Outlining an Essay

The good news about outlining an essay is that it is almost the same as the paragraphs you have outlined so far. The difference is that you have to add an introduction with a thesis, multiple body paragraphs that connect, and a conclusion paragraph. The body paragraph structure, though, is exactly the same. The only difference is in the topic sentence. When you were only writing one body paragraph, your topic sentence only had to describe the content of that body paragraph. Now, though, you must also refer back to the previous body paragraph in each topic sentence. With these references back, your readers can connect your ideas and understand how you are logically placing your points in your essay.

Please use the sample outline I have added to create your essay’s outline.

Sample Outline