Outlining is a vital part of the essay planning process. It allows the writer to understand how he or she will connect all the information to support the thesis statement and the claims of the paper. It also provides the writer with a space to manipulate ideas easily without needing to write complete paragraphs.
Why is it important to review an essay?
Outlining the essay and then carefully reviewing the outline allows a writer to catch those kinds of writing problems, and it helps the writer to strive for balance.
Why is essay outline important?
Jackson State Community College Outlines are important for brainstorming and organizing your essays and help you see if an idea fits better in one place than another or which ideas need to be expanded. Ideally, every main point will have equal numbers of supporting details to give the paper balance.
Outlines make it simple to identify the main components of the paper, and they can be as detailed as your paper requires. Usually, writers use outlines at the start of the writing process to develop ideas for a paper. They are especially important for timed writing to help writers prevent writer’s block.
If you’re doing a timed writing assignment, be sure to spend a few minutes at the start of your timed session to organize with an outline. Sometimes writers also use outlines after they’ve written an essay to revise the essay’ organization. Once an outline is done on a finished essay, a writer can check to see whether all of the sentences, points, and paragraphs are where they fit best.
- Below are two types of outlines: simple and complex,
- Try each at least once to see which works better for you.
- Some outlines are simple, and you might use them if you prefer to see only the main points.
- Here’ an example of a relatively simple outline: Topic : Changing a name Question : Why do people change their names? Tentative thesis : People change their names because they have to or want to.
Points :
Forced change Avoidance-based change Marriage Show business
Another student may prefer to see more details to make sure his/her points do not get off topic, so they may use a more complex outline : Topic : Camping trip problems Question : What problems can come up to ruin an outdoor camping trip? Tentative thesis : Tent camping can be an extremely frustrating experience due to uncontrolled factors such as bad weather, wildlife encounters, and equipment failures.
Introduction
About tent camping and other types of camping (several sentences) Tent camping can be an extremely frustrating experience due to uncontrolled factors such as bad weather, wildlife encounters, and equipment failures. (Tentative thesis)
First point — Bad weather (Need a Topic sentence)
First supporting detail — Setting up camp in the rain can be wet and muddy. Second supporting detail — Rain and cold can delay outdoor activities. Third supporting detail — Tents can blow down in heavy rain or wind.
Second point — Wildlife (Need a Topic sentence)
First supporting detail — Mosquitoes and ants are annoying. Second supporting detail — Snakes can be dangerous. Third supporting detail — Run-ins are sometimes inevitable.
Third point — Equipment failures (Need a Topic sentence)
First supporting detail — Tents fall down. Second supporting detail — Sleeping bag zippers get caught. Third supporting detail — Sleeping bags touch tent sides and get wet.
Conclusion — Restate points; end with encouragement
Now, let’ say that the complex outline is from a paper that’ not so well organized. See how an outline can help this writer fix the organization of this essay.
Introduction
About tent camping and other types of camping (several sentences) Tent camping can be an extremely frustrating experience due to uncontrolled factors such as bad weather, wildlife encounters, and equipment failures.
First point — Bad weather
First supporting detail — Setting up camp in the rain can be wet and muddy. Second supporting detail — Snakes come into tents in rainy weather. (Fits into wildlife section better.) Third supporting detail — Clear skies are best for camping trips. (Not about bad weather, but good weather. Need to replace with bad weather example.)
Second point — Wildlife
First supporting detail — Mosquitoes and ants are annoying. Second supporting detail — Snakes can be dangerous. Third supporting detail — Run-ins are sometimes inevitable.
Third point — Equipment failures
First supporting detail — Keep food covered to prevent attracting bears. (Fits better in wildlife section.) Second supporting detail — Sleeping bag zippers get caught. Third supporting detail — Tents can fall down.
Conclusion — Restate points; end with encouragement
Notice that the author could revise his/her paper easily from the outline to ensure better organization for the final draft., : Jackson State Community College
What is the greatest benefits of using an outline to draft an essay?
What is the greatest benefit of using an outline to draft an essay? Outlines allow the writer to compile information and set a direction for the essay before jumping to a first draft.
How can outline be useful when reading a paragraph or essay?
Outlining is a useful skill for both reading and writing. Outlines provide a brief “frame” or overview of ideas in a text. They show the relationships among those ideas, as similar ideas are on similar levels. At a glance, outlines allow you to see if all major supporting ideas relate to the overall main idea.
