Minutes a day n e w y o r k

L E S S O N   S U M M A R Y
In this lesson, you’ll learn about the underlying structure of an essay and
how to create an outline. We’ll also examine some of the common orga-
nizational strategies used by essay writers.
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Main idea (thesis)
Major supporting idea
Minor supporting idea
Support
Minor supporting idea
Support
Major supporting idea
Minor supporting idea
Support
The exact underlying structure will vary depending upon the number and type of supporting ideas, but in all its
variations, it is the foundation for most essays.

T h e   B e n e f i t s   o f   a n   O u t l i n e
Generating an outline before you draft an essay will help you in several ways. First, it will give structure to your
ideas. By mapping out the order in which those ideas will flow, you create a roadmap for the drafting process. The
roadmap assures that you won’t veer off topic, helps prevent writer’s block, and speeds up drafting.
Second, an outline will help you determine where you need more support for your thesis. When you create
an outline, you’ll be able to see any gaps in the development of your ideas. Strongly supported assertions stand
out in contrast to weaker ones.
Third, an outline will help judge the plausibility of your thesis. If you jump into drafting without organiz-
ing first, you may find during the writing process that your thesis doesn’t hold up. A good outline can help you
revise, modify, and/or strengthen your thesis before you begin writing. Specifically, a good outline will tell you if
your thesis is:
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too broad. If you have trouble including everything in your outline, you probably have too much to say.
Your thesis needs to be more focused.
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too narrow. If you can’t seem to find enough to say, your thesis might be too focused. You need to broaden it
to create a viable essay.
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unreasonable. If there isn’t sufficient evidence to support your thesis, you should reconsider its viability.
You may need to take a different stance.
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