The essay writing process includes several steps following which you will end up with qualitatively written material. Creating an outline is one of the primaries on your way to success. It will make your writing process logical and organized. So, take a glance at outline writing tips and plan your essay with no hurdles.
Why Outline
The outline is aimed to structure your thoughts and writing process in general. You can create an essay without an outline, but there is a high possibility that you may lose the thread of your thoughts, change the central idea, skip something vital. Meanwhile, having a well-tailored outline, you will:
- complete your writing bit by bit with pauses whenever you need;
- stick to supporting your main argument;
- include all essential arguments and evidence you intended initially;
- keep the logic organization and type-specific structure.
The outline will let you meet the assignment requirements and create neatly organized and qualitatively written content for the best outcomes.
Pre-outline Work
Although the outline comes at the beginning, there is still a lot of work to be done beforehand. To be able to create a working outline, you need to cover several points first:
- come up with the topic of your essay;
- explore the topic in general;
- brainstorm the ideas;
- single out your thesis statement;
- dwell on the supporting arguments;
- gather evidence for your arguments.
Only then can you analyze all your findings and preparation material and order everything to create a skeleton for your future essay.
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Categorizing Ideas
Start with an analysis of the information you have already gathered. If you haven’t got a thesis statement yet, pick out the top significant and central idea of your findings and make it your thesis. The next step will be singling out all the sentences, ideas, and facts that will support your main argument.
After you are ready with a bunch of information that can be used for your essay, it is time for categorization. Look at all your ideas and organize them into logical categories supporting your thesis. They may be related to different shades of your topic, turning points, special features, and so on. Typically, it is good if you end up with three categories that will make three body paragraphs of your essay later. Consider using essay service reviews to insure your work is done correctly.
Ordering Information
When you are ready with your categories to be turned into body paragraphs, it is time to order the information you have grouped. It is obvious that you will start your outline with an introduction and end it with a conclusion, but you have to place your main part in order as well.
Think whether some of your categorized ideas should be positioned as the first or the last body paragraph. Maybe some should go one after another so that a smooth transition is created. Order the information within the paragraphs as well so that you have your arguments explained and backed up with evidence logically and clearly. You can also consider an essay online for students in USA.
Presenting an Outline
The outline itself is to be presented in a simple and clear way. It is aimed to direct you through the writing process but not to mix your thoughts.
So, include an introduction, main body, and conclusion. Break the main body into paragraphs, dedicated to a separate argument each. Create sub points or enlist your ideas with a sentence or two not to forget the main things and facts you need to discuss in your essay.
You may also include some notes about references and quotations in your outline. This way, you won’t miss anything during the writing process.
Final Thoughts
An outline will schedule your writing and keep all your ideas together to present the main point. Even if you dedicate a longer time period to create an essay, there is no possibility you will lose any idea or evidence you wanted to present. You will have everything collected in one place, your outline, so that your only task will be to fill in the points of your plan and create the transition between them.
Mind to prepare well before setting to outline. Gather ideas and evidence, single out main and supporting ideas, highlight what is important to you. Then you can categorize your gathered data and organize it logically in the intended paragraphs. Give the paragraphs sound orders, note everything down according to the required structure, use phrases, short sentences, and bullet points, and void la, your essay skeleton is ready to guide you to success.
