ENG III/ Bailey
Name: ___________________________________
Date: ___________
Harvard Outline
Period: __________
Creating an Outline (Harvard Outline Format)
An outline not only helps you organize your ideas, it also helps you see where you need more information and which notes don’t fit
into your report. Use the model below to help you organize your note cards effectively and logically.
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
Introduction
First main point
A. First subpoint
1. Details for A
2. Details for A
B. Second subpoint
1. Details for B
2. Details for B
Second main point
(see II)
Third main point
(see II)
Conclusion
If you use this format to organize your note cards, it will let
you see where you need more information. Major gaps
between your outline and your note cards reflect a need for
additional research.
Also notice that the second and third main points need
to be broken down in the same fashion as your first
main point. This is how you will organize your major
and minor support.
See the example below of a partial outline for the thesis statement in the previous section of this handout.
Title:
Charles Dickens: A Thin Line between Truth and Fiction
I.
Introduction
A. Thesis Statement
Look carefully at the section of the
outline indicated by (II). How is it
II. Avid reader and imaginative as a boy
different from the model of the outline
A. Dickens read classic literature
above?
1. Read novels such as…
B. Created imaginary characters as a young man
1. Pretended to be different characters with voices
(a) Characters ranged from innocent children to murderers
III. Events/Characters in Dickens’s novel based on his real life
A. Dickens had a terrible childhood which is reflected in his writing
1. David Copperfield is based on his life
2. Many novels focus on young people who must struggle through adversity
B. Because Dickens felt orphaned as a child, themes of abandonment run
throughout his novels
1. Pip in Great Expectations
2. Oliver Twist is centered around an orphan
C. Based characters on family members and lost loves
1. Father was inspiration for…
2. Mother was inspiration for…
IV. Dickens’s writing reflected many of the social issues of his time.
A. Child Labor laws
B. Cruelty towards poor
C. Political issues
V. Conclusion
ENG III/ Bailey
**Your outline may vary from the model above depending
upon how many sub-points you use to defend each of your main points.
Harvard Outline For Final Draft:
I. Introduction
A. Intro Strategy (Can have more than one)
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
B. Introduce Author/ Text/ Background Info
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
C. Bridge: Your Voice and Set-up for Thesis (Show why it matters here)
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
D. Thesis:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
ENG III/ Bailey
st
II. (Name It: Topic Sentence of 1 Body Paragraph):
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
A. Prove It: Evidence (Quote to Support)
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
1. Prove it: Impact (Analysis of Quote. Connect back to Name It)
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
B. Prove It: Evidence (Quote to Support)
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
2. Prove it: Impact (Analysis of Quote. Connect back to Name It)
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
C. Conclude It:
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
ENG III/ Bailey
nd
III. (Name It: Topic Sentence of 2 Body Paragraph):
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
A. Prove It: Evidence (Quote to Support)
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
1. Prove it: Impact (Analysis of Quote. Connect back to Name It)
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
B. Prove It: Evidence (Quote to Support)
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
2. Prove it: Impact (Analysis of Quote. Connect back to Name It)
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
C. Conclude It:
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
ENG III/ Bailey
IV. (Name It: Topic Sentence of 3rd Body Paragraph- SHOULD BE THE CONCESSION):
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
A. Prove It: REBUTTAL #1
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
1. Prove it: EVIDENCE (Quote to support rebuttal)
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
a. Prove it: Impact (Analysis of Quote. Connect back to Name It)
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
B. Prove It: REBUTTAL #2
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
2. Prove it: EVIDENCE (Quote to support rebuttal)
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
ENG III/ Bailey
a. Prove it: Impact (Analysis of Quote. Connect back to Name It)
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
C. Conclude It:
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
V. (Name It: Conclusion): IMPACT!!!!
STRATEGIES USED:
Write example of strategies here:
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________