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Essay Writing Guide

Essay Outline

Last updated on: Jun 10, 2023

A Complete Essay Outline - Guidelines and Format

By: Nova A.

13 min read

Reviewed By: Melisa C.

Published on: Jan 15, 2019

To write an effective essay, you need to create a clear and well-organized essay outline. An essay outline will shape the essay’s entire content and determine how successful the essay will be.

In this blog post, we'll be going over the basics of essay outlines and provide a template for you to follow. We will also include a few examples so that you can get an idea about how these outlines look when they are put into practice.

Essay writing is not easy, but it becomes much easier with time, practice, and a detailed essay writing guide. Once you have developed your outline, everything else will come together more smoothly.

The key to success in any area is preparation - take the time now to develop a solid outline and then write your essays!

So, let’s get started!

On this Page

What is an Essay Outline?

An essay outline is your essay plan and a roadmap to essay writing. It is the structure of an essay you are about to write. It includes all the main points you have to discuss in each section along with the thesis statement.

Like every house has a map before it is constructed, the same is the importance of an essay outline. You can write an essay without crafting an outline, but you may miss essential information, and it is more time-consuming.

Once the outline is created, there is no chance of missing any important information. Also, it will help you to:

• Organize your thoughts and ideas.
• Understand the information flow.
• Never miss any crucial information or reference.
• Finish your work faster.

These are the reasons if someone asks you why an essay outline is needed. Now there are some points that must be kept in mind before proceeding to craft an essay outline.

Easily Outline Your Essays In Seconds!

Prewriting Process of Essay Outline

Your teacher may ask you to submit your essay outline before your essay. Therefore, you must know the preliminary guidelines that are necessary before writing an essay outline.

Here are the guidelines:

• You must go through your assignments’ guidelines carefully.
• Understand the purpose of your assignment.
• Know your audience.
• Mark the important point while researching your topic data.
• Select the structure of your essay outline; whether you are going to use a decimal point bullet or a simple one.

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How to Write an Essay Outline in 4 Steps

Creating an essay outline is a crucial step in crafting a well-structured and organized piece of writing. Follow these four simple steps to create an effective outline:

Step 1: Understand the Topic

To begin, thoroughly grasp the essence of your essay topic. 

Break it down into its key components and identify the main ideas you want to convey. This step ensures you have a clear direction and focus for your essay.

Step 2: Brainstorm and Gather Ideas

Let your creativity flow and brainstorm ideas related to your topic. 

Jot down key pieces of information, arguments, and supporting evidence that will strengthen your essay's overall message. Consider different perspectives and potential counterarguments to make your essay well-rounded.

Step 3: Organize Your Thoughts

Now it's time to give structure to your ideas. 

Arrange your main points in a logical order, starting with an attention-grabbing introduction, followed by body paragraphs that present your arguments. 

Finally, tie everything together with a compelling conclusion. Remember to use transitional phrases to create smooth transitions between sections.

Step 4: Add Depth with Subpoints

To add depth and clarity to your essay, incorporate subpoints under each main point. 

These subpoints provide more specific details, evidence, or examples that support your main ideas. They help to further strengthen your arguments and make your essay more convincing.

By following these four steps - you'll be well on your way to creating a clear and compelling essay outline.

Essay Outline Format

It is an easy way for you to write your thoughts in an organized manner. It 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.

An essay outline consists of three main parts:

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 a dramatic tone to grab readers’ attention, but it should connect the audience to your thesis statement.

Here are some points without which your introduction paragraph is incomplete.

To attract the reader with the first few opening lines, we use a hook statement. It helps engage the reader and motivates them to read further. There are different types of hook sentences ranging from quotes, rhetorical questions to anecdotes and statistics, and much more.

Are you struggling to come up with an interesting hook? View these hook examples to get inspired!

A thesis statement is stated at the end of your introduction. It is the most important statement of your entire essay. It summarizes the purpose of the essay in one sentence.

The thesis statement tells the readers about the main theme of the essay, and it must be strong and clear. It holds the entire crux of your essay.

Need help creating a strong thesis statement? Check out this guide on thesis statements and learn to write a statement that perfectly captures your main argument!

2. Body Paragraphs

The body paragraphs of an essay are where all the details and evidence come into play. This is where you dive deep into the argument, providing explanations and supporting your ideas with solid evidence. 

If you're writing a persuasive essay, these paragraphs will be the powerhouse that convinces your readers. Similarly, in an argumentative essay, your body paragraphs will work their magic to sway your audience to your side.

Each paragraph should have a topic sentence and no more than one idea. A topic sentence is the crux of the contents of your paragraph. It is essential to keep your reader interested in the essay.

The topic sentence is followed by the supporting points and opinions, which are then justified with strong evidence.

3. Conclusion

When it comes to wrapping up your essay, never underestimate the power of a strong conclusion. Just like the introduction and body paragraphs, the conclusion plays a vital role in providing a sense of closure to your topic. 

To craft an impactful conclusion, it's crucial to summarize the key points discussed in the introduction and body paragraphs. You want to remind your readers of the important information you shared earlier. But keep it concise and to the point. Short, powerful sentences will leave a lasting impression.

Remember, your conclusion shouldn't drag on. Instead, restate your thesis statement and the supporting points you mentioned earlier. And here's a pro tip: go the extra mile and suggest a course of action. It leaves your readers with something to ponder or reflect on.

5 Paragraph Essay Outline Structure

An outline is an essential part of the writing as it helps the writer stay focused. A typical 5 paragraph essay outline example is shown here. This includes:

• State the topic
• Thesis statement
• Introduction
• Explanation
• A conclusion that ties to the thesis
• Summary of the essay
• Restate the thesis statement

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Essay Outline Template

The outline of the 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 you will add to flesh out the outline should be credible, relevant, and interesting.

The outline structure for the essay is not complex or difficult. No matter which type of essay you write, you either use an alphanumeric structure or a decimal structure for the outline.

Below is an outline sample that you can easily follow for your essay.

Essay Outline Sample

Essay Outline Examples

An essay outline template should follow when you start writing the essay. Every writer should learn how to write an outline for every type of essay and research paper.

Essay outline 4th grade

Essay outline 5th grade

Essay outline high school

Essay outline college

Given below are essay outline examples for different types of essay writing.

Argumentative Essay Outline

An  argumentative essay  is a type of essay that shows both sides of the topic that you are exploring. The argument that presents the basis of the essay should be created by providing evidence and supporting details.

Persuasive Essay Outline

A  persuasive essay  is similar to an argumentative essay. Your job is to provide facts and details to create the argument. In a persuasive essay, you convince your readers of your point of view.

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 different objects.

Narrative Essay Outline

A narrative essay is written to share a story. Normally, a narrative essay is written from a personal point of view in an essay. The basic purpose of the narrative essay is to describe something creatively.

Expository Essay Outline

An  expository essay  is a type of essay that explains, analyzes, and illustrates something 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.

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.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Outline

A rhetorical essay is written to examine the writer or artist’s work and develop a great essay. It also includes the discussion.

Cause and Effect Essay Outline

A  cause and effect essay  describes why something happens and examines the consequences of an occurrence or phenomenon. It is also a type of expository essay.

Informative Essay Outline

An  informative essay  is written to inform the audience about different objects, concepts, people, issues, etc.

The main purpose is to respond to the question with a detailed explanation and inform the target audience about the topic.

Synthesis Essay Outline

A  synthesis essay  requires the writer to describe a certain unique viewpoint about the issue or topic. Create a claim about the topic and use different sources and information to prove it.

Literary Analysis Essay Outline

A  literary analysis essay  is written to analyze and examine a novel, book, play, or any other piece of literature. The writer analyzes the different devices such as the ideas, characters, plot, theme, tone, etc., to deliver his message.

Definition Essay Outline

A  definition essay  requires students to pick a particular concept, term, or idea and define it in their own words and according to their understanding.

Descriptive Essay Outline

A  descriptive essay  is a type of essay written to describe a person, place, object, or event. The writer must describe the topic so that the reader can visualize it using their five senses.

Evaluation Essay Outline

Problem Solution Essay Outline

In a problem-solution essay, you are given a problem as a topic and you have to suggest multiple solutions on it.

Scholarship Essay Outline

A  scholarship essay  is required at the time of admission when you are applying for a scholarship. Scholarship essays must be written in a way that should stand alone to help you get a scholarship.

Reflective Essay Outline

A reflective essay  is written to express your own thoughts and point of view regarding a specific topic.

Getting started on your essay? Give this comprehensive essay writing guide a read to make sure you write an effective essay!

With this complete guide, now you understand how to create an outline for your essay successfully. However, if you still can’t write an effective essay, then the best option is to consult a professional academic writing service.

Essay writing is a dull and boring task for some people. So why not get some help instead of wasting your time and effort?  5StarEssays.com is here to help you. All your  do my essay for me  requests are managed by professional essay writers.

Place your order now, and our team of expert academic writers will help you.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the three types of outlines.

Here are the three types of essay outline;

• Working outline
• Speaking outline
• Full-sentence outline

All three types are different from each other and are used for different purposes.

What does a full-sentence outline look like?

A full sentence outline contains full sentences at each level of the essay’s outline. It is similar to an alphanumeric outline and it is a commonly used essay outline.

What is a traditional outline format?

A traditional essay outline begins with writing down all the important points in one place and listing them down and adding sub-topics to them. Besides, it will also include evidence and proof that you will use to back your arguments.

What is the benefit of using a traditional outline format and an informal outline format?

A traditional outline format helps the students in listing down all the important details in one palace while an informal outline will help you coming up with new ideas and highlighting important points

As a Digital Content Strategist, Nova Allison has eight years of experience in writing both technical and scientific content. With a focus on developing online content plans that engage audiences, Nova strives to write pieces that are not only informative but captivating as well.

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Creating a clear and organized essay is not easy, but making an outline can help. By arranging your ideas in a logical and coherent way, an essay outline can guide you in effectively structuring your essay. 

Whether you’re working on a school or college assignment, take the time to create an outline. It can help you overcome the challenges of organizing your thoughts while writing. In this article, we’ll take a look at how to create an essay outline with the help of some useful examples and a downloadable template.

What is an essay outline?

An outline acts as a blueprint for your essay, presenting the structure and content of each paragraph and showing how they connect. By creating an outline, you can streamline the writing process and minimize the need for revisions. It can also help you develop strong points to support your thesis statement .

Typically, an outline is created after establishing a working thesis statement and gathering relevant information. The collected information is then organized into a logical flow that can be expanded into a structured essay.

Why is it important to create an essay outline?

An essay outline not only gives structure to your essay but also helps effectively link its parts. It helps create a logical flow for your essay and also helps identify its primary components. Let’s take a look at this in detail.

1. Sets a logical order

To create a well-structured and impactful essay, the arrangement of information is key. Creating an essay outline makes it easier to organize bits of information from general to specific. 

Start off by creating a broad thesis statement or central idea. Then move on to providing examples or pieces of information that support this statement or elaborate on it. This method also provides a comprehensive overview of your essay and helps identify any missing bits of information.

2. Generates greater impact

The primary goal of your essay is to effectively present information that supports your thesis statement. If your essay is haphazardly structured, the message of the thesis statement can get lost.

In order to present a coherent message, determine the important bits of information that best support your thesis statement and organize them logically. Then elaborate on these bits to create a flow. This not only creates a greater impact but also makes your final essay more convincing.

3. Leads to smoother transitions

Transitions are the bridges that connect your ideas and ensure that your argument flows smoothly. However, creating smooth transitions from one point to another can be quite challenging.

A college essay outline helps you identify where you need to include transitions and what type of transition you should use to connect your ideas effectively. Creating smooth, logical, and cohesive transitions is crucial in ensuring that readers can easily follow your train of thought and grasp your argument. 

How to write an essay outline

After conducting all the necessary research, it is time to narrow down the central idea of your essay. Make sure that the scope of your idea is neither too broad nor too narrow. 

Select the main bits of information that elaborate on this central idea and organize them in a logical manner. Then provide specific examples to back them up. Let’s take a detailed look at these steps. 

1. Figure out the central message or the thesis statement of your essay.

Picking out a central idea or generic point for your essay can help create a base you can elaborate upon. 

You can start with a broad idea or stance and then research the specific bits of information that support this idea and provide more information on it. 

2. Identify the main points or arguments.

After collecting the necessary information to elaborate on your central idea, identify the broad points that give it substance. 

These points will form the headings of the essay. They should be broad enough to cover major themes, but specific enough to provide a clear focus for each section.

3. Organize your headings.

Decide the logical flow of your essay and arrange your headings in an organized manner.

It is crucial to have obvious starting and ending points, but the body can be organized in a way you consider to be the most impactful. Depending on the type of essay, your headings can be arranged chronologically, on the basis of importance, or from general to specific.

4. Provide examples and evidence to support the headings.

Once the headings are created and organized, provide statistics, anecdotes, and examples to back them up. These specific pieces of information can be elaborated upon while writing your first draft.

You can use this general essay outline format to create your own 

Essay outline template

To help you write a logical, well-structured, impactful essay, we have developed this fool-proof, comprehensive essay outline template. It will help you categorize all your essential information into well-structured, organized headings and subheadings.

The template includes an introduction, three body paragraphs, an optional paragraph for a counter-argument, and a conclusion. Under each of these headings, there are relevant subheadings that are applicable to all types of essays.  

The template uses an alphanumeric format, with Roman numerals for the headings and capital letters for the subheadings.

Download Free Outline Essay Template

Essay outline examples   .

Essays are highly versatile pieces of writing. They include various types, such as persuasive essays, compare and contrast essays, analytical essays, and cause-and-effect essays. 

But most of these essay types are a combination or a derivation of these four main types of essays. They include narrative, descriptive, argumentative, and expository essays. 

Each of these essays serves a different purpose and is structured differently. Let’s understand the purpose of each of these essay types with the help of relevant essay outline examples:

1. Narrative essay outline

A narrative essay outline is a highly personalized outline that reflects your unique experiences, feelings, and observations. 

The goal of this outline is to tell an impactful story with the help of vivid descriptions and sensory details that engage the reader’s attention.

Narrative essay outline example

Let us better understand the narrative essay outline with the help of an example. The following example is a personal narrative about growing up as an immigrant child.

I. Introduction

A. A vivid description of the moment I found out I was moving to a new country.

B. Brief explanation of my background and reasons for immigrating.

C. Thesis statement: The challenges and opportunities I faced as an immigrant in a new country.

A. Struggles in adjusting to a new culture.

1. Language barriers I faced in school and everyday life.

2. Differences in cultural norms and expectations.

B. Navigating a new education system

1. Differences in teaching styles and expectations.

2. Adjusting to a new curriculum and grading system.

C. Finding a sense of belonging

1. Challenges in making friends and building relationships.

2. Coping with homesickness and missing family and friends.

III. Conclusion

A. Reflection on my journey as an immigrant

1. Lessons learned and personal growth.

2. Significance of the experience.

B. Acknowledgment of my resilience and determination.

1. Overcoming challenges and achieving success.

2. Encouragement for others facing similar challenges.

C. Memorable closing statement related to my journey.

2. Argumentative essay outline

An argumentative essay outline requires you to take a clear stance on a topic and provide strong evidence to support it. 

The goal of this outline is to convince the reader to see your point of view on a controversial topic.

Argumentative essay outline example

The following example shows us how the internet is beneficial to the mental development of school children. It establishes the internet to be a valuable resource for children.

