blank outline

Name(s): _______________________________________ School: _________ Section: _________
I. H. S. Writing Guide: Expository Writing Outline: _________ Persuasive Writing Outline: ___________

TOPIC:_________________________________________________________________________
I. Introduction
A. Attention getter and short background: ______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

B. Thesis _____________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

II. Transition and TOPIC SENTENCE A: First supporting argument, illustration or piece of evidence in support of your thesis

Supporting details: Provide specifics about the paragraph A topic. (include a cited passage)
1.
2.

3.

4.

III. Transition and TOPIC SENTENCE B: Second supporting argument, illustration or piece of evidence in support of your thesis


Supporting details: Provide specifics about the paragraph B topic. (include a cited passage)
1.

2.
3.

4.


IV. Transition and TOPIC SENTENCE C: Third supporting argument, illustration or piece of evidence in support of your thesis


Supporting details: Provide specifics about the paragraph C topic. (include a cited passage)
1.
2.


3.
4.

V. Conclusion: Write a thoughtful, original, creative summary, rewording, or review of your thesis. Be careful to avoid introducing any new ideas as this is a restatement of what you have already proven!
A. Transition and echo of thesis____________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

B. Remind reader of three main points______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

C. End interestingly with an application for your reader_________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

VI. TITLE: The last thing you need to do is create a title. An example of a title for an expository essay:
Love and Loyalty on the Homefront: A Comparison of Penelope in The Odyssey
and Penny in O’ Brother, Where Art Thou?
Or, if you are writing a persuasive essay:
The Romans: Why Military Expansion Led to Their Downfall
Your Title
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The focus of this paper may be on one or more of the following writing conventions,

_____ Introduction (writing "hooks" as part of the introduction)
_____ Writing conclusions (do new ideas ever fit here?)
_____ Thesis development (the key to any writing)
_____ Citations (the when, where, and how of citing in MLA style)
_____ Integrating quotes (provide clear signal phrases that include author’s name)
_____ How to paraphrase (retelling information in roughly the same number of words)
_____ Voice: writing for the proper audience (writing “voice” changes based on your audience)
_____ Writing effective titles (sets the tone. Your reader’s first impression is formed)
_____ Rewriting and editing (the importance of proof-reading and fixing mistakes)
_____ Conventions: Grammar and syntax (the key to your paper making sense)