Marketing91

  • HOME
  • Marketing Concepts
    • Marketing
      • Retail Tutorials
      • Market Research
      • Customer Management
    • Strategy
    • Management
    • Advertising
    • Branding
    • Business
    • Finance
    • Sales
    • Career Guidance
  • Digital Concepts
    • Blogging
    • Search Engine Optimization
    • Social Media Marketing
    • Facebook Marketing
    • Internet Marketing
    • Ecommerce
  • Brands
    • Marketing Mix of Brands
    • SWOT analysis of Brands
    • Brands Strategy Analysis
    • Business Models
    • Brand Competitors
    • TOP 10
  • Courses
Home » Careers » How To Write An Outline (Explained with Steps)

How To Write An Outline (Explained with Steps)

December 18, 2020 By Hitesh Bhasin Tagged With: Careers

An outline is defined as a short plan where the main idea related to the essay, topic, research, or paper is written. The arguments that will be presented later are prearranged in paragraphs so that the writer does not forget to include these in the essay. In simple words, it creates boundaries and constructs an overview of the writing.

Table of Contents

  • Understanding how to write an outline
  • Reasons for writing an outline
  • How to write an outline

Understanding how to write an outline

How to write an outline is one of the most important topics nowadays because it is impossible to write a reference paper or an essay without the help of an outline. Understanding the concept with examples and templates is necessary for creating the best outlines for your topic.

To create a perfect outline, the writer will need first to understand the purpose of the paper and the audience for who he is writing. After developing the thesis of the paper, it is time to list all the ideas that should be incorporated in the paper, group all the related ideas into a definite structure, arrange the information in a form for instance general to specific and label them by creating headings and subheadings.

It is essential to jot down your thoughts and create an outline that will prove beneficial while writing about the topic.

Reasons for writing an outline

Reasons for writing an outline

An outline is considered an integral part of writing because of the following reasons-

  1. An outline is a step-by-step process that helps the writer to focus on the things that need to be spoken about in the main content.
  2. An outline is the start of a method where the writer can sort all the information he has collected until now into useful and not needed. It helps him to organize and rearrange his thought process so that he can identify the information that is important for his essay and write it down systematically for use later on
  3. An outline comes in handy as it helps the writer to arrange his thoughts and give it a viable structure.
  4. An outline gives a framework to the existing chaos so that everything starts looking ordered and systematic
  5. One of the top reasons for using an outline is to make the readers understand the flow of the information in the essay.
  6. The reason for using an outline is to show the logical order of the information and keep track of it
  7. The outline proves helpful in showcasing the relationship between the various ideas
  8. The writer considers the outline a blessing because referring to it from time-to-time helps him to remember the points that he must touch upon in his paper.
  9. It is the outline that helps the writer to work much better. The writer can deliver at a fast pace because he has his referral manuscript, the outline, at hand that serves as a guide throughout the writing process.
  10. The outline is the reason why the writer develops critical thinking skills and can create better papers
  11. The outline defines the boundaries of the essay and keeps the topic in check

How to write an outline

How to write an outline - 1

It is imperative for every writer that he learns how to write an outline by going through the following steps-

1. Choose your topic 

An outline is a medium to organize random thoughts regarding the topic and give the ideas a definite shape and structure. It is the outline that gives the topic a direction and structures your work. If you are looking for how to write an outline, then the first step is to choose your topic.

The next thing is to sort all the information that you will use for the paper. Now focus on the material and come up with a topic that will serve the purpose of the essay. It is not possible to create an outline until and unless you have a topic in hand.

2. Identify the purpose 

One of the most important steps is to know what is the reason for the outline and what does it hope to accomplish. Is the topic a speech, an essay, research, or a novel.

If you are looking for how to write an outline, then identify its purpose. Does it want to entertain its readers or inform them about some facts or share some information? Understanding the larger purpose of the topic will help to have a clear goal in mind.

It will also prove a help in setting appropriate guidelines for the content so that the outline can focus on the specific points that the writer wants the reader to understand.

3. Know your target audience 

After choosing a topic and identifying the purpose of your paper, it becomes essential to know about the people who are going to read it.

If it is an assignment in which someone is going to read it in class, then you should use formatting instructions and present the outline in a way that is easily understood. If it is for yourself, it is understandable to choose the format that looks suitable and will work for you.

If you are looking for how to write an outline, then it becomes imperative to know about the target audience as the outline will entirely depend on what the reader wants.

4. Gather your materials 

Before starting on the outline, it becomes necessary to gather all the relevant subject matter which you have collected through notes, research as well as personal experiences.

Read and review the information because you will have to come up with the points and sub-points if you are looking for how to write an outline. Keep aside historical facts, statistics, quotes, and phrases as it can be used in the outline to make it meaningful.

5. Organize your ideas 

Brainstorm and think about the information that you want to present in your paper. What are the ideas that you are planning to incorporate in your paper? If you are looking for how to write an outline, then it is time to organize your ideas up front.

