GUIDELINES FOR WRITING AN

ESSAY OUTLINE
AN ESSAY OUTLINE
 The outline shows the relationship between the ideas that
you will discuss in your essay and their relationship to
the thesis of your essay.
 It shows the coordination (i.e. the logical relation
between ideas of equal weight) and the subordination
(i.e. The logical division of ideas) in a clear order.

 !! Pay attention to have logical division, relation and

order of ideas in your outlines.
AN ESSAY OUTLINE
 The length of your outline should be proportionate to
that of your essay. In other words, if you have a detailed
outline, you should have a longer and detailed essay.
 Pay attention not to have a very short, poorly developed
outline with few details or a very long and detailed
outline.
 Pay attention to use at least two sub-divisions as the
major supports of the topic sentence of each paragraph
and two sub-divisions as minor supports throughout your
outline.
AN ESSAY OUTLINE
 Try to use parallel structures for the parallel divisions in
your outline.
 Pay attention to have meaningful and informative
major and minor supports in your outline.
 Be always ready to revise your outline.
 FORMAT OF THE ESSAY OUTLINE
I. Thesis Statement:-----------------------------
II. (controlling idea of the 1st body par.)----------------
A. (1st major support)…………………………………
1. (1st minor support)-------------------------
2. (2nd minor support)……………………
B. (2nd major support)……………………………….
1. (1st minor support)…………….
2. (2nd minor support)…………………………..
III. (controlling idea of the 2nd body par.)……….
(same as above)
IV. (controlling idea of the 3nd body par.)……….
(same as above)
V. Conclusion: (usually a summary of the conclusion paragraph as a phrase or
sentence)
FORMAT OF THE ESSAY OUTLINE
 There are two methods for the wording of the outline:
sentence outline and phrase-word outline.

 Sentence outline includes sentences and phrase-word

outline includes phreses and wordsfor all divisions (I, II,
III, IV and A,B,C and 1,2,3)
 The one preferred for academic work is the latter.

 Writing a phrase-word outline may seem difficult to you

at your first attempt. If so, use sentences in the draft
outline, but try to develop it into a phrase-word type in
your final outline.
 Please study the sample essay and its outline!!!!

 THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION