Easy Essay Outline: Short Essay Outline

An essay is a short type of literary composition that focuses on a specific subject matter. An essay usually gives the writer’s personal opinion on a given topic. There are different types of essays.

They include:

• Argumentative essay. It requires the writer to present an argument through reasoning and use of evidence.
• Descriptive essay. In a descriptive essay, the writer chooses a specific thing, experience, emotion or idea and describes it.
• Narrative essay. It requires the writer to come up with a compelling story about anything imaginable.
• Expository essay. This type of essay is used to create a spotlight on matters using grounded information and facts.

The following is a good essay outline:

1. Introduction

The introduction paragraph should include the following:

• Background information. Provide enough information to enable your reader to understand your topic with ease.
• Thesis statement. It indicates your paper’s topic, makes your paper’s purpose clear, and provides an overview of the supporting points that will unify the essay. The thesis statement should be the last sentence in your introduction paragraph.

2. First Body Paragraph

Your first body paragraph should:

• Start with a topic sentence that identifies one main idea that will be discussed as support for the thesis statement
• Have supporting sentences that use specific details. This should be proven by giving closely related examples to expand and explain the main idea.
• Include paragraph unity. Include all ideas in the paragraph that are be closely related to the topic sentence and further develop that topic sentence. All sentences in the single paragraph must be unified around a central point or idea.

3. Second Body Paragraph

This paragraph should start with a topic sentence that shows the reader that you are introducing a new idea. When writing this paragraph:

• Use transition words or phrases at the beginning to facilitate movement from one idea to another within your paragraphs.
• Ensure that you have transitioned logically from the main idea in the previous paragraph to this one.
• Make clear connections among the paragraphs and ideas.

4. Third Body Paragraph

This paragraph should include the following:

• It should start with the final topic sentence that relates back to the main point mentioned in the thesis statement.
• It should contain a new main idea.
• Provide evidence for the main idea by giving specific examples, details, and relevant support.
• Paragraph unity. That is, each sentence must relate to your topic sentence.

5. Conclusion.

Your conclusion:

• Should restate your overall purpose for writing and often invite your reader to consider the implications of why your ideas are significant.
• May restate the thesis statement, summarize the paper’s major points, or leave the reader with a final thought to think through. If you choose to restate the thesis or summarize the main ideas in the essay, do not repeat the same wording from the introduction or body paragraphs.
• Should not have any new, unrelated ideas with your essay’s introduction and body paragraphs.