Writing the outline

As you gather evidence to support your thesis, a tentative outline should form in your mind. At this time you need to formulate your outline by making a draft of it. This draft can be revised until it becomes the final copy of your outline.

This is a sample of an outline for an essay on the retention of the seal fishery.

Retention of Seal Fishery

• Introduction

• Reasons

• Cod fishery
• Products
• Employment

• Thesis statement

• Cod fishery

• Depletion of stock

• Seal consumption
• Seal excrement

• Loss of employment
• Weakened economy

• Products

• Oil
• Meat
• Furs

• Clothing
• Toys
• Ornaments

• Employment

• Seal fishing

• Land
• Gulf

• Manufacturing
• Canning

• Conclusion

• Summary
• Thesis statement

Note the format for the main headings and the subheadings. There shouldn't be an A without a B or a 1 without a 2. In other words, there must be a minimum of two subheadings.