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Academic Writing Process Lesson 6 Outlining
Academic Writing Process Lesson 6 Outlining
What is an outline?
https://www.eapfoundation.com/writing/process/outline/
After brainstorming for ideas (and researching, if you are writing a longer, researched paper), the next
stage of the writing process is to organise your ideas into an outline before you begin on the first draft.
This page explains what an outline is, gives reasons why you should outline your essay or report, shows
you what an outline looks like, and gives the features of a good outline. There is also a checklist at the
end of the page that you can use to check your own outline.
An outline is a plan for your writing. It will include the main ideas and show how they are organised and
the overall structure. It is often used for essays, in which case it will include elements of the introduction
such as the thesis statement, an overview of each paragraph including the topic
sentences and supporting ideas, and elements of the conclusion, for instance the summary. It can also
be used for other types of writing such as reports.
Why outline?
An outline will assist you in your writing for three main reasons. First, it will help you to organise your
ideas. This is especially important for longer writing, such as researched essays, where there may be
large amounts of information to keep track of. Even for shorter essays, however, it is important to put
the information in a logical order so that the reader can follow your main argument. Secondly, it will
help ensure your writing has unity. Unity means that all ideas relate to the central theme of the
paragraph. Writing an outline will help you to focus on the central theme and thereby include only those
ideas which relate to it, while omitting any which are irrelevant. Finally, an outline will aid in the process
of writing by breaking down the task into more manageable components. Writing a 1500 word essay is a
daunting task; writing a 100 word 'map' of the essay is much easier.
An outline can take many forms. The simplest form, recommended for exam essay writing when time is
limited, comprises simply adding numbers and/or letters to ideas generated during brainstorming so
that you can put them in a logical order before writing. Most outlines, however, are written out in a
linear way, using a format similar to linear notes for reading or listening.
An outline will assist you in your writing for three main reasons.
1. Organise ideas
2. Create unity
ii. makes 1500 word essay easier with 100 word 'map'
The above outline is fairly detailed, showing the topic sentence, main ideas and supporting details.
Below is a simpler outline for the same paragraph, showing only the main ideas.
1. Organise ideas
2. Create unity
The second outline is simpler and therefore takes less time to write. The detail in the first outline,
however, will make it easier to write the paragraph and so save time later. Which style of outline -
detailed or simple - will depend on your preference. Try using both and see which one helps you most.
Parallel structure. Each heading and subheading should have the same form. In the example
above, the three main ideas, labelled 1, 2 and 3, are all verbs ('Organise', 'Create' and 'Aid'). All
points labelled i., ii. etc. are also verbs ('keep track', 'put in' etc.).
Coordination. Each heading (and subheading) should have equal significance. In the example
above, points labelled 1, 2 and 3 are all equal (they are the 'three main reasons'). Those labelled
i., ii. etc. are the supporting details, and therefore equal in significance.
Subordination. Headings should be more general, while subheadings should be more specific. In
the example above, the headings are the main ideas, while the subheadings are the supporting
details (and therefore more specific).
Checklist