A. A surprising statistic or fact about children and their use of the internet.

B. Brief explanation of the prevalence of the internet in modern society and its impact on children.

C. Thesis statement: Despite concerns about safety and privacy, the internet is a valuable resource for children due to its educational opportunities, communication tools, and access to diverse perspectives.

A. Education opportunities.

 1. Access to information and resources that may not be available in traditional classroom settings.

2. Interactive tools and games that can reinforce learning and engage children in new ways.

B. Communication tools

1. Social media and messaging platforms that allow children to connect with peers and mentors.

2. Online forums and discussion groups that foster collaboration and problem-solving skills.

C. Exposure to diverse perspectives

1. Access to a variety of viewpoints and perspectives from around the world.

2. Exposure to different cultures and ways of thinking can foster empathy and understanding.

III. Counterarguments and Rebuttal

A. Potential safety concerns and risks associated with internet use

1. Explanation of safety measures and precautions that can mitigate these risks.

2. Rebuttal of the idea that the risks outweigh the benefits.

B. Potential negative effects on cognitive and social development

1. Explanation of the positive effects of internet use on cognitive development and social skills.

2. Rebuttal of the idea that the internet is inherently harmful to children.

IV. Conclusion

A. Restatement of thesis statement and main points of the argument.

B. Reflection on the importance of the internet as a valuable resource for children.

C. Final thoughts and call to action for readers to embrace the benefits of internet use for children.

3. Expository essay outline

An expository essay outline requires you to provide a detailed overview of a subject from all angles. It is used to test your knowledge of a particular subject.

The purpose of this essay outline is to inform, explain, or describe a topic or idea, rather than to persuade the reader or share personal opinions. 

This type of essay is often used in academic settings, such as in writing assignments, research papers, or even textbooks.

Expository essay outline example

The following example provides us with information on SONAR technology, its uses, its impact on the environment, as well as its benefits. 

A. A brief explanation of the significance of SONAR and its impact on underwater navigation and detection.

B. A definition of SONAR and its origins, and the history of its development and uses.

C. Thesis statement: This essay will provide a detailed overview of the use of SONAR technology, its applications, and its impact on various fields.

A. Explanation of SONAR technology

• Basic principles of SONAR.
• Types of SONAR and how they work.

B. Applications of SONAR technology

1. Military applications, including submarine detection and mine detection.

2. Commercial applications, including underwater mapping and exploration, and marine life observation.

C. Advantages and disadvantages of SONAR technology

1. Advantages, such as accuracy and range.

2. Disadvantages, such as interference and environmental impact.

A. Safety and environmental concerns

1. Explanation of the measures taken to minimize the environmental impact of SONAR technology.

2. Rebuttal of the idea that the benefits of SONAR technology are outweighed by its environmental impact.

B. Potential misuse or abuse of SONAR technology

1. Explanation of regulations and laws governing the use of SONAR technology.

2. Rebuttal of the idea that the potential misuse of SONAR technology justifies limiting its applications.

B. Reflection on the significance of SONAR technology and its impact on various fields.

C. Final thoughts and call to action for readers to learn more about SONAR technology and its applications.

4. Descriptive essay outline

A descriptive essay outline requires you to create a detailed and sensory-rich description of a person, place, object, event, or experience. 

The goal is to provide the reader with a visceral experience that engages their senses and imagination.

Descriptive essay outline example

The following example provides a highly immersive experience and uses multiple sensory descriptors to describe the summers spent by the writer at their grandmother’s farm.

A. Description of a typical summer day at grandma’s farm.

B. Brief overview of the location and purpose of the farm.

C. Thesis statement: Summers spent at grandma’s farm were some of the most memorable and enjoyable times of my childhood, thanks to the idyllic setting and the rich sensory experiences it provided.

II. Body Paragraph 1: The Scenery

A. Topic sentence: The farm was located in a picturesque rural area surrounded by rolling hills and green pastures.

B. Sensory details:

1. Visual: Describe the lush greenery, the colorful flowers, and the endless expanse of blue sky.

2. Auditory: Mention the sound of the chirping birds, the rustling leaves, and the occasional mooing of cows.

3. Olfactory: Describe the fragrant smell of fresh hay and the earthy aroma of the soil.

4. Tactile: Describe the feeling of the warm sun on the skin and the softness of the grass underfoot.

III. Body Paragraph 2: The Activities

A. Topic sentence: The farm provided numerous activities and tasks that kept me busy and engaged throughout the day.

1. Visual: Describe the sight of the cows grazing, the chickens clucking, and the horses trotting.

2. Auditory: Mention the sound of the milking machine, the creaking of the barn doors, and the whinnying of the horses.

3. Olfactory: Describe the smell of the freshly baked pies, the wood smoke from the bonfire, and the scent of the freshly cut grass.

4. Tactile: Describe the feeling of the cow’s rough tongue licking my hand, the warmth of the freshly laid eggs, and the rough texture of the hay bales.

IV. Body Paragraph 3: The People

A. Topic sentence: The farm was a family affair, and spending time with my grandmother and other relatives was a highlight of the summer.

1. Visual: Describe the sight of my grandmother cooking in the kitchen, my cousins running through the fields, and my uncles fixing machinery.

2. Auditory: Mention the sound of laughter and conversation around the dinner table, the chatter of family members working together, and the clinking of dishes.

3. Olfactory: Describe the smell of home-cooked meals, the familiar scents of family members, and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee.

4. Tactile: Describe the feeling of hugs from family members, the rough texture of my grandfather’s hand, and the warmth of a family embrace.

V. Conclusion

A. Restate thesis: Summers spent at grandma’s farm were truly unforgettable, filled with vivid sensory experiences and cherished memories.

B. Summarize main points: Recap the main sensory details and experiences shared in the essay.

C. Final thoughts: Reflect on the impact of the farm on the writer’s life and express gratitude for the memories made there.

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• How to Write an Essay in 8 Simple Steps

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How to Write an Essay Outline + Essay Outline Examples

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How to Write an Essay Outline + Essay Outline Examples 

Writing an essay can seem like a daunting task, but one of the best ways to tackle this challenge is to organize your ideas into a well-structured essay outline. This guide will walk you through the process of creating an essay outline, complete with essay outline examples, to ensure your next essay is a masterpiece.

We’ve compiled a variety of essay outline examples to help you understand how to structure your own essay. We'll cover persuasive essays, narrative essays, descriptive essays, expository essays, and even provide a sample research paper outline. Each example will provide you with an idea of how to lay out the structure and details for each type of essay.

Looking for a printable list of essay outline examples? Our printable PDF features essay outline examples and templates that your students can use as examples when writing research papers, or as a supplement for an essay-writing unit

Why write an essay outline? 

An outline serves as the skeleton of your essay, giving you a clear and organized path to articulate your thoughts. Not only does it make writing an essay significantly easier, but it also allows you to present your arguments coherently and effectively.

An essay outline will help you organize your main ideas and determine the order in which you are going to write about them.

Types of essay outlines

Several types of essay outlines can be used when writing an essay. The two most common types are the alphanumeric outline and the decimal outline.

An alphanumeric outline typically uses Roman numerals, capital letters, Arabic numerals, and lowercase letters, in that order. Each level provides a different level of specificity. This structure is a very effective way to think through how you will organize and present the information in your essay. It also helps you develop a strong argumentative essay.

Alternatively, a decimal outline uses only numbers, and each subsection is a decimal subdivision of the main section. This type of outline is often used in scientific papers.

Persuasive essay outline example 

In the following section, we'll explore a persuasive essay outline example on competitive swimming. The purpose of a persuasive essay is to convince the reader of a particular point of view or idea, using compelling arguments and evidence.

In this case, the argument is that competitive swimming is an ideal sport for kids. The essay will present a series of arguments to support this view, demonstrating the various benefits of competitive swimming for children.

Competitive Swimming, an Ideal Sport for Kids

Introduction

Start your argumentative essay outline by stating your point of view and/or presenting your persuasive argument.

Thesis: Competitive swimming is a great alternative to other youth sports.

Body Paragraph 1

Introduce your primary persuasive argument and provide supporting details in your argumentative essay outline.

Topic Sentence:   Competitive swimming provides the same benefits as other sports.

• Detail Sentence 1:   It is good exercise and builds muscular strength.
• Detail Sentence 2:   It promotes cooperation among team members, especially in relays.

Body Paragraph 2

Introduce a secondary argument and provide supporting details.

Topic Sentence:   Competitive swimming provides some unique additional benefits.

• Detail Sentence 1:   Swimming is an important skill that can be used forever.
• Detail Sentence 2:  Swimming poses a reduced risk of injury.
• Detail Sentence 3:   Each swimmer can easily chart his or her own progress.

Conclude your essay writing with a summary of the thesis and persuasive arguments. Brainstorming details that support your point-of-view is a great way to start before creating your outline and first draft.

Concluding Sentence:   There are many reasons why competitive swimming is a great alternative to other youth sports, including...

Narrative essay outline example

In the following section, we will examine a narrative essay outline example titled "How Losing a Swim Meet Made Me a Better Swimmer." Narrative essays aim to tell a story, often about a personal experience, to engage the reader and convey a particular point or lesson.

In this case, the narrative revolves around the author's personal journey of improvement and self-discovery through swimming. The essay will illustrate how an initial setback served as a catalyst for significant improvement and personal growth.

How Losing a Swim Meet Made Me a Better Swimmer

Introduce the subject of your narrative essay using a thesis statement and a plan of development (POD).

Thesis: The first time I participated in a competitive swim meet, I finished in last place. With more focused training and coaching, I was able to finish 2nd in the State Championship meet.

Plan of development:   I was very disappointed in my results from the first meet, so I improved my training and fitness. This helped me swim better and faster, which helped me to greatly improve my results.

Set the scene and provide supporting details. Again, start by brainstorming different ways to begin; then go ahead and craft an outline and a first draft.

Topic Sentence:   I was embarrassed at finishing last in my first competitive swim meet, so I began working on ways to improve my performance.

• Detail Sentence 1:   I spent extra time with my coach and the team captains learning how to improve my technique.
• Detail Sentence 2:   I started running and lifting weights to increase my overall fitness level.

Provide additional supporting details, descriptions, and experiences to develop your general idea in your essay writing.

Topic Sentence:   Over time, my results began to improve and I was able to qualify for the state championship meet.

• Detail Sentence 1:   My technique and fitness level made me faster and able to swim longer distances.
• Detail Sentence 2:  I steadily got better, and I began winning or placing in the top 3 at most of my meets.
• Detail Sentence 3:  My results improved to the point that I was able to qualify for the state championship meet.

Body Paragraph 3

The next step in the writing process is to provide additional supporting details, descriptions, and experiences. You can then divide them up under different headings.

Topic Sentence:   With my new confidence, techniques, and fitness level, I was able to finish 2nd at the state championship meet.

• Detail Sentence 1:   I was able to swim well against a higher level of competition due to my training and technique.
• Detail Sentence 2:  I was no longer embarrassed about my last-place finish, and was able to use it as motivation!

Conclude the narrative essay with a recap of the events described or a reflection on the lesson learned in the story. Briefly summarize the details you included under each heading.

Concluding Sentence:   I used my last-place finish in my first competitive swim meet as motivation to improve my performance.

Descriptive essay outline example

We will now delve into a descriptive essay outline example. Descriptive essays aim to create a vivid and detailed description of a person, place, object, or event to paint a picture for the reader. The intention is to immerse the reader in the subject matter fully.

In this case, the essay provides an in-depth description of a visit to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. The essay will use sensory and descriptive details to create a vivid and memorable experience for the reader.

Visiting the Hockey Hall of Fame

Introduce the subject of your descriptive essay with a thesis statement covering the person, place, object, etc. you are writing about.

Thesis: The Hockey Hall of Fame is full of sights, sounds, and experiences that will delight hockey fans of all ages.

Set the scene and provide factual details.

Topic Sentence:   The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Canada and features exhibits from amateur and professional hockey.

• Detail Sentence 1:   The Hall is located in downtown Toronto and is visited by 1 million people every year.
• Detail Sentence 2:   You can see exhibits ranging from the early beginnings of the sport to the modern NHL and Olympics.

Provide additional sensory details, descriptions, and experiences.

Topic Sentence:   There are many types of exhibits and shows, including activities you can participate in.

• Detail Sentence 1:  Player statues, plaques, and jerseys decorate the walls in every room of the Hall.
• Detail Sentence 2:  Many of the exhibits have movies and multimedia activities that make you feel like you're part of the game.
• Detail Sentence 3:  You can even practice shooting pucks on virtual versions of some of the game's greatest goalies!

Conclude the essay with a paragraph that restates the thesis and recaps the descriptive and sensory details.

Concluding Sentence:   The Hockey Hall of Fame is an experience that combines the best sights, sounds and history of the game in Toronto.

Expository essay outline example

In the following section, we will explore an example of an expository essay. An expository essay aims to explain or describe a topic using logic. It presents a balanced analysis of a topic based on facts—with no references to the writer’s opinions or emotions.

For this example, the topic is "Why The School Year Should be Shorter". This essay will use logic and reason to demonstrate that a shorter school year could provide various benefits for students, teachers, and school districts.

Why The School Year Should be Shorter

Introduce the primary argument or main point of an expository essay, or other types of academic writing, using a thesis statement and context.

Thesis: The school year is too long, and should be shortened to benefit students and teachers, save districts money, and improve test scores and academic results. Other countries have shorter school years, and achieve better results.

Describe the primary argument and provide supporting details and evidence.

Topic Sentence:   A shorter school year would benefit students and teachers by giving them more time off.

• Detail Sentence 1:   Students and teachers would be able to spend more time with their families.
• Detail Sentence 2:  Teachers would be refreshed and rejuvenated and able to teach more effectively.

Provide additional supporting details and evidence, as in this essay outline example.

Topic Sentence:  A shorter school year would save school districts millions of dollars per year.

• Detail Sentence 1:   Districts could save money on energy costs by keeping schools closed longer.
• Detail Sentence 2:  A shorter school year means much lower supply and transportation costs.
• Detail Sentence 3:  Well-rested and happy students would help improve test scores.

Provide additional or supplemental supporting details, evidence, and analysis, as in the essay outline example.

Topic Sentence:   Shortening the school year would also provide many benefits for parents and caregivers.

• Detail Sentence 1:   A shorter school year would mean less stress and running around for parents.
• Detail Sentence 2:  Caregivers would have more balance in their lives with fewer days in the school year.

Conclude the essay with an overview of the main argument, and highlight the importance of your evidence and conclusion.

Concluding Sentence:   Shortening the school year would be a great way to improve the quality of life for students, teachers, and parents while saving money for districts and improving academic results.

Sample research paper outline

Now let’s dive into a research paper outline. Unlike a typical essay, a research paper presents a thorough and detailed study on a specific topic. However, it shares the same foundation with an essay in terms of structuring the ideas logically and coherently. The outline for a research paper includes an introduction, a series of topic points that cover various aspects of the main topic, and a conclusion.

This research paper will explore the background of Mt. Everest, the major explorers who attempted its summit, and the impact of these expeditions on Mt. Everest and the local community.

The Conquest of Mt. Everest

• Location of Mt. Everest
• Geography of the Surrounding Area
• Height of the mountain
• Jomolungma (Tibetan name)
• Sagarmatha (Nepalese name)
• The number of people who have climbed Everest to date
• First to reach the summit (1953)
• Led a team of experienced mountain climbers who worked together
• Norgay was an experienced climber and guide who accompanied Hillary
• Sherpas still used to guide expeditions
• Leader of the failed 1996 expedition
• Led group of (mainly) tourists with little mountain climbing experience
• Loss of trees due to high demand for wood for cooking and heating for tourists.
• Piles of trash left by climbing expeditions
• Expedition fees provide income for the country
• Expeditions provide work for the Sherpas, contributing to the local economy.
• Introduction of motor vehicles
• Introduction of electricity

The Everest essay outline template is based on a research paper submitted by Alexandra Ferber, 9th grade.

Happy writing!

Writing an essay outline is a crucial step in crafting a well-structured and coherent essay. Regardless of the type of essay - be it persuasive, narrative, descriptive, expository, or a research paper - an outline serves as a roadmap that organizes your thoughts and guides your writing process. The various essay outline examples provided above serve as a guide to help you structure your own essay. Remember, the key to a great essay lies not just in the content but in its organization and flow. Happy writing!

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Home ➔ Essay Outline

How to Write an Essay Outline (Examples and Template)

Essays are used to express ideas or opinions about a particular subject matter. It’s among the first tasks introduced to students at the primary levels of education. It’s also one of the widely accepted forms of assessing students that cut across most academic disciplines, especially in college. Schools and even places of employment might also require an essay from an applicant before considering them.

The silver lining is that many students have a working knowledge of how to write an essay and its structure composition, which usually includes an introduction, body, and a concluding paragraph. Still, the average student spends more than the necessary number of hours on a single task because they run out of ideas or lose their train of thought. Even the overall content of the paper suffers. That can be avoided by penning down a solid outline before writing the first draft. Did you know even seasoned bestseller writers do this? So, what’s an outline? How does it improve your essays, and how do you write it? We are answering all these questions in our guide.

Essay Outline Format and Definition

An essay outline acts like a map or blueprint, guiding writers in organizing their work. It’s similar to a table of contents in research papers and dissertations. Many students actually make outlines without realizing it, which is why learning to write one is straightforward. Typically, students brainstorm and research ideas before starting to write. However, they often don’t organize these ideas properly. This step is crucial to transform their initial thoughts into a structured essay outline.

If writing an effective outline isn’t a task that you must submit for a grade, then it’s up to you how you format it. However, you should follow four main principles  when creating a plan for your academic writing:

• Ranking — as you go from your main headings to subheadings, you move from general to more specific.
• Parallelism — every heading on the same hierarchy level should start with the same word type (verb, adjective, noun, etc.).
• Parity — all headings of the same hierarchy should be equally important and less important than the ones higher in rank.
• Fragmentation — each main heading should be divided into at least two subheadings.

The image below illustrates all four principles of outlining:

The most common format is a standard alphanumeric outline template. Headlines are labeled in the following order (from the first to the most nested one):

• (a) Lowercase letters in round brackets

For what you write in each point, you can use brief phrases or full sentences to summarize the idea.

The decimal outline structure is another format you can apply, and it looks like this:

When organizing an essay, there are two primary types of outlines: topic outlines and sentence outlines .

A topic outline lists your essay’s main points and subpoints in short phrases or single words. As a result, it provides a clear, concise structure and helps you visualize the flow of the essay without getting into detailed sentences. This type of outline is mainly useful for shorter essays or when you have a strong comprehension of the subject and do not need to go into every point during this initial planning stage.

In contrast, a sentence outline has complete sentences for each main point and subpoint. This outlining approach offers a more detailed framework, allowing you to flesh out your ideas and ensure that each part of the essay is developed well. Sentence outlines are good for longer or more complex papers, where you need to clarify your thoughts and arguments in advance. By using full sentences, this outline type helps identify any gaps in logic or areas that need further analysis, making the actual writing process smoother and more efficient in the end.

Why is Outlining Important?

Reasons vary, but we usually use it to logically order all the data you collected during the brainstorming and researching stages. A good outline helps a lot in writing research papers, as you can easily keep track of all the relevant information. Even for oral presentations, it’s a great way to identify the strengths and weaknesses of their speech and make it more effective. To sum up, an outline’s core functions are:

• Guiding you during the writing phrase
• Helping you organize your thoughts and ideas
• Presenting material in a logical order
• Showing how your ideas link to one another
• Serving as an abstract for your paper

Outlines enhance thinking flow

Consider planning every next day before going to bed. You will realize that you undertake your daily activities without overthinking or second-guessing yourself because you know what to do every time. That is one of the proven life principles for most successful people. The same applies to paper writing. Your essays will feel like a walk in the park if you outline every major point beforehand.

Outlines save time

Time is a commodity that none of us have in abundance, especially considering the responsibilities students have to undertake daily. So why spend hours on essays when you have mounting academic work? You’d rather waste less time and still get good grades. That’s what essay outlines are for: saving time and improving your performance. Once you’ve planned out your essay, it takes less time to develop each idea.

Outlines improve grades

From students’ perspective, the whole point of sweating over an essay is to get the best grades, and an outline can help you do that. If you take time to brainstorm and jot down every major point you can raise in your essay, you will make fewer errors. If you arrange your ideas in an order that makes sense, your tutor will notice it and evaluate the paper accordingly.

How to Outline an Essay

Building an outline is an excellent way to ensure that every paragraph in your essay has a purpose. While outlining, you can see if a paragraph is essential or can be dropped without harm to your paper. It also checks how your argument or main idea is advancing, which will help you speed up the proofreading stage. Now that you learned how significant outlining is, let’s see how you can create one.

Before writing an outline, you should:

• Define the goal of your essay.
• Determine the target audience.
• Create the thesis statement.

Step 1: Research

The quality of your research determines the quality of your outline and your essay at large. That includes finding quotes from reputable sources or indicating the main supporting points to bolster your argument. Depending on your educational background, you might have to use different sources to expedite your research.

Any websites found on Google are unsuitable sources for papers written at a college or university level. Since the Internet is full of unverified information, it’s vital to ascertain your source’s credibility before referring to it. Examples of trusted sites include Google Scholar, Microsoft Academic, Science.gov, Refseek, and Oxford Academic.

Step 2: Organize

After choosing a topic and researching, it’s time to write the outline using all the gathered information. It should match the layout of the essay: an introduction, a body section, and a conclusion. Have you ever written down something but couldn’t read from your handwriting later on? This usually happens if you have bad handwriting or the information is too clustered to read. You don’t want to rely on such an outline, especially when pressed for time. So, you must organize your plan to match the essay structure .

Introduction

Some ways to start your introduction paragraph are anecdotes, proverbs or idioms, definitions, statistics, quotes, or facts. You can begin your essay outline by jotting down the main ideas for the introduction, which should also include a thesis statement. The point is to equip yourself with a road map, so short sentences should suffice.

Body paragraphs

Each body paragraph provides one idea that supports your thesis statement and is backed by facts, details, and examples. There will be more or fewer paragraphs here, depending on the essay volume. But, when writing a standard essay, you would usually need three body paragraphs, each of which should be in your outline. Remember that every paragraph must start with a topic sentence supported by two or three independent ideas with a link (transition) sentence at the end.

This paragraph summarizes every major point in the essay with some broader context. For a short paper, three to five sentences should be used for the concluding section of your paper.

Below is a template of a standard five-paragraph essay outline structure template that you can download by clicking on the button under the image.

Once you’re done, remember to proofread and edit to ensure you haven’t missed something important.

Essay outline examples

Now that you know how to write an outline, analyze the samples below to better understand how to apply this theory in practice. Each sample essay outline was hand-picked to ensure it corresponds to all key principles of creating one.

CLICK OR TAP ON THE IMAGE TO DOWNLOAD IT IN PDF

Argumentative essay outline example

Similar to persuasive essays, argumentative essays are designed to persuade the reader to accept a specific point of view. They require the writer to use relevant evidence and reasoning to support their arguments while addressing and refuting opposing viewpoints.

For example, an argumentative essay outline on the topic “The Necessity of Renewable Energy” could be structured as follows:

• A. Start with a striking statistic about current global energy consumption.
• B. Provide background on the reliance on non-renewable energy sources.
• C. Thesis: “In the face of escalating environmental crises and depleting non-renewable resources, transitioning to renewable energy sources emerges as an indispensable solution, not only to mitigate ecological damage but also to ensure long-term sustainability and economic viability for future generations.”
• 1. Detail the ecological damage caused by fossil fuels.
• 2. Highlight the contribution of non-renewable energy to global warming.
• 1. Describe the long-term environmental benefits of renewable sources.
• 2. Discuss technological advancements in renewable energy.
• 1. Address concerns about the high cost and practicality.
• 2. Provide evidence of decreasing costs and increasing efficiency.
• A. Reiterate the thesis in light of the arguments presented.
• B. Summarize the environmental and economic benefits.
• C. Concluding statement: Call to action for policy changes and individual responsibility​​.

Narrative essay outline example

Narrative essays tell a story, focusing on personal experiences and emotions. For instance, a narrative essay titled “My Journey to Becoming a Volunteer” could have the following example outline:

• A. Open with a personal anecdote about the desire to help others.
• B. Set the scene for the volunteer journey.
• C. Thesis: “My journey to becoming a volunteer was a transformative experience that reshaped my understanding of community and self, teaching me invaluable lessons in empathy, resilience, and the profound impact of selfless service on both personal growth and the well-being of others.”
• 1. Describe the initial motivation and decision-making process.
• 2. Mention key influences or events leading to the decision.
• 1. Narrate specific experiences and interactions during volunteering.
• 2. Reflect on challenges faced and how they were overcome.
• 1. Discuss the skills and insights acquired.
• 2. Illustrate how the experience changed perspectives on community and self.
• A. Summarize the journey and its impact.
• B. Reflect on the personal changes and growth experienced.
• C. Closing thoughts: The ongoing importance of volunteer work​​​.

Compare and contrast essay outline example

Compare and contrast essays examine the similarities and differences between two subjects, offering a balanced view. For example, a compare and contrast essay on “Online Learning vs. Traditional Classroom” might follow this outline:

• A. Discuss the rise of online learning platforms.
• B. Contrast online and traditional classroom settings.
• C. Thesis Statement: “While both online learning and traditional classroom education aim to deliver quality education, they differ significantly in terms of their learning environments and teacher-student interactions, each offering unique advantages and challenges that cater to diverse learning needs and preferences.”
• 1. Compare the curriculum and teaching materials used in both settings.
• 2. Illustrate with examples of course content in both formats.
• 1. Detail the virtual setting of online learning vs. physical classrooms.
• 2. Discuss the impact of these environments on student engagement.
• 1. Compare the nature of interactions in online and traditional settings.
• 2. Examine the impact on student learning and participation.
• A. Recap the key similarities and differences.
• B. Reflect on the effectiveness of each mode of learning.
• C. Final thoughts: Future trends in education​​​.

Bottom line

Here are three key tips for students creating essay outlines:

• Review Your Assignment: Start by thoroughly reading your assignment instructions. This helps you understand your essay type and any word count limits.
• Keep Your Title and Thesis Handy: At the top of your outline, write down your essay’s title and the full thesis statement. This keeps your main idea in clear view as you work.
• Take Notes During Research: As you research, jot down key points. These notes will be valuable when you’re building your essay outline.

Remember, essays vary widely, from argumentative and narrative to comparative and persuasive, each with its own goals and structure. Mastering the art of outlining is crucial for improving your writing skills and achieving higher grades. If you often struggle with organizing your thoughts or experience writer’s block, planning your essay before you start writing can be immensely helpful. With practice, you’ll be able to complete your assignments more quickly while maintaining high quality.

The earlier, the better. If you start researching without note-taking and creating an outline, you might do all that research in vain. You need to read a bit, find reputable sources that you will use, and analyze the evidence before planning. But, as soon as your argument starts shaping, you should start putting your thoughts on paper.

Planning is a bit individual. Some people benefit from it more than others. If you can generate ideas easily but struggle with the writing process, preparing a thorough outline will help. Conversely, if you’re having a hard time coming up with ideas, you might benefit more from writing right away. Overplanning can also be harmful when it doesn’t leave enough time to complete the paper.

• Walden University — Outlining
• Bow Valley College — Writing Support
• Purdue University — Types of Outlines

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Mar 22, 2023

How To Make an Essay Outline (With Examples)

Ready to tackle that daunting essay assignment? A well-crafted outline is your secret weapon. Let's dive in!

Developing an outline for your essay is a fantastic method to keep yourself structured and keep track of everything you intend to include in it. Writing of any kind, from academic papers to artistic writing, can benefit enormously from having a strategy drawn up before beginning the process. Sadly, a great number of students and writers either need to be taught how to make an outline or are incapable of producing one appropriately. Our AI Essay Outline Generator can be a big help in this process, but it's still very useful to understand the process entirely before utilizing AI tools to make the process easier.

In the following sections, we will first provide an overview of the process of creating an outline, followed by specific directions and several examples of outlines for essays.

An essay outline serves both as a strategy for the essay you will write and as guidance while writing the essay. It will serve as the structure for the article that you expect to write. Included are both the thesis statement and the primary subjects that are addressed in each section. Before beginning work on a house, one needs to have a blueprint just as one needs a writing summary. It is feasible to write an essay without first developing an outline; however, doing so significantly increases the amount of work involved in the writing process and increases the likelihood of missing essential details. 

After the outline has been made, there is a way to remember everything. It will also be useful for: 

Get your thoughts and their contents in order.

Understand the flow of data

Keep track of a vital source or citation.

Wrap up your work quickly

 If anyone questions you, "Why do I need an outline for my essay?" you can tell them the following. Now, before you go ahead and begin crafting an essay outline, there are a few things you should bear in mind. Before you can even begin to write a summary for an essay, you need to have a firm grasp of the fundamental requirements.

Here are the guidelines:

There is a requirement that you read the instructions for your tasks thoroughly.

Grasp the point of your work.

Recognize your audience.

Keep marking as you gather information related to your topic.

Choose a format for your essay outlines, such as a basic bullet list or a more elaborate one with decimal points.

Writing an essay or study paper is much easier if you have an outline to refer back to as you progress.

What are the benefits of an essay outline?

It helps you maintain order in your study materials. An organized outline is a great way to organize your thoughts and determine where you should include your study or rationale in an essay. By laying out your evidence in this manner, you can verify the validity of your thesis. If you can fill your plan with examples that back up your thesis, you have likely chosen a good one. If not, think again.

It depicts a chain of reasoning that starts at the top and goes down to the details. The typical drawing format is alphanumeric. Specifically, they switch between using Roman numbers, uppercase letters, Arabic numerals, and lowercase letters to emphasize various points and subpoints. Staggered bullet points and decimal outlines are two additional essays outline examples.

Being adaptable is made possible. You can write in complete sentences or use shorthand in your formal outline. The outline is not intended as a final draft but as a guide for creating the essay's material and discovering its best organizational structure.

Things to consider before writing an outline

The success of your outline and essay rests on the thoroughness of your investigation. You can do this by citing credible sources and providing examples to back up your claims. The best way to speed up your study will depend on your level of education.

Search results from Google should not be used as references in academic works. Since the Internet is rife with fake news, it's important to check the reliability of your source before citing it. Sites like Google Scholar , Microsoft Academic , Science.gov , Refseek, and Oxford Academic are examples of credible resources.

