Topic and Sentence

Outline
SUBMITTED BY: Ley Krystal C. Jayoma
TO BE SUBMITTED TO: Estormeo Sereña

11-SINCERITY
 TOPIC OUTLINE

According to Oldham (2007), an outline is a tool used to organize and arrange

written ideas about a certain topic or thesis into a logical order. Outlines organize all major
topics, subtopics, and supporting details. Writers always use outlines when writing their
papers or articles in order to know which topic to cover in what order. Outlines for papers
can either be general or very detailed. Nordguist (2019) stated, an outline is a plan for or
a summary of a writing project or speech. Outlines are usually in the form of a list divided
into headings and subheadings that distinguish main points from supporting points and
can also be formal or informal. For writers, creating an outline is viewed as a kind of draft,
subject to change, evolving as the actual writing takes place, then it can be a powerful
tool for writing (Steven, 2010).

A topic outline arranges ideas hierarchically (showing which are the main-points
and also which are sub-points), in this sequence, it shows what the topic will talk about.
In other words, it identifies all the little mini-topics that your paper will comprise, and also
shows how they relate (Oldham 2007). A topic outline also serves as a quick overview of
topics included in your paper (Nordquist, 2019). According to another article about topic
outlines by Alred and Brusaw (2006), a topic outline consists of short phrases arranged
to reflect primary methods of development. A topic outline is mostly used for short
documents such as letters, e-mails, or memos. For large writing projects, create a topic
outline first, and then use it as a basis for creating a sentence outline (Heffernan and
Lincoln, 1990).

Topic outlines help writers see the larger structure to a series of short ideas. This
type of outline is helpful when writing about a variety of issues or ideas that can be ordered
in number of ways (Lietzau, 2018). Writing a topic outline can be written in different
patterns. Here are a few examples: Chronological, sequential, spatial, compare-contrast,
advantage-disadvantage, cause and effect, problem solution and topical. The
chronological order works best for writing information according to progression of time. In
the sequential order is similar to chronological order except, it is arranged in a step by
step sequence. Spatial order is a logical organization pattern that is mostly used in
descriptive writing (Houdi, 2009). Compare-contrast simply means arranging information
from what is similar and different or both. Cause and effect outline is more on a result or
what enables an event to occur. In a problem solution, it is divided to 2 parts one that
describes the problem and one that describes the solution. And lastly, topical arranges
info according to the main topic and its sub-topic.

The writing process can be very hard and stressful especially if the writer does not
know where to start. That’s why beginning with a topic outline is very useful. There are
five steps in creating a strong topic outline. According to Ramey (2017), first you must
choose your topic and establish a purpose. Second, create a list of main ideas. Third,
organize the main ideas you collected. Fourth write the sub-points or secondary
supporting ideas to explain the main ideas. And lastly, review and adjust the topic outline.

Here’s an example of a topic outline structure according to Wilma and David Ebbitt
(1978)

I. (Introduction) Family Problems

A. Custodial: Non-custodial Conflicts

B. Extended Family

C. Adolescent's Age

II. (Body) Economic Problems

A. Child Support

B. Women's Job Training

C. Lower Standard of Living

D. Possible Relocation

1. Poorer Neighborhood

2. New School

III. (Conclusion) Peer Problems

A. Loss of Friends

B. Relationships with Dates

An outline can create a step-by-step guide that makes writing easier and saves
time. Once the outline is finalized, it can now be written in paragraphs. Once a complete
outline is written, the project will mostly involve, expand and connect the ideas together
to create a flow from one to the next. By the time writers or students start the actual writing
process, they will be able to work out any issues. Creating a topic outline can prevent
wasting time in revising a paper that is weak and unfocused (Magher, 2001).
 REFERENCES

(Ebbitt, R.W. and Ebbitt, R.D., 1978). "Writer's Guide and Index to English." 6th edition,
Scott, Foresman. Retrieved from: http://rasmussen.libanswers.com

(Gerald, A.J. and Brusaw, C.T., 2006). "Handbook of Technical Writing." 8th edition, St.
Martin's Press. Retrieved from: http://rasmussen.libanswers.com
(Heffernan, A.W. and Lincoln J.E., 1990). "Writing: A College Handbook." 3rd edition,
W.W. Norton & Co. Retrieved from: http://rasmussen.libanswers.com

