outlining is the first step in writing an essay answer

Trying to devise a structure for your essay can be one of the most difficult parts of the writing process. Making a detailed outline before you begin writing is a good way to make sure your ideas come across in a clear and logical order. A good outline will also save you time in the revision process, reducing the possibility that your ideas will need to be rearranged once you've written them.

The First Steps

Before you can begin outlining, you need to have a sense of what you will argue in the essay. From your analysis and close readings of primary and/or secondary sources you should have notes, ideas, and possible quotes to cite as evidence. Let's say you are writing about the 1999 Republican Primary and you want to prove that each candidate's financial resources were the most important element in the race. At this point, your notes probably lack much coherent order. Most likely, your ideas are still in the order in which they occurred to you; your notes and possible quotes probably still adhere to the chronology of the sources you've examined. Your goal is to rearrange your ideas, notes, and quotes—the raw material of your essay—into an order that best supports your argument, not the arguments you've read in other people's works. To do this, you have to group your notes into categories and then arrange these categories in a logical order.

Generalizing

The first step is to look over each individual piece of information that you've written and assign it to a general category. Ask yourself, "If I were to file this in a database, what would I file it under?" If, using the example of the Republican Primary, you wrote down an observation about John McCain's views on health care, you might list it under the general category of  "Health care policy." As you go through your notes, try to reuse categories whenever possible. Your goal is to reduce your notes to no more than a page of category listings.

Now examine your category headings. Do any seem repetitive? Do any go together? "McCain's expenditure on ads" and "Bush's expenditure on ads," while not exactly repetitive, could easily combine into a more general category like "Candidates' expenditures on ads." Also, keep an eye out for categories that no longer seem to relate to your argument. Individual pieces of information that at first seemed important can begin to appear irrelevant when grouped into a general category.

Now it's time to generalize again. Examine all your categories and look for common themes. Go through each category and ask yourself, "If I were to place this piece of information in a file cabinet, what would I label that cabinet?" Again, try to reuse labels as often as possible: "Health Care," "Foreign Policy," and "Immigration" can all be contained under "Policy Initiatives." Make these larger categories as general as possible so that there are no more than three or four for a 7-10 page paper.

With your notes grouped into generalized categories, the process of ordering them should be easier. To begin, look at your most general categories. With your thesis in mind, try to find a way that the labels might be arranged in a sentence or two that supports your argument. Let's say your thesis is that financial resources played the most important role in the 1999 Republican Primary. Your four most general categories are "Policy Initiatives," "Financial Resources," "Voters' Concerns," and "Voters' Loyalty." You might come up with the following sentence: ÒAlthough McCain's policy initiatives were closest to the voters' concerns, Bush's financial resources won the voters' loyalty.Ó This sentence should reveal the order of your most general categories. You will begin with an examination of McCain's and Bush's views on important issues and compare them to the voters' top concerns. Then you'll look at both candidates' financial resources and show how Bush could win voters' loyalty through effective use of his resources, despite his less popular policy ideas.

With your most general categories in order, you now must order the smaller categories. To do so, arrange each smaller category into a sentence or two that will support the more general sentence you've just devised. Under the category of "Financial Resources," for instance, you might have the smaller categories of "Ad Expenditure," "Campaign Contributions" and "Fundraising." A sentence that supports your general argument might read: "Bush's early emphasis on fundraising led to greater campaign contributions, allowing him to have a greater ad expenditure than McCain."

The final step of the outlining process is to repeat this procedure on the smallest level, with the original notes that you took for your essay. To order what probably was an unwieldy and disorganized set of information at the beginning of this process, you need now only think of a sentence or two to support your general argument. Under the category "Fundraising," for example, you might have quotes about each candidate's estimation of its importance, statistics about the amount of time each candidate spent fundraising, and an idea about how the importance of fundraising never can be overestimated. Sentences to support your general argument might read: "No candidate has ever raised too much money [your idea]. While both McCain and Bush acknowledged the importance of fundraising [your quotes], the numbers clearly point to Bush as the superior fundraiser [your statistics]." The arrangement of your ideas, quotes, and statistics now should come naturally.

Putting It All Together

With these sentences, you have essentially constructed an outline for your essay. The most general ideas, which you organized in your first sentence, constitute the essay's sections. They follow the order in which you placed them in your sentence. The order of the smaller categories within each larger category (determined by your secondary sentences) indicates the order of the paragraphs within each section. Finally, your last set of sentences about your specific notes should show the order of the sentences within each paragraph. An outline for the essay about the 1999 Republican Primary (showing only the sections worked out here) would look something like this:

I. POLICY INITIATIVES

II.  VOTERS' CONCERNS

III.  FINANCIAL RESOURCES

            A.  Fundraising

                        a.  Original Idea

                        b.  McCain Quote/Bush Quote

                        c.  McCain Statistics/Bush Statistics

            B.  Campaign Contributions

            C.  Ad Expenditure

IV.  VOTERS' LOYALTY

Copyright 2000, David Kornhaber, for the Writing Center at Harvard University

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8.2 Outlining

Learning objectives.

• Identify the steps in constructing an outline.
• Construct a topic outline and a sentence outline.

Your prewriting activities and readings have helped you gather information for your assignment. The more you sort through the pieces of information you found, the more you will begin to see the connections between them. Patterns and gaps may begin to stand out. But only when you start to organize your ideas will you be able to translate your raw insights into a form that will communicate meaning to your audience.

Longer papers require more reading and planning than shorter papers do. Most writers discover that the more they know about a topic, the more they can write about it with intelligence and interest.

Organizing Ideas

When you write, you need to organize your ideas in an order that makes sense. The writing you complete in all your courses exposes how analytically and critically your mind works. In some courses, the only direct contact you may have with your instructor is through the assignments you write for the course. You can make a good impression by spending time ordering your ideas.

Order refers to your choice of what to present first, second, third, and so on in your writing. The order you pick closely relates to your purpose for writing that particular assignment. For example, when telling a story, it may be important to first describe the background for the action. Or you may need to first describe a 3-D movie projector or a television studio to help readers visualize the setting and scene. You may want to group your support effectively to convince readers that your point of view on an issue is well reasoned and worthy of belief.

In longer pieces of writing, you may organize different parts in different ways so that your purpose stands out clearly and all parts of the paper work together to consistently develop your main point.

Methods of Organizing Writing

The three common methods of organizing writing are chronological order , spatial order , and order of importance . You will learn more about these in Chapter 9 “Writing Essays: From Start to Finish” ; however, you need to keep these methods of organization in mind as you plan how to arrange the information you have gathered in an outline. An outline is a written plan that serves as a skeleton for the paragraphs you write. Later, when you draft paragraphs in the next stage of the writing process, you will add support to create “flesh” and “muscle” for your assignment.

When you write, your goal is not only to complete an assignment but also to write for a specific purpose—perhaps to inform, to explain, to persuade, or for a combination of these purposes. Your purpose for writing should always be in the back of your mind, because it will help you decide which pieces of information belong together and how you will order them. In other words, choose the order that will most effectively fit your purpose and support your main point.

Table 8.1 “Order versus Purpose” shows the connection between order and purpose.

Table 8.1 Order versus Purpose

Writing a Thesis Statement

One legitimate question readers always ask about a piece of writing is “What is the big idea?” (You may even ask this question when you are the reader, critically reading an assignment or another document.) Every nonfiction writing task—from the short essay to the ten-page term paper to the lengthy senior thesis—needs a big idea, or a controlling idea, as the spine for the work. The controlling idea is the main idea that you want to present and develop.

For a longer piece of writing, the main idea should be broader than the main idea for a shorter piece of writing. Be sure to frame a main idea that is appropriate for the length of the assignment. Ask yourself, “How many pages will it take for me to explain and explore this main idea in detail?” Be reasonable with your estimate. Then expand or trim it to fit the required length.

The big idea, or controlling idea, you want to present in an essay is expressed in a thesis statement . A thesis statement is often one sentence long, and it states your point of view. The thesis statement is not the topic of the piece of writing but rather what you have to say about that topic and what is important to tell readers.

Table 8.2 “Topics and Thesis Statements” compares topics and thesis statements.

Table 8.2 Topics and Thesis Statements

The first thesis statement you write will be a preliminary thesis statement, or a working thesis statement . You will need it when you begin to outline your assignment as a way to organize it. As you continue to develop the arrangement, you can limit your working thesis statement if it is too broad or expand it if it proves too narrow for what you want to say.

Using the topic you selected in Section 8.1 “Apply Prewriting Models” , develop a working thesis statement that states your controlling idea for the piece of writing you are doing. On a sheet of paper, write your working thesis statement.

You will make several attempts before you devise a working thesis statement that you think is effective. Each draft of the thesis statement will bring you closer to the wording that expresses your meaning exactly.

Writing an Outline

For an essay question on a test or a brief oral presentation in class, all you may need to prepare is a short, informal outline in which you jot down key ideas in the order you will present them. This kind of outline reminds you to stay focused in a stressful situation and to include all the good ideas that help you explain or prove your point.

For a longer assignment, like an essay or a research paper, many college instructors require students to submit a formal outline before writing a major paper as a way to be sure you are on the right track and are working in an organized manner. A formal outline is a detailed guide that shows how all your supporting ideas relate to each other. It helps you distinguish between ideas that are of equal importance and ones that are of lesser importance. You build your paper based on the framework created by the outline.

Instructors may also require you to submit an outline with your final draft to check the direction of the assignment and the logic of your final draft. If you are required to submit an outline with the final draft of a paper, remember to revise the outline to reflect any changes you made while writing the paper.

There are two types of formal outlines: the topic outline and the sentence outline. You format both types of formal outlines in the same way.

• Place your introduction and thesis statement at the beginning, under roman numeral I.
• Use roman numerals (II, III, IV, V, etc.) to identify main points that develop the thesis statement.
• Use capital letters (A, B, C, D, etc.) to divide your main points into parts.
• Use arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc.) if you need to subdivide any As, Bs, or Cs into smaller parts.
• End with the final roman numeral expressing your idea for your conclusion.

Here is what the skeleton of a traditional formal outline looks like. The indention helps clarify how the ideas are related.

Introduction

Thesis statement

Main point 1 → becomes the topic sentence of body paragraph 1

Main point 2 → becomes the topic sentence of body paragraph 2

Main point 3 → becomes the topic sentence of body paragraph 3

In an outline, any supporting detail can be developed with subpoints. For simplicity, the model shows them only under the first main point.

Formal outlines are often quite rigid in their organization. As many instructors will specify, you cannot subdivide one point if it is only one part. For example, for every roman numeral I, there must be a For every A, there must be a B. For every arabic numeral 1, there must be a 2. See for yourself on the sample outlines that follow.

Constructing Topic Outlines

A topic outline is the same as a sentence outline except you use words or phrases instead of complete sentences. Words and phrases keep the outline short and easier to comprehend. All the headings, however, must be written in parallel structure. (For more information on parallel structure, see Chapter 7 “Refining Your Writing: How Do I Improve My Writing Technique?” .)

Here is the topic outline that Mariah constructed for the essay she is developing. Her purpose is to inform, and her audience is a general audience of her fellow college students. Notice how Mariah begins with her thesis statement. She then arranges her main points and supporting details in outline form using short phrases in parallel grammatical structure.

Writing an Effective Topic Outline

This checklist can help you write an effective topic outline for your assignment. It will also help you discover where you may need to do additional reading or prewriting.

• Do I have a controlling idea that guides the development of the entire piece of writing?
• Do I have three or more main points that I want to make in this piece of writing? Does each main point connect to my controlling idea?
• Is my outline in the best order—chronological order, spatial order, or order of importance—for me to present my main points? Will this order help me get my main point across?
• Do I have supporting details that will help me inform, explain, or prove my main points?
• Do I need to add more support? If so, where?
• Do I need to make any adjustments in my working thesis statement before I consider it the final version?

Writing at Work

Word processing programs generally have an automatic numbering feature that can be used to prepare outlines. This feature automatically sets indents and lets you use the tab key to arrange information just as you would in an outline. Although in business this style might be acceptable, in college your instructor might have different requirements. Teach yourself how to customize the levels of outline numbering in your word-processing program to fit your instructor’s preferences.

Using the working thesis statement you wrote in Note 8.32 “Exercise 1” and the reading you did in Section 8.1 “Apply Prewriting Models” , construct a topic outline for your essay. Be sure to observe correct outline form, including correct indentions and the use of Roman and arabic numerals and capital letters.

Collaboration

Please share with a classmate and compare your outline. Point out areas of interest from their outline and what you would like to learn more about.

Constructing Sentence Outlines

A sentence outline is the same as a topic outline except you use complete sentences instead of words or phrases. Complete sentences create clarity and can advance you one step closer to a draft in the writing process.

Here is the sentence outline that Mariah constructed for the essay she is developing.

The information compiled under each roman numeral will become a paragraph in your final paper. In the previous example, the outline follows the standard five-paragraph essay arrangement, but longer essays will require more paragraphs and thus more roman numerals. If you think that a paragraph might become too long or stringy, add an additional paragraph to your outline, renumbering the main points appropriately.

PowerPoint presentations, used both in schools and in the workplace, are organized in a way very similar to formal outlines. PowerPoint presentations often contain information in the form of talking points that the presenter develops with more details and examples than are contained on the PowerPoint slide.

Expand the topic outline you prepared in Note 8.41 “Exercise 2” to make it a sentence outline. In this outline, be sure to include multiple supporting points for your main topic even if your topic outline does not contain them. Be sure to observe correct outline form, including correct indentions and the use of Roman and arabic numerals and capital letters.

Key Takeaways

• Writers must put their ideas in order so the assignment makes sense. The most common orders are chronological order, spatial order, and order of importance.
• After gathering and evaluating the information you found for your essay, the next step is to write a working, or preliminary, thesis statement.
• The working thesis statement expresses the main idea that you want to develop in the entire piece of writing. It can be modified as you continue the writing process.
• Effective writers prepare a formal outline to organize their main ideas and supporting details in the order they will be presented.
• A topic outline uses words and phrases to express the ideas.
• A sentence outline uses complete sentences to express the ideas.
• The writer’s thesis statement begins the outline, and the outline ends with suggestions for the concluding paragraph.

Writing for Success Copyright © 2015 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Writing a Paper: Outlining

Outlining strategies.

Outlining your first draft by listing each paragraph's topic sentence can be an easy way to ensure that each of your paragraphs is serving a specific purpose in your paper.  You may find opportunities to combine or eliminate potential paragraphs when outlining—first drafts often contain repetitive ideas or sections that stall, rather than advance, the paper's central argument .

Additionally, if you are having trouble revising a paper, making an outline of each paragraph and its topic sentence after you have written your paper can be an effective way of identifying a paper's strengths and weaknesses.

Example Outline

The following outline is for a 5-7 page paper discussing the link between educational attainment and health. Review the other sections of this page for more detailed information about each component of this outline!

I. Introduction

A. Current Problem: Educational attainment rates are decreasing in the United States while healthcare costs are increasing. B. Population/Area of Focus: Unskilled or low-skilled adult workers C. Key Terms:   healthy, well-educated   Thesis Statement: Because of their income deficit (cite sources) and general susceptibility to depression (cite sources), students who drop out of high school before graduation maintain a higher risk for physical and mental health problems later in life.

II. Background

A. Historical Employment Overview: Unskilled laborers in the past were frequently unionized and adequately compensated for their work (cite sources). B. Historical Healthcare Overview: Unskilled laborers in the past were often provided adequate healthcare and benefits (cite sources). C. Current Link between Education and Employment Type: Increasingly, uneducated workers work in unskilled or low-skilled jobs (cite sources). D. Gaps in the Research: Little information exists exploring the health implications of the current conditions in low-skilled jobs.

III. Major Point 1:  Conditions of employment affect workers' physical health. 

A. Minor Point 1: Unskilled work environments are correlated highly with worker injury (cite sources). B. Minor Point 2: Unskilled work environments rarely provide healthcare or adequate injury recovery time (cite sources).

IV. Major Point 2: Conditions of employment affect workers' mental health

A. Minor Point 1: Employment in a low-skilled position is highly correlated with dangerous levels of stress (cite sources). B. Minor Point 2: Stress is highly correlated with mental health issues (cite sources).

V. Major Point 3: Physical  health and mental health correlate directly with one another.

A. Minor Point 1: Mental health problems and physical health problems are highly correlated (cite sources). B. Minor Point 2: Stress manifests itself in physical form (cite sources)

VI. Major Point 4: People with more financial worries have more stress and worse physical health.

A. Minor Point 1: Many high-school dropouts face financial problems (cite sources). B. Minor Point 2: Financial problems are often correlated with unhealthy lifestyle choices such unhealthy food choices, overconsumption/abuse of alcohol, chain smoking, abusive relationships, etc. (cite sources).

VII. Conclusion

A. Restatement of Thesis:  Students who drop out of high school are at a higher risk for both mental and physical health problems throughout their lives. B. Next Steps:  Society needs educational advocates; educators need to be aware of this situation and strive for student retention in order to promote healthy lifestyles and warn students of the risks associated with dropping out of school.

Introduction/Context

Your introduction provides context to your readers to prepare them for your paper's argument or purpose.  An introduction should begin with discussion of your specific topic (not a broad background overview) and provide just enough context (definitions of key terms, for example) to prepare your readers for your thesis or purpose statement.

Sample Introduction/Context: If the topic of your paper is the link between educational attainment and health, your introduction might do the following: (a) establish the population you are discussing, (b) define key terms such as healthy and well-educated , or (c) justify the discussion of this topic by pointing out a connection to a current problem that your paper will help address.

Thesis/Purpose Statement

A thesis or purpose statement should come at the end of your introduction and state clearly and concisely what the purpose or central argument of your paper is. The introduction prepares your reader for this statement, and the rest of the paper follows in support of it.

Sample Thesis Statement: Because of their income deficit (Smith, 2010) and general susceptibility to depression (Jones, 2011), students who drop out of high school before graduation maintain a higher risk for physical and mental health problems later in life.

After the initial introduction, background on your topic often follows. This paragraph or section might include a literature review surveying the current state of knowledge on your topic or simply a historical overview of relevant information. The purpose of this section is to justify your own project or paper by pointing out a gap in the current research which your work will address.

Sample Background: A background section on a paper on education and health might include an overview of recent research in this area, such as research on depression or on decreasing high school graduation rates.

Major & Minor Points

Major points are the building blocks of your paper. Major points build on each other, moving the paper forward and toward its conclusion. Each major point should be a clear claim that relates to the central argument of your paper.

Sample Major Point: Employment and physical health may be a good first major point for this sample paper.  Here, a student might discuss how dropping out of high school often leads to fewer employment opportunities, and those employment opportunities that are available tend to be correlated with poor work environments and low pay.

Minor points are subtopics within your major points. Minor points develop the nuances of your major points but may not be significant enough to warrant extended attention on their own. These may come in the form of statistics, examples from your sources, or supporting ideas.

Sample Minor Point: A sample minor point of the previous major point (employment and physical health) might address worker injury or the frequent lack of health insurance benefits offered by low-paying employers.

The rest of the body of your paper will be made up of more major and minor points. Each major point should advance the paper's central argument, often building on the previous points, until you have provided enough evidence and analysis to justify your paper's conclusion.

More Major and Minor Points: In this paper, more major points might include mental health of high school dropouts, healthcare access for dropouts, and correlation between mental and physical health. Minor topics could include specific work environments, job satisfaction in various fields, and correlation between depression and chronic illness.

Your conclusion both restates your paper's major claim and ties that claim into a larger discussion. Rather than simply reiterating each major and minor point, quickly revisit your thesis statement and focus on ending the paper by tying your thesis into current research in your field, next steps for other researchers, your broader studies, or other future implications.

Sample Conclusion: For this paper, a conclusion might restate the central argument (the link between lack of education and health issues) and go on to connect that discussion to a larger discussion of the U.S. healthcare or education systems.

Outlining Video

Note that this video was created while APA 6 was the style guide edition in use. There may be some examples of writing that have not been updated to APA 7 guidelines.

• Prewriting Demonstrations: Outlining (video transcript)

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4a. Outlining

Outlining is a focused prewriting and visualization technique that helps writers organize their ideas for an essay to meet a word count requirement, to decide which evidence and appeals will best suit their purpose and audience, and keep arguments and counterarguments focused on the main idea. Drafting is the step in the writing process at which you compose a complete first version of an academic essay or other piece of writing. Organizing your ideas for an essay into a formal or informal outline will help you translate your raw insights and research into a form that will communicate meaning to a reader. It will also provide you with a guide to follow in that moment when you reach the end of a paragraph and need to transition to a new one. Used in combination, outlining and drafting are powerful tools that can writers use to organize their ideas, previsualize their finished piece of writing, and manage their time effectively as the clock ticks down toward your deadlines.

Planning Ahead

When tasked with composing an essay, giving a presentation, or writing an application letter, you need to develop your ideas in an order that makes sense to your audience and suits the purpose of the task. Order refers to your choice of what to present first, second, third, and so on in your writing – from the order of individual words in a sentence to the order of sentences in paragraphs and paragraphs in an essay. Outlining provides writers the ability to play around with the order of ideas, evidence, paragraphs, and other elements of an essay before committing them to the page. A formal outline is a detailed guide that shows how all of your supporting ideas relate to each other and to your thesis. It helps you distinguish between ideas and details that are of relatively equal importance from ones of lesser or supporting importance. An outline is a useful framework for crafting your first draft.

Cognitively, outlining also stimulates the brain to begin previsualizing a finished composition. With practice, a writer can use an outline (or even a detailed task analysis, freewrite, or idea map) to think spatially and temporally about the writing process. Thinking spatially involves a writer’s ability to picture how the essay will take physical shape on the page as their thoughts flow from their fingertips through the pen or keyboard and become words, sentences, paragraphs, and even chapters. Temporal thinking involves a writer’s ability to conceptualize and schedule the hours, days, or even months that will be required to draft, revise, and edit any essay or writing task. While writers are always making spatial and temporal decisions internally while planning and drafting an essay, an outline can provide you a concrete representation of your planning and a guide to follow while writing your first draft.

As writers consider the purpose and goals for a writing task, they often begin by prewriting to reflect on the best way to order their ideas, appeals, and evidence. Poets, journalists, and essayists and other writers typically balance order and purpose in their writing by considering three ways of organizing:

• Order of Importance
• Chronological Order
• Spatial Order

Academic essays typically deploy Order of Importance strategies. Once you have written out our working thesis, you are ready to develop a formal outline for an academic essay. There are many strategies and methods for outlining an essay. Typically, a formal outline uses numbers and letters or bullet points to format the page.

A formal outline for an academic essay will typically look something like the following example. An outline like this one can help you make sure that your essays develop your own voice as a writer and use your sources for support, rather than letting your sources dominate the essay.  Distinguished Professor of Writing Lisa Ede once said, “let your writing tell you what to read.” Creating even a skeletal outline for an essay or writing project allows you to follow that advice and confidently develop your voice while reading, researching, and drafting.

Introduction

• Question at issue
• Preview of main ideas (useful for essays that are longer than five paragraphs)

Background and Context

• Depending on the length and content requirements of an essay assignment, it may be useful to include a background and context paragraph to define keywords, provide background information or historical context, or situate your approach to a topic in relation to a particular audience or discourse community.

Supporting Arguments

As many as needed to develop your thesis and meet your word count.

• Topic Sentence
• Signal Phrase
• Quotation or Paraphrase
• Explanation

Alternative/Opposing Arguments

As needed to develop your thesis

• Topic Sentence: Assertion about your thesis from an alternative perspective
• Analysis and refutation (if needed) of the alternative reasoning
• Synthesis paragraphs reflect on the relationship between the supporting and alternative arguments and consider the possibilities for reaching common ground on the issue
• Reiterate your main idea and summarize how you arrived at your thesis
• Consider the broader implication and/or limitations of your reasoning and evidence
• Circle the reader back to your opening sentences to bring them full circle
• Citation styles vary by academic discipline and instructor preference. Humanities scholars generally use MLA, social science and science scholars generally use APA, and styles like Chicago and Harvard are used in a variety of academic disciplines

Writing as Inquiry Copyright © 2021 by Kara Clevinger and Stephen Rust is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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• The Writing Process
• Parts of an Academic Essay
• Rhetorical Modes as Types of Essays
• Stylistic Considerations
• Literary Analysis Essay - Close Reading
• Unity and Coherence in Essays
• Proving the Thesis/Critical Thinking
• Appropriate Language
• Sample Essay - Fairies
• Sample Outline - Modern Technology
• Sample Outline - Physical Fitness

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• Paragraphs and Essays

What is an outline?

An outline of an academic essay contains the thesis and brief information about the proof paragraphs. .

The  proof paragraphs  are the paragraphs between the introduction paragraph and the concluding paragraph. Proof paragraphs contain evidence, also called supporting details, that the thesis is accurate.

An outline is like a skeleton of the essay. Outlines for academic essays and research papers that are not reports on research or other specialized report have a very specific organization. Here is a sample for a 500-word essay. The number of body paragraphs will vary, generally from two to four, for a 500-word essay.

Thesis and Supporting Details (Body Paragraphs)

Thesis : A one-sentence answer takes a position on the research question or, if assigned a topic and not a question, the thesis is a one-sentence statement taking a position on a controversial aspect of the topic. The thesis must be a statement, not a question. The thesis must be a sentence, not a topic. See Thesis in Related Links on the right sidebar.

I. One reason why your thesis is accurate.

A.  Supporting detail

B.  Supporting detail

II. Second reason why your thesis is accurate.

III.  Third reason why your thesis is accurate.

A. Supporting detail

B. Supporting detail

Concluding paragraph  sums up proof and restates thesis and/or draws an implication from the information presented as to significance depending upon instructions.

For a shorter essay, possibly only two body paragraphs will be needed. For a longer essay, you may need more proof paragraphs.  

Note that the outline begins with the thesis statement. What you intend to put into the introduction paragraph as background information leading up the thesis is not part of the outline.

Note that I, II, and III represent what will go into the body (proof paragraphs).

Note that the outline does not ordinarily include a reference to the concluding paragraph even though we have listed it above, but all essays must have a concluding paragraph.

How outlining helps in writing an essay

There are three ways that an outline can help you in writing your essay..

• It helps to organize your thought or research, if you are writing a research paper, into a writing plan.
• It can also help you decide what information should be included and which information is not really needed.
• Finally, it can also help you manage the large amount of information you need to sort in order to write a well supported paper.

Once you have an outline, you can actually write the essay from the outline. Just open the file, delete the word Thesis and the paragraph numbering, add background information before the thesis, develop details for each proof paragraph, and write the concluding paragraph.

How to create an outline

An outline must start with a thesis statement: a one-sentence statement (not a question) taking a position answering a research question (if given a research question to answer) or taking a position on a controversial aspect of a topic (if given a topic on which to write a paper).

Sometimes, you know your position and can easily start with a thesis. If you also know your reasons why you are taking that position, you can simply list your reasons (I, II, …).

At other times, you may not be sure and have to do some thinking or research on the issue. Let’s take the question “Why don’t some Americans vote?” If this is not a research paper, you might have to do some brainstorming before you can come up with a thesis: a one-sentence answer to the question. If this is a research essay (research paper), you will do some research. Creating a working bibliography (a list of sources) or doing a synthesis activity can be very helpful for gathering ideas.

Whether you are required to do research or not, the first step is determining a thesis statement.  From brainstorming and/or research, you may have identified the several reasons some people don’t vote as follows:

Age restrictions

Believe that the system is fixed

Believe nothing will ever change

Don’t know where to go to vote

Physically disabled

Don’t know where to register

Happy with the status quo

Believe their vote doesn’t count

Can’t vote because of incarceration

Don’t know when to vote

Not an important part of upbringing/culture

Felony conviction

Don’t know what identification is needed

Illegal status

Receiving false information about where to vote

Now, we have to cluster these points into categories so that they can be discussed in an organized way in the essay. We can see that there are some general reasons such as legal barriers, confusion about how to register or where to vote, and lack of concern or interest where people just don’t think voting would change anything.

I.   Lack of concern or interest

II.  Confusion

III. Legal barriers

Looking over the notes that you made from your brainstorming or research, the next step is to eliminate duplications and group ideas under the categories. Depending on the assignment length, you don’t necessarily have to include everything you find.

For example:

Age restrictions - proof paragraph   III

Believe that the system is fixed - proof paragraph I

Believe nothing will ever change - proof paragraph I

Don’t know where to go to vote - proof paragraph  II

Physically disabled - proof paragraph II

Don’t know where to register - proof paragraph  II

Happy with the status quo - proof paragraph I

Too young - proof paragraph - proof paragraph III

Believe their vote doesn’t count - proof paragraph  I

Can’t vote because of incarceration - proof paragraph III

Don’t know when to vote - proof paragraph II

Not an important part of upbringing/culture - proof paragraph I

Felony conviction - proof paragraph III

Don’t know what identification is needed - proof paragraph   II

Illegal status - proof paragraph III

Receiving false information about where to vote - proof paragraph II

Now you have a rough outline. You have your three major causes and some details that support each. The next step is to make a solid thesis.

The most important part of your paper is the thesis. A good thesis clearly answers your research question and will provide guidance to the reader about the direction and scope of your paper. Make sure that your thesis is a defensible point that others could reasonably disagree. For this paper a reasonable thesis could be: Three major reasons that Americans do not vote are apathy, confusion, and legal barriers.

Next it is time to think about the body of your essay. Since the thesis very clearly shows the three main points, you can use these along with the grouped details you sorted earlier. As you are making your outline you may discover that you have more ideas than you can fit into your paper’s length or that you have gone beyond the scope of your topic. If so, feel free to remove some ideas. For example, because you have many different types of ideas listed under legal barriers, you may wish to remove the weakest or least supported detail.

Some instructors also require that you include a concluding statement. Remember that this statement should simply be a restatement of your thesis and should never introduce new ideas or begin a new discussion. 

This is an acceptable outline to the research questions we’ve developed here:

Your Instructor’s Name

Course Title

Day Month Year

Thesis: Three major reasons that Americans do not vote are apathy, confusion, and legal barriers.

I.  Lack of concern or interest

A.  Disbelief in the system

1.  One vote doesn’t matter

2.  Voting is tampered with

B.  Social/culturally not valued

C.  Satisfaction with the status quo

A.  Location

1.  Where to register

2.  Where to vote

B.  When to vote

C.  What documents are needed

III.  Legal barriers

A.  Incarceration

B.   Conviction of a felony

C.  Immigration status

Concluding paragraph:  Sum up proof and restate thesis and/or draw an implication from the information presented showing the significance depending upon your instructions.

Note that this outline has three support details for each reason your thesis is right (each proof point – I, II, III).  Sections I, II, and III each represent one body (proof) paragraph.  Each body paragraph in the essay must begin with a topic sentence that is a reason your thesis is accurate.  This may vary from essay to essay.  What is described here is more like a scratch outline or topic outline which gives just the general ideas.  A formal outline would include detailed sentences and subsections. These are called  sentence outlines.   In a sentence outline, the sentence next to each I, II, and III must be a topic sentence which clearly expresses what point that shows the thesis is right will be shown in the paragraph.  

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• A step-by-step guide to the writing process

The Writing Process | 5 Steps with Examples & Tips

Published on April 24, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on December 8, 2023.

Good academic writing requires effective planning, drafting, and revision.

The writing process looks different for everyone, but there are five basic steps that will help you structure your time when writing any kind of text.

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Table of contents

Step 1: prewriting, step 2: planning and outlining, step 3: writing a first draft, step 4: redrafting and revising, step 5: editing and proofreading, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about the writing process.

Before you start writing, you need to decide exactly what you’ll write about and do the necessary research.

Coming up with a topic

If you have to come up with your own topic for an assignment, think of what you’ve covered in class— is there a particular area that intrigued, interested, or even confused you? Topics that left you with additional questions are perfect, as these are questions you can explore in your writing.