After settling on a subject and conducting the necessary research, you can begin crafting your outline. It needs the same structure as the rest of the essay, with an intro, body, and end. Have you ever jotted down a note you needed later but couldn't understand your handwriting? The material must either be more densely packed or written in illegible handwriting, contributing to this problem. Even if you're in a pinch for time, you should be independent of a sketchy outline. Therefore, you need to arrange your strategy to fit the structure of the essay. 

How to Make Outline for Essay

Outlining an essay is easy you can write an essay by following the outline and examples.

Introduction

Useful methods to begin an introductory paragraph include anecdotes, proverbs, phrases, explanations, facts, quotes, and hard data. If you're writing an English essay, you can start by outlining the opening, which should include your thesis statement. The goal is to provide a roadmap, so keep statements short. 

Body paragraphs 

Each paragraph in the body should focus on one main point that reinforces your thesis and provide supporting evidence. Paragraph count varies with overall writing length. However, for the substance of a typical essay, you should plan on at least three or four paragraphs. Remember that each paragraph needs a topic phrase, at least two supporting ideas, and a connecting sentence.

Conclusion 

This paragraph provides some background and a summary of all the essay's major points. The conclusion of a short paper needs only three to five lines.

8 examples essay of how to write an essay outline

Argumentative Essay 

Mountain Biking, an Ideal Sport for Adults

Putting forth your position and supporting arguments should start the plan for your argumentative essay.

Thesis: There are many traditional activities that young people can choose from, but mountain biking is a fantastic alternative. 

Body Paragraph 1

In the plan for your argumentative essay, you should state your main point and provide evidence to back it up. 

Topic Sentence:  You can get the same health advantages from mountain biking that you would from any other kind of sport.

Detail Paragraph 1: 

It's a great way to work out and gain muscle power.

Detail Paragraph 2: 

It aids cardiovascular activity and serves as a heart disease preventative.

Body Paragraph 2

Bring up an alternative point of view and back it up with evidence.

Topic Sentence: Mountain biking provides some other benefits too.

Learning how to ride a mountain bike is a forever skill.

Regularly riding mountain biking can help you gain muscle mass, tone your body, and improve your overall fitness.

Detail Paragraph 3: 

Riders of mountain bikes can readily track their improvement.

Write a conclusion that restates your thesis and briefly summarises your strongest supporting points. Before you create your outline and first draught, it can be helpful to brainstorm specifics that support your point of view.

Concluding Sentence: 

In conclusion, tell the reader that mountain biking has many advantages over other popular youth activities, making it a good option for adults. 

Narrative Essay

How Losing a Mountain Biking Meet Made Me a Better Mountain Biker

Your narrative essay's introduction should contain a thesis statement and outline of the paper's growth (POD).

Thesis: When I first tried professional mountain biking, I came in dead last. I would have placed higher in the State Championship Meet if my preparation and coaching had been more deliberate. 

Plan of development: After the first competition, I was so disheartened by my performance that I dedicated myself to getting in better shape. I was able to ride more efficiently and quickly as a consequence, which improved my performance greatly. 

Expand on your main point by including descriptive details, anecdotes, and examples in your essay.

Topic Sentence: Talk about your failure and how you felt after coming in last place at your first mountain biking competition, so you set out to improve.

Tell me about how you put additional time with my coach and team leaders to acquire new strength training techniques.

Talk about how you took up jogging and weightlifting to improve your general fitness.

Tell how your performance increased to the point where you could compete at the state finals.

Provide additional supporting details, descriptions, and experiences to develop your general idea in your essay writing. 

Topic Sentence:  How you gradually improved to the point where I won or placed first in most of my competitions.

Because of your skill and conditioning, you increased both my speed and my range.

Results-wise, you progressed to the point where you made it into the state finals. 

Body Paragraph 3

The next writing stage entails adding more information, such as supporting details, descriptions, and encounters. Then classify them accordingly.

Finish your narrative essay with a brief review of what you've written or some thoughts on what you hope the reader will take away from the experience. Give a quick summary of the information you provided in each section.

After coming in dead last at my first mountain biking competition, I made it my mission to better myself for future events.

Descriptive Essay

Visiting the Hockey Hall of Fame

Write a thesis statement introducing the person, location, thing, etc. that you will describe in your essay. 

Thesis: All categories of hockey fans will find something to enjoy at the Hockey Hall of Fame. 

The first step in writing any good story is to paint the picture. 

Topic Sentence:  The Hockey Hall of Fame honours both the novice and professional levels of the sport.

Located in the heart of Toronto, the Hall attracts over a million visitors annually.

The museum features displays covering the history of hockey from its earliest days to the present-day NHL and Olympian tournaments.

Describe or share more sensory details, feelings, or information. 

Topic Sentence:  There are various interactive exhibits and performances to check out. 

Every chamber in the Hall is decked out in player memorabilia, from statues and plaques to jerseys.

A lot of the displays have films and interactive media that put you right in the action.

You can take on digital incarnations of some of the game's best goalies to further hone your puck-shooting skills.

Bring the essay to a close with a paragraph summarising your main points and the sensory information you've provided.

Visiting Toronto's Hockey Hall of Fame is like being immersed in the game's greatest moments, stories, and memorabilia.

Expository Essay

Why The School Year Should be Shorter

In an expository essay or any other form of academic writing, the thesis statement and the surrounding context introduce the paper's major argument or main point.

Thesis: To benefit students and teachers, save districts money, and see better academic outcomes, the school year should be shortened. The school years in other nations are shorter, and their students do better academically.

Outline your main point and back it up with proof. 

Topic Sentence:  It would benefit both students and instructors if the school year were shortened.

Students and teachers would have more time to share with their loved ones.

Instructors would return to the classroom feeling revitalized and ready to impart their knowledge to their students.

Add more details and proof to support your claims, just like in this sample essay outline. 

Topic Sentence:  Having students spend less time in school would save millions of dollars annually for public education systems.

By having schools closed for longer, districts can save money on energy.

Lower supply and transportation expenses are just one of the many benefits of a shortened school year.

Detail Paragraph 3: Students would do better on tests if they received enough sleep and were generally happy.

Add more information, proof, and analysis to the outline, just as you would in an essay.

Topic Sentence:  There would also be numerous advantages for parents and guardians if the school year were shortened.

It would be easier and less time-consuming for families if the school year were shortened.

Fewer school days would allow for more work-life balance for carers.

Include a summary of your primary argument and the significance of your supporting evidence and conclusion in the final paragraph of your essay.

The quality of living for students, teachers, and parents would greatly improve if the school year could be shortened without negatively impacting district budgets or academic outcomes.

Informative Essay

The Effects of Climate Change on Our Planet

Climate change is one of the most pressing issues facing our planet today. With rising temperatures, changing weather patterns, and the melting of the polar ice caps, the impact of climate change is being felt across the globe. In this essay, we will explore the causes and effects of climate change and discuss what we can do to address this critical issue.

The causes of climate change can be attributed to a variety of human activities, including the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. These actions have led to a steady increase in the Earth's temperature, resulting in a range of devastating effects. One of the most visible effects of climate change is the melting of the polar ice caps. As temperatures rise, the ice caps are shrinking at an alarming rate, which is causing sea levels to rise. This, in turn, is leading to more frequent and severe flooding in coastal areas around the world. Another effect of climate change is the changing weather patterns. As the Earth's temperature rises, we are experiencing more extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and heat waves. These events can cause significant damage to property and put lives at risk. Finally, climate change is having a significant impact on the world's ecosystems. Many plant and animal species are being pushed to the brink of extinction due to changes in their habitats and food sources.

In conclusion, climate change is one of the most significant challenges facing our planet today. The causes are clear, and the effects are being felt across the globe. However, there is still time to act. By reducing our carbon footprint, investing in renewable energy sources, and taking steps to protect our natural resources, we can help mitigate the effects of climate change and ensure a better future for generations to come.

Admissions essays

Thank you! Mr Sato. 

In the intro, tell the readers that Mr Sato was your English teacher and because of her expertise in the field, you got your degree in English. 

Thesis: Then tell the reader that your decision to major in English during your senior year of high school profoundly affected your outlook on life. Because learning English can be challenging for native Japanese learners.

After this, give an account of your experiences in English class and how you felt like giving up.

Tell about how Sato Sensei urged you to stick with the Japanese rather than give up and learn something else.

As a Japanese student who has also studied English, I have gained a unique perspective that has prepared me well for a career in foreign business. 

Persuasive essays

We Need More Security Cameras in the Student Parking Deck

Car thefts on campus are increasing

Thesis: The safety measures in place in the parking garage are inadequate at this time. Vehicles belonging to students are a constant target of theft. Provide data on auto burglaries and associated crimes, including the frequency of such crimes, the typical cost of repairing damaged vehicles, and the value of stolen items. The well-being of society benefits greatly from heightened security measures.

Use examples and quotations to illustrate the intangible benefits of improved safety.

Tell the benefits to outweigh the costs.

Provide evidence from other institutions that increased their security video coverage and saw a decrease in burglaries as a result.

Give the real price tag for a complete protection system.

Provide a summary of the discussion and stress the importance of school management making the student body's safety a top priority. Then, restate why installing additional surveillance cams in the garage is so important.

Personal essays

The Two Best Birthdays of my Life

Describe your favourite birthday traditions and how you feel about holidays in general. 

Thesis: Firstly describe how you had the most fun on your 17th and 22nd anniversaries.

Talk about how your 17th birthday was memorable. Like, “I recently received my driver's license and drove to my first concert with some of my closest friends. The wristband and admission stub from that event is still in my possession.”

Then tell me about your 22nd birthday. For example;

“It took me a while to realize that nobody remembered my birthday. After I had given up hope of ever seeing the art exhibit I had been looking forward to, my siblings surprised me by driving six hours to pick me up and transport me there” 

In the conclusion tell summarize the key points of your essay and again tell your happiness.

To sum it all up:

When you're in high school or college, you'll inevitably have to compose several essays. Each type of essay for example argumentative, expository, and narrative follows a similar pattern with slight changes. The key to writing flawless papers that earn top marks is recognising these distinctions and properly structuring your work.

You should outline first to stay on track while writing your essay and not forget anything. Organizing your thoughts into an essay outline will help you compose stronger and more quickly. For the most part, you can recall all of the necessary essay elements. Your ability to analyze critically increases. Also, you improve as a writer.

 Jenni.ai is a powerful AI-powered writing tool that is easily accessible online. Whether you need to quickly write an essay on any subject, such as how to write an essay outline, or simply want to enhance your writing skills, Jenni.ai is an excellent option that can ease your life in several ways. With its advanced AI capabilities, this computer software can swiftly produce high-quality essays on any topic. In our opinion, if you're looking for a reliable writing assistant to help you with your essay writing tasks, give Jenni.ai a try today!

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How To Write An Essay Outline: Tips And Examples

• What Is An Outline?
• Why Are Outlines Helpful?
• Parts Of An Outline

To outline or not to outline: that is the age-old question. For a lot of people, outlines are a way to organize thoughts and gather information before they start writing, which can often save valuable time later on. But some writers prefer to craft essays more loosely, adding material and shaping their supporting paragraphs as they go.

Whether you’re new to outlines (or writing, period) or you’re just looking to hone your skills at crafting the perfect essay outline, there are some important things to know about the process. Follow along as we break down the why and the how of writing an effective outline and provide a step-by-step guide that will make writing your next essay a total cinch.

What is an outline?

An outline is “a general sketch, account, or report, indicating only the main features, as of a book, subject, or project.” In other words, it’s like a brief summary of the topics you plan to cover in a longer piece of writing.

In writing an outline, you create the skeleton of your essay, which provides a supportive structure on which you can arrange and organize each of your paragraphs. This helps you clarify the points you intend to make in your writing and also gives you an opportunity to tailor your research, which can make the writing process much easier later on.

Why are outlines helpful?

If you aren’t typically an outline writer, you might be wondering if you really need to put in the extra work to create one. Ultimately, everyone has a different writing style, and only you know what’s going to work for you, but here are four major reasons why many people find the outlining process helpful:

1. Outlines are brief and concise.

Remember: an outline is not the same thing as a rough draft. In an outline, each section contains only a sentence or two, and each topic is distilled to a single main idea.

2. Outlines help you write more efficiently.

You don’t have to worry about rambling or repeating the same statistic several times. You decide exactly where information belongs before you start writing.

3. Outlines are easy to edit.

You can move facts, details, and even entire sentences around easily without needing to rewrite whole paragraphs.

4. Outlines ensure supporting details connect to the thesis.

Once you see all of your work laid out, you might realize that certain paragraphs can be combined or that your conclusion doesn’t actually tie back to your thesis. Isn’t it nice to notice these potential errors before you’ve finished a draft?

Writer’s block? It’s part of the process. Here are some tips to overcome it and get your words flowing again.

The parts of a standard essay outline

Now that you understand the “why” behind writing an essay outline, let’s talk about how to do it. Here are the main parts to include in any essay outline:

Introduction

In an outline, your introduction consists of your thesis statement . This is a single sentence that states the subject, main idea, or main purpose of your essay.

When you write your essay, you will add a few sentences before and after your thesis statement to grab your reader’s interest and preview your essay’s main points. For the outline, you only need to narrow your point of view to a single, effective thesis that will inform the rest of the outline.

Body paragraphs

Body paragraphs are the parts of the essay in which you present information to back up your thesis. First, you’ll need to decide if you’re writing a three-paragraph essay or a five-paragraph essay . You may have anywhere from one to three body paragraphs, depending on what type you choose.

Each body paragraph in your outline should have:

• A main idea that aligns with your thesis.
• A topic sentence stating the main idea.
• A bulleted list of relevant research, quotes, anecdotes, and/or statistics.

Much like the introduction, your outline’s conclusion is all about your thesis statement. Here, you should:

• Restate your thesis
• Summarize the main points that support your thesis.
• Leave your reader with an impactful final thought or call to action.

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Example of a standard essay outline

Now that you know the parts of an essay outline, it might help to see them in action. Here’s an outline format you can use to plan your own essays, filled in with examples of a thesis statement, topic sentences for your body paragraphs, and the main parts of a strong conclusion.

• Thesis statement: There’s a lot of debate about which food category hot dogs fit into, but it’s clear from the evidence that a hot dog is a type of sandwich.

Body paragraph #1

• Topic sentence: To begin, hot dogs fit the dictionary definition of the word sandwich.
• Supporting detail: Sandwich is defined as “two or more slices of bread with a layer of meat, fish, cheese, and whatever other filling you’d like between them.”
• Supporting detail: A hot dog is a grilled or steamed sausage, usually made of pork or beef, which qualifies as a layer of meat.
• Supporting detail: Hot dog buns are split rolls, similar to the ones used for deli sandwiches.

Body paragraph #2

• Topic sentence: Secondly, hot dogs meet the legal definition of sandwiches in many places.
• Supporting detail: Mark Wheeler, a food safety specialist with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), says the organization defines a sandwich as “a meat or poultry filling between two slices of bread, a bun, or a biscuit.”
• Supporting detail: In New York state, tax law lists “hot dogs and sausages on buns” as types of sandwiches.
• Supporting detail: Additionally, tax law in California clearly includes “hot dog and hamburger sandwiches” served from “sandwich stands or booths.”

