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Essay Writing Guide

Essay Outline

Last updated on: Jun 10, 2023

A Complete Essay Outline - Guidelines and Format

By: Nova A.

13 min read

Reviewed By: Melisa C.

Published on: Jan 15, 2019

To write an effective essay, you need to create a clear and well-organized essay outline. An essay outline will shape the essay’s entire content and determine how successful the essay will be.

In this blog post, we'll be going over the basics of essay outlines and provide a template for you to follow. We will also include a few examples so that you can get an idea about how these outlines look when they are put into practice.

Essay writing is not easy, but it becomes much easier with time, practice, and a detailed essay writing guide. Once you have developed your outline, everything else will come together more smoothly.

The key to success in any area is preparation - take the time now to develop a solid outline and then write your essays!

So, let’s get started!

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What is an Essay Outline?

An essay outline is your essay plan and a roadmap to essay writing. It is the structure of an essay you are about to write. It includes all the main points you have to discuss in each section along with the thesis statement.

Like every house has a map before it is constructed, the same is the importance of an essay outline. You can write an essay without crafting an outline, but you may miss essential information, and it is more time-consuming.

Once the outline is created, there is no chance of missing any important information. Also, it will help you to:

• Organize your thoughts and ideas.
• Understand the information flow.
• Never miss any crucial information or reference.
• Finish your work faster.

These are the reasons if someone asks you why an essay outline is needed. Now there are some points that must be kept in mind before proceeding to craft an essay outline.

Easily Outline Your Essays In Seconds!

Prewriting Process of Essay Outline

Your teacher may ask you to submit your essay outline before your essay. Therefore, you must know the preliminary guidelines that are necessary before writing an essay outline.

Here are the guidelines:

• You must go through your assignments’ guidelines carefully.
• Understand the purpose of your assignment.
• Know your audience.
• Mark the important point while researching your topic data.
• Select the structure of your essay outline; whether you are going to use a decimal point bullet or a simple one.

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How to Write an Essay Outline in 4 Steps

Creating an essay outline is a crucial step in crafting a well-structured and organized piece of writing. Follow these four simple steps to create an effective outline:

Step 1: Understand the Topic

To begin, thoroughly grasp the essence of your essay topic. 

Break it down into its key components and identify the main ideas you want to convey. This step ensures you have a clear direction and focus for your essay.

Step 2: Brainstorm and Gather Ideas

Let your creativity flow and brainstorm ideas related to your topic. 

Jot down key pieces of information, arguments, and supporting evidence that will strengthen your essay's overall message. Consider different perspectives and potential counterarguments to make your essay well-rounded.

Step 3: Organize Your Thoughts

Now it's time to give structure to your ideas. 

Arrange your main points in a logical order, starting with an attention-grabbing introduction, followed by body paragraphs that present your arguments. 

Finally, tie everything together with a compelling conclusion. Remember to use transitional phrases to create smooth transitions between sections.

Step 4: Add Depth with Subpoints

To add depth and clarity to your essay, incorporate subpoints under each main point. 

These subpoints provide more specific details, evidence, or examples that support your main ideas. They help to further strengthen your arguments and make your essay more convincing.

By following these four steps - you'll be well on your way to creating a clear and compelling essay outline.

Essay Outline Format

It is an easy way for you to write your thoughts in an organized manner. It may seem unnecessary and unimportant, but it is not.

It is one of the most crucial steps for essay writing as it shapes your entire essay and aids the writing process.

An essay outline consists of three main parts:

1. Introduction

The introduction body of your essay should be attention-grabbing. It should be written in such a manner that it attracts the reader’s interest. It should also provide background information about the topic for the readers.

You can use a dramatic tone to grab readers’ attention, but it should connect the audience to your thesis statement.

Here are some points without which your introduction paragraph is incomplete.

To attract the reader with the first few opening lines, we use a hook statement. It helps engage the reader and motivates them to read further. There are different types of hook sentences ranging from quotes, rhetorical questions to anecdotes and statistics, and much more.

Are you struggling to come up with an interesting hook? View these hook examples to get inspired!

A thesis statement is stated at the end of your introduction. It is the most important statement of your entire essay. It summarizes the purpose of the essay in one sentence.

The thesis statement tells the readers about the main theme of the essay, and it must be strong and clear. It holds the entire crux of your essay.

Need help creating a strong thesis statement? Check out this guide on thesis statements and learn to write a statement that perfectly captures your main argument!

2. Body Paragraphs

The body paragraphs of an essay are where all the details and evidence come into play. This is where you dive deep into the argument, providing explanations and supporting your ideas with solid evidence. 

If you're writing a persuasive essay, these paragraphs will be the powerhouse that convinces your readers. Similarly, in an argumentative essay, your body paragraphs will work their magic to sway your audience to your side.

Each paragraph should have a topic sentence and no more than one idea. A topic sentence is the crux of the contents of your paragraph. It is essential to keep your reader interested in the essay.

The topic sentence is followed by the supporting points and opinions, which are then justified with strong evidence.

3. Conclusion

When it comes to wrapping up your essay, never underestimate the power of a strong conclusion. Just like the introduction and body paragraphs, the conclusion plays a vital role in providing a sense of closure to your topic. 

To craft an impactful conclusion, it's crucial to summarize the key points discussed in the introduction and body paragraphs. You want to remind your readers of the important information you shared earlier. But keep it concise and to the point. Short, powerful sentences will leave a lasting impression.

Remember, your conclusion shouldn't drag on. Instead, restate your thesis statement and the supporting points you mentioned earlier. And here's a pro tip: go the extra mile and suggest a course of action. It leaves your readers with something to ponder or reflect on.

5 Paragraph Essay Outline Structure

An outline is an essential part of the writing as it helps the writer stay focused. A typical 5 paragraph essay outline example is shown here. This includes:

• State the topic
• Thesis statement
• Introduction
• Explanation
• A conclusion that ties to the thesis
• Summary of the essay
• Restate the thesis statement

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Essay Outline Template

The outline of the essay is the skeleton that you will fill out with the content. Both outline and relevant content are important for a good essay. The content you will add to flesh out the outline should be credible, relevant, and interesting.

The outline structure for the essay is not complex or difficult. No matter which type of essay you write, you either use an alphanumeric structure or a decimal structure for the outline.

Below is an outline sample that you can easily follow for your essay.

Essay Outline Sample

Essay Outline Examples

An essay outline template should follow when you start writing the essay. Every writer should learn how to write an outline for every type of essay and research paper.

Essay outline 4th grade

Essay outline 5th grade

Essay outline high school

Essay outline college

Given below are essay outline examples for different types of essay writing.

Argumentative Essay Outline

An  argumentative essay  is a type of essay that shows both sides of the topic that you are exploring. The argument that presents the basis of the essay should be created by providing evidence and supporting details.

Persuasive Essay Outline

A  persuasive essay  is similar to an argumentative essay. Your job is to provide facts and details to create the argument. In a persuasive essay, you convince your readers of your point of view.

Compare and Contrast Essay Outline

A  compare and contrast essay  explains the similarities and differences between two things. While comparing, you should focus on the differences between two seemingly similar objects. While contrasting, you should focus on the similarities between two different objects.

Narrative Essay Outline

A narrative essay is written to share a story. Normally, a narrative essay is written from a personal point of view in an essay. The basic purpose of the narrative essay is to describe something creatively.

Expository Essay Outline

An  expository essay  is a type of essay that explains, analyzes, and illustrates something for the readers. An expository essay should be unbiased and entirely based on facts. Be sure to use academic resources for your research and cite your sources.

Analytical Essay Outline

An  analytical essay  is written to analyze the topic from a critical point of view. An analytical essay breaks down the content into different parts and explains the topic bit by bit.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Outline

A rhetorical essay is written to examine the writer or artist’s work and develop a great essay. It also includes the discussion.

Cause and Effect Essay Outline

A  cause and effect essay  describes why something happens and examines the consequences of an occurrence or phenomenon. It is also a type of expository essay.

Informative Essay Outline

An  informative essay  is written to inform the audience about different objects, concepts, people, issues, etc.

The main purpose is to respond to the question with a detailed explanation and inform the target audience about the topic.

Synthesis Essay Outline

A  synthesis essay  requires the writer to describe a certain unique viewpoint about the issue or topic. Create a claim about the topic and use different sources and information to prove it.

Literary Analysis Essay Outline

A  literary analysis essay  is written to analyze and examine a novel, book, play, or any other piece of literature. The writer analyzes the different devices such as the ideas, characters, plot, theme, tone, etc., to deliver his message.

Definition Essay Outline

A  definition essay  requires students to pick a particular concept, term, or idea and define it in their own words and according to their understanding.

Descriptive Essay Outline

A  descriptive essay  is a type of essay written to describe a person, place, object, or event. The writer must describe the topic so that the reader can visualize it using their five senses.

Evaluation Essay Outline

Problem Solution Essay Outline

In a problem-solution essay, you are given a problem as a topic and you have to suggest multiple solutions on it.

Scholarship Essay Outline

A  scholarship essay  is required at the time of admission when you are applying for a scholarship. Scholarship essays must be written in a way that should stand alone to help you get a scholarship.

Reflective Essay Outline

A reflective essay  is written to express your own thoughts and point of view regarding a specific topic.

Getting started on your essay? Give this comprehensive essay writing guide a read to make sure you write an effective essay!

With this complete guide, now you understand how to create an outline for your essay successfully. However, if you still can’t write an effective essay, then the best option is to consult a professional academic writing service.

Essay writing is a dull and boring task for some people. So why not get some help instead of wasting your time and effort?  5StarEssays.com is here to help you. All your  do my essay for me  requests are managed by professional essay writers.

Place your order now, and our team of expert academic writers will help you.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the three types of outlines.

Here are the three types of essay outline;

• Working outline
• Speaking outline
• Full-sentence outline

All three types are different from each other and are used for different purposes.

What does a full-sentence outline look like?

A full sentence outline contains full sentences at each level of the essay’s outline. It is similar to an alphanumeric outline and it is a commonly used essay outline.

