The Writing Process:  Planning:  OUTLINING

(these are links to the sections below)

1. BRAINSTORMING ideas.
2. Creating TOPIC SENTENCES.
3. Outlining supporting paragraphs.
4. Producing a FINAL OUTLINE.

• This lesson on outlining is very important in helping you select and organize the ideas which constitute the body of your paper and which will support the thesis statement. In many respects, the body is the most important part of the paper because it contains the ideas essential for the reader to understand why your thesis statement is valid. It constitutes the substance of the paper in well developed paragraphs.
   
• Many students find outlining to be a challenge. For some students, it is a task which is not anticipated with pleasure. Therefore, you need to develop a positive attitude when attempting to outline the body of your composition. Keep in mind that if the outline is functional and provides a "road map" or "blue print" for developing the body of the composition, the task of writing will be much easier.

Step 1: Brainstorming

• You should first write your thesis statement at the top of a sheet of paper. Having the thesis in front of you at all times will enhance your focus and control. The following thesis can be used as an example:
   
  • The managerial form of government needs to be abolished in Middlesex County.
     
• If you believe that this thesis is true, you should have little difficulty in creating substantial ideas which answer the question, "Why should this form of government be abolished?" Jot your ideas down on the paper as soon as they come to mind. This attempt at "brainstorming" will quickly indicate whether or not you have a worthwhile thesis. If you have difficulty in generating substantial ideas to support the thesis, you will have to conclude that the thesis may not be valid after all because you can't say too much about it.
   
• The ideal situation is to generate a number of ideas as a result of your "brainstorming." You can always eliminate some of them later.

Step 2: Creating Topic Sentences

• Once you have created a list of ideas to support your thesis, you need to qualify these ideas. Ask yourself whether each idea is directly related to and supports the thesis. If any ideas do not directly support the thesis, cross them out --don't use them! If you do include these unrelated ideas, you will destroy the unity of the composition!
   
• Now, take your ideas and structure them into complete sentences. These sentences will become topic sentences for the paragraphs making up the body of your composition. Using the thesis statement, "The managerial form of government needs to be abolished in Middlesex County," you might develop the following ideas. They are structured as complete sentences and will become the topic sentences for the paragraphs comprising the body of the composition. .
   

  1. This type of government is antiquated.
  2. The managerial form of government is not responsive to the needs of the people.
  3. The expense of maintaining this form of government is excessive.
  4. This type of government does not represent all areas of the county.
      

• These topic sentences are directly related to and support the thesis, and they ensure the unity essential to every composition. By creating topic sentences in advance, you also know how many paragraphs will make up the body of the composition before you actually begin to write.
   

Step 3: Outlining Supporting Paragraphs

• Now that topic sentences have been developed, the next step in the process is to outline the individual supporting paragraphs. Although only one paragraph will be outlined as an example of what must be done, keep in mind that this process is duplicated for the development of all paragraphs in the body of the composition.
   
• At the top of a separate sheet of paper, write the first topic sentence. In this case, the topic sentence, "This form of government is antiquated" will appear at the top of the paper. Now, question the first topic sentence to determine what the primary supporting ideas will be. (Note that you are using the same approach you did when generating the topic sentences to support your thesis.) This "brain-storming" technique should provide you with a number of ideas which will indicate that your topic sentence is valid and worthy of support. List as many ideas as possible, keeping in mind that if you have difficulty creating these ideas, you might not have an idea substantial enough to support your thesis.
   
• Once your list is complete, be certain that each idea is directly related to and supports the main idea in the topic sentence. If you find any ideas not directly related to and supporting the main idea, cross them off your list; "Junk them!" If retained, they will only destroy the unity of the paragraph. Once your list is complete, structure each primary supporting idea in sentence form. Your outline of this paragraph might look something like the following:
   
  • This form of government is antiquated.
     
    1. It does not reflect the temper of the times.
       • Form hasn't changed in eighty years.
       • No attempt has been made to change it.
    2. This form of government is unresponsive.
       • Officials don't meet regularly.
       • Meeting dates are not posted.
       • No central communications office has been established.
       • The public is not invited to attend important meetings.
    3. Too many unnecessary people are employed.
       • Some lack knowledge of contemporary issues.
       • Particular offices are overburdened with work.
       • Other offices should be eliminated.
    4. Few services are provided.
       • The individual must pay for garbage collection.
       • Some streets are not plowed during winter.
    5. Many governmental tasks are duplicated.
       
        
• You will notice in the outline for this first paragraph that all the primary supporting ideas are directly related to the main idea of the topic sentence. Also, particular primary supporting ideas are substantiated with secondary supporting ideas. You should provide secondary supporting ideas when necessary to further support the topic sentence. Also, you can determine which rhetorical writing devices will allow you to properly state your ideas.
  • For instance, primary #4 in the sample outline of the first paragraph is further enhanced with examples of two services which the consumer is lacking.
  • If necessary, additional examples of "lack of government services" might be provided to substantiate the primary supporting idea.

Step 4: Producing a Final Outline

• Final Outline:  FIRST PARAGRAPH
   
• Review the following outline of what will become the first paragraph. Notice how the various parts of the outline function to create unity.
   
• A similar plan of organization should be developed for all the paragraphs which constitute the body of the composition.
   

THESIS: The managerial form of government needs to be abolished in Middlesex County.
 

I. The form of government is antiquated. (WHY?)

1. Primary Supporting Sentences
   • secondary supporting sentence
   • secondary supporting sentence
2. Primary Supporting Sentence
   • secondary supporting sentence
   • secondary supporting sentence
   • secondary supporting sentence
   • secondary supporting sentence
3. Primary Supporting Sentence
   • secondary supporting sentence
   • secondary supporting sentence
   • secondary supporting sentence
4. Primary Supporting Sentence
   • secondary supporting sentence
   • secondary supporting sentence
5. Primary Supporting Sentence
    

II.  The managerial form of government is not responsive to the needs of the people.
III. The expense of maintaining this form of government is excessive.
IV. This type of government does not represent all areas of the county.
 

LINKS to Related External Sources:

• OWL:  Outlining
• COMMNET:  Outlining
• POWA:  Organizing

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