Name:
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
ESSAY OUTLINING AND PLANNING
What’s your topic? (Usually given by the teacher) THIS DOES NOT GO IN YOUR ACTUAL ESSAY
– USE POINT FORM
INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH (4-5 sentences)
1. General comments to intrigue the reader (Who is the author? Title of book? Basic plot? Setting? Main characters?)
2. Statement about the general purpose(s) of the novel – what is the general theme (what is the author trying to ‘teach’ the
reader?)
3. Introduce your arguments (3) about the topic you have chosen and which will support your thesis.
4. Thesis (your side of the argument – developed from the topic)
Updated March 2012
Ms. Mac
FIRST PARAGRAPH (8 sentences at least)
1. Topic Sentence – argument #1
2. Explain in your own words a part of the book that will
‘prove’ argument #1 and thesis:
3. Quote from text with page number and quotation:
4. Explanation of quote and its relevance to your argument and thesis:
5. Explain in your own words another part of the book that
will ‘prove’ argument #1 and thesis:
6. Quote from text with page number and quotation:
7. Explanation of quote and its relevance to your argument and thesis:
8. Concluding sentence (which tells how this paragraph supports your thesis):
Updated March 2012
Ms. Mac
SECOND PARAGRAPH (8 sentences at least)
1. Topic Sentence – argument #2
2. Explain in your own words a part of the book that will
‘prove’ argument #2 and thesis:
3. Quote from text with page number and quotation:
4. Explanation of quote and its relevance to your argument and thesis:
5. Explain in your own words another part of the book
that will ‘prove’ argument #2 and thesis:
6. Quote from text with page number and quotation:
7. Explanation of quote and its relevance to your argument and thesis:
8. Concluding sentence (which tells how this paragraph supports your thesis):
Updated March 2012
Ms. Mac
THIRD PARAGRAPH (8 sentences at least)
1. Topic Sentence – argument #3
2. Explain in your own words a part of the book that will
‘prove’ argument #3 and thesis:
3. Quote from text with page number and quotation:
4. Explanation of quote and its relevance to your argument and thesis:
5. Explain in your own words another part of the book
that will ‘prove’ argument #3 and thesis:
6. Quote from text with page number and quotation:
7. Explanation of quote and its relevance to your argument and thesis:
8. Concluding sentence (which tells how this paragraph supports your thesis):
Updated March 2012
Ms. Mac
CONCLUDING PARAGRAPH
Restate Thesis:
Summarize examples from body paragraphs:
End with an emphatic statement that convinces the reader to support (or at least respect) your opinion:
Updated March 2012
Ms. Mac