What is a traditional outline format?

A traditional essay outline begins with writing down all the important points in one place and listing them down and adding sub-topics to them. Besides, it will also include evidence and proof that you will use to back your arguments.

What is the benefit of using a traditional outline format and an informal outline format?

A traditional outline format helps the students in listing down all the important details in one palace while an informal outline will help you coming up with new ideas and highlighting important points

As a Digital Content Strategist, Nova Allison has eight years of experience in writing both technical and scientific content. With a focus on developing online content plans that engage audiences, Nova strives to write pieces that are not only informative but captivating as well.

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Essay Outline: An Ultimate Guide

Table of contents

• 1 Understanding the Importance of Proper Essay Outline
• 2.1 Introduction
• 2.3 Conclusion
• 3.1 Alphanumeric structure style
• 3.2 Decimal structure style
• 4 Steps to Creating an Outline for an Essay
• 5 Tips for a Successful Essay Outline
• 6.1 Template for a Narrative Essay Outline
• 6.2 Template of Argumentative Essay Outline
• 6.3 Template of Compare and Contrast Essay Outline
• 6.4 Template of Admission Essay Outline
• 7 Benefits of the Essay Outline in the Writing Process
• 8 Elevate Your Essay Writing with Outline

Have you ever felt like your thoughts are all over the place when you write an essay, or do you just want to make the essay writing a breeze? Well, you have hit the right spot!

In this article, we will break down how to write an outline for an essay into simple, easy-to-follow steps. No more staring at a blank page, wondering what an essay outline is or how to go about writing an essay outline.

With a well-structured essay outline and a clear thesis statement, you will have a roadmap to navigate your essay, keeping your writing process on point.

Here is a sneak peek of what we will cover in this article:

• After reading this article, you will understand the importance of essay outline;
• You will learn about the effective essay outline parts;
• Understanding various types of essay outlines is crucial for creating a well-structured essay.

Whether you are an experienced essay writer looking to level up your game or a newbie trying to score big on your first big assignment, this essay writing guide has got you covered.

Understanding the Importance of Proper Essay Outline

Essay outlines are undoubtedly the unsung heroes of the writing world. They are not there just for show but play a crucial role in making your essay shine. Now, you must wonder how a basic essay outline and a good thesis statement that sums up the main points in the essay can do such a marvelous job.

Picture reading a book with pages all out of order. It will be vast chaos, right? Similarly, a simple outline for an essay ensures your essay ideas are in the correct order, making it easy for readers to follow your train of thought.

Moreover, it also helps boost your writing speed. Having a comprehensive essay outline ready in hand will give you a clear path to follow. Therefore, you will no longer waste time wondering what comes next. It is like having a GPS for your essay writing journey.

In general, an essay outline is your secret weapon for crafting clear, well-organized, and efficient essays. They are for perfectionists and anyone who wants their essays to grab the highest grade. So, don’t skip the outline next time you write an essay outline. Remember, it is your ticket to smoother and more coherent writing!

Essential Parts of Essay Outline

Crafting an effective outline for essay writing can be like trying to bake a cake without a recipe. You know you want a delicious result, but things can get messy without understanding the key components, such as a thesis statement, introduction, and the order to mix them.

Similarly, many people struggle while creating an outline because they do not fully grasp the significance of each part and how to handle it effectively. Here is a template for a basic essay outline :

It is like having all the cake ingredients but not knowing the proportions or the order to combine them for that perfect cake. Do you fall into a similar category? Stress no more. Below, you will find all the information you need about the practical essay outline parts:

Introduction

The introduction is like the opening act in your standard essay outline structure. While many might think it requires a concise summary, it differs from how you should write your essay’s introduction. Firstly, the conclusion should have the hook statement of the thesis.

The introduction of a stellar essay should start with an engaging hook to grab your reader’s attention, provide some background information to set the stage, and end with a crisp and concise thesis statement that tells your reader what to expect in the main body of your essay.

An introduction is the writer’s chance to make a solid first impression and set the tone for the rest of the writing. Following this approach will leave your readers wanting to read more!

In the structure of an essay outline, the body parts of an essay are like the heart of your writing. Instead of filling it with meaningless information, you should focus on delving into your thesis statement, providing examples, supporting points, and evidence to support your arguments.

To clarify further, the main points are the big ideas you want to explore in your body paragraphs. They will act as topic sentences – the guiding stars—keeping your writing on track and your reader engaged.

In the context of a five-paragraph essay , your body paragraphs play a crucial role. Each body paragraph should focus on a main idea introduced in the opening or topic sentence. Afterward, you should include supporting points such as facts, quotes, anecdotes, or explanations to provide depth and context to your main idea.

Ultimately, you can incorporate real-life instances and credible data to strengthen your arguments further, adding credibility and persuasiveness to your essay and the main body paragraph.

By following this approach, your essay will be meaningful and convincing!

The last part of your academic expository essay outline is the conclusion – it is like the grand finale of a fireworks show. It is your chance to bring your main point back into focus.

However, instead of repeating it word by word, it is better to restate your thesis with a new perspective or a broader understanding, giving your readers a sense of closure.

Once you have restated your thesis, it is time to give your readers a quick recap. Summarize all the main points, reminding your readers of their incredible journey through your essay.

Finally, you have to add your personal touch by sharing your final thoughts on the topic or a call to action if it is relevant. Also, you can add a few sensory aspects to evoke deep thoughts in the reader.

In your detailed essay outline format, the final paragraph of your paper is where you tie everything together. You revisit your thesis, summarize your main ideas, and leave your readers with food for thought.

Common Types

While it is all up to you to decide how to organize an outline, we advise you to ensure your essay outline adheres to the requirements provided along with the essay topic. You can choose the most convenient if there’s no required system for formatting the outline. Some are widely accepted. What are those types?

Alphanumeric structure style

The alphanumeric structure is the most frequent one. It features and follows these characters in the order of Roman numerals, Capital letters, Arabic numerals, and Lowercase letters.

Every subdivision is described as Roman numbers, and then you go with capital letters, Arabic numerals, and lowercase letters, accordingly.

• Roman numerals (I, II, III, etc.) to identify major sections of the outline. Usually, you will have five of them, each for every paragraph of the paper.
• Capital letters (A, B, C, etc.) appear to show points in the sections.
• Arabic numbers (1,2,3, etc.) are used for further important details.
• Lowercase letters (a,b,c, etc.) indicate if more details are needed.

Decimal structure style

The decimal structure is similar to the alphanumeric structure but has one difference. Here we use only numerals. The added benefit of the decimal outline system relates to its decimal notation, which shows how every outline level relates to the main section.

Some people prefer this structure type because it might be easier to display the connection between each element.

• The outline begins with 1.0 and continues with 2.0, 3.0, etc. determining the beginning of every new section.
• For every new information point, we change the number after the dot. For instance, when we add information to the paragraph with the number 3.0, we name a new piece of information 3.1, 3.2, and so on.
• In case further details are needed, we add more decimals. In our case, it will look like 3.1.1, 3.2.1, etc.

Steps to Creating an Outline for an Essay

Creating a good essay outline might seem easy. However, this is not true at all. Even experienced essay writers spend a lot of time creating a clear and solid outline for their essays. Your half-work is done once you have created an effective essay outline.

It is not about following rigid rules but about crafting a flexible framework that helps you express your ideas effectively.

Do you often find yourself wondering who can “ write an essay for me ”? Following the steps mentioned below, you can create a stellar outline and, as a result, write a well-structured essay on your own:

• Understand the Essay Prompt or Choose a Topic : Consider it the starting point of your essay-writing or your writing an MLA paper journey. You either have a prompt handed to you, or you get to pick your essay topic. If you have a prompt, make sure you fully understand it. If you’re choosing a topic, pick something that genuinely interests you, making the writing process much more enjoyable.
• Conduct Preliminary Research : It’s time to gather much information and evidence for your essay. Read the books or scroll on the internet to gather some preliminary research and provide supporting evidence. It will help you understand your topic better and get a general idea of what others have said about it.
• Identify the Main Argument and Supporting Ideas: Imagine you’re building the skeleton of your essay. Identify the central point of your essay. It will be like the major bones, giving structure to your piece. Then, consider supporting ideas or arguments for the main point. These are like the smaller bones that provide strength and context.
• Arrange the Points in a Logical Order : Once you have the key points identified, it is time to put them together in an organized manner to create a coherent structure, a critical aspect of constructing effective academic works. Think about the flow of your essay. How should your primary ideas be arranged to ensure a smoother information flow? It is like assembling a puzzle—each piece should fit together seamlessly.
• Draft the Outline : In the end, you must start drafting your outline using your primary and supporting ideas. Use headings, subheadings, and bullet points to make it clear and organized. Your outline is your guide, so the choice is yours whether you want to make it a full-sentence outline (detailed) or a short-sentence outline (brief).

Tips for a Successful Essay Outline

Crafting an effective essay outline is like setting the stage for a well-organized and compelling essay. Whether you are working on an expository, descriptive, or literary analysis essay outline, the right approach can make all the difference. In this article, we will share valuable tips to help you create an essay outline that lays the foundation for your writing journey:

• Be Specific but Concise: Avoid unnecessary complexity and get straight to the point when outlining. The more specific you are about your key points and supporting details, the more effective the outline you will create. Take it as trimming the fat off your writing—only the lean, meaningful topic sentence remains.
• Get Rid of the Fluff: Toss all the extra words and phrases that don’t add value to your outline. Your outline should be free from unnecessary fluff. Removing it will make the essay outline simpler and more focused.
• Use Bullet Points for Clarity: Remember, bullet points are your friends in outlining. They break down your ideas into bite-sized pieces, making your outline easy to skim and understand. It is like using road signs to navigate through your outline structure.
• Maintain a Consistent Structure: Keep things tidy and consistent. If you make an alphanumeric outline with Roman numerals for the main points, stick with them throughout. The same goes for subheadings and bullet points. Consistency in your alphanumeric format makes your outline easy on the eyes and brain.
• Revise and Adjust as Necessary: An essay outline is a flexible tool, not set in stone. Therefore, feel free to revise and adjust as you go along. If a new idea pops up, incorporate it. If a section doesn’t seem to fit, reorganize. Keep refining your outline until it meets your satisfaction.