- as a way to understand, recall, react to, and analyze a text you read—this is called a reverse outline
- as a prewriting strategy for creating your own text/essay, as it’s often easier to develop ideas in brief form to create the essay’s idea framework first, before you fill that framework in with examples and details
What is the importance of reviewing?
A Definition of Reviewing – Reviewing is any process that helps you to make use of personal experience for your learning and development. These reviewing processes can include:
- reflecting on experience
- analysing experience
- making sense of experience
- communicating experience
- reframing experience
- learning from experience
Alternative terms for reviewing are ‘processing’, ‘debriefing’ and ‘reflection’. I use the term ‘reviewing’ in these two ways:
- Sense 1: REVIEWING = LEARNING – the process of learning from experience itself (e.g. by keeping a diary, confiding with a friend, or talking with your mentor). Sense 1 is about what the learner does.
- Sense 2: REVIEWING = HELPING OTHERS TO LEARN – the process of facilitating learning from experience for others (e.g. by asking questions, giving feedback, or exploring alternative explanations). Sense 2 is about what the facilitator does.
My main interest is in this second sense of ‘reviewing’, but you will find that many of these ‘facilitation’ skills (asking questions, giving feedback etc.) are also useful ‘learning’ skills. A good ‘facilitator’ uses their own reviewing skills (sense 2) to develop reviewing skills (sense 1) in others. A good facilitator will also use reviewing skills (sense 1) as part of their own continuing professional development. Facilitators should be learning from their own experiences too! OTHER KINDS OF REVIEWING You can also ‘review’ books, films, websites, safety systems, legislation etc. but these kinds of reviewing are not primarily about your own learning and development. They are more about making judgements about the value of other things – even though a good book or a good film (and even a good website!) might prompt you to reflect on your own experience. MORE REASONS FOR REVIEWING –
| |
REVIEWING = PROCESSING = REFLECTION = DEBRIEFING
EXPERIENCE + REVIEWING = LEARNING + DEVELOPMENT + EMPOWERMENT + EVEN MORE REASONS FOR REVIEWING! ’10 reasons’ is just the beginning, You will find even more reasons at the beginning and end of, See, and and, Yes – there are extra benefits if reviewing is an active process! HOW TO REVIEW – PRACTICAL TIPS – |
| |
REVIEWING = PROCESSING = REFLECTION = DEBRIEFING
What does it mean to review an essay?On reading a book Read the preface, looking for statement of major purpose, perspective, and themes. Then read the entire book thoroughly. It will make more sense if you have a preview of major themes and ideas. After each chapter, review the main themes and ideas in that chapter and jot down these points. Reviews should include concise statements of the subject matter, problems, or issues to which the books are directed.Essays should include brief summaries of the authors’ major arguments and conclusions and a discussion of the manner in which they developed their conclusions.Reviews should also include a discussion, with explanations, of the books’ strengths and weaknesses.Finally, no review would be complete without a discussion and explanation of the extent to which each book contributes to our knowledge and understanding of History. Keep in mind One of the primary criteria by which any written paper is evaluated is its clarity and conciseness of communication. Edit and proofread your paper carefully. It is most unlikely that a “first draft” effort will satisfy this criterion. Define clearly any key terms used by the author of the book.
Also, there are numerous websites that are devoted exclusively to the works of Art Spiegelman and Eli Wiesel. These “sample” reviews and websites are to be used only for general guidance; they are not to be employed as a source for specific ideas to be included in your review.
You might consider What was life in Auschwitz like? What was the worst thing about it? How was life in Auschwitz organized? Can you describe a social order or hierarchy? What are the Germans at Auschwitz like? What motivated them? What is the psychological impact of life in the camp? In light of Night and This Way for the Gas. , what does Maus do that pure text narratives cannot? In what ways do Spiegelman’s crude drawings help us visualize things that words alone might be unable to portray? One of the problems inherent in representing human beings as cats and mice is that animals have a narrower range of facial expression. Are Spiegelman’s animals as emotionally expressive as human characters might be? If so, what means does the cartoonist use to endow his mice and cats with “human” characteristics? Maus contains several moments of comedy. Most of these take place during the exchanges between Artie, Vladek, and Mala. Can you identify similar humor within Borowski’s or Wiesels work? What is the effect of this humor? Was it inaccurate or “wrong” of Borowski, Spiegelman or Wiesel to have included such episodes within their respective tales? Most art and literature about the Holocaust is governed by certain unspoken rules. Among these are the notions that the Holocaust must be portrayed as an utterly unique event; that it must be depicted with scrupulous accuracy, and with the utmost seriousness, so as not to obscure its enormity or dishonor its dead. In what way does Maus, Night, and This Way for the Gas obey, violate, or disprove these “rules”? What is the main point of an outline?How to Write an Outline
What is it? An outline is a general plan of the material that is to be presented in a speech or a paper. The outline shows the order of the various topics, the relative importance of each, and the relationship between the various parts. Order in an Outline There are many ways to arrange the different parts of a subject.
