Outlining

“
Outlining lets you create a framework
that compels your audience to keep
reading from first page to the last… Best
of all, once the outline is finished, you can
write the book very quickly and in any

”
order
Jeffery Deaver
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What is an Outline?
￮ to list or describe only the most important
parts of an essay, speech, plan, etc.
(Merriam- Webster)
￮ It allows a writer to categorize the main
points, to organize the paragraphs into an
order that make sense, and to make sure
that each paragraph/idea can be fully
developed.
￮ It serves as a “blueprint” or “plan” for
your paper.
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An outline can be a
formal and informal
Formal Outline Informal Outline
works best when the is a preliminary search for
writer has already a structure that may help
discovered exactly the you find the content for
elements of the context your thesis.
(focused subject,
audience, purpose, and
writing situation) as well
as most of the content to
support the context.
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Example of Informal Outline
Subject: The Development of Telescope
￮ Galileo and the basic refractor
￮ The multi-element telescopes of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries
￮ Newton and the reflecting telescope
￮ The construction of massive reflecting telescope
￮ The advantages and limitations of refracting and reflecting designs

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Types of Outline
Topic Outline Sentence Outline Paragraph Outline
• also called as noun ￮ it summarizes each ￮ it is like a summary
phrase outline idea in a complete of the composition
• arranges your ideas sentence. /writing
hierarchically ￮ use when topic being ￮ it is a numbered list
(showing which are discussed is of sentences of the
main and which are complicated and original material.
sub-points) requires details.
• it only lists words or ￮ has heads and
phrases subheads in the form
of sentences.

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Example of Topic Outline
Thesis Statement: The abuse of alcohol and drugs can affect a person economically,
psychologically, and physically.
I. Economic effects (main idea)
A. Alcohol (sub-idea)
1. Cost of alcohol purchases (Detail of A)
B. Drugs (sub-idea)
1. Cost of drug purchases (Detail of B)
II. Psychological Effects
A. Alcohol
1. Mental Impairment
2. Addiction
B. Drugs
1. Mental Impairment
2. Addiction
III. Physical Effect
A. Alcohol
1. Liver Diseases
2. Alcohol poisoning
B. Drugs
1. Brain Damage
2. Drug Overdose 7
Example of Sentence Outline
Thesis Statement: The abuse of alcohol and drugs can affect a person
economically, psychologically, and physically.
I. Alcohol and drug abuse can affect one economically
A. The cost of alcohol abuse is high and getting higher
1. The cost of DUIs can be enormous.
2. Alcohol costs are always rising because of rising production costs as well
as state and local taxes
B. The cost of drug abuse can be high.
1. Even the arrest for the possession of a minute amount of drugs can results
in high bail and court cost.
2. The cost of drugs fluctuates drastically according to the type of drug, its
availability, and the amount.

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Example of Paragraph Outline
1. Communication is very important. The world needs communication. It is
necessary for men to communicate with one another.
2. People have used several forms of communication. Text messaging is
predominant today. It is very popular in the Philippines.
3. What is text messaging and why has it become popular? There are many
cellular phones and service providers. The means is affordable and the
method is useful.
4. Text messaging is a wonderful modern technology.

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Thanks!
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