·        Aids in the process of writing

·        Helps organize ideas

·        Presents material in a logical form

·        Shows the relationships among ideas in writing

·        Constructs an ordered overview of writing

·        Defines boundaries and groups

·        Determine the purpose of the paper.

·        Determine the audience for the paper.

·        Develop the thesis of the paper.

·        Brainstorm: List all the ideas to be included in the paper.

·        Organize: Group related ideas together.

·        Order: Arrange material in subsections from general to specific or from abstract to concrete.

·        Label: Create main and sub headings.

Remember: creating an outline before writing a paper will make organizing thoughts a lot easier. Whether students follow the suggested guidelines is up to them, but making any kind of outline (even just some jotting down some main ideas) will be beneficial to most writing processes.

Sample Outline

Outline Template

I. Introduction A.        Running is an extremely popular sport for all ages. B.        Running is a great form of exercise because it helps people control their weight, develop muscles, and improves mental and physical performance. II. Body A. Weight control 1.        Aids self-control 2.        Burns calories 3.        Encourages a healthy diet 4.        Suppresses appetite B. Muscular Development 1.        Improves tone 2.        Enhances contours 3.        Increases strength 4.        Improves endurance C. Psychological well-being 1.        Aids sleep 2.        Inhibits depression 3.        Intensifies vitality D. Cardiovascular Fitness 1.        Strengthens heart 2.        Lowers blood pressure 3.        Changes blood lipids 4.        Improves circulation III. Conclusion A.        Benefits of running make it an excellent exercise. B.        People who want to improve their health should consider running.

Title ______________________________ I. Introduction A.        ____________________________ B.       ____________________________   II. Body A.       __________________________________ 1.  ______________________________ 2.  ______________________________ 3.  ______________________________ 4.    ______________________________ B.        ___________________________________ 1.    ______________________________ 2.    ______________________________ 3.    ______________________________ 4.    ______________________________ C.        __________________________________ 1.    ______________________________ 2.    ______________________________ 3.    ______________________________ 4.    ______________________________ D.        __________________________________ 1.    ______________________________ 2.    ______________________________ 3.    ______________________________ 4.    __________________________________ III. Conclusion A.        ______________________________ B.        ______________________________