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Reverse outlines are a simple but extremely effective tool for working on paragraphs and on overall organization. They can help you reorganize and revise your own drafts at a variety of stages—or help you analyze the arrangement in another author’s text. They are highly recommended, especially for do-then-see writers.
Hot tip! Reverse outlines can also be used to read a text (particularly a complex one) more thoroughly and carefully, especially if you include both "says" and "does" sentences.
To make your reverse outline
To make your reverse outline
Read and write down Says Sentences:
Read and write down Says Sentences:
Read each paragraph over, one at a time, and then complete the following sentence so that you have a single, complete, and concise sentence: “This paragraph says that …___________________.” (Write it down: In the margins, as an annotation, or on a separate sheet.)
Keep your "says that" sentences simple. They're a summary of what the paragraph says, so you don't need to get everything in, just the main idea.
When you have finished all the paragraphs, you will have an outline that reflects what the writing actually says so far (rather than what you think it says or what you know you meant to say as the writer).
Looking at your says-sentences will help you examine the overall structure and pattern. Look for repetition or holes to fill.
Ask yourself big-picture questions:
Are the paragraphs clearly connected to the thesis?
Do paragraphs shift from topic to topic, or are there points that are repeated?
Is there a logical order or progression of ideas?
Would certain points be more effective if they were closer to each other?
Do you need additional evidence to support your points?
Would any of your paragraphs be improved if you used a version of your "says" sentence as your Point/topic sentence?
Pay attention to what your says-sentences tell you about individual paragraphs. Do you have too many subjects in one paragraph? In particular, if you have complex or compound says-sentences—if you’re using the word “and” to connect different ideas in those sentences—your paragraphs might be trying to do too much.
Note: The most important thing for do-then-see writers to keep in mind is that at some point they must stop, look at what they've got, and think about arrangement. Jumping in doesn't mean a writer is skipping the organizing phase or even saving time: it just means they're doing things in a different order. The reverse outline is a great tool for do-then-see writers.
Advanced reverse outlines: Write down Does Sentences
Advanced reverse outlines: Write down Does Sentences
After your says-sentences, try out does: what does each paragraph do in the text? (e.g. Does it introduce a new term or text? Does it provide a counter-argument, or a secondary example, or your best point to support your thesis? Does it acknowledge an exception to the argument, or provide information about the history of your topic?)
Does focuses on how the paragraph operates within the text in relation to the other paragraphs. What's the paragraph there for? What's it doing?
Reverse outline modification: Topic Sentences
Reverse outline modification: Topic Sentences
On your draft, underline your thesis and each paragraph’s topic sentence, then read through only the underlined sentences. If you have strong topic sentences that clearly connect to the thesis statement, you should have a brief but useful outline. Each sentence should offer a piece of information that helps build your overall argument in a logical order. Beware, however: it's quite common to discover that the body of some paragraphs do not actually match their topic sentences.
You might find this do-then-see worksheet/graphic organizer helpful to use with reverse outlines (click the image to download).
Want more?
There are so many takes on reverse outlines. Alisa has her own instructions (especially the "this ¶ says-that" sentences), but it might be useful to see some other takes, too:
- A slightly different take and a good example from free online textbook The Word on College Reading and Writing
- Amherst College offers this nice overview of reverse outlines
- The Writing Center at University of Wisconsin-Madison's reverse outline handout has good reflection considerations to help you use what you notice
- The UNC Writing Center offers this quick video
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