By following these tips, you can create an outline for an essay. With all the strategies mentioned above, you are well-equipped to craft a successful outline.

Examples and Templates of Various Essay Outlines

Crafting an essay can sometimes feel daunting, and sometimes you need to ask PapersOwl for help . That’s where the essay outline template comes in handy. It is like a trusty guide tailored for different essay types . Each template will serve as a roadmap, ensuring your essay is well-structured. Whether you share a personal story, build a persuasive argument, or aim for your dream school, we have covered you with these templates.

Let’s discuss each one and see how they work wonders:

Template for a Narrative Essay Outline

Imagine this as a storytelling guide. In a narrative essay, you are sharing a personal story or experience. Your outline should include sections for the introduction, plot development, characters, setting, climax, and conclusion. It is like mapping out the chapters of your own life’s story.

A narrative essay is a piece of writing that tells a story about an event on something creatively. It is similar to telling a personal story, a fiction narrative, or a literacy narrative essay. It is the least complicated kind of writing because you don’t have to perform any research. The most common topic for such an essay would be “How I spent my summer vacation.” The narrative essay has to be engaging. To do so, you have to:

• Conduct a thrilling plot.
• Include a conflict (i.e., a protagonist and an antagonist).
• Make bright characters.
• Exaggerate descriptions, but do not lie.

Using your imagination is one of the best strategies for entertaining your writing. Let it fill your essay with details and language to make your story come alive. Describe smells, emotions, feelings, and so on. However, remember that, in most cases, narrative essays are real stories.

Template of Argumentative Essay Outline

An argumentative essay outline presents a clear stance and supports it with evidence. Your outline should have sections for the introduction, thesis statement, main arguments with supporting evidence, counterarguments, and a strong conclusion.

When writing such an essay, remember to:

• Pick a topic you are interested in (the reader will always notice your disinterest).
• Provide good arguments (be concrete).
• Research as much as possible (surprise your reader with new facts).

When working on your argument, collect valuable sources such as scientific magazines, academic journals, documentaries, newspapers, etc.

Template of Compare and Contrast Essay Outline

In a compare and contrast essay , you are exploring two or more subjects. Your outline should include sections for the introduction, points of comparison, points of contrast, and a conclusion that ties it all together. It involves writing where you should highlight in which ways certain things are similar to and different from one another. This writing assignment stimulates critical thinking and forces you to conduct a compelling analysis.

Generally, comparative essays have an introduction (topic, theme, and thesis statement), body paragraphs, and a conclusion summarising the comparison. This article will describe only some of the processes of writing a comparison essay. However, I will provide you with specific tips:

• Use cue words (also, like, similar to, unlike, compared to, nevertheless, etc.)
• Be more specific in your thesis.

By the last point,  write something like “BMW and Mercedes-Benz provide the same product; however, their marketing strategy differs” instead of “This essay will compare BMW and Mercedes-Benz.”

This is what your outline should look like:

Template of Admission Essay Outline

Admission essays are your chance to stand out. Your outline should cover the introduction, your personal background, achievements, challenges faced, and why you’re a perfect fit for the institution. It’s like crafting a masterpiece self-portrait in the writing world.

These templates, such as the APA outline , offer structure and direction for different essay types, making your academic journey less daunting and more organized. So, choose the one that fits your essay type, and let it be your guiding star.

Also, before creating an essay outline, you must take some time out and search for an outline example for an essay on Google. Looking through outline essay examples can provide valuable insights into structuring your academic essays.

Benefits of the Essay Outline in the Writing Process

Imagine having a powerful tool at your disposal, one that not only simplifies your writing process but also elevates the quality of your work. An outline is that very tool, often underestimated but holding the key to success in academic and creative writing. From enhancing organization to boosting your writing efficiency, it brings an overwhelming number of advantages to the table.

Also, it acts as a lifesaver when it comes to revisions. Whether you want to rearrange paragraphs, add new points, remove irrelevant details, or need to start a planning sheet for an essay , you can do so easily without losing your way. Lastly, using an essay outline enhances the final output. It ensures your essay is well-organized, coherent, and impactful.

Therefore, it would not be wrong to say that a basic outline for an essay is a secret weapon in academic writing, making drafting easier, revisions quicker, and the final result more impressive.

Elevate Your Essay Writing with Outline

As we wrap up our journey through the art of essay outlining, let’s take a moment to savor the significance of this invaluable tool. Outlining an essay is not merely a roadmap but the key to unlocking your full potential. It makes essay setup a breeze, revisions a cinch, and elevates your final output to new heights. So, the next time you face a blank page, remember the trusty outline by your side, ready to guide you through the essay layout. With this ultimate guide in your toolkit, you’re well-equipped to craft essays that captivate, persuade, and inspire.

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Home / Guides / Writing Guides / Parts of a Paper / How to Write an Essay Outline

How to Write an Essay Outline

It’s 11 p.m., your paper is due tomorrow, and you’re only about halfway done. You’re typing along and when you realize that, wait…you’re actually not a huge fan of your argument or the supporting examples you’re using. Your options are to haphazardly keep writing or to backtrack and rehash what you’ve already done. Ugh. Unsurprisingly, both options aren’t great.

This scenario is scary, but totally avoidable! Though it’s tempting to just start writing, one of the best steps you can take before you type a single word is to create an outline for your paper. By taking the time to write a paper outline, you can prevent the scenario above and make your writing process a cinch!

Guide Overview

What is a paper outline, why it’s worth writing an outline.

• Step 1: gather your relevant materials
• Step 2: create your thesis
• Step 3: find examples
• Step 4: analyze your examples
• Step 5: arrange your examples

A paper outline is a skeletal version of your paper. Another way to think about an outline is to view it as a roadmap. An outline helps you organize and streamline your thoughts ahead of time. By front loading this work, you allow the eventual writing process to be much easier: instead of having to backtrack and see if your paper makes sense, you can refer to your outline and be rest assured that you’re on the right track.

It’s understandable if you think it’s not worth the time to write an outline. After all, writing a paper in itself is a lot of work – why add an extra step?

Here’s the secret: creating an outline and then writing your paper takes about the same amount of time as jumping straight into writing your paper. Why? By immediately writing, you run the risk of having to go back and see if the flow of your paper makes sense. Backtracking takes up a lot of time: having to go back and revise your paper because you missed a point can be a pain.

Taking the time to outline your paper gives you the space to see what arguments work, which examples to include, and more. Doing this prep work ahead of time prevents you from having to do it while in the middle of your paper. Your completed outline serves as a solid reference as you write your assignment. In an ideal world, your outline should be so thorough that the writing process is essentially just you converting your bullet points into sentences that flow together!

How to outline a paper

Step 1: gather your relevant materials.

The first step to take when outlining a paper is to gather all your relevant materials. If you’re writing a paper about a book you’re reading in class, start thinking about which passages from the book are relevant to your prompt. If you’re writing a paper about a broader topic, identify what sources you’ll need to construct your argument.

Pro tip: Avoid plagiarism and keep track of the sources you’re using at EasyBib.com! Easily create an APA or MLA format citation , try out our Chicago citation generator , and find help for other citation styles.

Step 2: Create your thesis

After you’ve compiled your materials, start thinking about your thesis statement. Revisit your assignment prompt, peruse your materials, and determine what your viewpoint is regarding the prompt.

Step 3: Find examples

Once you have your thesis, come up with ways to support it. Identify the quotes you need or the arguments you want to utilize in order to bolster your thesis.

Step 4: Analyze Your Examples

Write 3-4 bullet points connecting your examples to your thesis. The analysis part of your paper is the meat of your paper, so feel free to take as much time as you want during this step.

Step 5: Arrange Your Examples

Now that you have your examples and analysis, arrange them in a logical way that helps you develop and support your thesis. This is the step in which you can start copying and pasting your notes into an outline that mimics the flow of your paper. By the end of this step, you should have a solid outline!

Here’s a template for a five paragraph essay you can use for your papers moving forward:

Before you jump into writing your paper, it might pay to take a quick look at our EasyBib grammar guides . Discover what an abstract noun is, read a determiner definition , see the difference between regular and irregular verbs , and get familiar with other parts of speech.

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• Academic Essay
• Argumentative Essay
• College Admissions Essay
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• Research Paper
• Thesis Statement
• Writing a Conclusion
• Writing an Introduction
• Writing an Outline
• Writing a Summary

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After brainstorming for ideas (and researching , if you are writing a longer, researched paper), the next stage of the writing process is to organise your ideas into an outline before you begin on the first draft . This page explains what an outline is , gives reasons why you should outline your essay or report, shows you what an outline looks like , and gives the features of a good outline . There is also a checklist at the end of the page that you can use to check your own outline.

What is an outline?

An outline is a plan for your writing. It will include the main ideas and show how they are organised and the overall structure. It is often used for essays, in which case it will include elements of the introduction such as the thesis statement , an overview of each paragraph including the topic sentences and supporting ideas , and elements of the conclusion, for instance the summary . It can also be used for other types of writing such as reports .

Why outline?

An outline will assist you in your writing for three main reasons. First, it will help you to organise your ideas. This is especially important for longer writing, such as researched essays , where there may be large amounts of information to keep track of. Even for shorter essays, however, it is important to put the information in a logical order so that the reader can follow your main argument. Secondly, it will help ensure your writing has unity . Unity means that all ideas relate to the central theme of the paragraph. Writing an outline will help you to focus on the central theme and thereby include only those ideas which relate to it, while omitting any which are irrelevant. Finally, an outline will aid in the process of writing by breaking down the task into more manageable components. Writing a 1500 word essay is a daunting task; writing a 100 word 'map' of the essay is much easier.

What does an outline look like?

