Creating a Reading Outline

Outline

organized arrangement of the main ideas & supporting details

What is parallel grammatical structure in an outline?

The use of consistent grammatical forms in headings and subheadings of equal importance.

Example: I love dancing, writing, and to sing

Gerund = verb + ing = dancing & writing

Infinitive = to + base form of the verb = to sing

What is a numeric outline?

An outline that uses numbers and decimal numbering to organize ideas by hierarchy.

In a numeric outline, what do 1, 1.1, and 1.1.1 represent?

Main idea, supporting idea, and specific detail respectively.

How should headings at the same level in an outline be written?

They must follow the same grammatical pattern, such as all using gerund phrases.

How does an alphanumeric outline differ from a numeric outline?

It uses Roman numerals, capital letters, Arabic numerals, and lowercase letters.

What is a sentence outline?

An outline in which main ideas and supporting points are expressed in complete sentences.

What is the main difference between topic and sentence outlines?

Topic outlines use words or phrases; sentence outlines use complete thoughts.

What are the characteristics of proper headings in an outline?

They should be specific, meaningful, and relevant to the content.

Why should headings like 'Introduction' or 'Conclusion' be used with caution?

They are overly general essay parts rather than specific topic labels.

What should the organization of an outline reflect?

The importance and relationship of the ideas presented in the original text.

What is a topic outline?

An outline that uses words or phrases rather than complete sentences.