How to outline an essay
- Choose the type of essay and your target word count.
- Enter the topic or question and your thesis: the one-sentence answer you will argue or explain.
- List your main points, one per line. Each becomes a body paragraph. For argumentative and literary essays, add a counter-argument to address.
- The outline shows every section with a word budget and prompts for what to include. Copy it into Google Docs or Word and write underneath each heading.
Why outlining makes writing easier
Most essays that lose marks do so on structure, not ideas: the argument wanders, paragraphs mix several points, or the conclusion introduces something new. An outline fixes the shape before you write. The classic essay has an introduction that ends with a clear thesis, body paragraphs that each develop one point with evidence and explanation, and a conclusion that pulls the points together and answers "so what?".
The prompts follow models taught in schools and universities, such as PEEL (Point, Evidence, Explain, Link) for argument and analysis, and point-by-point comparison for compare-and-contrast essays. Word budgets allocate about 10% each to the introduction and conclusion and share the rest between body paragraphs, which keeps you from spending half your word count on the opening. Adjust as you go: if one point needs more evidence, give it more words and cut elsewhere. Everything stays in your browser.
How many body paragraphs should an essay have?
Usually three to five for 1,000–2,000 words. Each paragraph should develop one main point.
What is a thesis statement?
One sentence that states your answer to the question or your main argument. Every paragraph should support it.
What does PEEL stand for?
Point, Evidence, Explain, Link: a structure for body paragraphs in argumentative and analytical essays.