OUTLINING YOUR ARGUMENT
Research question:
Thesis:
I.
(reason #1)
II.
(reason #2)
III.
(reason #3)
IV.
(concession)
V.
(refutation)
NOTES
1. Your thesis should be an answer to your question.
2. The above template for a rough draft outline (or a “working outline”) is to help you start
organizing your essay structure. Later you may reorganize or rework it completely to suit
your own argumentative/persuasive approach to your topic. You might, for example,
begin the body of your essay your essay with a concession and refutation. You might
want to include two reasons and two concessions/refutations.
3. The words “introduction” and “conclusion” should not appear on your outline.
4. Write your Roman numeral entries as sentences on the rough draft outline.
5. Other strategies to note in parentheses are “background,” “history,” “definition,”
“examples, and “common ground.” These expository strategies might be represented by
Roman numerals or by capital letters.
6. You may combine the concession and refutation into one Roman numeral. If you do, then
place the words “concession” in parentheses next to your Roman numeral. Then the
“refutation” will appear under the Roman numeral next to a capital letter:
1
IV.
(concession)
A.
B.
(refutation)
7. However, you might want to create separate paragraphs for your concession and
refutation.
IV.
(concession)
A.
B.
V.
(refutation)
A.
B.
ROUGH DRAFT OUTLINE WITH ONLY ROMAN NUMERALAS
Research question: Should Texans vote to abolish capital punishment?
Thesis: Texans should vote to abolish Capital punishment because it does not deter crime, is
expensive, and is racist.
I. Capital punishment has a long history.
(history)
II. Capital punishment does not deter crime.
(reason #1)
II. Capital punishment is expensive.
(reason #2)
IV. Capital punishment is racist.
(reason #3)
V. True, capital punishment does give the families of victims closure.
(concession)
VI. However, the number of families that actually experience closure is
small.
(refutation)
NOTE: The sentences you have identified with Roman numerals will become the topic sentences in your
body paragraphs.
2
Outline
Research question: Should Texas abolish capital punishment?
Thesis: Texans should vote to abolish Capital punishment because it does not deter crime, is
expensive, and is racist.
I. Capital punishment has a long history in Texas.
(history)
II. Capital punishment does not deter crime.
(reason #1)
A.
B.
III. Capital punishment is expensive.
(reason #2)
A.
B.
1.
2.
IV. Capital punishment is racist.
(reason #3)
A.
B.
C.
V. True, capital punishment does give the families of victims closure.
(concession)
VI. However, the number of families experiencing closure small.
(refutation)
A.
B.
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