Outlining
Before putting on cement, partitions,
and paint on a building, engineers
and architects see to it that its
farmers and foundations are already
in place. This is because these are
essential in ensuring that the building
will stand firm through time and
determining the shape that the
building will take upon its
completion. In a similar manner, an
outline is crucial in academic writing.
Outline establishes the “shape” that essay
will take. The outline should be a reflection
of an essay’s thesis statement, and in turn,
will guide the writer as to what details are
supposed to be included in an essay. It may
also help a writer establish unity and
coherence in his or her presentation of
ideas. By unity, we mean that all information
found in an essay speak of the thesis
statement, and by coherence, we mean that
the ideas in an essay are logically are
logically arranged.
Outlines are used in
determining the structure of an
academic paper.
Main headings for each of the
sections are encoded using
Roman numerals (I, II, III etc.)
while the supporting arguments
or details are marked by capital
letters (A, B, C, etc.)
Make sure that the main headings
and sub-headings should at least
come in pairs, if “II” is absent,
there should not be a “I” in the
first place. Likewise, if there is no
“B” then the previous idea should
be included in the main heading
and should not be encoded as “A”.
Two Types of Outline
1. Topic Outline – makes use of
key words and phrases
2. Sentence Outline – makes use
of complete sentences
Basic Outline Form
Below is a synopsis of the
outline form. The main ideas take
roman numerals. Sub-points
under each main idea take capital
letters and are indented. Sub-
points under the capital letters, if
any, take italic numbers and are
further indented.
I. MAIN IDEA
A. Subsidiary idea or supporting idea to I
B. Subsidiary idea or supporting idea to I
1. Subsidiary idea to B
2. Subsidiary idea to B
a. Subsidiary idea to 2
b. Subsidiary idea to 2
II. MAIN IDEA
A. Subsidiary or supporting idea to II
B. Subsidiary idea to II
C. Subsidiary idea to II
III. MAIN IDEA
It is up to the writer to decide
on how many main ideas and
supporting ideas adequately
describe the subject. However, if
there is a I in the outline, there
has to be II; if there is an A, there
has to be a B; if there is 1, there
has to be 2 and so forth.
Sample Outline 1
TITLE: Properties of Magnets
I. Attracts objects which are magnetic in
nature.
A. Illustration of the principle
B. The composition of magnets
C. How to create magnets
D. Counter-examples of magnets
E. Origin of magnets
II. Like poles repel, unlike pole
attract
III. Freely hanging magnets
align in one direction
A. Illustration
B. The principle behind
illustration
IV. Poles occur in pairs
Sample Outline 2
Title: “The Benefits of Running”
1. Introduction
A. Running is becoming an
extremely popular sport of all ages.
B. Running is great form of exercise
because it helps people control
their weight, develop muscles, and
improves mental and physical
performance.
2. Body
A. Weight control
1. Aids self-control
2. Burns calories
3. Encourages a healthy diet
4. Suppresses appetite
B. Muscular Development
1. Improves tone
2. Enhances contours
3. Increases strength
4. Improves endurance
C. Psychological Well-being
1. Aids sleep
2. Inhibits depression
3. Intensifies vitality
D. Cardiovascular Fitness
1. Strengthen heart
2. Lowers blood pressure
3. Changes blood lipids
4. Improves circulation