An outline can take many forms. The simplest form, recommended for exam essay writing when time is limited, comprises simply adding numbers and/or letters to ideas generated during brainstorming so that you can put them in a logical order before writing. Most outlines, however, are written out in a linear way, using a format similar to linear notes for reading or listening.

The following is an example outline for the section Why outline? above.

An outline will assist you in your writing for three main reasons.

1. Organise ideas

i. keep track of ideas (esp. longer writing)

ii. put in logical order

2. Create unity

i. means all ideas relate to centre theme

ii. include only relevant ideas

iii. exclude irrelevant ideas

3. Aid in writing process

i. breaks down task

ii. makes 1500 word essay easier with 100 word 'map'

The above outline is fairly detailed, showing the topic sentence, main ideas and supporting details. Below is a simpler outline for the same paragraph, showing only the main ideas.

An outline will assist you in your writing

The second outline is simpler and therefore takes less time to write. The detail in the first outline, however, will make it easier to write the paragraph and so save time later. Which style of outline - detailed or simple - will depend on your preference. Try using both and see which one helps you most.

What are the features of a good outline?

In order to be effective, an outline will have the following three features.

• Parallel structure . Each heading and subheading should have the same form. In the example above, the three main ideas, labelled 1, 2 and 3, are all verbs ('Organise', 'Create' and 'Aid'). All points labelled i., ii. etc. are also verbs ('keep track', 'put in' etc.).
• Coordination . Each heading (and subheading) should have equal significance. In the example above, points labelled 1, 2 and 3 are all equal (they are the 'three main reasons'). Those labelled i., ii. etc. are the supporting details, and therefore equal in significance.
• Subordination . Headings should be more general, while subheadings should be more specific. In the example above, the headings are the main ideas, while the subheadings are the supporting details (and therefore more specific).

A detailed outline will also have the following feature.

• Division . Each heading should be divided into at least two parts.

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Below is a checklist for this section.

Oshima, A. and Hogue, A. (1999) Writing Academic English . New York: Addison Wesley Longman.

Tardiff, E. and Brizee, A. (2018) Four Main Components for Effective Outlines . Available at: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/544/01/ (Access date 31/3/18).

Tardiff, E. and Brizee, A. (2018) Why and How to Create a Useful Outline . Available at: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/544/02/ (Access date 31/3/18).

University of Maryland University College (2018) Prewriting and Outlining . Available at: http://www.umuc.edu/current-students/learning-resources/writing-center/writing-resources/getting-started-writing/prewriting-and-outlining.cfm (Access date 31/3/18).

Next section

Read more about writing the first draft in the next section.

Previous section

Read the previous article about researching .

Author: Sheldon Smith    ‖    Last modified: 02 March 2020.

Sheldon Smith is the founder and editor of EAPFoundation.com. He has been teaching English for Academic Purposes since 2004. Find out more about him in the about section and connect with him on Twitter , Facebook and LinkedIn .

Compare & contrast essays examine the similarities of two or more objects, and the differences.

Cause & effect essays consider the reasons (or causes) for something, then discuss the results (or effects).

Discussion essays require you to examine both sides of a situation and to conclude by saying which side you favour.

Problem-solution essays are a sub-type of SPSE essays (Situation, Problem, Solution, Evaluation).

Transition signals are useful in achieving good cohesion and coherence in your writing.

Reporting verbs are used to link your in-text citations to the information cited.

How to write an outline

An outline presents a picture of the main ideas and the subsidiary ideas of a subject. Some typical uses of outlining might be an essay, a term paper, a book review, or a speech. For any of these, an outline will show a basic overview and important details. It's a good idea to make an outline for yourself even if it isn't required by your professor, as the process can help put your ideas in order.

Some professors will have specific requirements, like requiring the outline to be in sentence form or have a "Discussion" section. A student’s first responsibility, of course, is to follow the requirements of the particular assignment. What follows illustrates only the basics of outlining.

Basic outline form

The main ideas take Roman numerals (I, II, ...) and should be in all-caps. Sub-points under each main idea take capital letters (A, B, ...) and are indented. Sub-points under the capital letters, if any, take Arabic numerals (1, 2, ...) and are further indented. Sub-points under the numerals, if any, take lowercase letters (a, b, ...) and are even further indented.

• Subsidiary idea or supporting idea to I
• Subsidiary idea to B
• Subsidiary idea to 2
• Subsidiary or supporting idea to II
• Subsidiary idea to II

It is up to the writer to decide on how many main ideas and supporting ideas adequately describe the subject. However, traditional form dictates that if there is a I in the outline, there has to be a II ; if there is an A , there has to be a B ; and so forth.

Outline example

Suppose you are outlining a speech about gerrymandering, and these are some of the ideas you feel should be included: voter discrimination, "majority-minority" districts, the history of the term, and several Supreme Court cases.

To put these ideas into outline form, decide first on the main encompassing ideas. These might be: I. History of the term, II. Redistricting process, III. Racial aspects, IV. Current events.

Next, decide where the rest of the important ideas fit in. Are they part of the redistricting process, or do they belong under racial aspects? The complete outline might look like this:

Gerrymandering in the U.S.

• HISTORY OF THE TERM
• Responsibility of state legislatures
• Census data
• Preclearance
• Partisan approaches
• Gomillion v. Lightfoot (1960)
• Voter discrimination
• Voting Rights Act (1965)
• Majority-minority districts
• Effects of gerrymandering in 2012 and 2016 elections
• Gill v. Whitford Supreme Court Case

It is only possible to make an outline if you have familiarity with the subject. As you do research, you may find it necessary to add, subtract or change the position of various ideas. If you change your outline, ensure that logical relationship among ideas is preserved.

Helpful resources

To gain an initial familiarity with your topic, look it up in Gale Virtual Reference Library (a.k.a. "Academic Wikipedia"), a collection of entries from specialized encyclopedias. GVRL provides topic overviews, many of which are organized with an outline themselves.

Further reading

Tardiff, E., and Brizee, A. (2013). Developing an outline . In Purdue OWL . Look at all three sections. The third includes an example.

Lester, J.D., and Lester, Jr., J.D. (2010). Writing research papers: A complete guide (13th ed.). New York: Longman. Includes several models, including for a general-purpose academic paper. Check it out from the Stacks LB2369 .L4 2010.

Turabian, K.L. (2013). A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Request John Jay's copy from the Reference Desk (call number LB2369 .T8 2013).

Created by J. Dunham, 2003. Revised by R. Davis, Oct. 2017.

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How to Outline an Essay

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The single biggest time waster in writing is staring at the blank page.

The “inverted triangle” and free writing will get words on the page, but they’re probably going to be junk you will either delete later or turn in for a D+. An essay isn’t just a bunch of words.

The only real solution is to recognize that you’re approaching that blank page the wrong way. Trying to figure out everything at once and shove it all into a sentence is impossible, like trying to eat a sandwich you haven’t actually made yet.

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That’s where the outline comes in. You focus on the first task first and all by itself: what to say. Don’t worry about the words yet. Don’t even think about complete sentences. This is only about lining up your content.

The best part? Writing an outline uses a template, which means never starting with a blank page ever again.

Here’s your basic template for a four-paragraph essay:

That’s an intro (which you will write last), two paragraphs for the body of the paper, and a conclusion. Skip even outlining the intro for now. Look at the body. That’s where the paper really lives and works.

 So, looking at the template, we know we need to have two basic ideas for this paper, one for II-A and one for III-A.

 Two ideas. That’s what we’re concentrating on before anything else. (And remember that it’s the content of your essay that determines the grade, not the loveliness of your prose.)

 If you’ve got your two ideas ready to go, great. If you haven’t got your two ideas ready, then it’s time to do the research or talk about it with your instructor or your friends or your houseplant until you have figured out your two ideas.

 And remember, these need to be ideas, not topics. “Fruit” is not an idea. Neither is, “I like bananas.” An idea about bananas would be, “Bananas are usually considered sweet, but they work well in succulent dishes too.” (In the outline, this could read: “bananas sweet/good for meat/chicken cooking.”)

 Plug your ideas into the template. Look at them. Are they in the right order, or should you switch them around?

 Now look at the paragraph template for each idea. Start coming up with your examples and explanations for those ideas (no sentences, just the words that tell you what you want to say). Figure out what ground you need to cover to make your ideas complete.

 You will find the template of your outline will encourage you to stay focused on your ideas and on what you need to say about those ideas, but don’t forget that the template is adaptable. If one of your ideas gets too big for one paragraph, stick another body paragraph template in there. Add in more examples and explanation as needed as well.

 Once you’ve reached the stage where your body paragraphs are mapped out, you now have your thesis statement. Plug the list of your ideas in order in I-D. Look at that list of ideas. What will the instructor need to know to understand what those ideas mean? Jot down that information in I-B and I-C.

 Now drop down to the conclusion. Is your essay long and/or complicated enough that you need to repeat your ideas? If not, skip IV-A. Think about what you might say for IV-B. For a basic essay, a one-sentence conclusion is often just fine.

 Now go all the way back up to I-A. Your topic sentence should be as narrow as possible while covering the entire essay. What key words do you want to use? Plug them in. Your thesis statement is simply a summary of the points in your body paragraphs stated in the same order.

 And now, look! You have an outline that lists everything you want to say in the order in which you want to say it. Blank page, take that!

Look over your outline. Which body paragraph do you want to write first? Use the outline to guide you sentence by sentence.

Once you have the body written, then you write the conclusion and, finally, the intro. Now that first sentence of the paper is easy because you know what you want to say—in fact, you’ve already said it.

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Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Types of Outlines and Samples

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Alphanumeric Outlines

This is the most common type of outline and usually instantly recognizable to most people. The formatting follows these characters, in this order:

• Roman Numerals
• Capitalized Letters
• Arabic Numerals
• Lowercase Letters

If the outline needs to subdivide beyond these divisions, use Arabic numerals inside parentheses and then lowercase letters inside parentheses. Select the "Sample Outlines" PDF in the Media Box above to download the sample of this outline.

The sample PDF in the Media Box above is an example of an outline that a student might create before writing an essay. In order to organize her thoughts and make sure that she has not forgotten any key points that she wants to address, she creates the outline as a framework for her essay.

