Outline Template

                                   Outline for environmental essay

The outline can be printed out or handwritten on a loose sheet of paper. It is due Friday, but if you need, it can be turned in Monday. There can be some vagueness in the outline, and you do not have to follow it when writing the essay if you change your mind, but the more definite you can be, the better. The purpose of an outline is to break down the complex task of writing an essay into manageable parts. In fact, when done right, the outline should be the hardest part of writing an essay. After you figure out your structure, you can then focus on fleshing out your essay, which is your first draft. Then, all you have to do is revise, revise, revise, and finish by editing for spelling and grammatical errors.

If you have a format you prefer, use that; otherwise, use the general format below:

Audience(s):

Purpose(s):

Claim:

1. Topic Sentence:
    a. first example/piece of evidence
    b. second example/piece of evidence

2. Topic Sentence:
    a. first example/piece of evidence
    b. second example/piece of evidence

3. Topic Sentence:
    a. first example/piece of evidence
    b. second example/piece of evidence

4. Topic Sentence:
    a. first example/piece of evidence
    b. second example/piece of evidence