The Format and Use of the Outline of an Essay

The Format and Use of the Outline of an EssayThe outline of an essay is the foundation of the entire essay. As the name implies, the outline outlines the main points of the essay and this includes key points like introduction, conclusion, main body, body of text, subheadings, footnotes, glossary, and definitions of terms.The outline of an essay should follow the structure that has been established by the writing teacher, the course instructor, or the course in general. In other words, a structured outline gives structure to the entire essay.An outline can be as simple as the following: Introduction - What the essay is about; The message of the essay; A sentence or two on the main point; One or two sentences on the side points. Don't forget the conclusion.Along with these key points in the essay, one of the most important aspects of writing is the style of the writing. It is important that the essay writers know their target audience and what type of writing is expected from them.Know ing your target audience will allow you to write a more effective and appealing piece of writing. This is a great technique to use in the outline of an essay. Allowing the readers to identify with the topic of the essay also helps in increasing the chance of them getting the essay read.Another tip on the outline of an essay is to remember to list down the main points and the rest of the essay should come later. By doing this, you avoid getting too confused about what the content of the essay actually is.In order to help you out, here are some tips for writing a good outline: * List down the main points first and leave the rest to the end; * If it's needed, start with a very simple introduction; * Use a list of points to help you achieve clarity; * Start with the introduction to make sure that you have a clear idea of the main point; * Write about the topic in brief or try to learn a new topic and use it for the first portion; * Use different topics for the opening and the closing pa rts; * Once you are done with the introduction, it's time to write about the main point; * Make sure that the first part of the outline is a description of the entire essay; * Use bullet points to organize your text; * Be prepared to rewrite the summary at some point; * Last but not least, have fun! !An outline of an essay gives structure to the essay and it is a guideline to keep in mind when you are writing. With the introduction, the rest will follow and then the main body and the last are the conclusion.