UNIT 8

OUTLINING

Writer often outline their ideas before they write. An outline is a plan that lists
the topics and subtopics the writer wants to include in the text. The outline also shows
how the information will be divided-according to the level of generality, time, place,
causal relationship, and so on.
Student often write outline when they study. By outlining the information in a
textbook or an article, they can see how the writer organized the information; and an
outline is useful for studying before an exam.
Example:
Here is a text about a traditional American holiday, Thanksgiving, followed by an outline
of the text. Notice how the ideas in the text are arranged in the outline.

Thanksgiving is the day on which Americans thank God for the many good things
he has given them. It is a feast day observed on the fourth Thursday in November, about
the time most crops are harvested in North America. American families get together on
this day to give thanks to God, to eat, and to remember the first Thanksgiving, which
took place long ago.
The Pilgrims were a religious group who moved from England to America in the
early seventeenth century. Their first year in America was very difficult. Many of the
Pilgrims died because they did not have enough food and the winter was very cold.
Their next year was much easier. They built strong houses to keep out the cold, and
they were able to grow more than enough food. To thank God for their good year, they
organized a feast for all of the Pilgrims. They also invited some of the Indians who had
helped them learn to hunt and grow food. That was the first Thanksgiving.
Today, Thanksgiving is a family holiday. Family members sometimes travel
thousands of miles to be together for Thanksgiving. Traditionally, the women of the
family cook a huge dinner of turkey and dressing, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin pie.
Everyone is expected to eat as much as possible, and after dinner, they sit in the living
room holding their stomachs and complaining that they ate too much!

OUTLINE: THANKSGIVING

I. Thanksgiving day on which American thank God for giving good things
a. Feast day
b. Fourth Thursday in November
i. about the time most crops are harvested in North America
c. Families get together
i. to give thanks to God
ii. to eat
iii. to remember the first Thanksgiving
II. The first Thanksgiving
a. Pilgrims
i. religious group
ii. moved from England to America in early seventeenth century
b. First year in America was very difficult
i. not enough food
ii. winter very cold
c. Next year much easier
i. built strong houses to keep out cold
ii. able to grow more than enough food
d. Organized a feast to thank God
i. invited al Pilgrims
ii. also invited Indians who had helped them

III. Today, Thanksgiving is a family holiday

a. Family members travel thousands of miles to be together
b. Women of family cook huge dinner
i. turkey and dressing
ii. sweet potatoes
iii. pumpkin pie
iv. everyone expected to eat as much as possible
c. After dinner, sit in living room
i. hold stomachs
ii. complain they ate too much

THANKSGIVING

Topic 1 Topic 2 Topic 3

Feast day Pilgrims (+ i, ii) Family members

travel thousands
of miles to be
Fourth Thursday First year in together
in November America was very
- about the time difficult (+ i. ii)
most crops are Women of family
harvested in cook huge dinner
North America Next year much (+ i, ii, iii, iv)
easier (+ i, ii)
Families get After dinner, sit
together Organized a feast in living room
(+ i, ii, iii) (+ i, ii) (+ i, ii)
Exercise:
Read the following text, and then make the outline of the text by writing topics and
subtopics for each paragraph!

FAST FOOD

Today, you can find fast food restaurants in almost every big city. In some
places, you stand in a line and get a hamburger or hot dog in a paper bag; in others,
you can pick up a tray of fish, chicken, pizza or even Mexican and Chinese food; and in
some fast food places, you can even drive your car up to a window and place your order.
Within minutes, a worker gives you your food through the window and you can drive
away and eat it in your car.
In New York, Paris, Tokyo, Singapore, and thousands of other cities around the
world, new fast food restaurants open every day. However, why do people prefer fast
food restaurants to more comfortable restaurants where they can sit quietly at a table
and be served by a waiter or waitress?
Two things make fast food restaurants popular are speed and price. People’s
time is valuable. They may have only thirty minutes for lunch. They do not want to
waste a lot of time eating or preparing food. The service is fast, so they can order what
they want, eat it, and be finished in less than fifteen minutes. In addition, prices are
inexpensive. Because of the large number of meals sold every day in fast food
restaurants, costs are kept low. There are over 35 billion hamburgers sold every year in
the United State alone! Another thing people like is that they can be sure what the food
will taste like in a fast food restaurant. The major international fast food companies
like McDonald’s and A&W make sure that a hamburger sold at the store in Boston will
taste exactly the same as one sold in New York and not very different from one bought
in Bangkok or Taipei.
Critics of fast food say that they are “junk food” – food in which has no
nutritional value. They say fast food, such as hamburgers, contains too much salt,
carbohydrate, and fat. However, one thing is sure: people everywhere like fast food
and they find it a convenient and economical way to eat.

OUTLINE: FAST FOOD

I. Today ________________________________________________________________
a. You can stand in a line
i.
b. You can pick up the food by a tray
i.
c. You can drive your car and pick up the food through a window
i.
ii.
iii.
II. In other city, around the word ____________________________________________
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III. Fast food restaurant popular ______________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
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_______________________________________________________________________

IV. Critics for fast food ______________________________________________________

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