Lesson Three
ELAR Level Six, Unit 11: Prewriting and Outlining
LESSON THREE
Lesson Two taught you prewriting strategies and gave you tips on how to write a coherent composition. It is important that your
readers follow your writing easily and that they can tell how your statements are connected. The ideas and details in each of your writings must have coherence. A writing has coherence when the details and ideas are connected. This prevents confusion and helps your writing to be more interesting.
readers follow your writing easily and that they can tell how your statements are connected. The ideas and details in each of your writings must have coherence. A writing has coherence when the details and ideas are connected. This prevents confusion and helps your writing to be more interesting.
In the previous lesson, you learned how to write a rough draft. You also learned how to edit/revise which means to check once again for errors such as typing errors, spelling mistakes, and grammar and punctuation errors. Be sure that your writing is coherent and flows so that your readers can follow easily and not be confused. The details of your writing should be in the appropriate order that will make sense to your audience. This step of editing/revising is very crucial because it leads up to the writing of the final paper.
Lesson Three will help you to focus your attention on how to write an outline and what needs to be included in it. After you do your prewriting strategy, the next step is to write an outline. An outline is similar to a house plan or a blueprint.
PARTS OF A PARAGRAPH OUTLINE
It is time to learn about the parts of a paragraph outline. If you have completed the Unit called Grade Four - Outlining, then this will be a review for you. Below you will find the parts of a paragraph outline:
PARAGRAPH OUTLINE
I. TOPIC SENTENCE
II. FIRST MAIN POINT
III. SECOND MAIN POINT
IV. THIRD MAIN POINT
V. CONCLUDING SENTENCE
Let’s go over each part of the outline so that you have a better understanding. Please continue reading and learn more about each part.
TOPIC SENTENCE
The topic sentence states the main idea of the paragraph. The main idea is what your paragraph is all about. You will usually find the topic sentence located at the first of the paragraph; but occasionally, you will find it elsewhere. As you read the following paragraph, see if you can locate the topic sentence.
I love the many opportunities and luxuries that California affords those who are residents and those who come to visit. Because of its warm weather all year around, many restaurants have indoor eating areas which melt into outdoor areas; in California living outdoors is just as important as living indoors. The Deck restaurant takes full advantage of this and provides an air-conditioned option that boasts a very large big screen TV, a great serving table, and an incredible glassed view of 19th Century artwork.
As the topic sentence states, California does offer many luxuries such as The Deck restaurant with its outdoor eating area and fire pit.
The Deck restaurant boasts an incredible glassed view of 19th Century artwork.
FIRST, SECOND, AND THIRD MAIN POINTS
As you have just learned, the first part of a paragraph outline is the topic sentence. Then come the first, second, and third main points.
CONCLUDING SENTENCE
The concluding sentence summarizes the topic sentence with its main idea.
To learn about the remaining parts of a paragraph outline, please read the following paragraphs. Each part will be broken down for you so that you can get a good understanding of a paragraph outline and can see how a good outline will help you to write a good paragraph.
PARAGRAPH EXAMPLE
Mission Bay Sports Center is the largest public watersports facility in San Diego and has everything necessary to satisfy all your watersports desires. With thirty certified instructors who are trained in CPR, First Aid, and Water Resuscitation, this facility is equipped to give you a refresher course to help you brush up on your skills, or you can get a private lesson to learn new skills. Mission Bay Sports Center also offers group events customized to your needs, and some of these activities include: multisports, sailing, surfing, and windsurfing. Adults and children alike can attend camps and events that are geared just for them. Being the largest watersports facility in the area affords Mission Bay Sports Center to have all that is necessary to make your watersports dreams come true!
Because Mission Bay Sports Center is the largest watersports facility in San Diego, the employees can take customers out on a yacht to catch this view.
Now let’s outline this paragraph so that you can see how it follows a paragraph outline. You will also see how a paragraph outline will help you with your writing.
The topic sentence, as stated before, is usually at the beginning of the paragraph. The topic sentence in the paragraph above is Mission Bay Sports Center is the largest public watersports facility in San Diego and has everything necessary to satisfy all your watersports desires.