What is the assignment?

Your instructor asks the class to write an expository (explanatory) essay on the typical steps a high school student would follow in order to apply to college.

What is the purpose of this essay?

To explain the process for applying to college

Who is the intended audience for this essay?

High school students intending to apply to college and their parents

What is the essay's thesis statement?

When applying to college, a student follows a certain process which includes choosing the right schools and preparing the application materials.

Full Sentence Outlines

The full sentence outline format is essentially the same as the Alphanumeric outline. The main difference (as the title suggests) is that full sentences are required at each level of the outline. This outline is most often used when preparing a traditional essay. Select the "Sample Outlines" PDF in the Media Box above to download the sample of this outline.

Decimal Outlines

The decimal outline is similar in format to the alphanumeric outline. The added benefit is a system of decimal notation that clearly shows how every level of the outline relates to the larger whole. Select the "Sample Outlines" PDF in the Media Box above to download the sample of this outline.

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How to Write a Perfect Essay Outline

You can’t write an essay without outlining. Fine, you can do that if a low grade is okay for you to get. But those willing to craft a paper that’s worth A+ will need to create an essay outline and organize their research in one place before writing. So in this article we will look at outline examples and top tips to improve your essay.

This guide is here to help you:

• understand what is a paper outline,
• learn how to write an essay outline,
• get outline examples and templates to use when crafting yours.

So, let’s a research essay outline journey begin!

Table of Contents:

• What is an essay outline?
• Key parts of an essay
• Outline format
• Persuasive essay outline example
• Narrative essay outline example
• Expository essay outline example
• Research essay outline example
• What to do before outlining
• Choose an essay outline structure
• Organize your outline
• It’s a wrap!

What is an Essay Outline?

As you’ve already guessed it, an essay outline is a short plan of your research paper. Here you write down the main idea of your essay and structurize all arguments into paragraphs to make sure you won’t miss anything while writing.

Sure enough, you can write an essay without outlining it. But it will be challenging to do. Outlining is an essential part of the writing process, and all authors do it for their works to impress readers.

Here’s why you need an essay outline :

• It will help you organize thoughts: when you research the data for your essay, you get tons of information that’s hard to remember.
• You’ll understand the information flow and will be able to structurize it accordingly.
• It will help you not to miss anything while writing your essay because you’ll have a ready manuscript of your paper.

That said, an outline will help you write academic works better and faster. And while our writers are always here to help to write my essay , it can’t hurt to learn how to write an outline for an essay by your own, right?

How to Write an Essay Outline

While college essay types are many, the common structure for most of them is five-paragraph. Each essay needs Introduction , Body (paragraphs with arguments), and Conclusion; so, a general format of your essay outline will include all these components.

Outlining your essay, keep write my term paper in mind so you wouldn’t miss any arguments, evidence, and examples while writing.

So, let’s do this!

Key Parts of an Essay

Put them all into your writing outline:

• Introduction. Here you’ll mention the topic of your essay and its thesis. As you know, essays can’t live without a thesis; so, a thesis statement in your outline will help you support it in each paragraph of your essay body.
• Body paragraphs. There will be a minimum three paragraphs in your essay’s body, so make sure to include each one in the outline. For each paragraph, write down a topic sentence with an argument relating to your thesis and mention all the support: data, facts, examples, and other evidence you’ll use to prove the topic sentence of this paragraph.
• Conclusion. Wrap up your essay here. Restate your thesis and summarize the goal of your paper.

In general, your essay template will look like this:

Essay Outline: General

I. Introduction

a) Introduce a topic b) State a thesis

II. Body. Paragraph-1

a) Write a topic sentence (the argument for your thesis) b) Support this argument: data, facts, examples c) Explain how they relate to your thesis

III. Body. Paragraph-2

a) Write a topic sentence (another argument for your thesis) b) Support this argument: data, facts, examples c) Explain how they relate to your thesis

IV. Body. Paragraph-3

a) Write a topic sentence (another argument for your thesis, or a counterargument) b) Support this argument, or explain why the counterargument doesn’t work: data, facts, examples c) Explain how they relate to your thesis

V. Conclusion

a) Summarize all main points b) Restate your thesis c) Add a call to action: what you want readers to do after reading your essay

Outline Format

As a rule, students use the linear style when formatting their writing outline. It means they rank arguments in order of their importance – from major to minor ones.

Remember: your research essay outline doesn’t have to include the complete sentences. It’s only an outline, so feel free to format arguments and evidence the way it seems most comfortable and understandable for you. Just make sure it’s visually clear and allows you to see if some sections are repetitive or redundant. It will help to avoid duplications in your essay maker .

Another point to consider:

While you are familiar with a given essay topic, it doesn’t mean your readers are. So format your outline accordingly: assume that some people know nothing about it when preparing arguments and arranging them in a logical order.

Essay Outline Template

Templates can help you get a better idea of essay outlining. It’s a great way to organize thoughts and determine the order in which you’ll represent them to readers. So, make a list of the sections in your paper and fill in the corresponding example, depending on your essay type.

Persuasive Essay Outline Example

To create an outline for such an essay, consider the following example:

Taken from: TeacherVision.com

Narrative Essay Outline Example

For narrative essays, outlines like this one will work well:

Expository Essay Outline Example

What about this example for your essay outline?

Research Essay Outline Example

Taken from: Austincc.edu

How to Make an Outline: the Process

As a rule, the only detail bothering those asking how to make an outline for an essay is the process itself. Students understand that an essay outline needs to specify all the main points and arguments of their future paper, but they still find it challenging to create.

More than that, professors may ask you to submit an essay outline for their review. That’s why the skills of planning your papers will come in handy anyway. To learn the secrets of effective outline writing, you’ll need to know what to do before outlining, what essay outline structure to choose for your work, and how to organize your outline so it would be as informative as possible.

Here’s how to outline an essay:

What to Do Before Outlining

First and foremost, read your writing assignment carefully. Make sure you understand what essay type you need to write, how many arguments to use (except as noted), and how long your essay needs to be.

Answer the question , “What’s the purpose of your essay?” Do you want to inform readers, persuade, or just entertain them? Depending on the goal, you’ll know what thesis to consider, what writing techniques to use, and how to visualize research in your paper.

Identify the audience. Yes, it’s a teacher who reads and evaluates your work; but whom do you want to read your essay ? Do you write for classmates? Strangers? What do they know about your topic? Would they agree with your thesis? How might they react to your information?

Depending on that, you’ll understand what arguments might work for your essay. It will also help you decide on resources to use for research and evidence to choose for your arguments. Consider credible sources such as Google Scholar or Oxford Academic to find references for your essay; take notes of them to use in your outline.

State your thesis so you could see what topic sentences to outline for your essay. A thesis needs to be arguable and provide enough details to hook readers so they would get them emotionally involved in your writing.

Once a thesis is ready, start structuring your essay outline.

Choose an Essay Outline Structure

From the above templates and examples, you’ve got a general idea of the basic structure for your essay outline. We used a standard alphanumeric structure there, but you can also use a decimal one for your outline to show how your ideas are related. Just compare:

Alphanumeric format:

Decimal format:

An alphanumeric outline is the most common one, but you are welcome to use a decimal outline structure if it seems clearer and more comfortable for you. Also, feel free to use complete sentences or just brief phrases for each section of your essay outline.

However, if you need to submit it to a professor for a review, use sentences. It will help him understand the arguments and evidence you are going to use in your essay.

Organize Your Outline

Now it’s time to fill in each section of your essay outline. For those lazy to read, here goes a short video:

For all others, start with outlining your introduction . Write a sentence about your topic and introduce your thesis. You can also mention an essay hook here – a sentence you’ll use to make the audience interested in reading your work.

Outline your essay body : write down a topic sentence for each paragraph, provide supporting evidence you’ll use when writing, and mention how they’ll relate to the topic and your thesis. The more details you outline, the easier it will be to organize all the thoughts while writing.

Also, you can write a transition sentence for each paragraph so it would be faster to structure and band all arguments.

Finally, outline your essay conclusion . Restate your thesis and write a concluding statement, aka a sentence addressing the importance of your thesis and proposing solutions to the problem you addressed in the essay.

It’s a Wrap!

Essays are many, and you need to write all of them in school and college. Persuasive, expository, narrative – their basic structure is the same but with tiny differences identifying their specifications and your knowledge of academic writing. Understanding those differences and outlining your writings accordingly is your chance to craft perfect works that get high grades.

An essay outline is what you need to organize the information and not miss anything while writing. When you know how to write an essay outline, you create papers better and faster. You keep in mind all essay components. You develop critical thinking. And you become a better writer.

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Our Writing Guides

What does a "good" outline look like? What does a full-sentence outline look like? How do I create one?

An outline is a tool used  to organize written ideas about a topic or thesis into a logical order. Outlines arrange major topics, subtopics, and supporting details.  Writers use outlines when writing their papers in order to know which topic to cover in what order.  Outlines for papers can be very general or very detailed. Check with your instructor to know which is expected of you.  Here are some examples of different outlines. You can also learn more by watching the short video below .

The most common type of outline is an alphanumeric outline , or an outline that uses letters and numbers in the following order:

I.      Roman Numerals

A.    I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, etc.

B.    Represent main ideas to be covered in the paper in the order they will be presented

II.    Uppercase Letters

A.   A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, etc.

B.    Represent subtopics within each main idea

III.       Arabic Numbers

   A.    1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, etc.

   B.    Represent details or subdivisions within subtopics

IV.    Lowercase Letters

   A.    a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, l, m, etc.

   B.    Represent details within subdivisions

Outline with  main ideas, subtopics, subdivisions and details :

Thesis: Drugs should be legalized.  

