How to Make an Outline for a Paper, Step by Step
There are almost as many ways to create an outline for a paper as there are subjects for the paper itself. It is crucial that an outline be constructed in such a way that the writer is prepared and ready to begin writing as soon as the outline is finished. In fact, with a well-constructed outline, the writing itself should come quickly, particularly if all the source material is noted within the outline.
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Instructions
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1
Create a thesis statement, or a sentence stating the main idea you hope the paper will portray. This sentence must be comprehensive enough to include everything you will cover in the paper. This sentence will become a part of the introduction to your paper. Once it is created, jot down two or three other minor points that you want to convey in your introduction, as well as any quotes or resource material you have found that you want to include as part of the introduction.
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2
State your first main point in sentence form, preceded by a transition. You are transitioning from the introduction, so you will use a transition to show that you are making your first point about the thesis statement; you may want to restate part of the thesis statement for clarity. Again, make sure you include in your outline any quotes or resource material you plan to use to make your point.
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3
Repeat step two for each additional section or paragraph of your paper, using appropriate transitions. As you write each section, check to see that each section falls under the main topic, stays there and does not overlap any other section.
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4
List the points you want to make in your conclusion. Look back at your outline and check that you have indeed covered all of these points somewhere in your paper. If you have come across a strong quotation that will work well as part of your conclusion, note it here.
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