Formal Outline Template

Hook ​(See handout)- You may NOT begin with a question for this essay! You are ready for a more
advanced hook!

__________Saying ‘I’ll race you there first’ gradually increases our competitiveness in everyday activities.
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Bridge-​ Write one or two sentences connecting your hook to your topic. Why is your hook significant to
your overall essay?
___________In Jon Ronson’s The Hunger Game, he explains the way America sees everyday essentials as
competition. In this case, he talks about competitive eating contests.
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Background information​: What other information does your reader need to know to be able to understand
and connect to your writing of this essay? Time period? Literary information? Genre? Etc.
___________In the United States, people hold festivals that usually celebrate events or just a normal
gathering. However, many festivals have a competition about who can eat the most food that the others.
This sparking the well known eating contests. ________________________________________________
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Topic: ​What, in general terms, are you talking about? What’s your “Big Idea”?
______The way many foreigners view the lifestyle of Americans thinking everything is competitive.
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Thesis:​ What are you proving, explaining, analyzing, or arguing? This is made up of your main thought and
a forecasting statement. This sentence maps your essay.

_____Jon Robson shows the readers that the states think as normal day activities as competitive.
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Major Idea 1​…Diction……………………………………………………...
(What is your ​whole​ paragraph about? Take this from your forecasting statement)

1. Supporting Idea​ ​ ​Goes from graceful and balletic to grotesque scene of eating (p.9
(What is your 1st part, example, or element of your topic for this paragraph?)

Explanation​………​shows the two different sides of eating

…………….………………………….
(Clarify what your idea is: Say it in a different way or give more detail.)

Data/Proof​………………​the grotesque vs. the graceful and

balletic​…….……………………….
​(Evidence you give for your idea in the form of a fact, quote, statistic, or experience that you can
site.)

Significance ……...……​shows the significant different when looking at

a different point​………………………..
​(Explain why this should be important to the audience and/or what they should get from it.)

2. Supporting Idea​ ​ ​Comparing​ ​Joey to Usain Bolt (similar in speed, different in sports)
(p.10)
(What is your 1st part, example, or element of your topic for this paragraph?)

Explanation​………………​Food eater vs. world’s fastest

man​.………………………….
(Clarify what your idea is: Say it in a different way or give more detail.)

Data/Proof​……​Speed is shown but majorly

different​.……………………….
​(Evidence you give for your idea in the form of a fact, quote, statistic, or experience that you can
site.)

Significance ……​how they perceive eating as an olympic sport (or at

least comparing)​……………………………..
​(Explain why this should be important to the audience and/or what they should get from it.)

3. Supporting Idea​ ​“It’s not that I want out,” he said “but I don’t want to linger.” (p.24)
(What is your 1st part, example, or element of your topic for this paragraph?)

Explanation​……​fear of losing to society .​ ………………………….

(Clarify what your idea is: Say it in a different way or give more detail.)

Data/Proof​…​shows that he loves doing what he does​.

​(Evidence you give for your idea in the form of a fact, quote, statistic, or experience that you can
site.)

Significance ​Shows that many people have an attachment to this

“sport”​…………..
 ​(Explain why this should be important to the audience and/or what they should get from it.)

Transition Sentence ​……………………………………………………………………...

(How does the topic of this paragraph connect to the next one?)

Major Idea 2​……Lit. Elements……………………………………………………...

(What is your ​whole​ paragraph about? Take this from your forecasting statement)

1. Supporting Idea​ ​ (...) in complicated, intense ways. (p.1)

(What is your 1st part, example, or element of your topic for this paragraph?)

Explanation​……………………………………….………………………….
(Clarify what your idea is: Say it in a different way or give more detail.)

Data/Proof​………………………………………….……………………….
​(Evidence you give for your idea in the form of a fact, quote, statistic, or experience that you can
site.)

Significance ……...…………………………….……………………………..
​(Explain why this should be important to the audience and/or what they should get from it.)

2. Supporting Idea​ ​ He holds (...) and at least a dozen other

“disciplines”(p.2)
(What is your 1st part, example, or element of your topic for this paragraph?)

