How to Make an Outline for Expository Writing
Middle-school and high school students are often given the assignment of writing essays and expository papers for English, history and civics classes. The expository essay means conducting research and presenting an argument in a clear, understandable way using definition, comparison and contrast and analyzing cause and effect or providing examples. If you choose to write about the benefits of recycling, for example, you would first find research that supports the idea that recycling benefits your community and society, then you would write your outline and essay in a way that ensures that your readers will understand your position. Present both sides of the recycling argument.
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Instructions
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Introduction
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1
Format your outline for the introductory section of your expository paper with an attention-getting first sentence. For example, "That soda bottle you just threw away in the recycling bin at school has probably had several past lives." Expand on your first sentence by explaining what recycling does and how it helps the environment. Number the introduction as "1 A."
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2
Give background information in the second paragraph -- the name of your resource, whether it is a book or website, the author's name and one or two sentences about the book. Write "1 B" next to this information.
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3
Include your thesis sentence in your third paragraph. The thesis sentence is the argument for your paper. It tells readers what your paper is going to discuss. Write down "1 C" for this section. Write down a transition sentence to end your third paragraph. This sentence connects this paragraph to the next, and should include words such as "and, also, likewise, not only, as well as." In a paper about recycling, this would look like: "Some recyclable materials include plastic, glass paper and metal, which are made into new items. Likewise, electronics used in businesses can be recycled."
Paragraph One
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4
Write down a topic sentence -- this becomes "2 A" on your outline. "Recycling can be used at home and in the workplace." Include a concrete detail, such as, "Families that recycle cut down on the waste they add to the community landfill." Follow this up with two to three sentences.
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5
Use your research to write down a second concrete detail -- "When a company recycles used paper, toner cartridges, empty water bottles and soda cans, it becomes a good example to the community." This becomes "2 B." Follow this detail up with two to three sentences to prove your point.
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Write down a third concrete detail, such as, "Your school can become a recycling member of the community." This is point "2 C." Write down two to three commentary sentences to back up your detail. Include a transition sentence that takes readers from paragraph one to paragraph two.
Paragraph Two
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7
Write up a topic sentence for paragraph two, which becomes "3 A." This can cover the benefits of recycling to the community. Add two to three commentary sentences that talk about the immediate benefits of recycling to the community.
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8
Continue with the theme of benefits of recycling to the community for "3 B." "Eventually, the amount of trash taken to the landfill begins to go down." Add two to three commentary sentences that prove your point.
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9
Write down a third concrete detail about recycling's benefits to the community, which becomes "3 C." "When hazardous materials are salvaged from recycled items, such as mercury, the groundwater is at lower risk of contamination." Follow up with two to three commentary sentences proving your point. Write a transition sentence.
Paragraph Three
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10
Present information about recycling from an opposition point of view, which becomes "4 A." Write your topic sentence, saying, "Some recycling processes can be too expensive to convert back into the same product. Some communities may choose to make recycled materials into different products." Find information from your research and include this in a concrete detail sentence: "When recycling paper into new paper becomes too expensive, it may be made into paperboard." Follow this up with two to three commentary statements.
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11
Include information in your paper that discusses groups that believe recycling does not help the environment in a significant way. Assign "4 B" to this section. Follow up with two to three commentary statements.
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12
Write down information that shows how critics of recycling believe the costs and energy used in recycling outweigh the benefits. This is "4 C." Follow up with two to three commentary statements. Include a transition sentence.
Conclusion
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13
Restate your thesis sentence: "Every day, you use and throw away items that have been recycled." This becomes "5 A."
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14
Re-read your outline. Look for the main points of each paragraph and underline them. Using one sentence for each main point, summarize each point. These points become "B 1, B 2 and B 3."
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15
Use this part of your outline to present a "Call to action." Here, you explain why the topic affects readers. Widen the recycling topic, making an observation about life: "Even as we recycle, we echo the circle of life." Use your call to action to motivate readers to begin recycling or to look at it in a different light.
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Tips & Warnings
Narrow your topic down so you're able to write a clear, defined thesis statement in the introduction of your outline.
When you write an expository paper, you need to discuss all aspects -- the pros and the cons.
Use each body paragraph to explain one idea from the thesis statement in your first paragraph. Each paragraph should support this statement by using anecdotal, factual, statistical or logical evidence found in your research.
Don't restate your thesis. Instead, write it based on the evidence you provided in the body paragraphs of your outline.
References
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