Body paragraph #3

• Topic sentence: Finally, most Americans agree that hot dogs are sandwiches.
• Supporting detail: In a poll of 1,000 people conducted by RTA Outdoor Living, 56.8% of respondents agreed a hot dog is a sandwich.
• Supporting detail: Many fast food chains that serve primarily burgers and sandwiches, like Five Guys burgers and Shake Shack, also sell hot dogs.
• Supporting detail: Lexicographers at Dictionary.com have also declared that hot dogs officially meet the criteria to be included in the sandwich category. (Curious? Read the article here for this and other great food debates explained .)
• Restatement of thesis: Hot dogs are a unique kind of food, but the evidence makes it clear that they are indeed a type of sandwich.

Now, get to planning that perfect essay! (But if you’re hungry for a snack first, we don’t blame you.)

Plan and write a five-paragraph essay that will earn your instructor's own five—high five, that is!

Ways To Say

Synonym of the day

The Writing Process

Making expository writing less stressful, more efficient, and more enlightening, search form, you are here.

• Step 2: Plan and organize

Sample Detailed Outline

"Organize. Organize. Organize." —U.S. Vice President and Nobel Peace Prize-winner Al Gore

Below is an example of a detailed outline. (It is for a research paper, but the principles and structure apply to any paper.) Notice the hierarchical use of the roman numeral system . Such a hierarchy is key to organizing your thinking and your argument and keeping track of the relationships between your ideas.

Introduction

quote from movie like Independence Day to get readers’ attention SOURCE: IMDB.com

world preparing to welcome with festivities and open arms the aliens coming to Earth from Andromeda galaxy

Thesis (complete sentence!): Although the aliens seem friendly and say they come in peace, Earth’s number one priority should be to build a defense shield before they arrive.

On March 15, 2016, we discovered not alone in universe: irregular but repeating signal discovered from nearby Andromeda. SOURCE: NYTimes , 3/16/16

Different scientists have decoded the message differently

Commonly accepted interpretation friendly:

“Greetings, people of Earth. We have detected and watched your reports (e.g., The Big Bang Theory ) documenting typical life on Earth. We are currently on our way to Earth to begin our friendship and will arrive in Earth year 2020. Prepare yourselves for a glorious future [unclear signals].” (SOURCE: Michaels, “Aliens Are Our Friends,” People )

still parts of the message undecoded (SOURCE?

all scientists agree: Aliens arriving in 2020 (Source: Fredericks, Wall Street Journal )

Argument: there are signs that message is a warning and that aliens are planning to attack

Prof. Alan Guthman, Harvard Center for Astrophysics, makes case (SOURCE: Guthman, “We Do Not Come in Peace”)

With only one message to work with, we have little clue of tone of message

If we interpret three different patterns in signal differently, tone much different: “Attention, Earthlings. We have observed your unusual lives. We are coming to Earth to…[unclear]. Prepare yourselves for life under our control.”

With all the videos we broadcast into space, an alien race would assume that we are hostile and act accordingly

Logic: Even if these aliens are friendly, it is better to be safe than sorry and protect ourselves

FIND: Estimates of the number of intelligent races in the nearby universe and the probability that at least one of them is hostile and technologically advanced

Argument: Estimates show that workable shield surrounding Earth can be constructed by 2020

If nations of Earth collaborate, we can build shield that will block incoming ships and weapons fire (SOURCE. Teller, “Shielding the Earth,” Physics Rev. Letters )

Will cost huge amounts of $$, but:

if spread out among many countries, affordable FIND. Estimates of costs

We can’t afford NOT to build it

Argument: Building shield will both stimulate global economy and result in very useful new technologies

FIND! Evidence on how previous projects—moon landing, the International Space Station, emergency stimulus packages—created

jobs –find stats!

new products & companies

FIND! I don’t have concrete evidence for this, but I remember hearing how the moon landing and international space station resulted in the creation of new, useful technologies

Counterargument: If we build shield and they detect it, it could signal that we are hostile and provoke the aliens to attack

Missile defense shields on Earth have often provoked international tensions. SOURCE: M. Pritchard, “If You Build It, They Will Attack.” ( Boston Globe )

FIND source that shows that

such tensions do not necessarily lead to attack and

any intelligent race will understand need for others to be prepared to defend themselves.

Counterargument: We are probably not able to build shield that would work against such a technologically advanced race

non-sequitor. fact that it may not work does not mean that it won’t and that we should not try to protect ourselves.

Conclusion.

We have no way of knowing the intensions of a group we have never met on the basis of one message.

The only sensible approach is to try to defend ourselves, especially when there will be benefits for trying such as jobs and new technologies.

• As I learned in Las Vegas, “Never risk what you cannot afford to lose.” Can we afford to risk our children’s lives?

Click here to create a detailed outline from your freewrite/brainstorm using GoogleDocs.

Cause and Effect Essay Outline: Types, Examples and Writing Tips

20 June, 2020

9 minutes read

Author:  Tomas White

This is a complete guide on writing cause and effect essays. Find a link to our essay sample at the end. Let's get started!

What is a Cause and Effect Essay?

A cause and effect essay is the type of paper that the author is using to analyze the causes and effects of a particular action or event. A curriculum usually includes this type of exercise to test your ability to understand the logic of certain events or actions.

If you can see the logic behind cause and effect in the world around you, you will encounter fewer problems when writing. If not, writing this kind of paper will give you the chance to improve your skillset and your brain’s ability to reason.

“Shallow men believe in luck or in circumstance. Strong men believe in cause and effect.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

In this article, the  Handmade Writing team will find out how to create an outline for your cause and effect essay – the key to successful essay writing.

Types of the Cause and Effect Essay

Before writing this kind of essay, you need to draft the structure. A good structure will result in a good paper, so it’s important to have a plan before you start. But remember , there’s no need to reinvent the wheel: just about every type of structure has already been formulated by someone.

If you are still unsure about the definition of an essay, you can take a look at our guide:  What is an Essay?

Generally speaking, there are three types of cause and effect essays. We usually differentiate them by the number of and relationships between the different causes and the effects. Let’s take a quick look at these three different cases:

1. Many causes, one effect

This kind of essay illustrates how different causes can lead to one effect. The idea here is to try and examine a variety of causes, preferably ones that come from different fields, and prove how they contributed to a particular effect. If you are writing about World War I, for example, mention the political, cultural, and historical factors that led to the great war.

By examining a range of fundamental causes, you will be able to demonstrate your knowledge about the topic.

Here is how to structure this type of essay:

• Introduction
• Cause #3 (and so on…)
• The effect of the causes

2. One cause, many effects

This type of cause and effect essay is constructed to show the various effects of a particular event, problem, or decision. Once again, you will have to demonstrate your comprehensive knowledge and analytical mastery of the field. There is no need to persuade the reader or present your argument . When writing this kind of essay, in-depth knowledge of the problem or event’s roots will be of great benefit. If you know why it happened, it will be much easier to write about its effects.

Here is the structure for this kind of essay:

• Effect #3 (and so on…)

3. Chain of causes and effects

This is the most challenging type. You need to maintain a chain of logic that demonstrates a sequence of actions and consequences, leading to the end of the chain. Although this is usually the most interesting kind of cause and effect essay, it can also be the most difficult to write.

Here is the outline structure:

• Effect #1 = Cause #2
• Effect #2 = Cause #3
• Effect #3 = Cause #4 (and so on…)

Cause and Effect Essay Outline Example

Let’s take a look at an example. Below, you will find an outline for the topic “The causes of obesity” (Type 1) :

As you can see, we used a blended strategy here. When writing about the ever-increasing consumption of unhealthy food, it is logical to talk about the marketing strategies that encourage people to buy fast food. If you are discussing fitness trainers, it is important to mention that people need to be checked by a doctor more often, etc.

In case you face some issues with writing your Cause and Effect essay, you can always count on our Essay Writers !

How do I start writing once I have drafted the structure?

If you start by structuring each paragraph and collecting suitable examples, the writing process will be much simpler. The final essay might not come up as a classic five paragraph essay – it all depends on the cause-effect chain and the number of statements of your essay.

In the Introduction, try to give the reader a general idea of what the cause and effect essay will contain. For an experienced reader, a thesis statement will be an indication that you know what you are writing about. It is also important to emphasize how and why this problem is relevant to modern life. If you ever need to write about the Caribbean crisis, for instance, state that the effects of the Cold War are still apparent in contemporary global politics. 

Related Post: How to write an Essay introduction | How to write a Thesis statement

In the Body, provide plenty of details about what causes led to the effects. Once again, if you have already assembled all the causes and effects with their relevant examples when writing your plan, you shouldn’t have any problems. But, there are some things to which you must pay particular attention. To begin with, try to make each paragraph the same length: it looks better visually. Then, try to avoid weak or unconvincing causes. This is a common mistake, and the reader will quickly realize that you are just trying to write enough characters to reach the required word count.

Moreover, you need to make sure that your causes are actually linked to their effects. This is particularly important when you write a “chained” cause and effect essay (type 3) . You need to be able to demonstrate that each cause was actually relevant to the final result. As I mentioned before, writing the Body without preparing a thorough and logical outline is often an omission.

The Conclusion must be a summary of the thesis statement that you proposed in the Introduction. An effective Conclusion means that you have a well-developed understanding of the subject. Notably, writing the Conclusion can be one of the most challenging parts of this kind of project. You typically write the Conclusion once you have finished the Body, but in practice, you will sometimes find that a well-written conclusion will reveal a few mistakes of logic in the body!

Cause and Effect Essay Sample

Be sure to check the sample essay, completed by our writers. Use it as an example to write your own cause and effect essay. Link: Cause and effect essay sample: Advertising ethic issues .

Tips and Common Mistakes from Our Expert Writers

Check out Handmadewriting paper writing Guide to learn more about academic writing!

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Contoh Outline Essay: Panduan Lengkap untuk Menulis Essay yang Berkualitas

Bagikan Artikel:

Assalamualaikum Sobat Gonel, Apa itu Outline Essay?

Outline essay atau kerangka tulisan adalah bagian penting dalam menulis sebuah essay. Dengan membuat outline, kita akan lebih mudah mengorganisir ide-ide yang ingin kita sampaikan dalam tulisan. Dalam artikel ini, kita akan membahas secara detail tentang contoh outline essay yang baik dan benar.

Kenapa Penting Membuat Outline Essay?

Sebelum kita membahas tentang contoh outline essay yang baik dan benar, ada baiknya kita mengetahui terlebih dahulu mengapa membuat outline essay sangat penting. Dengan membuat outline, kita akan memiliki gambaran yang jelas tentang struktur tulisan kita, sehingga kita dapat menyusun tulisan dengan lebih mudah dan efisien. Selain itu, membuat outline juga dapat membantu kita mengefektifkan waktu yang kita miliki untuk menulis. Dengan demikian, kita akan lebih produktif dalam menulis.

Kelebihan Contoh Outline Essay yang Baik

Membuat sebuah outline essay yang baik dapat memberikan beberapa kelebihan bagi tulisan kita, antara lain:

1. Memudahkan dalam Mengorganisir Ide-Ide

Dengan membuat outline, kita dapat mengorganisir ide-ide kita dengan lebih baik. Kita dapat menyusun ide-ide tersebut berdasarkan urutan pentingnya, sehingga tulisan kita akan memiliki alur logis dan mudah dipahami.

2. Menyederhanakan Tulisan

Dengan adanya outline, kita dapat memilah-milah ide-ide yang akan kita sampaikan dalam tulisan. Sehingga, tulisan kita akan lebih terfokus dan tidak bertele-tele.

3. Meningkatkan Produktivitas Menulis

Dengan memiliki outline, kita akan lebih mudah menulis karena kita sudah memiliki gambaran yang jelas tentang apa yang akan kita tulis. Dengan demikian, waktu yang dibutuhkan untuk menulis pun akan lebih efektif.

4. Memudahkan Penyuntingan

Dengan adanya outline, kita akan lebih mudah melakukan penyuntingan atau revisi. Sebab, kita sudah memiliki dasar yang jelas tentang struktur tulisan kita.

Kekurangan Contoh Outline Essay yang Buruk

Selain kelebihan, membuat sebuah outline essay yang buruk juga dapat memberikan beberapa kekurangan bagi tulisan kita, antara lain:

1. Membingungkan Pembaca

Jika outline tidak terstruktur dengan baik, maka pembaca akan kesulitan memahami alur tulisan kita. Sehingga, hal ini akan menyebabkan pembaca cepat bosan dan tidak tertarik untuk membaca tulisan kita.

2. Mengurangi Kualitas Tulisan

Jika outline tidak dibuat dengan baik, maka tulisan kita akan kehilangan fokus dan tidak terarah. Sehingga, kualitas tulisan pun akan menurun.

3. Membuat Pembaca Tidak Mudah Menerima Ide yang Disampaikan

Jika outline tidak dibuat dengan baik, maka pembaca akan kesulitan untuk menerima ide yang kita sampaikan. Hal ini akan membuat tulisan kita tidak efektif dalam menyampaikan pesan yang ingin disampaikan.

Contoh Outline Essay yang Baik dan Benar

Berikut ini adalah contoh outline essay yang baik dan benar:

FAQ tentang Contoh Outline Essay

1. apa itu outline essay.

Outline essay adalah kerangka tulisan yang berfungsi untuk mengorganisir ide-ide yang akan disampaikan dalam tulisan.

2. Kenapa penting membuat outline essay?

Membuat outline essay sangat penting karena dapat membantu kita mengorganisir ide-ide yang akan disampaikan dalam tulisan dengan lebih baik, sehingga tulisan kita memiliki struktur yang jelas dan mudah dipahami.

3. Apa saja kelebihan membuat outline essay yang baik?

Beberapa kelebihan membuat outline essay yang baik antara lain memudahkan dalam mengorganisir ide-ide, menyederhanakan tulisan, meningkatkan produktivitas menulis, dan memudahkan penyuntingan.

4. Apa saja kekurangan membuat outline essay yang buruk?

Beberapa kekurangan membuat outline essay yang buruk antara lain dapat membingungkan pembaca, mengurangi kualitas tulisan, dan membuat pembaca tidak mudah menerima ide-ide yang disampaikan.

5. Bagaimana cara membuat outline essay yang baik?

Cara membuat outline essay yang baik adalah dengan menyusun kerangka tulisan kita dengan struktur yang jelas dan terorganisir, serta mengikuti aturan penulisan yang baik dan benar.

6. Berapa banyak subtopik yang harus ada dalam sebuah outline essay?

Tidak ada aturan pasti mengenai jumlah subtopik yang harus ada dalam sebuah outline essay. Namun, sebaiknya jumlah subtopik disesuaikan dengan kompleksitas topik yang dibahas.

7. Apa yang harus ada dalam kesimpulan sebuah outline essay?

Dalam kesimpulan sebuah outline essay, sebaiknya disertakan rangkuman dari argumen yang telah disampaikan dalam tulisan serta sebuah kesimpulan yang singkat dan padat.

Setelah membaca artikel ini, Sobat Gonel seharusnya sudah memahami tentang apa itu outline essay dan kenapa penting untuk membuat outline. Kita juga sudah membahas secara detail tentang contoh outline essay yang baik dan benar, kelebihan dan kekurangan contoh outline essay, serta bagaimana cara membuat outline essay yang baik. Dalam menulis sebuah essay, membuat outline adalah langkah penting yang harus kita lakukan untuk memastikan tulisan kita terstruktur dengan baik dan efektif dalam menyampaikan pesan yang ingin disampaikan.

Artikel ini disusun untuk tujuan informasi dan pembelajaran saja. Penulis tidak bertanggung jawab atas penggunaan informasi yang diberikan dalam artikel ini.