This thesis sentence presents the central idea of the paper. It must always be a complete, grammatical sentence, specific and brief, which expresses the point of view you are taking towards the subject. Types of Outlines The two main types of outlines are the topic outline and the sentence outline,
2. Each heading and subheading must have at least two parts.3. Headings for parts of the paper of speech such as, Introduction and Conclusion, should not be used.4. Be consistent. Do not mix up the two types of outlines. Use either whole sentences of brief phrases, but not both.
A. Art history or chemistry 1. Professional considerations 2. Personal considerations B. A third year of French?
II. Definition of the problem A. Decisions about occupation B. Decisions about a kind of life to lead III. Temporary resolution of the problem A. To hold open a professional possibility: chemistry B. To take advantage of cultural gains already made: French Sample Sentence Outline: Choices in College and After Thesis: The decisions I have to make in choosing college courses, depend on larger questions I am beginning to ask myself about my life’s work.I.
The second decision is whether to continue a third year of French beyond the basic college requirement.1. French might be useful both in engineering and travel.2. Furthermore, I am eager to read good books which are written in French.3. How necessary are these considerations in the light of other courses I might take instead? II. My problem can be put in the form of a dilemma involving larger questions about my whole future.A. On the one hand I want to hold a highly-trained position in a lucrative profession.B. On the other hand I want to lead a certain kind of life, with capacities for values not connected with the making of money. III. I will have to make a decision balancing the conflicting needs I have described.A. I will hold open the professional possibilities by electing chemistry.B. I will improve and solidify what cultural proficiency in another language I have already gained, by electing French. What is important in an outline?Identify your topic or thesis statement. Decide what points you would like to discuss during your paper. Put your points in logical, numerical order so that each point connects back to your main point. Write possible transitions between paragraphs. What is the purpose of creating an outline?WHY CREATE AN OUTLINE? – Outlines allow you to see exactly how the points of your essay will fit together before you start your rough draft. An outline will show you how your ideas relate, how abstract/concrete your ideas are, how much support you have, and what the overall structure of your argument will be. Outlines can also stimulate new thoughts for your topic. What are 3 benefits of outlining?The Benefits of Outlining The Benefits of Outlining Academic News & UpdatesDissertation MotivationProspectus/Concept Paper I used to hate writing outlines. Why would I want to add more work to my already full load of classes and work? Didn’t I already have enough to do, writing 20-page papers for three graduate seminar classes, every single semester? I am willing to bet that I was not alone in my thinking. Bring dissertation editing expertise to chapters 1-5 in timely manner. Track all changes, then work with you to bring about scholarly writing. Ongoing support to address committee feedback, reducing revisions. Outlines are helpful for several reasons. First, they help you structure your paper. If your school or degree program provides a dissertation template, you already have a basic outline made for you! This helps you see where to place specific pieces of information. Second, outlines help you organize your thoughts. An outline helps you organize your ideas about your topic ahead of time, so that when you sit down to write, you know what to work on. Third, an outline can help you plan and manage your time. A quick glance at an outline of a chapter can help you see what is done and what needs to be done. The outstanding sections can be turned into without too much hassle, and before you know it, you will be checking lots of small tasks off your to-do list, providing you with even more motivation to keep going! How many of us sit down to write only to realize that we have no idea what to write? This leaves us feeling badly about ourselves and our ability to complete a dissertation project, can cause anxiety, and can lead to decreased productivity and discipline. What is the benefit of reading outline?NROC Developmental English Foundations Outlining a Reading
LESSON An outline A preliminary plan for a piece of a writing, often in the form of a list. It should include a topic, audience, purpose, thesis statement, and main and supporting points. help a reader understand the topic The subject of a reading. of a reading A piece of writing to be read.
and informal outlines A simplified outline that presents an overview of the placement of information in a reading. Formal outlines are more traditional and structured. They follow a set pattern and use a combination of Roman numerals, letters, and numbers to show a hierarchy A system that is organized into different levels according to importance or power.