I. Legalization of drugs would reduce crime rates

A. Prohibition  

1. Before Prohibition, crime rate related to alcohol were low-to-medium  

2. During Prohibition, crime rates related to alcohol were high

a. Arrests for drunkenness and disorderly conduct increase 41%  

b. Federal prison population increased 366%  

3. After Prohibition, crime rates related to alcohol were very low 

B. Amsterdam/Netherlands 

1. Before Amsterdam had legalized marijuana, drug-related crime rates were high

2. After Amsterdam had legalized marijuana, drug-related crime rates dropped

II. Legalization of drugs would benefit the economy

1. Local taxes 

2. State taxes 

3. Federal taxes

B. Business Owners

1. Drug production  

2. Drug quality testing  

3. Drug sales

III. Legalization of drugs would benefit public health

A. Quality of drugs would increase

1. Fake/dangerous drugs eliminated

2. Fake/placebo drugs eliminated

3. Amount of active ingredient standardized and stabilized

B. Drug users with addiction issues would get more help

1. Hospitals

3. Public health clinics

C. Your people would be less likely to start drugs

F ull-sentence outline :

• Each roman numeral (I, II, III, IV…) indicates the start of a new paragraph. So I. is the first sentence of the introduction, II. is the first sentence of the first paragraph of the body, III. is the first sentence of the second paragraph of the body, and so on.
•  Each capital letter (A, B, C, D…) indicates a main point within the structure of the paragraph. So in our introduction, A. is the attention getter, B. is another attention getter, C. describes a point that makes the topic personal, and D. is the thesis statement.
• Each Arabic numeral (1, 2, 3, 4…) indicates a sentence or piece of supporting evidence for each main point. So in the first body paragraph (II.), point A. is a general statement that needs some additional support, so 1. provides a supporting statement of fact and the citation of where that information came from. 2. provides another sentence with supporting evidence, as does 3.

Example of a full-sentence outline:

Warming Our World and Chilling Our Future

Thesis Statement: Today I want to share what I have learned about global warming and its causes.

I. Global warming is alive and well and thriving in Antarctica.

      A. In winter 1995, an iceberg the size of Rhode Island broke off.

      B. In October 1998, an iceberg the size of Delaware broke off.

      C. All of us have a lot at stake.

            1. Now, I am what you call a “country mouse.”

            2. I love the outdoors.

            3. You can be a “city mouse,” and like clean air, good water, and not having to worry about sun.

      D. Today I want to share what I have learned about global warming and its causes.

II. Global warming is a gradual warming of the Earth from human activities (citation).

      A. It is characterized by a high concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

            1. Each year five tons of CO2 are pumped into the atmosphere (citation).

            2. The carbon dioxide traps heat.

            3. 1998 set temperature records (citation).

      B. Carbon pollutants also eat a hole in the ozone layer (citation).

            1. In 1998 this hole set a size record.

            2. This allows more ultraviolet radiation to reach Earth.

      C. If this problem is not corrected; we may see disastrous results (citation).

            1. There could be dramatic climate changes.

                  a. There could be drought in the middle of continents.

                  b. There could be many severe storms.

                  c. There could be rising sea levels that would destroy coastal areas.

            2. There could be serious health problems.

                  a. There could be an increase in skin cancer.

                  b. There could be an increase in cataracts.

                  c. There could be damaged immune systems.

      D. Now that you understand what global warming is and why it is important, let’s examine its major causes.

III. The loss of woodlands adds to global warming (citation).             …..

IV. Industrial emissions accelerate global warming (citation).             …..

V. Personal energy consumption magnifies global warming (citation).             …..

VI. In conclusion, if you want to know why we have global warming, listen for the falling trees, watch the industrial smokestacks darkening the sky, and smell the exhaust fumes we are pumping into the air.

        A. Gore told a story on how global warming can sneak up on us.

        B. Addressing the National Academy of Sciences, the vice president said, “If dropped into a pot of boiling water….”

        C. The more we know about global warming, the more likely we are to jump and the less likely we are to be cooked.

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Comments (41)

• This is very helpful. Thanks a lot! by krystal on Apr 01, 2015
• Very nice and very helpful. I mean my parents are making me do a outline about a state. by Zelda on Apr 09, 2015
• Very helpful, it cleared things up a lot for me, so thanks! by Roxy on Oct 05, 2015
• Very helpful! Thank You! (Thumbs up!!) by Mavis on Oct 14, 2015
• Were very helpful Thanks! by annette on Oct 18, 2015
• Thank you guys this helped me out big time! It's actually saving my English grade from dropping. ;) And I really didn't know how a 'good' outline was suppose to look like soo Thank you Thank you Thank you!!!!! by Tiffanie on Nov 16, 2015
• Thanks so much! This is perfect, especially the way you've explained what each area should contain. It's something writers need to know but so often get wrong. by Tammy on Oct 28, 2016
• Thank you!! This was very helpful, as I am a watch and do type of person! by Alisa on Mar 23, 2017
• The hardest part in writing a paper is the outlining. this is real good and helpful. thanks very much. by Archie on Jul 25, 2017
• You made outlining easy for me Am forever grateful by joana jewel on Oct 02, 2017
• This is a great video, very helpful and easy to follow. by cvelez on Apr 25, 2018
• This was VERY helpful. Thank you! by Donna on May 18, 2018
• Exactly what I needed. Thank you. by Sharon on Aug 12, 2018
• i totally had no idea about the outline, thank you so much. by ngare irene on Aug 16, 2018
• THIS!! Thank-you for taking the time to do this, I found it very helpful. by Lauren B. on Sep 22, 2018
• After 45 minutes of surfing the web, this is the first helpful article I have come across in my attempt to find an outline example. Thank you. by Kate Metcalfe on Oct 10, 2018
• Thank you so much. This was very helpful. The video and explanation was very easy to follow. by Linda Armstrong on Feb 18, 2019
• Thankyou for putting the outline in full detail it helped me out alot. by Rosio on Mar 19, 2019
• Thank you very much! Very helpful! by Loretha M on Apr 09, 2019
• Exactly what I need. This is so helpful. Thank you!!! by My Le on May 15, 2019
• thank you so much. it's such a big help. God Bless by flor timbal on Jun 21, 2019
• This was extremely helpful towards my assignment that I am required to do in order to receive a grade. by Rhelle on Jul 27, 2019
• Very, very helpful!!!!!!!! :D by Miranda S. on Aug 23, 2019
• I found this video most useful. Thank you! by Ibironke on Sep 14, 2019
• very helpful, its been a long time since I had to d this. This was by far the easiest to understand. Thanks, by Ms P on Apr 15, 2020
• interesting thank you so much by Fausat Wellington on Apr 25, 2020
• Many thanks! Very helpful, simple and effective. by Oliver on May 25, 2020
• Great video...... Thanks by Belle on Jun 17, 2020
• This is a great tutorial! Thanks by Jeff on Jun 22, 2020
• This is good to explain. regards Devansh Chaurasiya by Devansh Chaurasiya on Jun 26, 2020
• Thank you. This is very helpful. More power!!! by Gina Fatawil on Aug 11, 2020
• This was super effective for my English class thanks!! by Jackie B on Sep 11, 2020
• Overall, its very interesting by Yban Meradores on Sep 11, 2020
• excellent explanations. by very helpful . Thanks on Sep 23, 2020
• Very helpful, it makes me complete university assignment with ease by Manje on Nov 14, 2020
• thank you ,my history teacher was making my class do outlines and i didn't know what to put in one thxs,thxs,and thxs by Maggie on Feb 17, 2021
• Thanks just what I needed by Royce Castellanos on Apr 05, 2021
• Thank you very much. This was really, really helpful. I had no idea how to do an outline and the other sites only says what it should be there, no examples. This was something that guided me and I could finish my outline fine. by Maria on Jun 25, 2021
• This is wonderful, real. I have always been wondering, given a research title where do one get all the subtitles from but now I perfectly understand...Thank you. by Karen Mwangangi on Aug 09, 2021
• Great video indeed, very helpful and understandable. by Linah on Sep 27, 2021
• Very concise with with well thought-out examples. Thanks. by Definite on Mar 16, 2022

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How to Write an Outline

Last Updated: March 27, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Emily Listmann, MA and by wikiHow staff writer, Danielle Blinka, MA, MPA . Emily Listmann is a private tutor in San Carlos, California. She has worked as a Social Studies Teacher, Curriculum Coordinator, and an SAT Prep Teacher. She received her MA in Education from the Stanford Graduate School of Education in 2014. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 3,952,541 times.

An outline is a great way to organize ideas and information for a speech, an essay, a novel, or a study guide based on your class notes. At first, writing an outline might seem complicated, but learning how to do it will give you an essential organizational skill! Start by planning your outline and choosing a structure for it. Then, you can organize your ideas into an easy to understand outline.

Quick Outline Slideshow

Sample outlines.

Planning Your Outline

• Some people process their ideas better when they write them down. Additionally, you can easily draw diagrams or examples, which might help you conceptualize the subject. However, it might take longer to write out your outline, and it won't be as neat.
• Typing your outline might be easier if your notes are already typed on the computer, as you can just copy and paste them into your outline. Copying and pasting also allows you to easily rearrange your sections, if necessary. Also, it will be easier to copy and paste information from your outline into your paper if you type your outline. On the other hand, it's harder to jot down notes in the margins or draw out organizational diagrams.

• If you’re working on a creative project, such as a novel, identify your concept, genre, or premise. Then, allow the outlining process to help you structure your work.
• It’s okay if your topic is somewhat broad when you first start, but you should have a direction. For example, your history paper topic could be French life during the German occupation of France in World War II. As you write your outline, you might narrow this down to the resistance fighters called maquisards .

• For a school assignment, review the assignment sheet or talk to your instructor. If the outline is for work, use an existing outline as a model for yours.
• If you are the only person who will see the outline, you can choose formatting that works for you. For example, you might write your outline in shorthand.

• Paraphrased ideas
• Historical facts

• Freewrite as ideas come to you.
• Create a mind map .
• Write your thoughts on index cards.

• For example, you may be writing a paper about policy change. Your thesis might read, “Policy makers should take an incremental approach when making policy changes to reduce conflict, allow adjustments, and foster compromise.” Each of the 3 reasons listed in your thesis will become its own main point in your outline.