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Dengan menguraikan artikel (atau konten lainnya), Anda mencentang kotak berikut:

• Melacak penelitian Anda tentang topik tersebut
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Beberapa penulis menganggap kerangka hanya sebagai daftar luas topik yang ingin mereka bahas. Yang lain lebih menyukai garis besar yang lebih rinci, memetakan setiap bagian dengan detail yang luas.

Namun, kedua sisi pada akhirnya akan terlihat seperti struktur berikut:

• Sebuah pengantar
• Bagian utama artikel
• Sebuah kesimpulan

Untuk kerangka paragraf pendahuluan, Anda memerlukan pengait untuk menarik perhatian pembaca sejak awal. Adapun kesimpulannya, gunakan untuk merangkum poin-poin utama dan meninggalkan kesan mendalam pada pembaca Anda. Bagian utama adalah bagian yang paling menonjolkan perbedaan antara kerangka dasar dan kerangka detail.

Karena kerangka dasar hanya berisi daftar ide, kami akan menunjukkan contoh kerangka yang lebih rinci di bawah ini. Garis besar ini harus disusun berdasarkan bagian (dicantumkan dalam angka Romawi), sub-bagian (biasanya dicantumkan dengan huruf kapital), dan masing-masing poin dan subtopik (dicantumkan dalam angka Arab). Jika Anda ingin lebih detail pada kerangka Anda, Anda dapat menambahkan huruf kecil pada kerangka Anda.

Berikut tampilan praktiknya pada sebagian garis besar artikel berjudul “Tinjauan Singkat Tradisi Ucapan Syukur:”

I. Sebelum Thanksgiving

• 1. Membuat daftar tamu dan mengirimkan undangan
• 2. Merencanakan menu dan belanja bahan makanan
• 3. Mendekorasi rumah dan meja
• 1. Musim perjalanan ramai selama Thanksgiving
• 2. Berkumpul kembali dengan keluarga dan teman

II. Hari Thanksgiving

• 1. Menonton atau berpartisipasi dalam parade
• 2. Memasak dan menyiapkan hidangan Thanksgiving
• 3. Menata meja dan menciptakan suasana meriah

Anda juga dapat melihat bahwa kami hanya menyediakan sebagian dalam contoh kerangka sederhana kami. Mengapa? Garis besarnya bisa mencapai beberapa halaman, dan tidak perlu menyertakan satu per satu untuk membantu Anda memahami intinya. Tentu saja, tidak semua garis besarnya panjang. Sebelum Anda bertanya, “Berapa panjang garis besarnya?” lihat awal bagian ini – semuanya bergantung pada apa yang Anda tulis dan cara Anda membuat kerangka.

Kerangka artikel yang lebih pendek bisa jadi ringkas dan hanya mencakup beberapa baris. Di sisi lain, saat menulis makalah untuk tesis atau karya akademis komprehensif lainnya, kerangka Anda mungkin memerlukan beberapa halaman.

Sekarang setelah Anda mengetahui seperti apa seharusnya kerangka itu, mari bantu Anda mempelajari cara membuat kerangka artikel apa pun.

Langkah 1: Mengidentifikasi Topik

Jika Anda sedang dalam proses menulis kerangka esai, Anda dapat melewati langkah ini. Lagi pula, Anda mungkin sudah menerima topik esai Anda. Jika tidak, hal pertama yang harus Anda lakukan adalah menentukan topik.

Langkah 2: Penelitian

Setelah Anda memiliki topik, Anda dapat mulai meneliti. Semakin banyak konten yang Anda temukan selama fase ini, proses menulis Anda akan semakin lancar.

Untuk menulis kreatif, Anda dapat bertukar pikiran tentang ide, mengeksplorasi beragam perspektif, dan mengumpulkan contoh yang relevan. Sedangkan untuk bidang seperti penulisan akademis, fokuslah pada pengumpulan bukti dari sumber resmi untuk mendukung tesis Anda.

Langkah 2: Membuat Daftar Poin Utama

Setelah Anda cukup meneliti topik Anda, Anda dapat melanjutkan ke bagian penulisan kerangka yang sebenarnya. Pertama, buat daftar semua topik utama yang ingin Anda liput dalam tulisan Anda. Jangan buang waktu mengaturnya karena Anda akan mengurusnya nanti.

Jika Anda kesulitan dalam mengekstraksi poin-poin utama dari penelitian Anda, pikirkan seperti ini – apa yang Anda ingin pembaca ketahui setelah membaca artikel atau makalah Anda? Jika suatu poin tampak berulang atau tidak berhubungan dengan topik utama Anda, ucapkan selamat tinggal!

Langkah 3: Menyusun Poin-Poin Utama

Dengan semua poin utama di depan Anda, inilah waktunya untuk mengaturnya. Mulailah dengan mengelompokkan poin-poin utama Anda ke dalam kategori atau tema terkait. Kemudian, pertimbangkan urutan optimal untuk kategori tersebut. Sebagai aturan praktis, informasi latar belakang harus didahulukan, diikuti dengan perincian yang lebih rinci. Tergantung pada topik Anda, urutan kronologis juga bisa membantu.

Tujuan utama pada tahap ini adalah mengatur poin-poin utama secara logis dan berurutan, memastikan kerangka Anda mengalir dengan baik dan masuk akal bagi pembaca Anda. Tapi ingat – Anda selalu bisa mengubah keadaan begitu Anda mulai menulis, jadi jangan merasakan tekanan untuk “melakukannya dengan benar” segera.

Langkah 4: Menambahkan Detail

Bergantung pada seberapa detail kerangka yang Anda inginkan, Anda dapat berhenti setelah Langkah 3. Alternatifnya, Anda dapat menambahkan rincian pendukung ke setiap bagian (misalnya, statistik, kutipan, dan referensi).

Langkah 5: Merevisi

Ketika Anda menyelesaikan sebuah artikel, apa yang pertama kali Anda lakukan? Semoga Anda membacanya lagi. Hal ini memungkinkan Anda memastikan semuanya mengalir dengan baik dan masuk akal serta tidak ada yang hilang (atau mubazir). Hal yang sama berlaku untuk menulis kerangka.

Setelah menyelesaikan draf pertama, bacalah draf tersebut. Ini akan membantu Anda mengenali potensi area masalah dan memperbaiki masalah tersebut sebelum melanjutkan. Anda bahkan dapat melakukan “peninjauan” ini sehari kemudian, sehingga Anda dapat melakukan pendekatan dengan perspektif baru.

Setelah membekali Anda dengan semua informasi yang diperlukan untuk menulis kerangka yang menarik, satu-satunya hal yang tersisa adalah mencakup beberapa contoh spesifik sehingga Anda tahu apa yang harus dicari dalam kerangka. Kami juga akan memberikan garis besar yang dibuat oleh HIX AI Writer sehingga Anda dapat melihat seberapa baik kinerja alat ini dalam praktiknya.

Cara Menulis Kerangka Makalah: Sebuah Contoh

Meskipun ukurannya jauh lebih luas daripada esai, Anda dapat menggunakan Generator Garis Besar Esai Writer HIX AI untuk membuat garis besar komprehensif untuk makalah apa pun. Berikut contoh outline penulisan topik “Gerakan Hak Pilih Perempuan: Perjuangan Perempuan untuk Hak Memilih” yang dibuat sepenuhnya oleh AI.

I. Pendahuluan

• A. Penjelasan singkat tentang gerakan hak pilih
• B. Pentingnya perjuangan perempuan untuk hak memilih
• C. Pernyataan tesis: Esai ini menelusuri asal-usul dan evolusi gerakan hak pilih, menganalisis tokoh-tokoh penting, dan menilai dampak global gerakan tersebut terhadap hak-hak perempuan.

II. Asal usul gerakan hak pilih

• A. Konteks sejarah hak-hak perempuan sebelum adanya gerakan
• B. Pengaruh gerakan sosial dan politik lainnya
• C. Munculnya organisasi-organisasi awal hak pilih perempuan

AKU AKU AKU. Tokoh-tokoh penting dalam gerakan hak pilih

• 1. Latar belakang dan aktivisme awal
• 2. Kontribusi terhadap gerakan hak pilih
• 3. Dampak terhadap kemajuan gerakan
• 1. Latar belakang dan keterlibatan dalam hak-hak perempuan
• 2. Pembentukan Persatuan Sosial dan Politik Perempuan (WSPU)
• 3. Taktik dan strategi yang digunakan WSPU
• 4. Peran Pankhurst dalam memobilisasi perempuan untuk tujuan tersebut

IV. Evolusi gerakan hak pilih

• 1. Protes dan demonstrasi damai
• 2. Pembangkangan sipil dan tindakan pembangkangan
• 3. Penjara dan mogok makan
• 1. Reaksi sosial dan budaya
• 2. Hambatan dan keberatan politik
• 3. Oposisi yang didominasi laki-laki

V. Dampak gerakan hak pilih terhadap hak-hak perempuan

• 1. Keberhasilan di berbagai negara
• 2. Peristiwa penting dan perubahan legislatif
• 1. Perjuangan berkelanjutan untuk kesetaraan
• 2. Interseksionalitas dan inklusivitas dalam hak-hak perempuan

VI. Ringkasan

• A. Rekap asal usul dan evolusi gerakan hak pilih
• B. Penilaian terhadap tokoh-tokoh kunci dan dampaknya
• C. Evaluasi pengaruh global gerakan ini terhadap hak-hak perempuan
• D. Pemikiran terakhir mengenai pentingnya gerakan hak pilih dan warisan abadinya.

VII. Kesimpulan

Cara Menulis Garis Besar Laporan Bisnis: Sebuah Contoh

Struktur pasti laporan bisnis akan bergantung pada tujuannya. Anda mungkin perlu menulis laporan yang merekomendasikan tindakan tertentu, menyajikan kinerja perusahaan selama periode tertentu, atau menganalisis ide atau proposal.

Apapun masalahnya, laporan Anda harus memiliki bagian serupa. Lihat praktiknya dalam contoh laporan tahunan mengenai kinerja pewaralaba yang melapor ke kantor pusat perusahaan.

II. Metodologi

• 1. Metode pengumpulan data
• 2. Alat dan teknik analisis

AKU AKU AKU. Kinerja Perusahaan

• 1. Analisis pendapatan dan penjualan
• 2. Rincian biaya dan pengeluaran
• 1. Operasi dan manajemen toko
• 2. Metrik kepuasan pelanggan

IV. Analisis Kinerja Penerima Waralaba

• 1. Kekuatan dan kelemahan
• 2. Peluang dan ancaman
• 3. Analisis komparatif

V.Rekomendasi

VI. Kesimpulan

VII. Lampiran

VIII. Referensi

Cara Menulis Garis Besar Surat Pengantar: Sebuah Contoh

Isi surat lamaran sebagian besar akan bergantung pada apa yang diminta oleh calon pemberi kerja Anda dalam lowongan pekerjaan. Namun, beberapa elemen kunci akan ada dalam surat lamaran, apa pun pekerjaan spesifiknya. Anda dapat melihatnya pada contoh di bawah ini, surat lamaran untuk posisi Koordinator Media Sosial.

Perhatikan bahwa setiap bagian kerangka paling banyak berupa paragraf.

I. Informasi kontak

AKU AKU AKU. Perkenalan

• 1. Ekspresikan kegembiraan
• 2. Tunjukkan bagaimana Anda menemukan peluang kerja

IV. Gugus kalimat

• 1. Nyatakan minat Anda pada posisi Koordinator Media Sosial
• 2. Uraikan secara singkat pengalaman Anda di media sosial

V.Paragraf II

• 1. Tunjukkan keahlian dan pencapaian media sosial tertentu
• 2. Berikan contoh keberhasilan Anda
• 3. Selaraskan pengalaman Anda dengan kebutuhan media sosial yang diuraikan dalam lowongan pekerjaan

VI. Paragraf terakhir

• 1. Mengulang kembali antusiasme terhadap peran tersebut
• 2. Ekspresikan keinginan untuk wawancara

VII. Penutupan profesional

Cara Menulis Garis Besar Postingan Blog: Sebuah Contoh

Menulis postingan blog atau artikel tidak diragukan lagi lebih fleksibel daripada menulis esai atau makalah penelitian. Anda memiliki kebebasan untuk mengeksplorasi beragam gaya penulisan, bereksperimen dengan nada, dan memasukkan kepribadian Anda ke dalam konten.

Inilah yang dihasilkan oleh Generator Garis Besar Blog HIX.AI ketika diminta membuat garis besar untuk postingan blog berjudul “Festival dan Perayaan Portugal” dengan semua orang sebagai audiens target dan nada suara yang ramah:

II. Festival dan Perayaan di Portugal

• 1. Festival San Antonio
• 2. Batu di Rio Lisbon
• 1. Festival São João
• 2. Fantasporto - Festival Film Internasional
• 1. Karnaval Madeira
• 2. Festival Bunga
• 1. Karnaval Loule
• 2. Festival Piano Internasional Algarve
• 1. Festival Sanjoanina
• 2. Festival Musik Dunia Angra
• 1. Romaria da Nossa Senhora da Agonia
• 2. Festival Taman Internasional

Seperti yang Anda lihat, generator garis besar bertenaga AI mengubah berjam-jam penelitian menjadi hanya hitungan detik. Setelah semua poin utama ditentukan, Anda dapat meluangkan waktu menjelajahi setiap sub-poin, atau dalam hal ini, perayaan yang menyenangkan.

Memahami struktur kerangka yang baik adalah kunci keberhasilan penulisan. Dengan strategi yang tepat, menyusun kerangka artikel atau proyek lainnya dapat menjadi mudah, lugas, dan efektif.

Dengan bantuan AI, proses ini menjadi sangat mudah. Dengan menggunakan alat Pembuat Garis Besar Esai dan Pembuat Garis Besar Blog gratis dari HIX.AI , Anda akan menyederhanakan proses penulisan Anda sekaligus membuat konten berkualitas tinggi dengan mudah. Cobalah alat ini hari ini secara gratis dan tingkatkan tulisan Anda.

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• How to write a descriptive essay | Example & tips

How to Write a Descriptive Essay | Example & Tips

Published on July 30, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on August 14, 2023.

A descriptive essay gives a vivid, detailed description of something—generally a place or object, but possibly something more abstract like an emotion. This type of essay , like the narrative essay , is more creative than most academic writing .

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Table of contents

Descriptive essay topics, tips for writing descriptively, descriptive essay example, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about descriptive essays.

When you are assigned a descriptive essay, you’ll normally be given a specific prompt or choice of prompts. They will often ask you to describe something from your own experience.

• Describe a place you love to spend time in.
• Describe an object that has sentimental value for you.

You might also be asked to describe something outside your own experience, in which case you’ll have to use your imagination.

• Describe the experience of a soldier in the trenches of World War I.
• Describe what it might be like to live on another planet.

Sometimes you’ll be asked to describe something more abstract, like an emotion.

If you’re not given a specific prompt, try to think of something you feel confident describing in detail. Think of objects and places you know well, that provoke specific feelings or sensations, and that you can describe in an interesting way.

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The key to writing an effective descriptive essay is to find ways of bringing your subject to life for the reader. You’re not limited to providing a literal description as you would be in more formal essay types.

Make use of figurative language, sensory details, and strong word choices to create a memorable description.