Informal outlines are less structured, but they still present an overview of the placement of information in a reading. Informal outlines look like this:
It is useful to outline chapters in a textbook or any reading given in a college class. It will help you understand what the main ideas The most important or central thought of a reading selection. It also includes what the author wants the reader to understand about the topic he or she has chosen to write about.
Review the short reading and notice how it can be outlined to show the major details and the main idea, using both formal and informal outlines. Building Your Own Backyard Pond Building your own pond takes significant planning. Before you begin, you will need to make some important decisions about what type of pond you want, where you want it, and how much time you have to dedicate to its care and maintenance.
Different types of ponds require different construction, so knowing what you are looking for will help you when making your pond plans. Next, you should think about where you want to place your pond. Do you have a large or small yard? Will your pond be the focal point of your yard or do you want to place it in a corner where it will be out of the way? Your pond should fit the design of your yard, so look around at the design of your space.
This maintenance can require a good amount of work, but if you know in advance what you want, you can create the best pond for you. Ponds make a wonderful addition to any backyard. The sound of bubbling water and the presence of wildlife can create a peaceful place for all lovers of the outdoors.
Read the following essay and create a formal and informal outline for its content. Be sure to include the major details and the main idea. Becoming a Landscape Architect If you’ve chosen a career in landscaping, you’re in luck! Landscaping is one of the fastest-growing career fields today with more people looking into programs in landscape architecture than ever before.
What about the pay? You may be pleased to learn that the average pay for landscape architects is between $50,000 and $60,000 a year, depending on education, job type, and location. Pay, of course, will also depend on your experience. Those interested in this career will need to find a good educational program that sets up internships and cooperative experiences that provide hands-on experience that will be invaluable when searching for a job.
Finding a career that is right for you takes time and determination. If you enjoy working in a design field and being outdoors, you may have found your match as a landscape architect. Create a formal outline.I. Main Idea: Landscape Architecture A. Job description i.
How can outlines be useful when reading a paragraph or essay? Outlines can help you understand what the main idea is in the reading. If the main idea is not easily understood, seeing the major and minor details listed can sometimes point you in the right direction. The reverse can be true, too. If the main idea is obvious, listing out the supporting details can help you figure out which are the major supporting details and which are the minor. What is the benefit of using a traditional outline format? An informal outline format? The traditional outline makes it easier to determine the difference between the major and minor supporting details in a reading and can help you understand a reading that is difficult. An informal outline is good for discovering the main idea and for briefly sketching out the important points of a reading. Copyright ©2022 The NROC Project : NROC Developmental English Foundations What are the three reasons why I should use and outline?Learning Objectives –
In order for your speech to be as effective as possible, it needs to be organized into logical patterns. Information will need to be presented in a way your audience can understand. This is especially true if you already know a great deal about your topic.
Without an outline, your message is liable to lose logical integrity A characteristic of reasoning in which each claim is carefully supported by an orderly sequence of the right kind of evidence and by the right amount of evidence. It might even deteriorate into a list of bullet points with no apparent connection to each other except the topic, leaving your audience relieved when your speech is finally over.
for your message. As we have seen in other chapters of this book, writing your specific purpose in clear language serves you well. It helps you frame a clear, concrete thesis statement. It helps you exclude irrelevant information. It helps you focus only on information that directly bears on your thesis.
Remember that live audiences for oral communications lack the ability to “rewind” your message to figure out what you said, so it is critically important to help the audience follow your reasoning as it reaches their ears. Your authors have noted among their past and present students a reluctance to write full-sentence outlines. How does outlining my essay improve the organization of my thoughts?Organizing After Drafting – Organizing after drafting occurs when an essay is organized from ideas already developed in a rough essay. For some writers, developing an organized essay from a disorganized one produces the most creative results. The first step in organizing any essay is to create a thesis statement.
In developing your thesis, begin by writing down one sentence that expresses the thrust of your essay. To make this process easier, place your thesis statement after the phrase “I believe that.” For example, you might want to write an essay about how golden retrievers make great pets, so you’d write “I believe that golden retrievers make great pets.” Now your essay has a thesis. The phrase, “I believe that,” will eventually be removed in the final version of your essay, but for now this starter phrase will help you to organize the rest of your paper. The next step in organizing your essay is creating body paragraphs to support your thesis. After developing your thesis, you might be tempted to start writing the rest of your essay immediately. However, by outlining the body of your paper, you can ensure that rest of your essay directly reflects and supports your thesis. Use your rough draft to help you discover your outline. An outline consists of points that connect the body of the essay to the thesis.
