Deliverable for Part Three: Proposed Outline for Essay

In your assignments folder, you will submit a formal outline of your critical essay.  

You must list your working thesis at the top of the page, separately from the outline. Even though this is an outline of the proposed essay, it must be a complete and thorough structure for your fully developed thesis and argument. The outline should frame the essay, so it should reflect introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion as the main points.  The sub-points will contain the supporting ideas and evidence.  You may write either in phrases or complete sentences for the outline. 

The Excelsior OWL guide for outlining is available here https://owl.excelsior.edu/research/outlining/.  Your outline is the traditional outline, and the step for "See it in Practice" will be helpful for you in developing the outline. 

The guide for Drafting & Integrating https://owl.excelsior.edu/research/drafting-and-integrating/ will also be helpful for you later, in drafting your essay from your outline.

Traditional Outline

Traditional Outlining

Include your full thesis statement before the beginning of the outline.

I. Introduction

A. background, context for topic B. transition to thesis

C. thesis statement*

II. Sub Point 1 (topic sentence of first body paragraph) A. supporting detail

1. textualexample

2. textualexample B. supporting detail

1. secondarysourceevidence

2. secondarysourceevidence

III. Sub Point 2 (topic sentence of second body paragraph)

A. supporting detail

1. textualexample 2. textualexample

B. supporting detail

1. secondarysourceevidence 2. secondarysourceevidence

IV. Sub Point 3 (topic sentence of third body paragraph) A. supporting detail

1. textualexample

2. textualexample 

        B. supporting detail

1. secondarysourceevidence

2. secondarysourceevidence

V. Conclusion

A. review central ideas presented in body and make connection to thesis B. transition to closing thoughts

C. closing thoughts

*Your thesis statement needs to state your main point (argument or claim) and the sub points (ideas or reasons) that support that claim. See https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips- and-tools/thesis-statements/ (example of thesis development on Huckleberry Finn)

    In the sample above, you’ll see a basic structure that can be modified to fit the length of

 your assignment. It’s important to note, in shorter research essays, each point of your

 outline might correspond to a single paragraph, but in longer research papers, you might

 develop each supporting point over several paragraphs.