Use figurative language

Figurative language consists of devices like metaphor and simile that use words in non-literal ways to create a memorable effect. This is essential in a descriptive essay; it’s what gives your writing its creative edge and makes your description unique.

Take the following description of a park.

This tells us something about the place, but it’s a bit too literal and not likely to be memorable.

If we want to make the description more likely to stick in the reader’s mind, we can use some figurative language.

Here we have used a simile to compare the park to a face and the trees to facial hair. This is memorable because it’s not what the reader expects; it makes them look at the park from a different angle.

You don’t have to fill every sentence with figurative language, but using these devices in an original way at various points throughout your essay will keep the reader engaged and convey your unique perspective on your subject.

Use your senses

Another key aspect of descriptive writing is the use of sensory details. This means referring not only to what something looks like, but also to smell, sound, touch, and taste.

Obviously not all senses will apply to every subject, but it’s always a good idea to explore what’s interesting about your subject beyond just what it looks like.

Even when your subject is more abstract, you might find a way to incorporate the senses more metaphorically, as in this descriptive essay about fear.

Choose the right words

Writing descriptively involves choosing your words carefully. The use of effective adjectives is important, but so is your choice of adverbs , verbs , and even nouns.

It’s easy to end up using clichéd phrases—“cold as ice,” “free as a bird”—but try to reflect further and make more precise, original word choices. Clichés provide conventional ways of describing things, but they don’t tell the reader anything about your unique perspective on what you’re describing.

Try looking over your sentences to find places where a different word would convey your impression more precisely or vividly. Using a thesaurus can help you find alternative word choices.

• My cat runs across the garden quickly and jumps onto the fence to watch it from above.
• My cat crosses the garden nimbly and leaps onto the fence to survey it from above.

However, exercise care in your choices; don’t just look for the most impressive-looking synonym you can find for every word. Overuse of a thesaurus can result in ridiculous sentences like this one:

• My feline perambulates the allotment proficiently and capers atop the palisade to regard it from aloft.

An example of a short descriptive essay, written in response to the prompt “Describe a place you love to spend time in,” is shown below.

Hover over different parts of the text to see how a descriptive essay works.

On Sunday afternoons I like to spend my time in the garden behind my house. The garden is narrow but long, a corridor of green extending from the back of the house, and I sit on a lawn chair at the far end to read and relax. I am in my small peaceful paradise: the shade of the tree, the feel of the grass on my feet, the gentle activity of the fish in the pond beside me.

My cat crosses the garden nimbly and leaps onto the fence to survey it from above. From his perch he can watch over his little kingdom and keep an eye on the neighbours. He does this until the barking of next door’s dog scares him from his post and he bolts for the cat flap to govern from the safety of the kitchen.

With that, I am left alone with the fish, whose whole world is the pond by my feet. The fish explore the pond every day as if for the first time, prodding and inspecting every stone. I sometimes feel the same about sitting here in the garden; I know the place better than anyone, but whenever I return I still feel compelled to pay attention to all its details and novelties—a new bird perched in the tree, the growth of the grass, and the movement of the insects it shelters…

Sitting out in the garden, I feel serene. I feel at home. And yet I always feel there is more to discover. The bounds of my garden may be small, but there is a whole world contained within it, and it is one I will never get tired of inhabiting.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

• Ad hominem fallacy
• Post hoc fallacy
• Appeal to authority fallacy
• False cause fallacy
• Sunk cost fallacy

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• College Essay Format & Structure
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The key difference is that a narrative essay is designed to tell a complete story, while a descriptive essay is meant to convey an intense description of a particular place, object, or concept.

Narrative and descriptive essays both allow you to write more personally and creatively than other kinds of essays , and similar writing skills can apply to both.

If you’re not given a specific prompt for your descriptive essay , think about places and objects you know well, that you can think of interesting ways to describe, or that have strong personal significance for you.

The best kind of object for a descriptive essay is one specific enough that you can describe its particular features in detail—don’t choose something too vague or general.

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Contoh Outline Esai Bahasa Indonesia beserta Cara Membuatnya yang Baik dan Benar

Contoh Outline Esai Bahasa Indonesia beserta Cara Membuatnya yang Baik dan Benar – Esai merupakan contoh tulisan yang kerap digunakan dalam karya tulis. Esai memiliki struktur yang jelas sehingga berbagai bidang kepenulisan lebih memilih untuk membuat esai.

Bahkan terdapat perlombaan kepenulisan khusus esai yang biasanya menggunakan berbagai jenis tema.

Untuk bisa membuat esai akan membutuhkan langkah yang cukup rumit. Berikut ini adalah contoh outline esai Bahasa Indonesia yang bisa kamu pelajari dan jadikan contoh.

Baca Juga :

Contoh Esai Deskriptif Tentang Kesehatan Masyarakat dan Remaja Lengkap

• Pengertian Esai

Struktur Pada Esai

Cara membuat esai, contoh outline esai bahasa indonesia, kerangka esai 1, kerangka esai 2.

Esai merupakan tulisan yang dapat memuat cara pandang dari seseorang terhadap suatu objek atau sebuah peristiwa.

Dalam esai terdapat bentuk subjektivitas dari penulis terhadap suatu topik dan tidak akan selalu memberi penilaian terhadap suatu karya.

Kamu juga bisa menulis perihal sebuah fenomena alam, climate change, tren busana masa kini, dan lain sebagainya berdasarkan pada sudut pandang pribadi kamu. Maka, tulisan tersebut dapat disebut sebagai esai.

Menurut Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia (KBBI), esai merupakan sebuah karangan prosa yang membahas suatu bentuk masalah secara sepintas dari sudut pandang pribadi penulis.

Secara umum, esai akan menyajikan sebuah informasi, ide, argumen, serta ungkapan emosional penulis terhadap suatu objek. Tak jarang jika esai akan memancing suatu perdebatan atau diskusi dari para pembaca.

Berdasarkan pada definisi-definisi tersebut, esai memang lebih bersifat individual dan akan bergantung pada sudut pandang pribadi penulis.

Sementara itu, topik dan juga tema yang dibahas di dalam esai tidak terbatas pada satu bidang saja.

Kamu bisa juga menulis sebuah esai berdasarkan pada berbagai bidang ilmu tertentu, seperti pendidikan, kesehatan, politik, dan lain-lainnya.

Ketika menulis esai, penulis biasanya akan menyatakan beragam fakta perihal topik yang akan dibahas terlebih dahulu.

Selanjutnya, penulis dapat memaparkan pendapatnya secara pribadi dengan bentuk bahasa yang mudah untuk dipahami.

Cara Mengkonstruksi Kritik Sastra dan Esai yang Baik dan Benar

Sepanjang atau sependek apapun bentuk sebuah essay, strukturnya pun hanya akan terdiri dari tiga bagian saja, yaitu pembuka/pendahuluan; Isi/inti; dan yang terakhir adalah kesimpulan.

Berikut ini merupakan penjelasan lebih lengkapnya mengenai ketiga bagian tersebut:

1. Pembuka/Pendahuluan

Pada bagian pembuka dapat ditulis dalam dua buah paragraf pendek atau satu paragraf yang panjang.

Di bagian ini, kamu bisa memberikan sedikit latar belakang, lalu penggambaran situasi terbaru terkait pada topik yang akan dibahas, atau juga informasi menarik yang berhubungan dengan topiknya.

Esai haruslah dibuat semenarik mungkin untuk dapat membuat para pembaca penasaran dan ingin untuk melanjutkan membacanya sampai habis.

Karena itu, beberapa orang juga berpendapat bahwa pada bagian pembuka adalah bagian yang tersulit dari sebuah esai.

Untuk dapat membuat pembuka yang menarik, kamu dapat menceritakan kepada pembaca sebuah argumen yang kamu miliki dan juga mengapa kamu merasa yakin bahwa argumen tersebut memang benar atau tepat.

Selain itu, cobalah untuk memulai bagian latar belakang dari penjelasan yang umum terlebih dahulu, lalu mulai beranjak ke arah yang lebih sempit lagi.

2. Inti/Isi Esai

Bagian inti/isi esai akan memuat pengembangan ide utama yang sudah disebutkan pada bagian pembuka, dengan cara menambahkan beberapa buah kalimat pendukung.

Tentu saja, kalimat pendukung ini haruslah berisikan informasi-informasi yang dapat sesuai dengan topik utama. Di samping itu, usahakan pada bagian inti ini ditulis secara terstruktur dan juga logis.

3. Kesimpulan

Kesimpulan merupakan bagian yang berisi mengenai ringkasan pembahasan atau juga penguatan tentang topik yang sudah disebutkan pada bagian pembuka dan juga inti.

Tujuannya yaitu agar pembaca dapat mengerti bahwa mereka sudah berada di akhir esai.

Oleh sebab itu, beberapa penulis juga kerap menggunakan kata transisi seperti “singkatnya”, “akhirnya”, dan sebagainya pada bagian ini.

Selain itu, pastikan juga agar kamu tidak menambahkan berbagai informasi yang baru di dalam kesimpulan sebab nantinya akan membuat esai menjadi tidak utuh alias mengambang.

Jika memang kamu memiliki beberapa informasi baru yang memang dianggap penting, maka sebaiknya ditulis di bagian pembuka atau di bagian isi.

Contoh Esai Rencana Hidup 5 Tahun Kedepan Sebagai Seorang Mahasiswa

1. Menentukan topik

Tujuan dalam penulisan esai bisa dalam berbagai macam. Esai untuk beasiswa contohnya, tentu akan berbeda dengan bentuk esai ilmiah.

Tahap ini bertujuan untuk mempermudah dalam menemukan sebuah gagasan dan juga untuk menentukan format esai yang nantinya akan dibuat.

Menyeleksi sebuah gagasan serta menulis sebuah pengantar (kalimat topik).

Setelah berhasil mengumpulkan gagasan atau fakta, kamu perlu untuk memikirkan cara agar dapat mengaitkan gagasan atau fakta tersebut dengan topik.

Jika kamu telah menentukan sebuah gagasan utama, tulislah bentuk kalimat pengantar yang nantinya dapat mempresentasikan gagasan tersebut dengan jelas dan juga menarik.

Paragraf tersebut haruslah memuat pernyataan dua bagian yaitu bentuk pernyataan umum dan penyataan tesis.

2. Menentukan tema atau tujuan

Tema pada esai biasanya akan diangkat pada suatu permasalahan untuk dapat dicarikan suatu solusinya. Tema juga sebaiknya dipilih sesuai dengan apa yang dipahami, disukai, atau dikuasai oleh penulis.

Hal tersebut harus dilakukan supaya penulis dapat menyajikan bentuk tulisannya dengan benar serta secara sederhana karena memang sesuai dengan bidang yang dipilih.

3. Membuat kerangka tulisan atau referensi

Outline atau kerangka tulisan dapat membantu penulis dalam memetakan berbagai gagasan.

Outline atau kerangka tulisan ini dapat dibuat dengan bentuk semacam daftar kalimat singkat atau diagram alir dalam sebuah referensi yang sudah kamu cari di suatu topik.

Penulis juga harus banyak membaca serta mencari berbagai informasi untuk dapat memperkaya suatu gagasan.

Ketika membuat sebuah kerangka tulisan, sebaiknya juga penulis dapat menentukan batasan pada tema yang akan dibahas supaya tema yang telah dipilih tersebut dapat dibahas secara lebih mendalam.

4. Mengembangkan tulisan sesuai struktur

Gagasan/ide pada sebuah esai yang baik adalah dapat disajikan sesuai dengan bentuk struktur esai yang telah dibuat agar terlihat jelas sehingga mudah untuk dipahami oleh para pembaca.

Penggunaan kata bahasa yang baik dan benar juga perlu untuk diperhatikan. Selain itu, penggunaan ejaan, tanda baca, diksi yang baik, serta kalimat efektif juga sangat penting untuk diperhatikan.

Dalam mengembangkan sebuah tulisan esai, pastikan pada setiap paragraf telah memuat kalimat utama. Kalimat utama ini nantinya akan menjadi fokus dari bentuk argumentasi yang akan disampaikan.

Kalimat utama ini juga selanjutnya akan diikuti dengan kalimat-kalimat pendukung lainnya berupa mengembangkan sebuah argumentasi.

Bukti dan juga contoh yang efektif juga dapat disampaikan untuk bisa meyakinkan para pembaca. Bukti dapat juga berupa sebuah pernyataan mengenai kepada akar atau penulis lain.

Perlu kalian perhatikan, bahwa apabila penulis telah mengutip pernyataan dari orang lain maka harus menyertakan berbagai referensi yang sedang digunakan.

Gunakan cara penulisan untuk kutipan yang efektif dan juga konsisten.

5. Menyunting tulisan

Penulis akan dapat melakukan sebuah penyuntingan sebelum menyelesaikan suatu proses penulisan.

Hal ini supaya bentuk dari esai yang sudah disusun dapat memenuhi berbagai persyaratan yang baik dan bagus.

Kegiatan yang sekiranya dapat dilakukan dalam proses menyunting tulisan di antaranya, yaitu meneliti bentuk bahasa yang digunakan baik atau tidaknya, meneliti format pada penulisan, meneliti kesatuan dan kepaduan dalam penggunaan paragraf menyampaikan suatu gagasan, serta meneliti tulisan secara lebih menyeluruh.

6. Revisi esai

Ada beberapa hal yang wajib dan harus kamu tanyakan mengenai esai yang telah selesai dibuat.

• Apakah paragraf dan juga argumen yang sudah kamu tuliskan memang benar dan jelas serta relevan?
• Apakah argumen yang telah kamu tuliskan seimbang dan juga terdapat referensi yang cukup baik?
• Apakah kamu sudah dapat mencapai batas pada jumlah kata yang diperbolehkan?

Di bawah ini terdapat satu buah contoh pada kerangka esai sederhana yang berjudul “Pentingnya Tidur Cukup di malam Hari untuk Kesehatan”.

Kerangka ini juga termasuk dalam bentuk kerangka esai argumentatif. Esai argumentatif sendiri adalah jenis esai yang menjelaskan mengenai sebuah argumen dari penulis mengenai suatu topik.

Argumen yang diberikan oleh penulis biasanya akan didukung oleh berbagai fakta-fakta yang mengandung data atau juga bersumber pada buku, jurnal, maupun website yang kredibel.

• Pendahuluan

Pembuka: Pentingnya tidur cukup di malam hari

Latar belakang: Sedikit dari masyarakat yang menyadari dalam pentingnya tidur cukup

Thesis statement: Tidur yang cukup akan berdampak baik bagi kesehatan

Topik utama kalimat: Dampak dari tidur cukup di malam hari bagi kesehatan fisik dan juga mental

Kalimat pendukung 1: Pentingnya tidur cukup di malam hari bagi kesehatan dalam fisik

Kalimat pendukung 2: Pentingnya tidur cukup di malam hari bagi kesehatan dalam mental

Menyatakan ulang pada thesis statement

Menyebutkan berbagai poin-poin penting yang dapat ditemukan dalam badan esai

8 Jenis-jenis Kritik dan Esai beserta Penjelasannya Lengkap

Untuk bisa membuatmu memahami lebih dalam mengenai cara pembuatan sebuah kerangka essay, di bawah ini akan terdapat satu contoh pada kerangka esai lagi yang dapat kamu jadikan acuan.