Explanation​……………………………………….………………………….
(Clarify what your idea is: Say it in a different way or give more detail.)

Data/Proof​………………………………………….……………………….
​(Evidence you give for your idea in the form of a fact, quote, statistic, or experience that you can
site.)

Significance ……...…………………………….……………………………..
​(Explain why this should be important to the audience and/or what they should get from it.)

3. Supporting Idea​ ​ I was imagining (...) graceful and balletic.

(What is your 1st part, example, or element of your topic for this paragraph?)

Explanation​……………………………………….………………………….
(Clarify what your idea is: Say it in a different way or give more detail.)

Data/Proof​………………………………………….……………………….
​(Evidence you give for your idea in the form of a fact, quote, statistic, or experience that you can
site.)
 Significance ……...…………………………….……………………………..
​(Explain why this should be important to the audience and/or what they should get from it.)

Transition Sentence ​……………………………………………………………………...

(How does the topic of this paragraph connect to the next one?)

Major Idea 3​………Tone/ Theme……………………………………………...

(What is your ​whole​ paragraph about? Take this from your forecasting statement)

1. Supporting Idea​ ​ (...) dedication of these athletes (p.1)

(What is your 1st part, example, or element of your topic for this paragraph?)

Explanation​……………………………………….………………………….
(Clarify what your idea is: Say it in a different way or give more detail.)

Data/Proof​………………………………………….……………………….
​(Evidence you give for your idea in the form of a fact, quote, statistic, or experience that you can
site.)

Significance ……...…………………………….……………………………..
​(Explain why this should be important to the audience and/or what they should get from it.)

2. Supporting Idea​ ​ Joey explains his techniques to competitive eating (p.8)

(What is your 1st part, example, or element of your topic for this paragraph?)

Explanation​……………………………………….………………………….
(Clarify what your idea is: Say it in a different way or give more detail.)

Data/Proof​………………………………………….……………………….
​(Evidence you give for your idea in the form of a fact, quote, statistic, or experience that you can
site.)

Significance ……...…………………………….……………………………..
​(Explain why this should be important to the audience and/or what they should get from it.)

3. Supporting Idea​ ​ Joey responds to the interviewer with difficulty (p.10)

(What is your 1st part, example, or element of your topic for this paragraph?)

Explanation​……………………………………….………………………….
(Clarify what your idea is: Say it in a different way or give more detail.)

Data/Proof​………………………………………….……………………….
​(Evidence you give for your idea in the form of a fact, quote, statistic, or experience that you can
site.)
 Significance ……...…………………………….……………………………..
​(Explain why this should be important to the audience and/or what they should get from it.)

Transition Sentence ​……………………………………………………………………...

(How does the topic of this paragraph connect to the next one?)

Major Idea 4 ​……………………………………………………...…………………

(What is your ​whole​ paragraph about? Take this from your forecasting statement)

1. Supporting Idea​ ​……………………………………………………………………

(What is your 1st part, example, or element of your topic for this paragraph?)

Explanation​……………………………………….………………………….
(Clarify what your idea is: Say it in a different way or give more detail.)

Data/Proof​………………………………………….……………………….
​(Evidence you give for your idea in the form of a fact, quote, statistic, or experience that you can
site.)

Significance ……...…………………………….……………………………..
​(Explain why this should be important to the audience and/or what they should get from it.)

2. Supporting Idea​ ​……………………………………………………………………

(What is your 1st part, example, or element of your topic for this paragraph?)

Explanation​……………………………………….………………………….
(Clarify what your idea is: Say it in a different way or give more detail.)

Data/Proof​………………………………………….……………………….
​(Evidence you give for your idea in the form of a fact, quote, statistic, or experience that you can
site.)

Significance ……...…………………………….……………………………..
​(Explain why this should be important to the audience and/or what they should get from it.)

3. Supporting Idea​ ​………………………………………………………………

(What is your 1st part, example, or element of your topic for this paragraph?)

Explanation​……………………………………….………………………….
(Clarify what your idea is: Say it in a different way or give more detail.)

