Scratch Outline
I. Introduction : (must be at least 5 sentences long)
What are you going to introduce? Consider including your pathos here as a hook
Thesis (last sentence in your introduction that states your argument and reasons why) For example:
the death penalty should be abolished because:
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II. Body Paragraph #1
1st reason why -- ________________________
-topic sentence:____________________________________________________________________________
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1. CD (fact) Make sure that you cite your information if you get your fact from research.
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)
2. CM (your reactions/support).
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3. CM______________________________________________________________________________________
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4. CD (fact) Make sure that you cite your information if you get your fact from research. Start with a
transition word.
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)
5.CM______________________________________________________________________________________
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6.CM______________________________________________________________________________________
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7. CS (Concluding sentence) __________________________________________________________________
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III. Body Paragraph #2
2nd reason why -- ________________________
-topic sentence with transition:_______________________________________________________________
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1. CD (specific fact) Make sure that you cite your information if you get it from your research.
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)
2. CM (your reactions/support).
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3. CM______________________________________________________________________________________
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4. 2nd CD (specific fact) Make sure that you cite your information if you get it from your research.
Start with a transition word.
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)
5.CM______________________________________________________________________________________
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6.CM______________________________________________________________________________________
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7. CS______________________________________________________________________________________
IV. Body Paragraph #3
3rd reason why -- ________________________
-topic sentence with transition:______________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
1. CD (specific fact) Make sure that you cite your information if you get it from your research.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________(
)
2. CM (your reactions/support).
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
3. CM______________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
4. 2nd CD (specific fact from your research) Make sure that you cite your information if you get it from
your research. Start with a transition word.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________(
)
5.CM______________________________________________________________________________________
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6.CM______________________________________________________________________________________
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7. CS_______________________________________________________________________________________
V. Conclusion Paragraph: (5 sentences in length) How will you reinforce your information without
repeating yourself?_______________________________________________________________________
Where is your PATHOS?- appeal to emotion (perhaps an anecdote in the beginning to appeal to
reader’s emotions? See example)
Where is your ETHOS? (appeal to ethics... find a credible source that supports your cause, or give
credibility to one of your sources. For example, The president of the National Board of Education,
Gavin McArthur, agrees that “the No Child Left Behind Act is ineffective in helping students become
ready for the real world” (18).
Where is your PARALLELISM? (repetition of sentence structure. For example, “Give me liberty or
give me death”... “As Americans we will weep; as Americans we will mourn, and as Americans we will
rise in defense”.... “having eyes hear not and having ears hear not” :
Where is your RHETORICAL QUESTION?:
Where is your METAPHOR (comparison not using like or as)?:
Where is your SIMILE (comparison using like or as)?
Where are is your IMAGERY? (descriptive language that paints a picture in the reader’s mind and
appeals to one or more of the senses. For example, when Jonathan Edward compares God’s wrath to a
“lake of burning brimstone”