How to write the best Essay Outline?

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Crafting an essay that can ensure good grades can be time-consuming and involves ample critical thinking. Nevertheless, what helps to expedite this process is writing an outline of what will be presented in the essay. Writing a clear and concise essay outline will not only make your essay effective but will also save you a lot of time. While writing a perfect essay within minimum time requires extensive practice, preparing an outline prior can help you stay on track to cover all the required relative topics within your essay.

It won’t be wrong to state that the ‘key to writing a perfect essay is a clear and concise essay outline.’

What is an Essay Outline?

In simple words, an Essay Outline is a plan or basic structure of how you will be writing your essay. 

Just like before cooking a special dish, you should be sure to have all the correct ingredients; an essay outline serves as the list of areas and topics (ingredients) to be covered in your essay (special dish).

The essay can also be written without mapping the outline. Still, then you will always be going back and forth to your research material to check if you have covered that certain topic or if you have missed out on any important detail hence consuming more of your time.

There is no way to forget anything after the outline is written. Also, it will enable you to

• Get your thoughts in order.
• Understand the flow and connection between the topics of research.
• Enlist what each paragraph will include and its sequence.
• Keep track of any vital source or citation.
• Finish your work quickly.

If somebody asks you, “Why do I need an outline for my essay?” you can tell them the following.

 Why should you write an essay outline?

An outline shall be written for any type of essay, be it a narrative, descriptive, five-paragraph, or argumentative. Outlining your essay, whether a brief 500-word essay or a long 10,000-word senior thesis, has several benefits:

• To have structure is to organize and present your thoughts logically.
• Maintaining concentration helps you avoid becoming sidetracked.
• You can get feedback on your ideas and flow using an outline before you begin writing, which can be very helpful when working on a lengthy essay and could save you hours of work when you go back to revise and rewrite your copy.
• Teachers and professors often insist that students submit an outline before beginning their work.

Prewriting Essay Outline

For prewriting your essay outline, these are the general rules you must follow:

• You must read the requirements for your projects thoroughly.
• Get a clear understanding of why you’re being asked to do anything.
• Take note of whom you’re talking to.
• Make a note of the relevant information as you gather it for your topic of study.
• Decide the form your essay outline will take, be it a simple bullet list or a more elaborate one with a decimal point.

What should be included in your Essay Outline?

Typically, an essay outline should have these three parts:

• The thesis statement or main concept– of your essay is the central notion around which your entire paper revolves.
• Supporting Arguments-Three supporting arguments are required for a standard five-paragraph essay, and three to five points with proof are required for a longer argumentative paper. These supporting arguments are likewise necessary for a descriptive or narrative essay. Still, in this case, they will be the many facts in your essay that create curiosity or advance the plot.
• What do you want your readers to take away from your essay? Finish your essay with a summary, making it crystal clear what you want your readers to take away from your work, and offering any final comments you may have on what else could be investigated or researched in your topic area. Once again, the answer will vary with the sophistication of your writing. While a brief overview could do for a five-paragraph essay, a more in-depth analysis and conclusion would be necessary for a more detailed research article.

The Ideal length of your Essay Outline

How long should your essay outline be, depends on the essay topic and how intricate your arguments are. Perhaps you’re just working on a standard 5-paragraph essay. Then don’t worry if your outline is only a couple of lines long, as long as it has your central argument, some supporting arguments and facts, and some tentative conclusion.

An argumentative or college-level essay requires a more in-depth structure, which still contains the same elements as a briefer outline but goes into greater depth by providing examples and explanations to back up your statements. In this case, your outline shouldn’t be longer than a couple of paragraphs.

When should the Essay Outline be written?

You don’t have to wait until a certain point in the writing process to create an outline for your essay. How long it takes, how well you know the subject, and whether or not you have a plan for what you want to write about are all factors. So, after being given an essay subject, you may be able to draw up an outline quickly, or you may need to do some research to figure out a thesis statement or an angle to present the topic you’ve been given.