Data/Proof​………………………………………….……………………….
​(Evidence you give for your idea in the form of a fact, quote, statistic, or experience that you can
site.)
 Significance ……...…………………………….……………………………..
​(Explain why this should be important to the audience and/or what they should get from it.)

Transition Sentence ​……………………………………………………………………...

(How does the topic of this paragraph connect to the next one?)
 Conclusion Paragraph Template
Topic Review​: Stress the importance of the topic of your essay. Don’t just repeat what your topic is.

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Synthesize:​ How do all of your points from your thesis fit together? Don’t just summarize your main
points; find a significant connection or overarching idea that connects them.

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So What? ​Answer the question “so what?” Why is what you wrote worth your readers’ time?

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Connect:​ make a connection between your introduction and your conclusion. Bring the reader back to the
hook. Is there any new meaning you can add here? What final thoughts can you leave with your reader?

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Ways to Combine Clauses in an Outline:

While there is no hard and fast rule for which sentences combine in which ways, there are a number of rules
of thumb that can connect your ideas in much more effective ways. First consider the 3 primary sentence
types: ​simple​, ​complex​, and ​compound​.
Simple:​ The job of this kind of sentence is to state something extremely important. Its job is to emphasize a
main idea, a key point, of pivotal fact. To put it another way, it is what you would highlight on a page or say
louder and slower in a speech. It’s something your audience has to get, so you make it simple.
Function: Simple sentences are usually fairly short; they are a single ​clause​. Clauses contain just ​one subject
and just ​one predicate​ to form a ​single idea​. ​Ex: The old man sighed at the idea of going to work this
morning.​ In the sentence there is one subject (the man) doing one thing (sighing). We could get fancy here
and say “​The old man and his wife sighed and moaned at the idea of going to work this morning”, b​ ut really
nothing has changed. Now I have a group of people both doing one set of actions: simple.
Usage: While we can use simple sentences anywhere, we mostly see them in a ​thesis​, a ​major idea​, or a
transition​. These are places where we are stating a central idea, or moving on to a new thought.
Complex​: This is where we take 2 different clauses (ideas) and combine them together. One of these clauses
is the main idea (independent) and the other is the explanation (subordinate). This kind of sentence shows
that one idea supports another, more important, sentence.
Function: Complex sentences are a little longer, since there are two different ideas coming together. The
usual way to connect these clauses is to make one idea incapable of standing alone; this is called
subordination. Ex: Clause one ​“We wanted to show school spirit.” ​clause two ​“We went to the football
game.”​ Since the main idea is going to the game, I make the first idea subordinate. ​“Since we wanted to
show school spirit, we went to the football game.”​ Notice two things. (1)​“Since”​ was added to the first
clause making it incomplete on its own. (2) A comma was added after it to show we haven’t gotten to the
main idea yet. The sentence could also be flipped: ​“We went to the football game since we wanted to show
school spirit.”​ Notice the comma was left out this time, since it started with the main idea.
Usage: So, how do you which is the main idea? Well, in an outline it’s simple; it’s your ​supporting idea​.
And what explains the supporting idea? Yes, the ​explanation​. We therefore commonly (though not
exclusively) combine both of these into a complex sentence using your ​supporting idea​ as the independent
clause (complete thought).
Compound​: The advantage to using this kind of sentence is that both clauses (ideas) are of equal
importance. There are a number of ways you could use this type of sentence, but the most common is when
you are giving a source.

Function: When you have a quote (either direct or indirect) that you want to use, you need to explain either
why it is important or what it shows. Therefore, there will be a cited quote and then a sentence that explains
its significance. Ex: Black holes are a powerful force of nature: “One of these objects packs more than three
times the mass of the sun into the diameter of a city.” (Redd) Notice there is one original complete thought
and another complete thought in the quote, and a citation at the end.

Usage: The quote used comes from the ​proof​ section of the outline and the part where we see it is important
is called the ​significance​. It’s not uncommon for these two clauses to get flip-flopped in the rough draft of
the essay; however, they always are right next to each other forming a single sentence.

*There is a lot more to sentence structures, and you should experiment with them as you get more
comfortable with clauses and sentence types; however, these general rules will get you on the right track to
an organized essay.