ENG 101Lesson -35

Lesson 35 (Writing an Outline)

Because an essay is longer and more complex than a paragraph, it is even more important to organize your thoughts and plan your essay before your begin to write. The best way to do this by making an outline. In this lesson we will first consider what an outline is, and then consider how it can be used for writing an essay and last have some practice in writing outlines. Outlining is a useful skill to learn because it can be used in both your reading and your writing.

An outline is basically an organization of related ideas. It is a method of grouping together ideas that are similar in some selected way, then presenting them in a simplified manner that clearly shows the relationship within each paragraph and among all the paragraphs.

Preparing an outline is essentially a problem of classifying and organizing. As said earlier, an outline is useful in both reading and writing. Because writing is language that is meant to be

read, you can think of reading and writing as different ends of the same communication. All writers use an outline to help make their writing clear. If writers use an outline to organize their writing clearly, their readers should be able to analyze that organization of writing. An outline is like a skeleton which helps the writer to put flesh around it. It is the reader who removes the flesh to see the skeleton underneath.

Suppose you are asked to write about the traffic problems of your city. As you think about the topic you decide that there are 3 main causes.

Jot down the ideas:

Traffic is a problem because:

- great variety of vehicles on the road

- narrow roads

- drivers don’t obey traffic rules

Later you develop these three points and write the following paragraph.

Traffic is becoming a serious problem in my city…(Name of the city) There are three basic reasons. First, there is a great variety of vehicles moving on the road. There are fast moving, mechanical vehicles like cars, buses, vans, motor cycles, motor rickshaws, and there are slow moving vehicles, like horse-drawn coaches for public transport called ‘tonga’- oxen and horse-driven carts for carrying goods and merchandise. This mixture of fast and slow moving vehicles is the greatest of traffic problems. Moreover, the number of these vehicles has risen considerably in the recent years.

Another reason is that roads are old and narrow. As cars are parked along the side of these roads it makes the roads more narrow, leaving little room for the main traffic to move smoothly. Third, as many drivers in my city do not obey traffic rules, the result is that traffic jams result from cars going one way and buses going the opposite way on the same road. Thus, there is chaos on the roads of my city.

Now a reader who reads the above paragraph, can easily make out the outline of its organization which would be something like this:

Traffic problems: 3 causes

1. Great variety of vehicles

- fast moving

- slow moving

2. Narrow sheets = cars parked on sides

3. Drivers don’t obey traffic rules

From this example, you can see that an outline has two purposes: (i) in writing its purpose is to organize and present ideas effectively (ii) in reading its purpose is to analyze the organization and relationship of ideas.

How an outline is written:

The writing of an outline which will depend on the purpose and the subject of the essay. The important point is that there is no one way that suits everyone and is superior on all occasions.

Look at the first example of an outline. Suppose you were asked to write on the works of Shakespeare. Now that is a vast topic. The easiest way would be to make a list of all that Shakespeare wrote. He wrote plays, and poetry. So you have already classified his work. Plays and poetry. You can further classify or divide his plays into three categories- tragedies, comedies and histories. In the same way you can divide his poetry into categories: long poems and sonnets.

The Works of Shakespeare

1.Macbeth

2.Merchant of Venice

3.King Lear

4.As You Like It

5.Romeo and Juliet

6.Midsummer Night’s

Dream

7. Richard III

8. Othello

9. Henry V

10. Henry IV, Parts I II

11. Venus and Adores

12. A Lover’s Complaint

13. The Sonnets (154)

The Works of ShakespeareI. Comedies

- Merchant of Venice- As you like it- A Midsummer Night’s Dream- Tempest

II. Tragedies- Hamlet- Macbeth- King Lear- Othello

III. Histories- Richard III- Henry IV, Part I- Henry IV, Part II- Henry V

IV. Poems- Venus and Adonis- A Lover’s Complaint

V. Sonnets (154)

You noticed the names are the same in the first and the second list, but the second list is clearer. Why? Because there is organization. The names are listed in a meaningful way. The titles are grouped according to similar characteristics under 5 main headings; comedies, tragedies, histories, poems and sonnets. This kind of organization helps in making the differences clear and in focusing on one particular difference or category at a time.

You noticed the names are the same in the first and the second list, but the second list is clearer. Why? Because there is organization. The names are listed in a meaningful way. The titles are grouped according to similar characteristics under 5 main headings; comedies, tragedies, histories, poems and sonnets. This kind of organization helps in making the differences clear and in focusing on one particular difference or category at a time. Here are two more examples of topic outlines. Notice the difference between the two.

A BBooks I enjoy Reading Books I enjoy ReadingI. Fiction I. Fiction A. Spy thrillers A. Love Stories B. Historical Novels B. Historical Romance

C. Spy ThrillersII. Love Stories

III. Non – Fiction II. Non - Fiction A. Inventors A. Biographies B. Biographies - Statesmen, Kings/IV. Military Heroes freedom fightersV.Science / Space Exploration - Inventors

- Military: conquerors generals

- Sportsman - Movie stars

B. Science /Medical

Science / Space Exploration

Example (A) is a poor topic outline as it is confused; the main topics are not of equal importance outline. Example (B) is a good topic outline.

In the two examples of topic outlines – Works of Shakespeare and Books I Enjoy Reading, the topics are arranged in a logical order. You have noticed, that only topics are given and each topic begins with a capital letter. Because they are topics and not full sentences a full stop/period has not been used at the end of each topic.

Each topic of the same rank is expressed in the same grammatical form. Also, notice the indentation and the same system of numbers or letters that are used. The method of outlining is presented in brief for you.

1.Jot down ideas as they occur to you.