The next part of the outline would be the first main point. The first main point in the paragraph is the following: With thirty certified instructors who are trained in CPR, First Aid, and Water Resuscitation, this facility is equipped to give you a refresher course to help you brush up on your skills, or you can get a private lesson to learn new skills.
Next to come in the paragraph outline is the second main point: Mission Bay Sports Center also offers group events customized to your needs, and some of these activities include: multisports, sailing, surfing, and windsurfing.
The third main point is the following sentence: Adults and children alike can attend camps and events that are geared just for them.
Finally, the last part of the paragraph and the paragraph outline is the concluding sentence: Being the largest watersports facility in the area affords Mission Bay Sports Center to have all that is necessary to make your watersports dreams come true!
PRACTICE
An outline is a very important step in the writing process because it gives you a blueprint for your paragraph. Once you understand how to do an outline, your writing will be much easier as you follow the plan that you have created.
Please read a paragraph from Jack London’s book The Call of the Wild. After reading this, please notice below the paragraph how the paraphrased parts of the paragraph are aligned with the parts of a paragraph.
Listen to the paragraph
PARAGRAPH FROM THE CALL OF THE WILD
He was beaten (he knew that); but he was not broken. He saw, once for all, that he stood no chance against a man with a club. He had learned the lesson, and in all his afterlife he never forgot it. That club was a revelation. It was his introduction to the reign of primitive law, and he met the introduction halfway. The facts of life took on a fiercer aspect; and while he faced that aspect uncowed, he faced it with all the latent cunning of his nature aroused. As the days went by, other dogs came, in crates and at the ends of ropes, some docilely, and some raging and roaring as he had come; and, one and all, he watched them pass under the dominion of the man in the red sweater. Again and again, as he looked at each brutal performance, the lesson was driven home to Buck: a man with a club was a lawgiver, a master to be obeyed, though not necessarily conciliated. Of this last Buck was never guilty, though he did see beaten dogs that fawned upon the man, and wagged their tails, and licked his hand. Also he saw one dog, that would neither conciliate nor obey, finally killed in the struggle for mastery.
Paraphrased Parts of the Paragraph
Topic sentence: Buck, the dog, was beaten but was never broken.
First main point: Buck realized that he stood no chance against a cruel master who beat dogs with a club.
Second main point: That club represented the cruelty of man toward animals.
Third main point: All dogs seemed to cow under to cruel masters who wielded the club.
Concluding sentence: Buck never allowed himself to fawn over the cruel master with the club.
The topic sentence, as stated before, is usually at the beginning of the paragraph. The topic sentence also states the main idea of the paragraph. In this sentence, you know that the main idea is that Buck was beaten; but his spirit was not broken.
The concluding sentence should connect the details of the paragraph together and should support the main idea. The concluding sentence should be attention-grabbing and should leave an impression with the reader. The paraphrased concluding sentence for the paragraph is "Buck never allowed himself to fawn over the cruel master with the club."
PRACTICE
Please read the following paragraph. Outlines can be done in two different ways -- either in complete sentences or in phrases and key words. In this section, you will be learning how to arrange a complete sentence outline.
PARAGRAPH FROM THE CALL OF THE WILD
He was beaten (he knew that); but he was not broken. He saw, once for all, that he stood no chance against a man with a club. He had learned the lesson, and in all his afterlife he never forgot it. That club was a revelation. It was his introduction to the reign of primitive law, and he met the introduction halfway. The facts of life took on a fiercer aspect; and while he faced that aspect uncowed, he faced it with all the latent cunning of his nature aroused. As the days went by, other dogs came, in crates and at the ends of ropes, some docilely, and some raging and roaring as he had come; and, one and all, he watched them pass under the dominion of the man in the red sweater. Again and again, as he looked at each brutal performance, the lesson was driven home to Buck: a man with a club was a lawgiver, a master to be obeyed, though not necessarily conciliated. Of this last Buck was never guilty, though he did see beaten dogs that fawned upon the man, and wagged their tails, and licked his hand. Also he saw one dog, that would neither conciliate nor obey, finally killed in the struggle for mastery.
Understanding the parts of a paragraph outline will help you to create a good outline, which you will use as a guide for your writing.