How to Write an Essay Outline - Template and Examples

To write an effective essay, you need to create a clear and well organized essay outline. Your outline will shape the entire content of your essay and will determine how successful your essay will be. Quick Links 1. How to Write an Essay Outline? 2. Essay Outline Example 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Thesis Statement 2.3 Body Paragraphs 2.4 Conclusion 3. Essay Outline Example 3.1 5 Paragraph Essay Outline 4. Essay Outline Template 4.1 Essay Outline Sample 4.2 Argumentative Essay Outline 4.3 Persuasive Essay Outline 4.4 Compare and Contrast Essay Outline 4.5 Narrative Essay Outline 4.6 Expository Essay Outline 4.7 Analytical Essay Outline 4.8 Rhetorical Essay Outline 4.9 Cause and Effect Essay Outline 1. How to Write an Essay Outline? Is essay writing a demanding task for you? Are you one of those students who find essay a tedious,boring, or even daunting task? Read our helpful guide and make your essay writing easier. Before you start writing an essay, the first step is the outline writing. This is the most crucial step when it comes to essay writing. The more time you spend on creating an outline for your essay, the less you will spend on writing it. Here is a simple guide to help you write your college essay, academic papers, research papers, term papers and case studies by creating an outline and organizing your ideas and information according to it. 2. Essay Outline Format It is an easy way for you to write your thoughts in an organized manner. This may seem unnecessary and unimportant, but it is not. It is one of the most crucial steps for essay writing as it shapes your entire essay and aids the writing process. Here is a detailed description of a complete format. 2.1 Introduction The introduction body of your essay should be attention grabbing. It should be written in such a manner that it attracts the reader's interest. It should also provide background information about the topic for the readers. You can use dramatic tone to grab the readers' attention but the introduction should be connected to your thesis statement. 2.2 Thesis Statement A thesis statement is stated at the end of your introduction. That is the most important statement of your entire essay. It summarizes the purpose of the essay into one sentence. The thesis statement tells the readers about the main theme of the essay and it must be strong and clear. Thesis statement holds the entire crux of your essay. Check out the following blog to learn more about writing a thesis statement with examples. 2.3 Body Paragraphs Your thesis statement should be explained in the body of the essay. Body paragraphs include all the important information about your essay. If you are writing a persuasive essay, the content mentioned in your body paragraphs will persuade your audience. In the same way, if you are writing an argumentative essay, the body paragraphs of your essay will convince your audience towards your point of view. Each paragraph should have a topic sentence and no more than one idea. 2.4 Conclusion Always end your discussion with a strong essay conclusion. Your conclusions should be influencing enough to give closure to your topic. The conclusion of the essay is as important as the introduction and body paragraphs are to making a coherent paper. Summarize all the points of your essay discussed in the introduction and body paragraphs. The conclusion must be based on the facts discussed earlier in the essay. The conclusion should not be lengthy. It should restate your thesis statement of the essay and its supporting points. Keep the conclusion sentences short but powerful. 3. Essay Outline Example The outline of your essay is the skeleton that you will fill out with the content. Both outline and relevant content are important for a good essay. The content that you will add to flesh out the outline should be credible, relevant and interesting. Continue reading to know about writing an outline. 3.1 5 Paragraph Essay Outline An outline is a part of the writing as it helps the writer stay focused and in line with the main topic. A typical essay consists of five paragraphs, including: Introduction Body Paragraph 1 Body Paragraph 2 Body Paragraph 3 Conclusion 4. Essay Outline Template Here is a general essay outline template you can follow for any type of essay. Go through them and learn how to write an outline for every type of essay and research paper. 4.1 Essay Outline Sample This is a typical essay outline that you can follow. However, it can differ according to the parameters set forth by your instructors. Given below are outline samples for different types of essays writing. 4.2 Argumentative Essay Outline An argumentative essay is a type of essay that presents both sides of the topic that you are exploring. The argument that serves as the basis of your essay should be created by providing evidence and supporting details. 4.3 Persuasive Essay Outline A persuasive essay is similar to an argumentative essay. Your job is to provide facts and details in order to create the argument. The primary difference is that, in a persuasive essay you convince your readers of your point of view. 4.4 Compare and Contrast Essay Outline A compare and contrast essay explains the similarities and differences between two things. While comparing, you should focus on the differences between two seemingly similar objects. While contrasting, you should focus on the similarities between two apparently different objects. 4.5 Narrative Essay Outline A narrative essay is written to share a story. Commonly, a narrative essay is written from a personal point of view in the form of an essay. The basic purpose of narrative essay is to describe something in a creative manner. 4.6 Expository Essay Outline An expository essay is a type of essay that explains, analyzes and illustrates something to clarify it for the readers. An expository essay should be unbiased and entirely based on facts. Be sure to use academic resources for your research and cite your sources. 4.7 Analytical Essay Outline An analytical essay is written to analyze the topic from a critical point of view. An analytical essay breaks down the content into different parts and explains the topic bit by bit. 4.8 Rhetorical Essay Outline A rhetorical essay is written to examine the work of a writer or artist and how he came up with the topic. It also includes the discussion. 4.9 Cause and Effect Essay Outline A cause and effect essay describes why something is happening and examines the consequences of an occurrence or phenomenon.This is also a type of expository essay.