2.Arrange these ideas in a satisfactory natural or

logical order with headings and sub-headings.

You may find that some of the ideas which

you have jotted down are not included

because they do not fit in with the purpose.

3. Label your headings and sub-headings carefully:

Main headings: I, II, III…………

Sub-headings: A, B, C……………….

Further sub-divisions: 1, 2, 3,

4. Indent: i.e. set down the outline as follows

:

I………………………………………

A………………………..

B………………………..

II……………………………………….

A………………………….

1…………………………….

2…………………………….

B………………………………….

C………………………………….III………………………………………

Subject: Travel

Ideas: Means of travel (bus, train, aero-plane, car, etc… )

A particular journey – Peshawar?

“To travel hopefully is better than to arrive.”

(R.L. Stevenson)

Bacon’s ‘Essay on Travel’, Other travel books

Educational value, Holidays , People you meet

People you meet, Countries I should like to visit, What to see, Language problem, Haj

Customs of the people , Preparation

Outline: Guiding purpose: Personal: Why I should like to travel.

I. Value of Travel

‘ Travel in the younger sort is part of education; in the elder, a part of experience’--

Bacon

A. Knowledge from books e.g. ‘From Oxus to Jumna

B. Knowledge from experience – visiting Iran, Afghanistan

II. Pleasures of Travel A. Seeing new place

1. Cities, buildings2. Countryside3. Historical sites

B. Meeting new people 1. Customs2. Languages

III. Methods of TravelA. car, bus, train – see the country, meet

the people (takes longer)B. Aero-plane (get there quicker).

IV. Desire to Travel

A. Why I want to travel

B. Where I want to go

V. Preparations for Travel – passport, visa, buy ticket etc.

Note 1: Each heading is expressed in phrase/word

2. Parallel points have parallel wording. I. II, III, IV, V are all Noun Phrases II A: seeing II. B. meeting

IV. A: why IV B. where3. Do not allow headings to overlap.4. Do not coordinate any heading which should be subordinated & vice versa.

5.Do not make a single heading or sub heading anywhere in the outline. e.g. where you have I you must have II & similarly if you put A, there must be at least B, and if 1 at least 2.

6. The outline provides for a prompt beginning (in this case a quotation) and ending (the buying of a ticket) but information is given about these, and they are not labeled Introduction and Conclusion.

Practice to illustrate the above points 1 & 2

On the left hand side are a series of ideas on the subject of ‘Flower Arrangement.’ On the right is a framework for an outline. Using the material on the left, complete this outline.

Flower arrangement Guiding purpose: to present this as an artroses, chrysanthemums etc

peach blossom dahlias

greenery

a single rose

pleasure

vases – size

Japanese style

lots of flowers

effect on rooms

parties, weddings

good arrangement

bad arrangement

time of year

I. The Art of Flower Arrangement e.g. …(Japanese style….

II. The choice of FlowersA. December … (chrysanthemums)….B. ……………...(roses)…C. February- … (peach blossoms)….

III. The…(arrangement)…... of FlowersA. The ….(wrong)… wayB. The …(right)…...way

1. flowers2. …(vases)…a. big

b. smallIV. …(The local style ).. of ArrangementV. The Pleasure from Flower Arr.

A. On special occasions1. …(wedding)…2… (parties)……..

B. …(Effect on room)……………

Flower arrangement Guiding purpose: to present this as an artroses, chrysanthemums etc

peach blossom

greenery

a single rose

pleasure

vases – size

Japanese style

lots of flowers

effect on rooms

parties, weddings

good arrangement

bad arrangement

time of year

I. The Art of Flower Arrangement e.g. ………………………….….

II. The choice of FlowersA. March ……………………….B. …………… - chrysanthemumsC. February- …………………….

III. The…………………….. of FlowersA. The wrong wayB. The …………. Way

1. flowers2. …………a. big

b. smallIV. ………………. of ArrangementV. The Pleasure from Flower Arr.

A. On special occasions1. ……………………2……………………..

B. ………………………………

In the following the main headings overlap. Write two corrected versions of the outline:

History of the Punjab 1) History of the Punjab

I.Period before 1500 I.…(Hindu period )…

II.Moghuls II.After Ghaznavid

invasions.

III.Sikhs III…(Moghuls)…

IV.Period after 1947 IV…(Sikh)……………

2) I Moghuls

II…(Sikh)…………….

III…(British)……………

IV (post independence)…

In the following the main headings overlap. Write two corrected versions of the outline:

History of the Punjab 1) History of the Punjab

I.Period before 1500 I.………………………

II.Moghuls II………………………

III.Sikhs III………………………

IV.Period after 1947 IV………………………

2) I Moghuls

II……………………….

III………………………

IV………………………

4) Write a corrected version of the outline. There is also a single sub-heading to be corrected.

The Uses of Atomic Energy The Uses of Atomic Energy

I.The Background of Atomic I ..(The background of A.R).. Research

A. for military purposes

II. The Atomic Bomb II…(Importance of A.Power).

III. Other weapons A…(Atomic Bomb)…

IV For peaceful purposes B…(other weapons)..

A. industry III..(Importance of A.Research)...

V. Medicine A…(Medicine)……….

VI.Importance of Atomic Power B…(Industry)……….

IV…(Atoms for peace)….

The Uses of Atomic Energy The Uses of Atomic Energy

I.The Background of Atomic I…………………………… Research

A. for military purposes

II. The Atomic Bomb II…………………………..

III. Other weapons A……………………

IV For peaceful purposes B……………………

A. industry III………………………….

V. Medicine A…………………….

VI.Importance of Atomic Power B…………………….

IV………………………….

Write Essay Outline and Practice.

ALLAH Hafiz.