The benefit of making an essay outline is that it can help you determine whether or not you need to conduct an additional reading, revise your thesis statement, or study more on the subject. It’s possible that you need to do more reading to support your essay or study more about the topic to establish an opinion if you’re having trouble creating an outline with supporting arguments, evidence, and explanation.

The only rule of outline writing is to write one before you start writing your essay.

Can you change your essay outline at any given point?

The answer is yes. One of the many benefits of creating an outline is the opportunity to plan the organization and development of your article. You should expect to make adjustments to your outline as you go. Having your outline reviewed by another person increases the likelihood that you will need to change it.

If you want honest feedback on your outline, consider asking your classmates, teachers, or even yourself the following questions:

• Can you make sense of it?
• Does this answer make sense?
• Is that what you mean to tell your readers?
• What credibility does the thesis have?
• Do the arguments seem reasonable?

You might also consider whether or not the facts you use to back up your claims come from credible sources. Your teacher can provide insight on this, and they may even suggest additional materials you may use.

Taking good notes might also facilitate the outline creation process.

Essay Outline Types and their correct use

There are two main outlines: topic and sentence.

Topic Outline for Essays

Creating a topic outline involves assigning a header to each paragraph you plan to write.

For an essay about whether or not schools should reopen during a global pandemic, the following would be a good outline:

Essential idea: In-person education can resume at schools.

Conceptual Backing 1: The Vaccine Is Finally Here

Conceptual Backing 2: Nothing beats learning in person.

Sustaining the Concept: Several preventative measures can be taken to ensure the safety of students and staff.

Conclusion: It is time to resume in-person learning.

Sentence Outline for Essays

While writing a sentence outline, you’ll use the same general format as previously, but each heading will develop into a complete sentence that explains your point. Let’s look at the example:

• The primary premise is that classrooms can and should be opened again in the year 2021.
• An argument in favor of the first claim is that schools are now safe to reopen because immunizations are readily available for all students.
• Argument 2– If schools reopen, pupils would certainly make up for any lost learning that may have occurred since in-person learning is more effective than online learning.
• Third– since we know how Covid19 spreads, schools may take the necessary steps to ensure that it is safe for students and staff to return to the classroom.
• Conclusion- Students are now safe to return to classroom instruction.

Including numbers in the outline can make it easier to follow if you have many supporting facts and explanations or several sub-topics for each main point. You may use the numbers to provide a more precise outline, which will come in handy when it comes time to compose the full essay or when you share it with others for criticism.

Choosing the correct Outline type for your essay

Review the instructions for the assignment or consult with the professor if further clarification is needed on the outline best suited for the essay. Approximately how long is this essay you plan on writing? A summary of one of those topics would suffice.

A full-sentence outline with numbering (alphanumeric) may be more useful for a lengthy academic essay at the high school or university level.

Until now, you might have a very good idea of an essay outline. Why is it necessary? And what are the types of essay outlines?

Let’s now go through a step-by-step guide on how to write a good Essay Outline.

Detailed instructions on how to create a winning Essay Outline

 

Understanding the Goal of your Essay

Knowing the goal of your essay is crucial before you even begin an outline. This means that you must understand the following:

•  What exactly is your assignment asking you to do?
• Your essay’s main idea.
• An essay’s thesis statement
• Who is your reader?

Before starting your essay outline, ensure you have answers to the questions above. The proper sequence for your outline and essay can be more easily deduced. When you pen to paper, do you have a purpose in mind, such as making a case for a certain position, explaining a procedure, or narrating an experience?

The Order

Writing an outline is similar to drawing a floor plan for your finished essay. You should think about the sequence in which you wish to present the information in your essay.

Chronological Order- Stories, events, and procedures are better told and more understood when presented in chronological sequence. Essays of the narrative, expository, and argumentative varieties will benefit most from this.

Spatial Order– If you want your reader to be able to picture what you’re describing, you should use spatial order. Narrative and descriptive essays, in which you want to lead the reader through a story or a series of details, benefit the most from this technique.

Order by Importance– An easy-to-understand ranking of your arguments’ significance will help you win over your audience and make your case. This is the standard format for argumentative writing and presentations.