Pembelajaran secara jarak jauh di masa pandemi COVID-19

Pembelajaran jarak jauh dapat menjadi pilihan utama bagi seluruh satuan pendidikan di Indonesia ketika masa COVID-19

Thesis statement: Pembelajaran jarak jauh tidak hanya dapat memiliki sisi positif, tetapi juga akan mempunyai sisi negatif

• Badan Esai 1

Topik utama kalimat: Tingkat aksesibilitas

Positif: Proses pembelajaran menjadi lebih fleksibel

Negatif: Cukup menyusahkan untuk beberapa kalangan yang terhalang dengan koneksi internet yang tak stabil

• Badan Esai 2

Topik kalimat: Interaksi

Positif: Orang tua dapat menjalin hubungan yang lebih dekat untuk dapat membantu proses belajar anak

Negatif: Kurangnya interaksi dari antar siswa secara langsung

Deskripsikan poin-poin yang penting jika pembelajaran secara jarak jauh tak hanya memiliki sisi positif tetapi juga sisi negatif

Perlunya penanganan terhadap bentuk kekurangan atau masalah yang sudah ditemukan selama pembelajaran dengan jarak jauh

Pembelajaran secara jarak jauh menjadi pilihan satu-satunya di dalam masa pandemi, tetapi membutuhkan banyak hal yang memang masih harus dibenahi dalam sebuah proses pelaksanaannya.

Itu tadi pembahasan mengenai contoh outline esai Bahasa Indonesia, semoga artikel ini dapat membantumu dalam memahami mengenai esai serta contoh outlinenya.

Harapannya, kamu juga dapat menulis esaimu sendiri dengan memperhatikan cara penulisan dan membuat outlinennya.

Demikian pembahasan mengenai contoh outline esai Bahasa Indonesia, kamu dapat membaca artikel lainnya mengenai esai pada kolom yang tersedia di Mamikos.

Klik dan dapatkan info kost di dekat kampus idamanmu:

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College Essay Format: Top Writing and Editing Tips for 2024

A good college essay format, with the right topic, goes beyond describing your academic accomplishments and extracurriculars. Learn how to make your college essay stand out with these tips.

You want to stand out in a crowd, particularly when you’re applying to the college of your choice. As part of the application process, many schools ask for an essay to accompany the standard academic and personal information they require.

At its core, your college application essay tells a story that offers admissions officers a glimpse into who you are, beyond your grades, extracurricular activities, and test scores. Your college essay, often called a "personal statement," is your opportunity to reveal your personality and give an idea about the kind of student you'll be in college.

So how should a college essay be formatted? This article covers formatting best practices, how to choose a compelling topic for your essay, and tips to help you craft an essay that captures your reader's attention, clearly communicates its message, and is free from errors.

College essay format best practices

Your personal statement should tell a compelling story that effectively demonstrates your unique values and personality. While the format of your college essay is largely up to you, consequently, it can be helpful to have a sense of how you might format your essay before composing it.

Consider the following college essay format to organize your writing and craft the most compelling story possible.

1. Think about using a title.

A title for your college essay isn't necessary. But, including one could make your essay intriguing to readers. That said, if you're low on word count, skip a title altogether and just jump into your narrative. You can also wait until after you write your essay to decide. It's often easier to come up with a fitting, compelling title after you've told your story.

2. Open with a hook.

Your opening sentence is one of the most important parts of your essay. It's what you'll use to capture the attention of the reader and compel them to continue reading. The start of your essay is your opportunity to make an impactful first impression, so make your opening a good one.

Here are two examples of how you might craft an interesting hook for your essay:

Start in the middle of your story: Call out the most interesting point of your story, and then backtrack from there. For example, "And there I found myself, surrounded by baby sea turtles on the hazy shores of Virginia Beach."

Make a specific generalization: This is a sentence that makes a general statement on what your essay will be about but gives a specific description. An example: "Each year on our family vacation out of the city, I contemplate the meaning of life as we cross the Golden Gate Bridge."

3. Use your introduction to set up your story.

While your hook will spark the reader's curiosity, the rest of your introduction should give them an idea of where you're going with your essay. Set your story up in four to five sentences, making sure to only include information that is absolutely necessary to understand your story.

4. Tell your story in the body of your essay.

The Common Application has a 650 word limit for personal statements. That means, if both your introduction and conclusion are roughly 100 words each, your body will most likely end up being about 450 words. Think of that as three to five paragraphs, with each paragraph having its own main idea or point. 

Write in a narrative style—closer to how you might write a short story than an instruction manual. Tell your story in a way that’s logical, clear, and makes sense for what you're trying to convey about yourself.

While you should pay strict attention to using proper grammar and sentence structure, you have the freedom to make your essay a reflection of your personality. If you're a humorous person, use humor. If you're an eternal optimist or love getting into the minute details of life, let that shine through. But, keep in mind that your essay is fundamentally about highlighting the qualities that you'd bring to a college community, so keep your anecdotes focused and on point.

5. Use the conclusion to clarify your essay's core idea. 

Finish your story with a conclusion paragraph, where you clarify the value or idea you're trying to convey. What is the main thing you want the college to know about you through this story? Is it what you've learned, a value that's important to you, or what you want to contribute to society? Finally, use the last line of your personal statement to reinforce this central idea, so that your reader leaves with a clear impression about who you are. After the "hook" of your personal statement, the concluding line is the most important of your essay.

How to develop your college essay story

Now that you know how to format your college essay, we'll explore how to develop the story you'll tell in it. Here are some steps to get started:

1. Explore past college essay prompts

Over 900 colleges use Common App essay prompts, which means you may be able to write one essay for several college applications. Some past Common App college essay prompts—which are announced publicly each year—include the following topics:

Share a story about your background, interest, identity, or talent that makes you complete as a person.

Describe a time when you faced a setback, failure, or challenge and what you learned from it.

Tell about a topic, concept, or idea that is so captivating to you that you lose all track of time.

Write about something that someone has done for you that you are grateful for, and how gratitude has motivated or affected you.

These are broad topics that give you the freedom to tell all kinds of different things about yourself. Explore these questions to start brainstorming ideas of stories you may be able to tell about yourself.

There are a lot of potential prompts out there. Some of the other college essay prompts you might encounter include:

Describe a person you admire and how that person has influenced your behavior and thinking.

Why do you want to attend this school?

Describe your creative side.

Name an extracurricular activity that is meaningful to you and how it has impacted your life.

Tell about what you have done to make your community or school a better place.

2. Pick a topic.

Choose a topic that allows you to best highlight what you want the college to know about you. A good start is to list three positive adjectives that describe you. Then, see if you can write two or three real-life examples of each trait that demonstrates that you possess that characteristic.

If you're having trouble coming up with ideas, think about the stories other people tell about you or the positive words they use to describe you. Consider asking people who know you well the following questions:

What do you think sets me apart from others? 

What are my strengths? 

How would you describe my personality? 

What are my quirks?

These ideas can become the inspiration to develop material for a good college essay. You don't have to write about a major life-changing event. It can be a mundane or ordinary situation—like a dinner table conversation, a day at school, or a conversation with a friend. Often, slightly unusual topics are better than typical ones because they hold a reader's attention.

Regardless of the topic you choose, remember that the true topic of your college essay is you, and the purpose of it is to show how you are unique. It highlights an important piece of who you are and where you want to head in life.

3. Consider length.

Consult your college application instructions to see how long your essay should be. Typically, personal statements are between 500 and 650 words long, while supplemental essays are often around 250 to 300 words. Use the required essay length to help you determine what you will share. You won't be able to tell your life story within these few paragraphs, so choose the most impactful examples as your content. 

4. Outline your essay.

An outline helps you plan your essay's key points, including its beginning, middle, and end. Use your outline to stay on topic and get the most out of your word count.

The most effective outlines are usually the simplest. For instance, a good story has a beginning, middle, and end. Likewise, your essay will have an introduction, body, and conclusion. Unless the college requests a specific admission essay format, use the format you've been using to write essays in high school that you're likely to be the most comfortable with.

If you're stuck on how to open your essay, write the middle of your story first. Then, go back and write a compelling introduction and a concise conclusion.

Tips for writing your college essay

Your college essay format and writing should be both compelling in clear. So, as you're writing your college essay, keep these tips in mind:  

1. Be authentic.

One of the most essential parts of how to format a college application essay is to be authentic. The college wants to know who you are, and they will be reading dozens of essays a day. The best way to make yours stand out is to just be yourself instead of focusing on what you think they want to hear. 

Imagine you’re speaking to an actual person as you write. Be honest and accurate, using words you normally use. Your essay is a personal statement, so it should sound natural to the reader—and to you too.

2. Show you can write .

While the most important part of your personal statement is showcasing who you are, you'll also be judged on your writing ability. That's because knowing the fundamental principles of writing is important to college success. Show that you understand the structure of an essay and proper use of the English language.

3. Stay on topic.

If you're using a specific question as your writing prompt, answer the question directly in the opening paragraph. Then, use the rest of the essay to elaborate on your answer. Make good use of your word count limit by being concise and coherent. Stay on topic and refrain from adding any information that doesn't add to the main idea of your essay. 

4. Use concrete details to make your story come to life.

Your essay should describe a real-life event that you've experienced. And, to make that experience as vivid as possible for your reader, you'll want to lean into concrete details that effectively convey it through the written word. This adds color and validity to your personal statement. Personal examples will show you embody the characteristics or values you claim to, rather than merely saying you do.

5. Follow directions.

Read and understand the specific instructions set by the college for your essay. Then, review them again before you submit your essay to make sure you've met all of the requirements. Only once you're confident that you've followed them correctly and that your essay is free from any errors should you submit your essay.

How to edit your college essay

Once you've written your essay, you'll want to edit it until you’re satisfied it conveys your message and is free of errors. Let your first draft be as messy or pristine as it comes out. Then, go back later—several times if needed—to clean it up. Ask yourself these questions as you edit your essay:

Is my essay free of grammar, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation errors?

Is it the proper word length assigned by the college?

Have I answered the question in the prompt?

Does the introduction make me want to read more?

Are there any vague statements I can replace with more specific details?

Do any parts drone on or feel boring?

Does it feel too formal?

Are any parts or words repetitive?

Have I misused any words (such as there, their, and they're)?

Are my sentences varied in length?

Have I shared with the college what I most want them to know about me? 

It can also be helpful to ask someone you trust to read your essay and give you constructive feedback. This might be a trusted teacher, parent, school counselor, or college student. It's best to choose someone who is familiar with the purpose of a college essay.

Ask them to give feedback about your essay using the same questions as above. But they should never try to rewrite your essay. And never let others edit out your voice. Ask them to focus on grammar and mechanics and to give suggestions on items to add in or leave out. 

Above all, ask your guest editor what point they think you were trying to make with your essay. If they get it right, you know you've crafted a college essay that reflects you and your intended message. 

PSA: Save your essay drafts!

Instead of writing your essay directly in the online application, draft and save your essay in a document like Google Docs or Word—or start out on paper and pen if that's what you're most comfortable with. That way you can make edits and use helpful online spelling and grammar checkers. And, you won't risk losing your essay if the application times out or you navigate away from it by mistake.

When you copy and paste your essay into the application, make sure your formatting, such as line spacing and bolding for headings, remains intact.

Enhance your writing skills on Coursera

Bring out your best in your college essay with a course in Writing a Personal Essay from Wesleyan University. Learn how to find your voice, structure your essay, choose relevant details, and write in a way that pulls in your readers.

Keep reading

Coursera staff.

Editorial Team

Coursera’s editorial team is comprised of highly experienced professional editors, writers, and fact...

This content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.

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Contoh Pembuatan OutLine Sederhana untuk Kerangka Tulisan

Bagaimana cara membuat outline di google docs atau ms word? Seringkali sebelum menulis suatu karya tulis kita dihadapkan akan hal yang kompleks mengenai data, ide dan materi yang akan dimasukkan ke dalam tulisan kita.

Oleh karena itu, membuat Outline merupakan salah satu cara agar karya tulis tampak lebih terstuktur dan tidak berantakan. Kali ini kosngosan akan membahas pengertian, contoh dan cara membuat outline yang baik dan benar.

Outline adalah kerangka karangan dalam suatu karya tulis, yang dibuat sebagai suatu rencana penulisan yang memuat garis besar dari suatu karangan yang akan ditulis. Garis besar ini bisa berupa rangkaian ide yang disusun secara sistematis, logis, jelas, terstruktur, dan teratur.

Kamu pasti banyak menemukan contoh outline dalam format pdf maupun docx di internet. Untuk karya tulis yang berbahasa Indonesia, pastinya kamu juga harus membuat outline yang menggunakan bahasa Indonesia, begitu juga bila menggunakan bahasa asing, seperti bahasa Inggris misalnya.

Seperti misalnya ketika kamu menulis essay dengan topik permalasahan seks bebas terhadap remaja, maka kamu harus membuat outline yang berisi sederet permasalahan yang terjadi akibat seks bebas, data statistik kehamilan dini, dan juga informasi pendukung lain yang membuat essay mu menyeluruh dan terarah.

Atau dalam contoh outline buku ilmiah mengenai cara budidaya ikan patin, kamu harus membuat outline mengenai langkah langkah budidayanya, dimulai dari penyiapan lahan hingga pasca panen. Selain itu data pendukung dari perhitungan untung rugi dalam berbisnis budidaya patin juga harus dimasukkan.

• Menjamin penulisan bersifat konseptual, menyeluruh, dan terarah
• Memudahkan penulis menciptakan klimaks yang berbeda-beda
• Menyusun karangan secara teratur
• Memudahkan penulis mencari materi pembantu
• Menghindari penggarapan topik dua kali atau lebih.

Contoh Outline Karya Tulis

Contoh OutLine Proposal Skripsi

Contoh outline laporan magang / pkl.

Cara Membuat OutLine di Google Docs

1. menentukan pola penyususan kerangka karangan.

• Spasial atau waktu yaitu apabila tema dalam tulisan mempunyai hubungan erat dengan ruang atau tempat, tahapan ini biasanya digunakan untuk tulisan yang bersifat deskriptif atau penjelasan mengenai suatu hal.
• Kronologis berdasarkan waktu, yaitu tahapan yang berdasarkan runtunan peristiwa atau tahapan kejadian.
• Topik apa adanya, tahapan ini memasukkan topik dan data apa adanya yang berasal dari kejadian alamiah. Untuk menggambarkan hal tersebut secara lengkap, mau tidak mau bagian tersebut harus di jelaskan dalam karangan tanpa mempersoalkan bagian mana yang lebih penting.
• Kausal, yaitu penulisan berdasarkan urutan dari sebab ke akibat dan urutan akibat ke sebab.
• Klimaks dan Antiklimaks, yaitu penulis memilih mana data yang paling menonjol dan paling tinggi kedudukannya
• Umum khusus, berarti penulis membahas dari pdari menyeluruh (umum)ke embahasan secara terperinci (khusus)
• Familiaritas, penulis menceritakan sesuatu yang paling dikenal, lalu kemudian mendetail terhadap sesuatu yang jarang dikenal
• Akseptabilitas, penulis menceritakan hal yang paling banyak diterima, kemudian mendetail kepada hal yang tidak banyak orang terima
• Pemecahan Masalah, penulis memulai suatu masalah tertentu lalu menuju kesimpulan umum atau pemecahan masalah

2. Merumuskan topik dan membuat judul karya tulis

3. mengumpulkan bahan dan data yang diperlukan, 4. seleksi bahan dan data, 5. mengembangkan outline, kata penutup.

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