This is the time to go through the ideas and organize them in relevance to the topic and the order of importance. Some of the organizational structures that are very popular are process, chronological, classification, and effect.

6. Focus on the significant points 

You have decided on the order of importance and how each point in the outline is to be placed. This is the step where the writer will add content relevant to the point to offer support.

Giving emphasis will help the reader in gaining a better understanding of every point that he comes across. Facts, quotes, and examples are some of the best ways to add details that will make the concept clear and boost understanding.

This process is very time consuming and is often considered tedious, but it proves a great help during the drafting of the article. The paper on which the writer is working will look organized and logical, just with the help of a few alterations.

If you are looking for how to write an outline, then focus on the main points.  In the long run, this step will help the writer develop his ideas productively if he is looking for ways about how to write an outline.

7. Choose an outline structure

Most of the writers use alphanumeric format if they are looking for ways of how to write an outline. Some also prefer the decimal outline structure along with brief phrases or complete sentences for all the sections.

The alphanumeric format is organized as

  1. Roman Numerals – I, II, III, IV
  2. Arabic Numerals – 1,2,3,4
  3. Capitalized letters – A, B, C, D
  4. Lowercase Letters – a, b, c, d

The decimal outline structure looks like

  • – This is a good topic
    • – the topic is about
      • – you can write about it

This shows that the sublevels are part of the larger picture

The short phrases are known as topic outlines and are the most popular ways of writing outlines. The full sentences are used to give a better understanding of the idea.

8. Organize your outline 

Fill in the essay outline if you are looking for ways of how to write an outline. Write a section to introduce the thesis and topic. The next step is to outline the essay body by writing a sentence for every paragraph.

Provide supporting material and mention their relevance. Some writers also provide a transition sentence for all the paragraphs.

The last step is to restate the thesis and write a sentence describing the importance and necessity of the paper and probable solutions if you have addressed any problems in it.

9. Review and adjust 

If you think that after writing the first draft of your outline, your work is complete, then think again. A writer who is looking for ways of how to write an outline will try to review his words and make adjustments accordingly.

It is a roadmap that will provide direction to the resulting essay and needs to be updated in case of any adjustments later on. It is applicable in both the cases where the writer makes any additions or when he deletes a specific portion that is no longer suitable.

If you are looking for how to write an outline, then reassess to establish viable connections

Conclusion

An outline helps the writer to keep all the components in his sight so that he does not miss anything. Although it seems like a drawn-out process at the initial stage, it proves its worth later on. An outline helps the writer to elaborate his ideas into a fully-developed and logical paper.

Share this post:

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn Share on Email Share on WhatsApp
Marketing91 Courses

Related posts:

  1. 16 Different Types Of Essay
  2. How to Conclude An Essay Effectively (Strategy and Tips)
  3. 8 Different Types Of Writing
  4. 10 Types Of Creative Writing
  5. How to Write a Business Letter -A Complete Step-by-step guide
  6. How To Write A Case Study in 7 Steps (Complete Guide)
  7. How To Write A Speech (Step by Step Guide)
  8. How To Write A Reference Letter (with Template)
  9. How to Write a Dissertation Methodology in Five Steps
  10. 20 Important Benefits of Journaling every Marketer should know

What Do You Want To Learn About? (Start Here)

  1. Marketing Hub
  2. Management Hub
  3. Marketing Strategy
  4. Advertising Hub
  5. Branding Hub
  6. Market Research
  7. Small Business Marketing
  8. Sales and Selling
  9. Marketing Careers
  10. Customer Management
  11. Top 10 Lists
  1. Internet Marketing
  2. Blogging
  3. Search Engine optimization
  4. E-commerce
  5. Facebook Marketing
  6. Social Media Marketing
  7. Business Model of Brands
  8. Marketing Mix of Brands
  9. Brand Competitors
  10. Strategy of Brands
  11. SWOT of Brands
GET DAILY MARKETING UPDATES

About Hitesh Bhasin

I love writing about the latest in marketing & advertising. I am a serial entrepreneur & I created Marketing91 because I wanted my readers to stay ahead in this hectic business world.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement
Recent Posts
  • Hedonic Pricing – Advantages and Disadvantages
  • Commercial Bank – Importance, Functions and Examples
  • Hard Asset – Definition, Examples, Benefits and Risks
  • Collective Responsibility – Definition, Meaning and Examples
  • Facility Management – Definition, Importance and Future
Advertisement

Marketing91

MORE INFO

  • About Marketing91
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Terms of Use
  • Advertise
  • Contact us
  • Sitemap
  • ISO 9001:2015 Certified

LEARNING SERIES

  • What is Communications
  • Types of Communication

WE WRITE ON

  • Marketing
  • Small Business
  • Management
  • Internet Marketing
[email protected]

Copyright © 2022 Marketing91 All Rights Reserved