The Format

Whether you choose a topic outline for your essay or a sentence outline, it should be comprised of the following three components;

• Introduction
• Body Content
• Conclusion

 

Introduction

Your essay’s introduction should capture the reader’s interest. The piece ought to be intriguing to pique the interest of the reader. Additionally, it needs to give the readers some context for the topic at hand.

Using a dramatic tone can help you get your readers’ attention, but it should lead them to your point.

For writing your introduction, keep these points in mind;

Hook Statement

We employ a hook statement to grab the reader’s attention in the first few words of an article. It entices the reader and encourages them to keep reading. Hook lines come in many forms, from direct quotations and rhetorical queries to anecdotes.

Thesis Statement

You should include a thesis statement at the end of your first paragraph. This is the single most crucial sentence in your entire paper. It provides a succinct statement of the paper’s thesis.

The thesis statement should be a concise, well-developed explanation of your paper’s central argument. There, you’ll have all the meat of your essay right there.

Body Content

Introductions typically feature a thesis statement, which must be supported in the essay’s body. Your essay’s body paragraphs are where you’ll provide the essence of your argument. Don’t just state the obvious; back up your claims with proof and whole phrases.

Convincing arguments shall be mentioned in the essay’s body paragraphs. The same is true for argumentative essays; the paragraphs in the middle of the paper are where the reader is persuaded to agree with the writer’s stance.

You shouldn’t put more than one main concept into a single paragraph and use topic sentences. A paragraph’s topic sentence should summarize the main points of the paragraph. Keeping the reader interested throughout the essay is crucial.

After the main phrase, the body of the essay consists of arguments and explanations for the author’s position, all of which are backed up by solid evidence.

Conclusion

Ensure that your essay has a solid conclusion at the end. Your conclusion must be convincing enough to wrap everything up for the reader. Like the introductory and body paragraphs, the conclusion is an equally crucial part of an essay. One hallmark of a well-written research paper is an unbroken chain of reasoning from its introductory to its concluding paragraphs.

Throughout this final paragraph, you should briefly review the information presented in the essay’s introductory and body text. The conclusion needs to be supported by evidence from the preceding paragraphs.

Concluding remarks shouldn’t drag on forever. The conclusion of an essay should repeat the thesis statement and the main points made in the essay’s body. Use a few strong, succinct sentences to wrap up. A good essay should always end with a call to action.

For a better understanding, let’s have a look at the following;

Structure for a 5-Paragraph/500-Word Essay Outline

 

Introduction

• Hook Statement for the topic
• Thesis statement

Body Content, Paragraph 1

• It should include an Introduction to your first supporting argument, facts, examples, and a conclusion.

Body Content, Paragraph 2

• It should include the introduction to your second supporting argument, facts, examples, and conclusion.

Body Content, Paragraph 2

• It should include the introduction to your third supporting argument, facts, examples, and conclusion.

Conclusion

• Summary of your Essay
• Revision of your thesis statement
• Call to action, if required.

Structure for a Detailed-Essay Outline

This is an example outline for a lengthier, more involved 1500-word argumentative essay:

• Hook Statement
• Thesis Statement
• Supporting Argument 1
• Facts and evidence to support Argument 1
• Explanation and Conclusion for Argument 1
• Supporting Argument 2
• Facts and evidence to support Argument 2
• Explanation and Conclusion for Argument 2
• Supporting Argument 3
• Facts and evidence to support Argument 3
• Explanation and Conclusion for Argument 3
• Summary of your Essay and simply restate the merits of your argument and the stance it takes, and the reasons your points back it up.

You should also consider counter-arguments if you’re requested to address them in your essay. Include a counterpoint after each supporting point, along with proof and explanation showing that you considered the counterpoint but ultimately decided it did not detract from your original argument.

Remember that any time you are tasked with writing an essay, it is always a good idea to get into the habit of first creating an outline. Write it quickly, then add to it as you gather additional information; just make sure you cover everything relevant by using the checklist.