Understanding

the Working

Outline

ENGL 111

Module12

Organize your ideas

Outlines can help with any type of writing

project, but they are most useful for longer

compositions using sources and developing a

logical argument.

Turn this into this!

Parts of a working outline

Title

Working Thesis Statement

Introductory rationale

Main supporting claims

Supporting evidence

Counterarguments and rebuttals

Concluding rationale

Title

Title should suggest your topic and position and reflect your unique voice.

Avoid generic titles (“Argument Paper”).

Avoid titles that only name a topic without suggesting a position(“Gun Control”).

Avoid overly clever titles that could apply to anything (“Wake Up, America!”).

Good titles are very personal and take some thought!

Some good titles from

previous student papers

Suspect Cyberbullying? Parents, Tread

Lightly

Panhandling: The Help that Hurts

Pornography Is Ruining Your Sex Life

Social Media: Education’s Best New Tool

The Root Causes of Homelessness Unveiled

Working Thesis Statement

To create your working thesis statement, draw on your research and your previous work.

Reflect on your final draft of Writing Project 3. What position do you want to take on your issue now?

Review the PowerPoint in Module 11 (“The Argument Essay: Be an Attorney”) for examples of thesis statements for argument essays.

Reflect on the thesis statements you created for your Module 11 discussion board post.

Working Thesis Statement

Remember: This is a “working” thesis statement.

Your working thesis statement can evolve as your

thinking changes.

You can continue to change or refine it

as you work on your outline this session;

as you prepare your first draft in Module 13;

as you prepare your final draft in Module 15.

Introductory rationale

An introductory rationale is about one

paragraph long.

An introductory rationale explains why your

issue is controversial and who you are writing

for. Think of this as the “rhetorical context” for

your paper.

An introductory rationale is NOT the same as

the introduction paragraph to your first draft or

final draft. You will write that later!

Main supporting claims

Main supporting claims support and develop your thesis.

Think of your main supporting claims as your main reasons for your position.

These are the “columns” and “arches” that support your argument structure.

A strong paper will have several main supporting claims (2, 3, 4, 5, or even more!).

Write your main supporting claims in full sentences and arrange them in a logical order.

Supporting evidence

Under each main supporting claim, note the evidence you will use to support that claim.

Will you use facts, statistics, anecdotes, interviews, surveys, or other types of evidence?

Consider the quality and relevance of your evidence.

Combine hard evidence (facts and statistics) with soft evidence (anecdotes and examples).

Provide short quotes, statistics, or other reminders from your research as applicable.

Indicate the author or title of the source in your outline notes so you can construct your citations for your draft later.

Counterarguments and rebuttals

Be sure to include 1 or more of the most significant counterarguments to your position that you have discovered in your research.

Present the opposing view(s) fairly, but respond to it (“rebut” it) with reasons and evidence that show the weakness of the opposing position.

Rebutting counterarguments shows you have considered all sides and have good reasons for your position.

Counterarguments may be included under your main claims OR they may appear in a separate section of your draft.

Concluding rationale

A concluding rationale is about one paragraph long.

Describe the main takeaway you want your readers to get from your argument.

Do you want them to take some kind of action or change in some way?

A concluding rationale is NOT the same as the conclusion paragraph to your first draft or final draft. You will write that later!

Label each part

Label each part of your working outline and

arrange parts in order, starting with the title.

See sample working outlines (links provided

in Module 12) for examples.

When you have completed your outline, you

will have a roadmap for your first draft!

Closing thoughts…

Yes, your working outline is a roadmap…

…but as you write your draft next session, you may find yourself taking a detour, making a slight change in direction, exploring a new neighborhood, or spending extra time in one place and less time in another. That’s normal and okay.

Whether you follow your outline strictly or make a few changes as your ideas develop, you will get to your destination: a well-organized composition.

Happy travels!