Dr. Horton's English 1101

Writing Guides‎ > ‎

Extract an Outline

Follow these instructions:
  1. Take out the sample student essay and open up Parts of an Essay. You should also download and open the outlining template.
  2. Break into groups of three and designate someone to fill in the outline, someone who is organized and a good note taker.
  3. Now “Extract” an outline from the essay by going through the following steps.
    1. First, determine as a group where the beginning, the middle, and the end are in the essay. Label these parts on the essay itself.
    2. Then, fill in each section of the outline using Parts of an Essay as a guide. You will notice that this handout is labeled the same way as your blank outlining template. Pretend you are the author of the paper and fill in the outline that best fits the way the finished paper is organized. As you go, have your designated note taker fill in the outlining template.
  4. Be ready to explain why you have "extracted" the outline the way you have.
  5. There are no right or wrong answers here; the point is to learn the different parts of an essay and where they go.