The Ultimate Guide for Outlining an Academic Essay

Getting started is the hardest part of writing an essay. Students and professional writers alike have this problem, and one helpful solution is to start with an outline. Whether you’ve learned how to make an outline in school or are hearing about it for the first time now, this post will provide you with an outline (no pun intended) for writing outlines and make your essay writing a breeze.

Step One: The Introduction 

This is the most important paragraph of your essay. Consider what you want your paper to be about, and write down some keywords and phrases you want to include in this first paragraph. Keep in mind, the paragraph should be about five sentences long, and consist of a good hook, some background information, other relevant details and your thesis statement. 

Step Two: The Thesis

This is the most important sentence of your essay. Make sure you write a full sentence down for your thesis on your outline, even if it's not perfect or exactly what you want to use. As long as the general idea is in there, you can revise it later. Your thesis needs to argue a point and make a claim, while also encompassing your essay as a whole. The reader of your paper should know exactly what they are about to get into—no surprises--when they read your thesis. The body paragraphs are simply there to provide facts, details, and a convincing argument for your thesis, not to reach for outside topics or anything that wasn’t mentioned in your introduction or thesis statement. 

Step Three: The Body

These two to four paragraphs (the average number for a typical paper, depending on how many points you’re planning to make) will contain supporting information for your thesis. For each point you want to make, you’ll need a new paragraph. Make sure to write down at least three key ideas you plan to discuss in each paragraph. The key ideas should be relevant and back up your thesis statement. You will need to expand upon these ideas when you write your actual essay.

Step three and a half: the counter argument. Some essays require one of these, in which you will argue against your thesis in a new paragraph, right before the conclusion. This paragraph serves to acknowledge any flaws in your claim, downsides to the point you’re arguing or pretty much anything that does the opposite of directly supporting your thesis. At the end of this paragraph, you should state that even though these flaws or negative outcomes may be possible or true, the thing you’re arguing for is still better and more accurate. Go ahead and outline your counter argument the same way you would the other body paragraphs. 

Step Four: The Conclusion

Time to sum it all up. The conclusion will wrap up your essay, touching upon all the points you made. You’ll have to be sure you restate your thesis in a new way (as well as everything else!) so as not to be repetitive. Lastly, you will want to make a point in your last few sentences about the potential for new ideas. For example, if your essay was about renewable energy, your conclusion could end by discussing what the future might look like if renewable energy is harnessed properly and used to its fullest potential. This leaves room for further research and exploration of your topic and will spark curiosity in the reader. Make sure to include this idea in your outline, along with your reworded thesis statement. 

Step Five: The Sources

Chances are you’re going to need a few sources for your paper. It’s a good idea to research these before you even begin to think about writing that first word. Go through your thesis and body paragraphs and find some sources that will help back up your argument. Don’t forget to jot them down in their designated space on your outline!

It’s also likely that you’ll need some quotes—find some you like and write them down as you’re reading, that way you won’t have to go back through and look for them again. A helpful tip: if possible, put the quotes in the order you want to use them in in your essay document. This way, your quotes will act as a skeleton or road map for your paper, and all you have to do is write around them, filling in the blanks. 

Lastly, don’t feel like you have to stick to your outline 100%. When you’re writing or researching, you may find out new information that could serve your paper better than what you already came up with. Outlines always leave room for improvement, but now that your outline is complete, you’re ready to get writing! 

Looking for a way to make your essays better? Contact us today to find out more on how Revolution Tutors can help you succeed with a writing tutor.