LWR - Outlining the Essay Lesson

English_Lesson_TopBanner.png Outlining the Essay

Creating an outline is a great way to organize the essay. For this lesson, you will examine two different types of outlines, then determine which will best fit your essay. In this section, you will also learn about thesis statements, the center of your paper.

Outline #1 - Comparative Essay

Examples of this type of essay include compare, compare and contrast or differentiate questions. In this structure the similarities and/or differences between two or more items, for example, theories or models, are discussed paragraph by paragraph. Your assignment task may require you to make a recommendation about the suitability of the items you are comparing.

Introduction Brief background information on topic Outline of two (or more) things being compared or contrasted Purpose for making the comparison / contrast Overview of the specific points to be compared / contrasted Body Paragraphs Paragraph 1 Topic sentence outlining first similarity or difference Sentences giving explanations and providing evidence to support topic sentence Concluding sentence- link to next paragraph Paragraph 2 Topic sentence outlining second similarity or different Sentences giving explanations and providing evidence to back topic sentence Concluding sentence - link to next paragraph Following Body Paragraphs These follow the same structure for as many items or aspects as you need to compare/contrast Conclusion Restatement of the main purpose for the comparison / contrast Summary of the main similarities and differences Recommendation about suitability of compared items for purpose Overall conclusion

Outline #2 - Analytical Essay

This is perhaps the most common structure. Examples of this include questions which ask you to discuss, analyze, investigate, explore or review. In an analytical structure you are required to break the topic into its different components and discuss these in separate paragraphs or sections, demonstrating balance where possible.

Introduction Background information on topic Overall point of view of the topic (thesis) Overview of components to be discussed (structure) Body Paragraphs Paragraph1 Topic sentence outlining first component Sentences giving explanations and providing evidence to support topic sentence Concluding sentence- link to next paragraph Paragraph 2 Topic sentence outlining second component Sentences giving explanations and providing evidence to back topic sentence Concluding sentence- link to next paragraph Following Body Paragraphs These follow the same structure for as many components as you need to outline Conclusion Summary of the main points of the body Restatement of the main point of view Justification/evaluation (if required by task)

 

English_LessonBottomBanner.png IMAGES CREATED BY GAVS