe your research question from your topic planning worksheet in Week 3, Lesson 3 b. Introduce the topic and give a brief background. c. Explain how or why the topic is important or relevant to your audience. d. Thesis (use the one you wrote in lesson 3)

II. Definition Paragraph

a. Topic sentence to introduce terms and definitions the reader needs to know. (use the one you wrote in lesson 3)

b. Term and Definition I c. Term and Definition II d. (more if necessary) e. Conclusion sentence

III. Body Paragraph I – history or current event(s) associated with this topic.

a. Topic sentence (use the one you wrote in lesson 3). Start with a transition word. b. Supporting reason I (do not use a quote) c. Supporting reason II, including one quote d. Summary of evidence that supports the reasons given. (Use your own words but include an in-

text citation for the source of the information). e. Conclusion sentence

IV. Body Paragraph II – an important point readers need to know about the topic.

a. Topic sentence (use the one you wrote in lesson 3). Start with a transition word.

OCCC Writing Program 2

b. Supporting reason I (do not use a quote) c. Supporting reason II, including one quote d. Summary of evidence that supports the reasons given. (Use your own words but include an

attributive tag and/or in-text citation for the source of the information). e. Conclusion sentence

V. Body Paragraph III – another important point readers need to know about the topic.

a. Topic sentence (use the one you wrote in lesson 3). Start with a transition word. b. Supporting reason I (do not use a quote) c. Supporting reason II, including one quote d. Summary of evidence that supports the reasons given. (Use your own words but include an

attributive tag and/or in-text citation for the source of the information). e. Conclusion sentence

VI. Body Paragraph IV – debatable issues related to the topic.

a. Topic sentence (use the one you wrote in lesson 3). Start with a transition word. b. Summary of one or two arguable issues related to this topic (points on which different groups of

people disagree) c. Description of one group’s position or opinion on an arguable issue. (Use your own words but

include an attributive tag and/or in-text citation for the source of the information). d. Description of a different group’s position or opinion on an arguable issue, including one quote. e. Conclusion sentence.

VII. Conclusion

a. Topic sentence that summarizes your overall message (the answer to the research question you developed in your topic planning worksheet in Week 3, Lesson 3).

b. Explain why the topic is important to readers. c. Summary of main points. Do not repeat sentences or phrases from other paragraphs. d. Why the essay’s information is important to the audience.

Quick examples of attributive tags and in-text citations: A direct quote from a source with an author and page numbers: “Understanding the neurological underpinnings of anorexia is vital,” neurologist Casey Hunt claims (67). A paraphrase from a source with two authors and page numbers: As researchers Max Hinzie and Ramie Goldstein show, helping women write narratives of their struggles can be of therapeutic value (343). A paraphrase from a source with no named author and no page numbers: Research from John Hopkins University determined that antimicrobial soaps can lead to antibiotic-resistant bacteria (“Dangerously Clean”). A direct quote from a source with no named author and no page numbers: According to the article, “Dangerously Clean: How SuperBugs are Made,” “the over-use of cleaning agents meant to kill bacteria directly contributes to the growth of antibiotic-resistant germs.”

The examples above were found in or modified from examples in: Hoeffner, Lisa. The Writer’s Mindset: A Rhetorical Guide to Reading, Writing, and Arguing.

McGraw-Hill Education, 2022. See further examples on pages 253-259.