Daniel Kies Department of English College of DuPage
Composition 1 English 1101		Contact Form

Developing an Outline

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Whether they are called mind maps, concept maps, or just old-fashioned outlines, such tools help the writer organize his/her material logically by helping him/her sort and classify the material systematically. A secondary outcome of the process of sorting and classification is the ability to see the relationships that exist between ideas in our writing. This insight helps the writer develop a organized plan of presenting the material. Outlines, in all their forms, serve four basic functions:

• to present a logical, general description,
• to summarize schematically,
• to reveal an organizational pattern, and
• to provide a visual and conceptual design of the writing.

An outline reflects logical thinking and correct classification.

Beginning an Outline

Before we begin to write an outline, we must have progressed far enough into our planning such that we know the at least three things:

• the purpose of our paper,
• the thesis of our paper, and
• our audience.

Then, we can brainstorm and list all the ideas you want to include in this writing, organize our work by grouping ideas together that are related to each other, order our work by dividing the material into groups ranging from the general to the specific, or from abstract to concrete, and label the work by creating main and subtopic headings and writing coordinate levels in parallel form.

An outline has a balanced structure which uses the principles of

• parallelism,
• coordination,
• subordination, and
• division.

Parallelism

Whenever possible, in writing an outline, coordinate heads should be expressed in parallel form. That is, nouns should be made parallel with nouns, verb forms with verb forms, adjectives with adjectives, and so on. (Example: Nouns - computers, programs, users; Verbs - to compute, to program, to use; Adjectives - home computers, new programs, experienced users.) Although parallel structure is desired, logical and clear writing should not be sacrificed simply to maintain parallelism (For example, there are times when nouns and gerunds used at the same level of an outline are acceptable.) Reasonableness and flexibility of form is preferred to rigidity.

Coordination

In outlining, those items which are of equal significance have comparable numeral or letter designations; an A is equal a B, a 1 to a 2, an a to a b, etc. Coordinates should be seen as "having the same importance." Coordination is a principle that enables the writer to maintain a coherent and consistent document.

Correct coordination

A. Word processing programs

B. Data base programs

C. Spreadsheet programs

Incorrect coordination

A. Word processing programs

B. Word

C. Excel

Word is a type of word processing program and should be treated as a subdivision. Excel is a type of spreadsheet program. One way to correct coordination would be:

A. Types of programs

     1. Word

     2. Excel

B. Evaluation of programs

     1. Word

     2. Excel

... such tools help the writer organize his/her material logically by helping him/her sort and classify the material systematically ...

Subordination

In order to indicate relevance, that is levels of significance, an outline uses major and minor heading. Thus in ordering ideas you should organize material from general to specific or from abstract to concrete - the more general or abstract the concept, the higher the level or rank in the outline. This principle allows your material to be ordered in terms of logic and requires a clear articulation of the relationship between component parts used in the outline. Subdivisions of a major division should always have the same relationship to the whole.

Correct subordination

A. Word processing programs

1. Word

2. WordPerfect

B. Presentation programs

1. MS Power Point

2. Corel Presentations

Faulty subordination

A. Word processing programs

1. WordPerfect

2. Useful

3. Obsolete

There is an A without a B. Also 1, 2, 3 are not equal; WordPerfect is a type of word processing program, and useful and obsolete are qualities. One way to correct this faulty subordination is:

A. WordPerfect

1. Positive features

2. Negative features

B. Word

1. Positive features

2. Negative features

Division

To divide you always need at least two parts; therefore, there can never be an A without a B, a 1 without a 2, an a without a b, etc. Usually there is more than one way to divide parts; however, when dividing use only one basis of division at each rank and make the basis of division as sharp as possible.

Example 1

A. Microcomputer hardware

1. Types

2. Cost

3. Maintenance

B. Microcomputer software

Example 2

A. Computers

1. Mainframe

2. Micro

a. Floppy Disk

b. Hard disk

B. Computer Uses

1. Professional

2. Personal

Form

The most important principle for an outline's form is consistency. An outline can use TOPIC or SENTENCE structure, but be consistent in form all the way through.

A TOPIC outline uses words or phrases for all points; uses no punctuation after entries.

• Advantages — presents a brief overview of work; is generally easier and faster to write than a sentence outline

A SENTENCE outline uses complete sentences for all entries; uses correct punctuation

• Advantages — presents a more detailed overview of work including possible topic sentences; is easier and faster for writing the final paper.

An outline can use either alpha-numeric (usually with Roman numerals) form or a decimal form. Alternating patterns of upper and lower case letters with alternating progressions of Roman and Arabic numerals mark the level of subordination within the alpha-numeric form of the outline. Progressive patterns of decimals mark the levels of subordination in decimal form of outlining. The decimal form has become the standard form in scientific and technical writing. For example,

The alpha-numeric form           The decimal form
I.                                      1.0
  A.                                       1.1
  B.                                       1.2
    1.                                         1.2.1
    2.                                         1.2.2
      a.                                             1.2.2.1
      b.                                             1.2.2.2

See the sample outline that illustrates many of these points.

References

Corbet, Edward P.J.,Classical Rhetoric for the Modern Student

Purdue University Online Writing Lab, "Developing an Outline"

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