HOW TO WRITE AN OUTLINE

What is it?

An outline is a general plan of the material that is to be presented in a speech or a paper. The outline shows the order of the various topics, the relative importance of each, and the relationship between the various parts.

Order in an Outline

There are many ways to arrange the different parts of a subject. Sometimes, a chronological arrangement works well. At other times, a spatial arrangement is best suited to the material. The most common order in outlines is to go from the general to the specific. This means you begin with a general idea and then support it with specific examples.

Thesis Statement of Summarizing Sentence

All outlines should begin with a thesis statement of summarizing sentence. This thesis sentence presents the central idea of the paper. It must always be a complete, grammatical sentence, specific and brief, which expresses the point of view you are taking towards the subject. After your heading and title type Thesis: and then type your approved thesis statement. Then begin your outline. Your thesis is part of your outline to remind you to remain focused – your outline is the proposal of how you plan to prove your thesis in your paper.

Types of Outlines

You are writing a topic outline. In the topic outline, the headings are given in single words or brief phrases. Your headings (designated by Roman Numerals i.e. I, II, III IV) are your research points – the areas you plan to discuss in order to prove your thesis statement. You should have at least three.

Rules for Outlining

1. Subdivide topics by a system of numbers and letters, followed by a period.

Example:

I.

A.

B.

1.

2.

a.

b.

II.

A.

B.

  1. You will have to manually change the outline letters in Microsoft Word to get the appropriate setup (I will show you in class)
  2. Each heading and subheading must have at least two parts. (If there is an “a” there must be a “b”, if there is a “1”, there must be a “2”.)
  3. Headings for parts of the paper or speech such as, Introduction and Conclusion, should not be used.
  4. Be consistent. Do not mix up the two types of outlines. Use either whole sentences of brief phrases, but not both. I suggest you use just phrases.
  5. Double Space, Times New Roman 12pt Font, 1” margins all around (you have to change this manually in Word

Marion, Cushman. "How to Write an Outline." LAVC Library. 22 Jan. 2001. Los Angeles Library. 16 Dec. 2005 <http://www.lavc.edu/Library/outline.htm>.

SAMPLE OUTLINE

Jack Winter

Mumford, p. 7

Social Studies 8

19 December 2005

Sixty Years of Haircuts

Thesis Statement: The haircut has evolved through various trends over the past sixty years.

  1. Changes in the forties and fifties
  2. Forties: crew cuts
  3. Fifties: ducktails
  4. Influence of Tony Curtis
  5. Influence of Elvis Presley
  6. Changes in the sixties and seventies
  7. Sixties: long hair
  8. Influence of the Beatles
  9. Influence of African ancestry
  10. Seventies: group identification
  11. Shaved heads
  12. Mohawks: now and long ago
  13. Changes in recent decades
  14. Eighties: outrageous statements
  15. Nineties and today: personal style

Kinneavy, James L., and John E. Warriner. Elements of Writing. 2nd ed. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1998.

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