Once you’ve come up with enough statements to support your thesis, remove the lead phrases “I believe that” and “because.” What’s left is a rough outline for your final essay. My rough outline would look like this: Thesis: Golden retrievers make great pets.
Once you’ve completed a rough outline, you might once again be tempted to start your essay. Don’t! First, you need to tackle the final step in the essay preparation process: a topic outline. A topic outline is built around your rough outline. It organizes the order and flow of each your essay’s body paragraphs. Start by relisting the supporting points of your thesis and label each point with a Roman numeral. Once you’ve labeled each point, develop at least two sub-points, labeled A, B and C, etc, under each major point. Sub-points are specific statements that directly reflect and support each main point. For example, the topic outline for my essay on golden retrievers would look like this: Thesis: Golden retrievers make great pets.I. Golden retrievers are extremely well tempered A. They’ve never been used historically as attack dogs.B. Golden retriever attacks are some of the rarest, statistically. II. Golden retrievers train very easily.A. Golden retrievers are successful show dogs.B. How does outlining help you to become a critical reader?5. Outlining. – This can be used as a preliminary to summarizing. Outlining allows you to identify the basic structure of a text and the main ideas of the text. In an outline you are listing the main ideas and supporting evidence of a text. It is especially important to be able to distinguish between the two. Use your own words when outlining a text. See The Bedford Handbook, page 483. How does creating an outline help you write a better research report?Why create an outline? – There are many reasons, but in general, it may be helpful to create an outline when you want to show the hierarchical relationship or logical ordering of information. For research papers, an outline may help you keep track of large amounts of information.
What is the benefit of reviewing papers?What is peer review and why does it matter? – Peer review is integral to ensuring that robust, high quality research is published. In essence, it’s the independent assessment of a research paper by experts in that field. Its purpose is to evaluate a manuscript’s quality and suitability for publication. What makes a review effective?What does a good peer review look like? – 1. Start with a (very) brief summary of the paper. This is a useful exercise for both reviewers and authors. If you struggle to summarise what the paper is about, that suggests the authors need to improve the clarity of their writing.
Some examples: ‘the data appear appropriate for testing the authors’ hypothesis but I have some concerns about the methods. If these can be fixed, then this should become a useful contribution to the literature’. ‘the authors’ have a clear research question and use appropriate methods, but their data are not suitable to provide an answer to their research question. Without additional data collection, this paper is not appropriate for publication’. 3. The rest of your review should provide detailed comments about the manuscript. It is most helpful to Editors and authors if this section is structured in some way. Many reviewers start with the major problems first, then list more minor comments afterwards.
Remember that you have two audiences: the Editor and the authors. Authors need to know what was good about the paper and where improvements could be made. The Editor needs to know if you think the manuscript is a publishable piece of work. Bear in mind that different journals have different criteria for what makes a paper publishable – this information should be accessible on the journal webpage, or you might have been sent guidance to help with this when you accepted the invitation to review.5. Clarity is important because authors will not be able to respond to your concerns if they don’t fully understand what they are. Reviews are most helpful if they don’t just criticise, but also make constructive suggestions for how concerns may be resolved. Your overall recommendation should be consistent with your comments. There is likely to be an opportunity to provide confidential comments to the Editor to provide further context or justification for your recommendation, but don’t include comments here that are completely different from the main messages of your review. The Editor needs to be able to justify their final decision to the authors using the reviewer comments as part of their evidence. 6. Don’t be afraid to highlight good things about the paper – a good review does not just criticise but also highlights what the authors have done well.7. Your review should always be polite; it is unprofessional to use derogatory language or take a harsh or sarcastic tone (and remember that even if reviewer names are blinded to authors, the Editor knows who you are). What is the purpose of reviewing documents?Glossary definition – Document review is the stage of ediscovery prior to production, in which lawyers examine documents to determine if they are relevant, responsive, or privileged. Review is the final step before production, in which a litigant provides discoverable information to its opponent. How do you critically review an essay?Critique – The critique should be a balanced discussion and evaluation of the strengths, weakness and notable features of the text. Remember to base your discussion on specific criteria. Good reviews also include other sources to support your evaluation (remember to reference). You can choose how to sequence your critique. Here are some examples to get you started:
What are the three reasons why I should use and outline?Learning Objectives –
In order for your speech to be as effective as possible, it needs to be organized into logical patterns. Information will need to be presented in a way your audience can understand. This is especially true if you already know a great deal about your topic.