The scope depends on what type of text you’re writing—for example, an essay or a research paper will be less in-depth than a dissertation topic . Don’t pick anything too ambitious to cover within the word count, or too limited for you to find much to say.

Narrow down your idea to a specific argument or question. For example, an appropriate topic for an essay might be narrowed down like this:

Doing the research

Once you know your topic, it’s time to search for relevant sources and gather the information you need. This process varies according to your field of study and the scope of the assignment. It might involve:

• Searching for primary and secondary sources .
• Reading the relevant texts closely (e.g. for literary analysis ).
• Collecting data using relevant research methods (e.g. experiments , interviews or surveys )

From a writing perspective, the important thing is to take plenty of notes while you do the research. Keep track of the titles, authors, publication dates, and relevant quotations from your sources; the data you gathered; and your initial analysis or interpretation of the questions you’re addressing.

Check for common mistakes

Use the best grammar checker available to check for common mistakes in your text.

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Especially in academic writing , it’s important to use a logical structure to convey information effectively. It’s far better to plan this out in advance than to try to work out your structure once you’ve already begun writing.

Creating an essay outline is a useful way to plan out your structure before you start writing. This should help you work out the main ideas you want to focus on and how you’ll organize them. The outline doesn’t have to be final—it’s okay if your structure changes throughout the writing process.

Use bullet points or numbering to make your structure clear at a glance. Even for a short text that won’t use headings, it’s useful to summarize what you’ll discuss in each paragraph.

An outline for a literary analysis essay might look something like this:

• Describe the theatricality of Austen’s works
• Outline the role theater plays in Mansfield Park
• Introduce the research question: How does Austen use theater to express the characters’ morality in Mansfield Park ?
• Discuss Austen’s depiction of the performance at the end of the first volume
• Discuss how Sir Bertram reacts to the acting scheme
• Introduce Austen’s use of stage direction–like details during dialogue
• Explore how these are deployed to show the characters’ self-absorption
• Discuss Austen’s description of Maria and Julia’s relationship as polite but affectionless
• Compare Mrs. Norris’s self-conceit as charitable despite her idleness
• Summarize the three themes: The acting scheme, stage directions, and the performance of morals
• Answer the research question
• Indicate areas for further study

Once you have a clear idea of your structure, it’s time to produce a full first draft.

This process can be quite non-linear. For example, it’s reasonable to begin writing with the main body of the text, saving the introduction for later once you have a clearer idea of the text you’re introducing.

To give structure to your writing, use your outline as a framework. Make sure that each paragraph has a clear central focus that relates to your overall argument.

Hover over the parts of the example, from a literary analysis essay on Mansfield Park , to see how a paragraph is constructed.

The character of Mrs. Norris provides another example of the performance of morals in Mansfield Park . Early in the novel, she is described in scathing terms as one who knows “how to dictate liberality to others: but her love of money was equal to her love of directing” (p. 7). This hypocrisy does not interfere with her self-conceit as “the most liberal-minded sister and aunt in the world” (p. 7). Mrs. Norris is strongly concerned with appearing charitable, but unwilling to make any personal sacrifices to accomplish this. Instead, she stage-manages the charitable actions of others, never acknowledging that her schemes do not put her own time or money on the line. In this way, Austen again shows us a character whose morally upright behavior is fundamentally a performance—for whom the goal of doing good is less important than the goal of seeming good.

When you move onto a different topic, start a new paragraph. Use appropriate transition words and phrases to show the connections between your ideas.

The goal at this stage is to get a draft completed, not to make everything perfect as you go along. Once you have a full draft in front of you, you’ll have a clearer idea of where improvement is needed.

Give yourself a first draft deadline that leaves you a reasonable length of time to revise, edit, and proofread before the final deadline. For a longer text like a dissertation, you and your supervisor might agree on deadlines for individual chapters.

Now it’s time to look critically at your first draft and find potential areas for improvement. Redrafting means substantially adding or removing content, while revising involves making changes to structure and reformulating arguments.

Evaluating the first draft

It can be difficult to look objectively at your own writing. Your perspective might be positively or negatively biased—especially if you try to assess your work shortly after finishing it.

It’s best to leave your work alone for at least a day or two after completing the first draft. Come back after a break to evaluate it with fresh eyes; you’ll spot things you wouldn’t have otherwise.

When evaluating your writing at this stage, you’re mainly looking for larger issues such as changes to your arguments or structure. Starting with bigger concerns saves you time—there’s no point perfecting the grammar of something you end up cutting out anyway.

Right now, you’re looking for:

• Arguments that are unclear or illogical.
• Areas where information would be better presented in a different order.
• Passages where additional information or explanation is needed.
• Passages that are irrelevant to your overall argument.

For example, in our paper on Mansfield Park , we might realize the argument would be stronger with more direct consideration of the protagonist Fanny Price, and decide to try to find space for this in paragraph IV.

For some assignments, you’ll receive feedback on your first draft from a supervisor or peer. Be sure to pay close attention to what they tell you, as their advice will usually give you a clearer sense of which aspects of your text need improvement.

Redrafting and revising

Once you’ve decided where changes are needed, make the big changes first, as these are likely to have knock-on effects on the rest. Depending on what your text needs, this step might involve:

• Making changes to your overall argument.
• Reordering the text.
• Cutting parts of the text.
• Adding new text.

