Outlining an Essay tips

Limit the number of major subjects in your outline; you don’t want it to become a laundry list. Indenting indicates that ideas are becoming more specific; ideas that are equally specific should be at equal levels. Be flexible! Don’t be afraid to change your outline as you write. Sample Outline: For a class about female leadership in Latin America, students were asked to write a four page paper addressing the factors that have the greatest impact on female leadership in Argentina. A student created the following outline in response to this assignment, drawing from the structure of the Basic American Essay.

Gives background information to create context for the argument. Thesis includes a mapping statement, indicating how the author will develop her argument. L. Introduction A. Argentine women may be underrepresented in the workforce, but they are overrepresented in civil society; nearly 60% of paid civil society staff is female. B. Therefore, it is important to understand the challenges women face C. Thesis: Though many sociologists believe gender has the greatest impact on leadership styles, for female civil society leaders in Argentina, social class has the greatest effect on leadership styles.