Informative Essay Outline and Guide

I. Introduction

A. Hook – Strong statement, statistic, quote, anecdote, question

B. Context – Background information or why is this important to someone in today’s society
C. Thesis/Claim – what are you going to talk about in your essay?

II. Body Paragraph I (Claim I)

A. Topic sentence – begin this sentence with a transition word and then state what your first claim
is about.
B. Evidence – begin this sentence with an evidence starter and then present your evidence from
the text to back up your claim. This is a quote.
C. Elaboration – begin this sentence with an elaboration starter and then explain how the quote
backs up your topic sentence.

III. Body Paragraph II (Claim II)

A. Topic sentence – begin this sentence with a transition word and then state what your second
claim is about.
B. Evidence – begin this sentence with an evidence starter and then present your evidence from
the text to back up your claim. This is a quote.
C. Elaboration – begin this sentence with an elaboration starter and then explain how the quote
backs up your topic sentence.

IV. Conclusion

A. Restate your thesis/claim – begin this sentence with a transition word and restate your
claim/thesis in a different way.
B. Lasting Impression – end your paper with a lasting thought.

Helpful Hints
 Indent the first sentence of the paragraph.
 Capitalize the first letter of a new sentence.
 Do not write over the red line.
 Begin a new paragraph after the introduction, body paragraph I, and body paragraph II.
 Topic sentence starters

First Claim Starter Second Claim Starter Conclusion Starter

To begin with… Another good example is… So, it is clear to see that…
Initially… Another example that proves Therefore…
this is…
One example to prove this is… Next… For all of these reasons, one can
see that…
The first good piece of evidence In addition… In summary…
is…
One reason is… An additional fact is… All of this together means…

Evidence Starters Elaboration Starters

According to (text title), “quotation.”
This idea is supported by (author’s name), when
he/she says, “quotation.”
For example, on page (page number) of (text
title), it says, “quotation.”
This is seen in (text title) when it says,
“quotation.”
This evidence proves (insert claim) because (add
your reason).
This quote is important because (add your
reason).
This illustrates (add your reason).
Based on this statement, one can conclude/infer
that (add your reason).
From this, one can see/conclude/infer (add your
reason.

Prompts/tasks

1. Analyze = to break down into parts and examine in detail to understand it better.
2. Compare = Identify similarities between 2 or more items.
3. Contrast = Describe the differences between two or more items.
4. Describe = Report what one observes or does.
5. Evaluate = Determine the value, amount, importance or quality of something.
6. Explain = Provide reasons for what happened or one’s actions in order to clarify or justify.
7. Infer = Combine what you know with what you learn in order to draw conclusions about what
something means.
8. Formulate = Reduce an idea or process to a statement or model in order to invent, create, or express
something.
9. Summarize = Retell the essential details of what happened.
10. Predict = Describe what will happen next in a text.
11. Support = Offer evidence, examples, details, or data in order to illustrate your position or claim.
12. Trace = Locate and follow the steps in a process or line of reasoning.