Structuring Your Outline

• Roman Numerals - I, II, III, IV, V
• Capitalized Letters - A, B, C
• Arabic Numerals - 1, 2, 3
• Lowercase Letters - a, b, c
• Arabic Numerals in Parentheses - (1), (2), (3)

• 1.1.1 - Each side presents a case before the vote
• 1.1.2 - Citizens voice their opinion
• 1.2 - Neither side gets everything they want

• You might use short phrases to quickly organize your ideas, to outline a speech, or to create an outline that’s just for you.
• You might use full sentences to make it easier to write a final paper, to make a good study guide, or to fulfill the requirements of an assignment.

Organizing Your Ideas

• If you jotted down your ideas or made a mind map, use different colored highlighters to identify ideas that belong in the same group.
• Sort your index cards, if you used them to brainstorm. Put cards with related ideas together. For example, you can put them in stacks, or you can line your cards out in rows to make them easier to read.

• For example, your main point might be that Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein champions emotion over reason. Your subpoints might be that Victor Frankenstein is restored by nature and that his scientific efforts create a monster. As supporting details, you might include quotes from the book.
• If you're writing a story or presenting a historical argument, a chronological order makes sense. For an essay or speech, pick the subtopic with the most supporting materials, and lead with this argument. From there, order your major subtopics so each one naturally flows into the next.
• Your broad ideas should connect back to your thesis or controlling idea. If they don’t, rewrite your thesis to reflect the main ideas you’re putting into your outline.

• Hook to grab the audience
• 1-2 general statements about your topic

• Phrase outline: II. Frankenstein champions emotion over reason
• Full sentence outline: II. In Frankenstein , Mary Shelley champions the use of emotion over reason.

• Depending on the purpose of your outline, you might have more subpoints. For example, a novel may have many subpoints. Similarly, a study guide will likely have several subpoints, as well.

• In an essay, this is often where you “prove” your argument.
• For a creative work, you might include essential details you must include in that scene, such as an internal conflict in your main character.
• Similar to subpoints, you may have more supporting details, depending on your purpose. A novel or study guide will likely have more supporting details.

• Roman Numeral
• Capital Letter
• Arabic Numeral
• Lowercase Letter
• Arabic Numeral in Parentheses

• Restate your thesis.
• 1-2 summarizing sentences.
• Write a concluding statement.

Finalizing Your Outline

• This also gives you a chance to look for missing parts or ideas that aren’t fully fleshed. If you see areas that leave questions unanswered, it’s best to fill in those gaps in information.

• If you are making an outline for yourself, you might not worry about this.

• It’s a good idea to have someone else check it for errors, as it’s often hard to recognize errors in your own work.
• While you edit your outline, refer back to your assignment sheet or rubric to make sure you've completely fulfilled the assignment. If not, go back and correct the areas that are lacking.

• You can use more layers if you want to include more information.
• You might also include additional layers for a long creative work or a detailed study guide.

Expert Q&A

• Be concise and straightforward in your outline. This doesn't have to be perfectly polished writing; it just has to get your point across. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Don't be afraid to eliminate irrelevant information as you conduct more research about your topic and narrow your focus. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• You can use outlines as a memorization tool . Choose concise words to trigger a concept. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

• Generally, you should avoid only having one point or sub-point on any outline level. If there is an A, either come up with a B or fold A's idea into the next level up. Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 2
• Your outline should not be your essay in a different form. Only write down the major assertions, not every single detail. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 1

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.iup.edu/writingcenter/writing-resources/organization-and-structure/creating-an-outline.html
• ↑ https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/writingprocess/outlining
• ↑ https://www.ndsu.edu/pubweb/~cinichol/271/OutlinesHowTo.htm
• ↑ https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/544/02/
• ↑ https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-fiction/7-steps-to-creating-a-flexible-outline-for-any-story
• ↑ https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/544/03/
• ↑ https://writing2.richmond.edu/writing/wweb/outline.html

About This Article

The easiest way to write an outline is to gather all of your supporting materials, like quotes, statistics, or ideas, before getting started. Next, go over your materials and take notes, grouping similar ideas together. Then, organize your ideas into subtopics and use your materials to provide at least two supporting points per subtopic. Be sure to keep your outline concise and clear, since you’ll have to refer to it later! For more help on how to plan and organize your outline, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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NPR suspends veteran editor as it grapples with his public criticism

David Folkenflik

NPR suspended senior editor Uri Berliner for five days without pay after he wrote an essay accusing the network of losing the public's trust and appeared on a podcast to explain his argument. Uri Berliner hide caption

NPR suspended senior editor Uri Berliner for five days without pay after he wrote an essay accusing the network of losing the public's trust and appeared on a podcast to explain his argument.

NPR has formally punished Uri Berliner, the senior editor who publicly argued a week ago that the network had "lost America's trust" by approaching news stories with a rigidly progressive mindset.

Berliner's five-day suspension without pay, which began last Friday, has not been previously reported.

Yet the public radio network is grappling in other ways with the fallout from Berliner's essay for the online news site The Free Press . It angered many of his colleagues, led NPR leaders to announce monthly internal reviews of the network's coverage, and gave fresh ammunition to conservative and partisan Republican critics of NPR, including former President Donald Trump.

Conservative activist Christopher Rufo is among those now targeting NPR's new chief executive, Katherine Maher, for messages she posted to social media years before joining the network. Among others, those posts include a 2020 tweet that called Trump racist and another that appeared to minimize rioting during social justice protests that year. Maher took the job at NPR last month — her first at a news organization .

In a statement Monday about the messages she had posted, Maher praised the integrity of NPR's journalists and underscored the independence of their reporting.

"In America everyone is entitled to free speech as a private citizen," she said. "What matters is NPR's work and my commitment as its CEO: public service, editorial independence, and the mission to serve all of the American public. NPR is independent, beholden to no party, and without commercial interests."

The network noted that "the CEO is not involved in editorial decisions."

In an interview with me later on Monday, Berliner said the social media posts demonstrated Maher was all but incapable of being the person best poised to direct the organization.

"We're looking for a leader right now who's going to be unifying and bring more people into the tent and have a broader perspective on, sort of, what America is all about," Berliner said. "And this seems to be the opposite of that."

Conservative critics of NPR are now targeting its new chief executive, Katherine Maher, for messages she posted to social media years before joining the public radio network last month. Stephen Voss/Stephen Voss hide caption

Conservative critics of NPR are now targeting its new chief executive, Katherine Maher, for messages she posted to social media years before joining the public radio network last month.

He said that he tried repeatedly to make his concerns over NPR's coverage known to news leaders and to Maher's predecessor as chief executive before publishing his essay.

Berliner has singled out coverage of several issues dominating the 2020s for criticism, including trans rights, the Israel-Hamas war and COVID. Berliner says he sees the same problems at other news organizations, but argues NPR, as a mission-driven institution, has a greater obligation to fairness.

"I love NPR and feel it's a national trust," Berliner says. "We have great journalists here. If they shed their opinions and did the great journalism they're capable of, this would be a much more interesting and fulfilling organization for our listeners."

A "final warning"

The circumstances surrounding the interview were singular.

Berliner provided me with a copy of the formal rebuke to review. NPR did not confirm or comment upon his suspension for this article.

In presenting Berliner's suspension Thursday afternoon, the organization told the editor he had failed to secure its approval for outside work for other news outlets, as is required of NPR journalists. It called the letter a "final warning," saying Berliner would be fired if he violated NPR's policy again. Berliner is a dues-paying member of NPR's newsroom union but says he is not appealing the punishment.

The Free Press is a site that has become a haven for journalists who believe that mainstream media outlets have become too liberal. In addition to his essay, Berliner appeared in an episode of its podcast Honestly with Bari Weiss.

A few hours after the essay appeared online, NPR chief business editor Pallavi Gogoi reminded Berliner of the requirement that he secure approval before appearing in outside press, according to a copy of the note provided by Berliner.

In its formal rebuke, NPR did not cite Berliner's appearance on Chris Cuomo's NewsNation program last Tuesday night, for which NPR gave him the green light. (NPR's chief communications officer told Berliner to focus on his own experience and not share proprietary information.) The NPR letter also did not cite his remarks to The New York Times , which ran its article mid-afternoon Thursday, shortly before the reprimand was sent. Berliner says he did not seek approval before talking with the Times .

NPR defends its journalism after senior editor says it has lost the public's trust

Berliner says he did not get permission from NPR to speak with me for this story but that he was not worried about the consequences: "Talking to an NPR journalist and being fired for that would be extraordinary, I think."

Berliner is a member of NPR's business desk, as am I, and he has helped to edit many of my stories. He had no involvement in the preparation of this article and did not see it before it was posted publicly.

In rebuking Berliner, NPR said he had also publicly released proprietary information about audience demographics, which it considers confidential. He said those figures "were essentially marketing material. If they had been really good, they probably would have distributed them and sent them out to the world."

Feelings of anger and betrayal inside the newsroom

His essay and subsequent public remarks stirred deep anger and dismay within NPR. Colleagues contend Berliner cherry-picked examples to fit his arguments and challenge the accuracy of his accounts. They also note he did not seek comment from the journalists involved in the work he cited.

Morning Edition host Michel Martin told me some colleagues at the network share Berliner's concerns that coverage is frequently presented through an ideological or idealistic prism that can alienate listeners.

"The way to address that is through training and mentorship," says Martin, herself a veteran of nearly two decades at the network who has also reported for The Wall Street Journal and ABC News. "It's not by blowing the place up, by trashing your colleagues, in full view of people who don't really care about it anyway."

Several NPR journalists told me they are no longer willing to work with Berliner as they no longer have confidence that he will keep private their internal musings about stories as they work through coverage.

"Newsrooms run on trust," NPR political correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben tweeted last week, without mentioning Berliner by name. "If you violate everyone's trust by going to another outlet and sh--ing on your colleagues (while doing a bad job journalistically, for that matter), I don't know how you do your job now."

Berliner rejected that critique, saying nothing in his essay or subsequent remarks betrayed private observations or arguments about coverage.

