How to Craft an Essay Outline – Yes, You Need to Do This

So, you have an essay assignment. It looks pretty easy, so you just start writing. Then, when you get it back, you discover a low grade. Comments from your instructor are things like, “Poorly organized,” “Illogical flow,” “I can’t follow your argument,” etc. These problems are the result of not having an essay outline before you ever began to write the thing.

Just What is the Goal of Making an Outline?

A detailed essay outline is what keeps you “on track” as you create essay pieces. If you construct a step-by-step essay outline before you begin to write, you have a logical road map to follow as you write that essay. You stay on topic in each paragraph; the points you make are in a logical order; and your finished product is a well-organized piece of writing that an instructor can easily follow.

How to Create an Outline for an Essay

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Every essay, no matter how long, has three parts – an introduction, a body and a conclusion. Obviously, it is the body that is the tough part. That’s where the “meat” is, and that’s the part that has be super organized. So, how does that happen?

Each paragraph or section has a section of your outline. That seems simple enough, but the order in which your put all of those paragraphs or sections can matter a lot. For example, a process essay outline will be organizing a topic in sequential order. If you are writing a process essay on how to paint a room, you will obviously not place the paragraph on how to “roll” the large wall sections before you tape off the baseboards and windows. This one is easy.

But how to make an essay outline for an argumentative essay? This will take a bit more thought. Here is how to construct an outline for an essay that presents arguments.

• Make a list of the arguments you intend to use.
• Prioritize those arguments from strongest to weakest or from weakest to strongest. This depends upon whether you want to begin your essay with a “bang” or end with a “bang.”
• Each argument will be placed under the “Body” section of your outline, with the details underneath – much like this:

1. Introduction
2. Body

A. Argument 1

1. Detail

2. Detail

3. Detail

B. Argument 2

1. Detail

2. Detail

3. Detail

You can see that the steps to writing an essay outline are not all that tough. And essay outlining will make certain that your written piece has a good flow and that you do not leave out important detail.

Now a general essay outline will have three Roman Numerals for the introduction, body, and conclusion. If there are specific points you want to make in your intro and conclusion, just place them under those Numerals.

Are There Other Ways for Doing an Outline?

Yes, there are, but they are not called outlines. The general term for these is “graphic organizers,” and they can be things like Venn diagrams, which are useful for comparison/contrast essays.

There are also informal ways for creating an outline for an essay. You can dump the formality of Roman Numerals and alphabet letters – that how to make an essay outline format you were taught in middle school – and go with a much more informal format. Creating an essay outline really should be something that you are comfortable with as long as it gives you a “map” for writing a powerful essay.

The point is this: how to create an essay outline depends on what works for each individual.

Essay Writing Outline Construction is Just the Beginning

Once you have your essays outline formats, you are just at the beginning of creating the final product. You now have to actually write the piece, using scholarly writing principles, good grammar, and, in many instances, proper citation of resources. This can be challenging if your academic writing skills are still developing.

To meet the expectations of instructors, students often turn to professional online writing services. These are a bit difficult to find, if you “go in blind.” How do you know what are the best paper writing services are? One way is certainly to check writing service review websites and see what companies have the top scores?

So, how do you make an outline for an essay? Well, you have some options, as long as they work for you and as long as they organize your content well enough to get you a well-structured essay. Find the best format for you.