Faulk 1

Kari Faulk

Faulk/Hanson-Peters

American Studies

19 May 2014

The Formal Outline: Content and Format

  1. Introduction: The purpose of the introduction is to highlight background information on the topic needed to understand the direction of the paper, give an overview of issues involved with the subject, define any key terminology needed to understand the topic, get the reader’s attention, etc. AND, most importantly, to reveal your thesis. The introduction MUST end with your thesis.
  2. Summarization of issue
  3. Summary part one
  4. Summary part two

a)Summary part two: sub-point one

b)Summary part two: sub-point two

  1. And so on
  1. Transition
  2. Thesis (central argument: 1-2 sentences)
  1. Body Paragraph Topic Sentence:Opinion or argumentative statement upon which the entire paragraph is based. (Your paper should have 3-5 body paragraphs using Roman Numerals II, III, IV, V, VI, VII…)
  2. Evidence 1:Your evidence/quotation must include correct MLA citation, even in the outline.
  3. Analysis of Evidence: Other synonyms include: commentary, interpretation, evaluation, opinion, explanation, synthesis, comparison, etc. The analysis explains why the evidence is significant and representative of the idea presented in the paper’s topic sentence. It is the writer’s opinion without using the first person (“I” or “me”).

a)Further Analysis of Evidence:Continue to explain the connection of the evidence to the paper’s thesis. If you do not do this, you are doing it wrong. EVERY PIECE OF EVIDENCE MUST COME BACK TO THE PAPER’s THESIS or it does not belong in the paper. As always, it is the writer’s opinion without using the first person (“I” or “me”).

  1. Even more analysis of the evidence (if necessary)
  1. Evidence
  2. Analysis

a)Further Analysis of evidence

  1. Even more analysis (if necessary)
  1. Evidence (if necessary)If you are including more than three pieces of evidence in one paragraph you may want to reevaluate the evidence and determine if some of it may belong in a new or different paragraph in your essay.
  2. Analysis

a)Further Analysis of evidence

  1. Even more analysis (if necessary)
  1. Concluding sentence: This gives the paragraph a finished feeling and wraps things up. The weakest concluding sentences simply restate the topic sentence. The strongest add additional commentary and tie the outside world into the paragraph without directly stating what you have already said.
  1. Conclusion:(Roman Numerals III and IV should be heading your other body paragraphs). Restate your thesis from the introduction in different words.
  2. Review of key points.
  3. Review of key points
  4. Review of key points
  5. Closing thought: an appropriate, meaningful, final sentence that ties the whole point of the paper back together.

Requirements:

  1. Times New Roman, Size 12
  2. Double space
  3. Remove extra spacing between paragraphs (paragraph format tools)
  4. MLA Header (Last name page number in right hand corner)
  5. MLA Heading (double spaced, left justified on first page of outline)

Tips:

  • Decide on thesis and main points first
  • You do not need to start writing the paper/outline with the introduction
  • Try writing the thesis and body first; then go back and figure out how to best introduce the body and conclude the paper.
  • Always keep your thesis in the forefront of your mind while writing; everything in your paper must point back to the thesis.