Other newsrooms are also grappling with questions over news judgment and confidentiality. On Monday, New York Times Executive Editor Joseph Kahn announced to his staff that the newspaper's inquiry into who leaked internal dissent over a planned episode of its podcast The Daily to another news outlet proved inconclusive. The episode was to focus on a December report on the use of sexual assault as part of the Hamas attack on Israel in October. Audio staffers aired doubts over how well the reporting stood up to scrutiny.

"We work together with trust and collegiality everyday on everything we produce, and I have every expectation that this incident will prove to be a singular exception to an important rule," Kahn wrote to Times staffers.

At NPR, some of Berliner's colleagues have weighed in online against his claim that the network has focused on diversifying its workforce without a concomitant commitment to diversity of viewpoint. Recently retired Chief Executive John Lansing has referred to this pursuit of diversity within NPR's workforce as its " North Star ," a moral imperative and chief business strategy.

In his essay, Berliner tagged the strategy as a failure, citing the drop in NPR's broadcast audiences and its struggle to attract more Black and Latino listeners in particular.

"During most of my tenure here, an open-minded, curious culture prevailed. We were nerdy, but not knee-jerk, activist, or scolding," Berliner writes. "In recent years, however, that has changed."

Berliner writes, "For NPR, which purports to consider all things, it's devastating both for its journalism and its business model."

NPR investigative reporter Chiara Eisner wrote in a comment for this story: "Minorities do not all think the same and do not report the same. Good reporters and editors should know that by now. It's embarrassing to me as a reporter at NPR that a senior editor here missed that point in 2024."

Some colleagues drafted a letter to Maher and NPR's chief news executive, Edith Chapin, seeking greater clarity on NPR's standards for its coverage and the behavior of its journalists — clearly pointed at Berliner.

A plan for "healthy discussion"

On Friday, CEO Maher stood up for the network's mission and the journalism, taking issue with Berliner's critique, though never mentioning him by name. Among her chief issues, she said Berliner's essay offered "a criticism of our people on the basis of who we are."

Berliner took great exception to that, saying she had denigrated him. He said that he supported diversifying NPR's workforce to look more like the U.S. population at large. She did not address that in a subsequent private exchange he shared with me for this story. (An NPR spokesperson declined further comment.)

Late Monday afternoon, Chapin announced to the newsroom that Executive Editor Eva Rodriguez would lead monthly meetings to review coverage.

"Among the questions we'll ask of ourselves each month: Did we capture the diversity of this country — racial, ethnic, religious, economic, political geographic, etc — in all of its complexity and in a way that helped listeners and readers recognize themselves and their communities?" Chapin wrote in the memo. "Did we offer coverage that helped them understand — even if just a bit better — those neighbors with whom they share little in common?"

Berliner said he welcomed the announcement but would withhold judgment until those meetings played out.

In a text for this story, Chapin said such sessions had been discussed since Lansing unified the news and programming divisions under her acting leadership last year.

"Now seemed [the] time to deliver if we were going to do it," Chapin said. "Healthy discussion is something we need more of."

Disclosure: This story was reported and written by NPR Media Correspondent David Folkenflik and edited by Deputy Business Editor Emily Kopp and Managing Editor Gerry Holmes. Under NPR's protocol for reporting on itself, no NPR corporate official or news executive reviewed this story before it was posted publicly.

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What Sentencing Could Look Like if Trump Is Found Guilty

By Norman L. Eisen

Mr. Eisen is the author of “Trying Trump: A Guide to His First Election Interference Criminal Trial.”

For all the attention to and debate over the unfolding trial of Donald Trump in Manhattan, there has been surprisingly little of it paid to a key element: its possible outcome and, specifically, the prospect that a former and potentially future president could be sentenced to prison time.

The case — brought by Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney, against Mr. Trump — represents the first time in our nation’s history that a former president is a defendant in a criminal trial. As such, it has generated lots of debate about the case’s legal strength and integrity, as well as its potential impact on Mr. Trump’s efforts to win back the White House.

A review of thousands of cases in New York that charged the same felony suggests something striking: If Mr. Trump is found guilty, incarceration is an actual possibility. It’s not certain, of course, but it is plausible.

Jury selection has begun, and it’s not too soon to talk about what the possibility of a sentence, including a prison sentence, would look like for Mr. Trump, for the election and for the country — including what would happen if he is re-elected.

The case focuses on alleged interference in the 2016 election, which consisted of a hush-money payment Michael Cohen, the former president’s fixer at the time, made in 2016 to a porn star, Stormy Daniels, who said she had an affair with Mr. Trump. Mr. Bragg is arguing that the cover-up cheated voters of the chance to fully assess Mr. Trump’s candidacy.

This may be the first criminal trial of a former president in American history, but if convicted, Mr. Trump’s fate is likely to be determined by the same core factors that guide the sentencing of every criminal defendant in New York State Court.

Comparable cases. The first factor is the base line against which judges measure all sentences: how other defendants have been treated for similar offenses. My research encompassed almost 10,000 cases of felony falsifying business records that have been prosecuted across the state of New York since 2015. Over a similar period, the Manhattan D.A. has charged over 400 of these cases . In roughly the first year of Mr. Bragg’s tenure, his team alone filed 166 felony counts for falsifying business records against 34 people or companies.

Contrary to claims that there will be no sentence of incarceration for falsifying business records, when a felony conviction involves serious misconduct, defendants can be sentenced to some prison time. My analysis of the most recent data indicates that approximately one in 10 cases in which the most serious charge at arraignment is falsifying business records in the first degree and in which the court ultimately imposes a sentence, results in a term of imprisonment.

To be clear, these cases generally differ from Mr. Trump’s case in one important respect: They typically involve additional charges besides just falsifying records. That clearly complicates what we might expect if Mr. Trump is convicted.

Nevertheless, there are many previous cases involving falsifying business records along with other charges where the conduct was less serious than is alleged against Mr. Trump and prison time was imposed. For instance, Richard Luthmann was accused of attempting to deceive voters — in his case, impersonating New York political figures on social media in an attempt to influence campaigns. He pleaded guilty to three counts of falsifying business records in the first degree (as well as to other charges). He received a sentence of incarceration on the felony falsification counts (although the sentence was not solely attributable to the plea).

A defendant in another case was accused of stealing in excess of $50,000 from her employer and, like in this case, falsifying one or more invoices as part of the scheme. She was indicted on a single grand larceny charge and ultimately pleaded guilty to one felony count of business record falsification for a false invoice of just under $10,000. She received 364 days in prison.

To be sure, for a typical first-time offender charged only with run-of-the-mill business record falsification, a prison sentence would be unlikely. On the other hand, Mr. Trump is being prosecuted for 34 counts of conduct that might have changed the course of American history.

Seriousness of the crime. Mr. Bragg alleges that Mr. Trump concealed critical information from voters (paying hush money to suppress an extramarital relationship) that could have harmed his campaign, particularly if it came to light after the revelation of another scandal — the “Access Hollywood” tape . If proved, that could be seen not just as unfortunate personal judgment but also, as Justice Juan Merchan has described it, an attempt “to unlawfully influence the 2016 presidential election.”

History and character. To date, Mr. Trump has been unrepentant about the events alleged in this case. There is every reason to believe that will not change even if he is convicted, and lack of remorse is a negative at sentencing. Justice Merchan’s evaluation of Mr. Trump’s history and character may also be informed by the other judgments against him, including Justice Arthur Engoron’s ruling that Mr. Trump engaged in repeated and persistent business fraud, a jury finding that he sexually abused and defamed E. Jean Carroll and a related defamation verdict by a second jury.

Justice Merchan may also weigh the fact that Mr. Trump has been repeatedly held in contempt , warned , fined and gagged by state and federal judges. That includes for statements he made that exposed witnesses, individuals in the judicial system and their families to danger. More recently, Mr. Trump made personal attacks on Justice Merchan’s daughter, resulting in an extension of the gag order in the case. He now stands accused of violating it again by commenting on witnesses.

What this all suggests is that a term of imprisonment for Mr. Trump, while far from certain for a former president, is not off the table. If he receives a sentence of incarceration, perhaps the likeliest term is six months, although he could face up to four years, particularly if Mr. Trump chooses to testify, as he said he intends to do , and the judge believes he lied on the stand . Probation is also available, as are more flexible approaches like a sentence of spending every weekend in jail for a year.

We will probably know what the judge will do within 30 to 60 days of the end of the trial, which could run into mid-June. If there is a conviction, that would mean a late summer or early fall sentencing.

Justice Merchan would have to wrestle in the middle of an election year with the potential impact of sentencing a former president and current candidate.

If Mr. Trump is sentenced to a period of incarceration, the reaction of the American public will probably be as polarized as our divided electorate itself. Yet as some polls suggest — with the caveat that we should always be cautious of polls early in the race posing hypothetical questions — many key swing state voters said they would not vote for a felon.

If Mr. Trump is convicted and then loses the presidential election, he will probably be granted bail, pending an appeal, which will take about a year. That means if any appeals are unsuccessful, he will most likely have to serve any sentence starting sometime next year. He will be sequestered with his Secret Service protection; if it is less than a year, probably in Rikers Island. His protective detail will probably be his main company, since Mr. Trump will surely be isolated from other inmates for his safety.

If Mr. Trump wins the presidential election, he can’t pardon himself because it is a state case. He will be likely to order the Justice Department to challenge his sentence, and department opinions have concluded that a sitting president could not be imprisoned, since that would prevent the president from fulfilling the constitutional duties of the office. The courts have never had to address the question, but they could well agree with the Justice Department.

So if Mr. Trump is convicted and sentenced to a period of incarceration, its ultimate significance is probably this: When the American people go to the polls in November, they will be voting on whether Mr. Trump should be held accountable for his original election interference.

What questions do you have about Trump’s Manhattan criminal trial so far?

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Norman L. Eisen investigated the 2016 voter deception allegations as counsel for the first impeachment and trial of Donald Trump and is the author of “Trying Trump: A Guide to His First Election Interference Criminal Trial.”

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