(Houdi, J., 2009). Spatial Outline. Grade Miners. Retrieved from:

https://grademiners.com
(Lietzau, K., 2018). Creating Outlines. Retrieved from: http://writing2.richmond.edu
(Magher, M.,2001). Importance of Doing an Outline Prior to Writing. Retrieved from:
https://www.educationseattlepi.com

(Nordguist, R., 2019). Library and Learning Services. Retrieved from:

http://rasmussen.libanswers.com

(Oldham, D., 2007). From Topic Outline to Sentence Outline. English 102. Retrieved
from: https://app.shoreline.edu

(Ramey, B., 2017). How to Write a Topic Outline. Retrieved from:

https://www.herzing.edu
(Steven, L., 2010). "Rhetoric and Composition: An Introduction." 1st edition,
Cambridge University Press. Retrieved from: http://rasmussen.libanswers.com
 SENTENCE OUTLINE

To briefly explain what an outline is, Nordguist (2019) stated, an outline is a plan
for or a summary of a writing project or speech. Outlines are usually in the form of a list
divided into headings and subheadings that distinguish main points from supporting
points and can also be formal or informal.

There are two types of outlines which are most common: short topic outlines and
lengthy sentence outlines. In a sentence outline, each sentence, instead of simply
identifying a mini-topic, is like a mini-thesis statement about that mini-topic. It expresses
specific and complete ideas the section of the paper will cover as part of proving the
overall thesis (Oldham 2007). According to an article by Alred and Brusaw (2006), A
sentence outline summarizes ideas in a complete sentence that may become the topic
sentence for a paragraph in the rough draft.

According to William and Law (2009), your sentence outline should represent
almost the first draft of your paper. Once written, the paper will practically write itself. All
that’s left will be filling in the blanks, so to speak—providing specific examples and other
support to bring out and prove the ideas you’ve already sketched out. Compared to the
topic outline, a sentence outline is written into the little details of the paper and can
therefore be useful complex topics, or providing a detailed structure. The advantage of
this of sentence outlines is seeing exactly what a paper will be about, rather than just
relying on key words for more ideas (Lietzau, 2018).

In writing a sentence outline, according to Cushman (2001), a sentence outline

must determine the purpose of the paper, determine the audience you are writing for and,
develop the thesis of your paper. To create a sentence outline, first is to brainstorm and
gather all ideas you want to include in your paper. Second, is to organize all the ideas
together. Next is to put the ideas by arranging them according to their importance or
relevance to the topic. And lastly, create a label for the main and sub-heading for each
group (Wilma and David Ebbitt, 1978).
Here’s an example of a sentence outline found in article by Hacker (1999)

A sentence outline, a helps the writer to create a clear and workable blueprint of
the paper to be written. Creating a sentence outline allows a writer to work through
concepts and makes the final paper much easier to write (Davis 2006). This also helps
put more details in writing a research paper (Heffernan and Lincoln, 1990).
 REFERENCES

(Cushman, M., 2009). “How to Write an Outline.” Los Angeles Valley College Library. 22
Retrieved from: http://www.lavc.edu

(Davis, S.H., 2006). How to Create a Full Sentence Outline. Retrieved from
https://classroom.synonym.com

(Ebbitt, R.W. and Ebbitt, R.D., 1978). "Writer's Guide and Index to English." 6th edition,
Scott, Foresman. Retrieved from: http://rasmussen.libanswers.com

(Gerald, A.J. and Brusaw, C.T., 2006). "Handbook of Technical Writing." 8th edition, St.
Martin's Press. Retrieved from: http://rasmussen.libanswers.com
(Hacker, D.,1999) A Writer’s Reference. 4th ed. New York: Beford/St. Martin’s. Retrieved
from: http://owl.english.purdue.edu

(Heffernan, A.W. and Lincoln J.E., 1990). "Writing: A College Handbook." 3rd edition,
W.W. Norton & Co. Retrieved from: http://rasmussen.libanswers.com

(Lietzau, K., 2018). Creating Outlines. Retrieved from: http://writing2.richmond.edu

(Nordguist, R., 2019). Library and Learning Services. Retrieved from:

http://rasmussen.libanswers.com

(Oldham, D., 2007). From Topic Outline to Sentence Outline. English 102. Retrieved from:
https://app.shoreline.edu

(William, C., and Law, J., 2009). "Research Papers." 15th edition, Cengage Learning,
Retrieved from: http://rasmussen.libanswers.com