Outline is a short summary of the main topics or principal ideas of a written work or a speech. A good outline serves as a useful tool for a reader or a writer. A reader can outline written material to discover the structure of the author’s argument and to determine its strengths and weaknesses.
A writer uses an outline primarily to organize ideas about a subject. The procedure for making such an outline is the same, whether the outline is short and simple or long and complicated. First, list the important points about the subject. Next, classify the items on the list into meaningful groups. Then decide on a method of organizing the groups to present the information clearly and effectively. For example, move from the least important to the most important points or from arguments in favor of a position to arguments against it.
A formal outline may take the form of a topic outline or a sentence outline. A topic outline summarizes the chief topics and subtopics of the piece in brief phrases. A sentence outline uses complete sentences for each topic and subtopic. Most formal outlines have a thesis statement that identifies the argument or subject of the outline, followed by topic headings and indented subheadings.
Here is an example of a topic outline:
