All About Outlines!! Some thoughts on organizing your thoughts… and some disturbing pictures to keep your attention

For this project, we’re going to be working on two outlines: a topic outline and a full-sentence outline. The topic outline is just the skeleton. The full-sentence outline includes the bones, the muscle, the tissue, and some other gross stuff.

The topic outline is an ordering of your stages of thought. You’re just looking at your stages of thought and your substages.

The full-sentence outline is an organized sequence of arguments You’ll include your research. You’ll begin with your thesis. And then: I) A) 1)

Correction 1: The basic expectations Thesis Driven (Everything should work toward supporting the answer to the question you are asking and answering in your paper). Provide your Thesis at the Top You must write in complete sentences Correct MLA Format Single Spaced

Correction 1 (Continued) I. A. 1. a. b. 2. B. II. You must use at least 2 of each type of entry. In other words, if you have an “a,” you must also have a “b.” If you have a “1,” you must also have a “2.” If you have an “A,” you must also have a “B,” and, if you have a “I,” you must also have a “II.”

Correction 2: Write a summary of the argument, not a summary of the essay INCORRECT: “Clevins argues that the dustbin represents the repressed dreams of Elenor’s youth.” CORRECT: “The dustbin represents the repressed dreams of Elenor’s youth.”

Correction #3: Subordinate lesser ideas to more significant ideas Here’s how you did it last time: Thesis: Peanuts is an overrated comic strip. I) Peanuts isn’t very funny. A) Charlie Brown is predictable B) Charlie Brown isn’t interesting C) Charlie Brown isn’t an “everyman” D) Lucy is unlikeable. E) Lucy is poorly written. F) Lucy is derivative. II) Peanuts isn’t drawn well.

Correction #3: Subordinate lesser ideas to more significant ideas Here’s how you should do it next time: Thesis: Peanuts is an overrated comic strip. I) Peanuts isn’t very funny. A) Charlie Brown is a poor choice for protagonist. 1) Charlie Brown isn’t interesting. 2) Charlie Brown isn’t an “everyman” B) Lucy is unlikeable. 1) Lucy is poorly written. 2) Lucy is derivative. II) Peanuts isn’t drawn well.

Correction #3: Subordinate lesser ideas to more significant ideas Each type of point must be the same type of idea. The Roman numerals are all major topic areas—not necessarily paragraphs, but stages of thought. All capital letters are important subordinating ideas (often a paragraph). All numbers are details proving/explaining the subordinate idea above it (key detail within paragraph). All lower case letters are citations and explanations.

For Example… Thesis I. Main Idea #1 (STAGE OF THOUGHT #1) A. Subordinate Idea #1 (MAIN PARAGRAPH #1) 1. Detail/Explanation of Sub Idea #1 (SUBORDINATE PARAGRAPH ) a. Citation b. Explanation of citation 2. Another Detail/Explanation of Sub Idea #1 (SUBORDINATE PARAGRAPH ) B. Subordinate Idea #2 (MAIN IDEA PARAGRAPH #2) 1. Detail/Explanation of Sub Idea #2 (SUBORDINATE PARAGRAPH ) 2. Another Detail/Explanation of Sub Idea #2 (SUBORDINATE PARAGRAPH ) II. Main Idea #2 (STAGE OF THOUGHT #2)