Without an outline, your message is liable to lose logical integrity A characteristic of reasoning in which each claim is carefully supported by an orderly sequence of the right kind of evidence and by the right amount of evidence. It might even deteriorate into a list of bullet points with no apparent connection to each other except the topic, leaving your audience relieved when your speech is finally over.
for your message. As we have seen in other chapters of this book, writing your specific purpose in clear language serves you well. It helps you frame a clear, concrete thesis statement. It helps you exclude irrelevant information. It helps you focus only on information that directly bears on your thesis.
Remember that live audiences for oral communications lack the ability to “rewind” your message to figure out what you said, so it is critically important to help the audience follow your reasoning as it reaches their ears. Your authors have noted among their past and present students a reluctance to write full-sentence outlines. What is the purpose and basic outline of a process essay?The process essay is writing that explains how to do something or how something works by giving a step-by-step explanation. There are three keys to a process essay: present the essential steps in the process, explain the steps in detail, and present the steps in logical order (usually chronological). What are the advantages and disadvantages of outlining method?Common Note-taking Methods The Cornell method provides a systematic format for condensing and organizing notes without laborious recopying. After writing the notes in the main space, use the left-hand space to label each idea and detail with a key word or “cue.” Method: Rule your paper with a 2 _ inch margin on the left leaving a six-inch area on the right in which to make notes.
Say the cue out loud, then say as much as you can of the material underneath the card. When you have said as much as you can, move the card and see if what you said matches what is written. If you can say it, you know it. Advantages: Organized and systematic for recording and reviewing notes.
Mapping is a method that uses comprehension/concentration skills and evolves in a note-taking form which relates each fact or idea to every other fact or idea. Mapping is a graphic representation of the content of a lecture. It is a method that maximizes active participation, affords immediate knowledge as to its understanding, and emphasizes critical thinking.
If the lecture format is distinct (such as chronological), you may set up your paper by drawing columns and labeling appropriate headings in a table.
Example 1: A revolution is any occurrence that affects other aspects of life, such as economic life, social life, and so forth. Therefore revolutions cause change. (see page 29 to 30 in your text about this.) Sample Notes: Revolution – occurrence that affects other aspects of life: e.g., econ., socl.
Sample Notes: Freud 1st– used phys. trtment; e.g., baths, etc. This fld.2nd – used hypnosis (fr. Charcot). Finally – used vrb. commun. (fr. Breuer) – got unhpynop, patnt to reveal uncons. thoughts. Retrieved from Harvard Law School.
: Common Note-taking Methods What would happen if a writer does not create an outline before writing an essay?Importance of Doing an Outline Prior to Writing Learning how to write a good essay or research paper not only helps students to be successful at every stage in their education, but it also prepares professionals for effective communication in the work place. Writing an outline is an often overlooked step – unless it is required by a teacher – but it can benefit writers in a number of ways, helping them to write stronger papers. The blank page can be intimidating. Writing an outline can help you get over any initial writer’s block when starting a writing project. An outline can also be used as a brainstorming tool, helping you to develop your thoughts so you know just what it is you want to write. An outline can help you to clarify your thoughts, as well. What may start as a simple topic or general idea can become a specific argument with supporting details as you plan out your ideas and structure before you start writing the actual text.
An outline may also help you identify points that are out of place, such as a supporting detail in the third paragraph that should really be in the first paragraph. When you write without an outline, it is easy for papers and other writing projects to become unfocused. Not only might supporting details be misplaced or missing, but the argument may go off on a tangent, including personal anecdotes, trivia or information that is related to the topic but does not advance the argument. Writing an outline helps you ensure that your writing stays focused, and it can help you to organize your ideas so that they make the most impact. For example, it may be necessary to include a strong supporting detail right at the start to grab readers’ attention, or you may find that a strong detail is best left to the end so the essay can go out on a bang. An outline can create a step-by-step guide that makes the actual writing easier while saving you time.
By the time you start the actual writing process, you should have been able to work out any issues with the argument and the organization, so you shouldn’t have to waste time revising a paper that is weak and unfocused. : Importance of Doing an Outline Prior to Writing |