Writing Essays

Outlining

An outline is an ordered list of the main points of your essay. Outlining helps you define and organize your topic and subtopics so that you bring the reader on a logical journey from your thesis, through your supporting evidence, to your conclusion.  Many writers use outlines to better visualize their ideas and to have a way to share them with others in the planning stage of their writing process.

What is a traditional outline?

• A traditional outline includes an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
• Formal outlines require a special numbering system.  If you have a I, you must have a II. If you have an A, you must have a B.  If you have a 1, you must have a 2, and so on. The traditional outline has three sections: introduction, body, and conclusion.

Determine Your Objective

Think about your thesis statement. You might not have the exact wording at this point, but you should have a general idea of the point you’ll make and defend in your essay. Having a clear objective enables you to work through your brainstorming notes and craft an outline that hits all the necessary points you need to support that objective.

Filter Out Items

When you brainstormed, you explored every possible avenue to go down in your writing and every potential piece of information to include.

Now it’s time to go through your brainstorming notes and pick out the points that will most effectively achieve your goal for your essay. For each piece of information you jotted down, ask yourself “how does this prove my point?” If you can answer that question with a clear, thoughtful response, add it to your list of points to make in your essay.

Identify Key Points

• Using the list of points you wrote down, identify the key arguments you’ll make in your essay. These will be your body sections.
• Jot down the facts, anecdotes, and statistics that support each of these arguments.

Write Your Outline

With your key topics and supporting points clearly defined, it’s time to actually write your outline. Using a template for the type of essay you’re writing format your key points into a clear, organized frame that you’ll flesh out with content when you write your first draft.

Here are some tips for paragraph development.

1. Start with a topic sentence: Begin your paragraph with a clear and concise topic sentence that states the main idea or point you will be discussing in the paragraph.

2. Provide evidence: Once you have established the topic of the paragraph, provide evidence or examples to support your point. This can include direct quotes, statistics, or other sources.

3. Explain the evidence: After you have presented your evidence, explain how it supports your point. This will help the reader understand the relevance of the evidence and its connection to the topic sentence.

4. Use transitions: Use transitional words or phrases to connect your sentences and create a logical flow between your ideas. This can help the reader follow your argument and understand the relationships between your ideas.

5. Consider counterarguments: Anticipate counterarguments or opposing viewpoints and address them within your paragraph. This will show that you have considered alternative perspectives and strengthen your argument.

6. Conclude with a summary sentence: End your paragraph with a summary sentence that restates the main point of the paragraph and connects it back to the overall argument or thesis of your essay.

7. Edit and revise: Finally, review your paragraph to check for coherence, clarity, and accuracy. Edit for grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors, and revise for clarity and effectiveness of the writing.

Example:

Sample paragraph:

The importance of daily exercise cannot be overstated. Research has shown that regular exercise can reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Exercise can also improve mental health by reducing stress and anxiety. For example, a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that adults who engaged in moderate to vigorous physical activity for at least 30 minutes a day had a 31% lower risk of developing high blood pressure compared to those who did not. Additionally, a study published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research found that exercise can reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety by increasing the production of endorphins, which are natural mood-boosters. In conclusion, incorporating daily exercise into your routine can have numerous benefits for both physical and mental health.

What is a Thesis Statement?

• The thesis statement gives the reader insight into the topic. The statement informs them what the essay is about. Without the thesis statement the essay may lack an argument, focus, clarity and continuity.
  • Should be approximately 1-2 sentences long.
  • States your position on a topic
  • Is often your research question reworded as a statement with a position.

Types of Thesis Statements:

• Explanatory: Announces the subject to the reader. Never declares a stance which needs an argument to defend.
• Argumentative- The thesis statement should be a claim. Not a factual statement or personal response to the topic.
  • Should provoke opposition, claim readers may refute.

Your thesis takes a position that others may challenge. First, look at your assignment. Second, break that assignment down into a question. Finally, write one or two sentences answering that question. This should, ideally, become your thesis.

• Your Statement Needs to Be Specific:
  • If the reader asks: ‘So what?’ ‘How?’ or ‘Why?’, then you may need to clarify your statement.
• Common Mistakes:
  • Lack of focus or specificity.
  • Jargon (Word choice is exclusive/hard to understand)
  • Treating your thesis statement like a topic sentence.
  • Not adequately representing your claim.
• Bad Thesis Statements Have:
  • No claim
  • Nothing to argue
  • No hint about where they are headed
  • A long list of information.
• Good Thesis Statements:
  • A clear point of view
  • Detailed blueprint of where the essay is headed.
  • Clear and concise.
• The Difference Between a Thesis and Topic Sentence:
  • Thesis statements are 1-2 sentences that assert your opinion and what will be said throughout the entire essay.
  • Topic Sentence introduce the discussion to follow in a specific paragraph.

The Imaginary Assignment:

The assignments is to figure out what are the benefits of using computers in a fourth-grade class.

So, first, you ask the question.

Q: “What are the potential benefits of using computers in a fourth-grade class?”

Then, you answer it.

A: "The potential benefits of using computers in a fourth-grade class are . . .

Possible Thesis:

The potential benefits of using computers in a fourth grade class are accessibility, engagement, and collaboration.