You can go back and forth between writing, redrafting and revising several times until you have a final draft that you’re happy with.

Think about what changes you can realistically accomplish in the time you have. If you are running low on time, you don’t want to leave your text in a messy state halfway through redrafting, so make sure to prioritize the most important changes.

Editing focuses on local concerns like clarity and sentence structure. Proofreading involves reading the text closely to remove typos and ensure stylistic consistency. You can check all your drafts and texts in minutes with an AI proofreader .

Editing for grammar and clarity

When editing, you want to ensure your text is clear, concise, and grammatically correct. You’re looking out for:

• Grammatical errors.
• Ambiguous phrasings.
• Redundancy and repetition .

In your initial draft, it’s common to end up with a lot of sentences that are poorly formulated. Look critically at where your meaning could be conveyed in a more effective way or in fewer words, and watch out for common sentence structure mistakes like run-on sentences and sentence fragments:

• Austen’s style is frequently humorous, her characters are often described as “witty.” Although this is less true of Mansfield Park .
• Austen’s style is frequently humorous. Her characters are often described as “witty,” although this is less true of Mansfield Park .

To make your sentences run smoothly, you can always use a paraphrasing tool to rewrite them in a clearer way.

Proofreading for small mistakes and typos

When proofreading, first look out for typos in your text:

• Spelling errors.
• Missing words.
• Confused word choices .
• Punctuation errors .
• Missing or excess spaces.

Use a grammar checker , but be sure to do another manual check after. Read through your text line by line, watching out for problem areas highlighted by the software but also for any other issues it might have missed.

For example, in the following phrase we notice several errors:

• Mary Crawfords character is a complicate one and her relationships with Fanny and Edmund undergoes several transformations through out the novel.
• Mary Crawford’s character is a complicated one, and her relationships with both Fanny and Edmund undergo several transformations throughout the novel.

Proofreading for stylistic consistency

There are several issues in academic writing where you can choose between multiple different standards. For example:

• Whether you use the serial comma .
• Whether you use American or British spellings and punctuation (you can use a punctuation checker for this).
• Where you use numerals vs. words for numbers.
• How you capitalize your titles and headings.

Unless you’re given specific guidance on these issues, it’s your choice which standards you follow. The important thing is to consistently follow one standard for each issue. For example, don’t use a mixture of American and British spellings in your paper.

Additionally, you will probably be provided with specific guidelines for issues related to format (how your text is presented on the page) and citations (how you acknowledge your sources). Always follow these instructions carefully.

If you want to know more about AI for academic writing, AI tools, or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

• Ad hominem fallacy
• Post hoc fallacy
• Appeal to authority fallacy
• False cause fallacy
• Sunk cost fallacy
• Deep learning
• Generative AI
• Machine learning
• Reinforcement learning
• Supervised vs. unsupervised learning

 (AI) Tools

• Grammar Checker
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• Text Summarizer
• AI Detector
• Plagiarism Checker
• Citation Generator

Revising, proofreading, and editing are different stages of the writing process .

• Revising is making structural and logical changes to your text—reformulating arguments and reordering information.
• Editing refers to making more local changes to things like sentence structure and phrasing to make sure your meaning is conveyed clearly and concisely.
• Proofreading involves looking at the text closely, line by line, to spot any typos and issues with consistency and correct them.

Whether you’re publishing a blog, submitting a research paper , or even just writing an important email, there are a few techniques you can use to make sure it’s error-free:

• Take a break : Set your work aside for at least a few hours so that you can look at it with fresh eyes.
• Proofread a printout : Staring at a screen for too long can cause fatigue – sit down with a pen and paper to check the final version.
• Use digital shortcuts : Take note of any recurring mistakes (for example, misspelling a particular word, switching between US and UK English , or inconsistently capitalizing a term), and use Find and Replace to fix it throughout the document.

If you want to be confident that an important text is error-free, it might be worth choosing a professional proofreading service instead.

If you’ve gone over the word limit set for your assignment, shorten your sentences and cut repetition and redundancy during the editing process. If you use a lot of long quotes , consider shortening them to just the essentials.

If you need to remove a lot of words, you may have to cut certain passages. Remember that everything in the text should be there to support your argument; look for any information that’s not essential to your point and remove it.

To make this process easier and faster, you can use a paraphrasing tool . With this tool, you can rewrite your text to make it simpler and shorter. If that’s not enough, you can copy-paste your paraphrased text into the summarizer . This tool will distill your text to its core message.

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How to Create an Outline and Essay Example: A Comprehensive Guide

Writing an essay can often feel like a daunting task, especially if you don't know where to start. However, with a proper outline and a clear example to follow, the process becomes much more manageable. In this guide, we'll walk you through the steps to create an effective outline and provide a detailed essay example to help you get started. Whether you're a student or a professional writer, these tips will make your essay writing process smoother and more productive.

Why an Outline is Important

Creating an outline is a crucial step in the essay writing process. It serves as a roadmap for your essay, helping you organize your thoughts and ideas in a logical order. Here are a few reasons why an outline is essential:

Helps Organize Ideas

An outline allows you to arrange your main points and supporting details in a coherent structure, making it easier to follow your argument.

By planning your essay in advance, you can avoid wasting time on unnecessary revisions and ensure that your writing stays focused and on track.

Improves Clarity

A well-structured outline helps you present your ideas clearly and concisely, making it easier for your readers to understand your argument.

How to Create an Essay Outline

Now that we understand the importance of an outline, let's look at how to create one. Follow these steps to develop a comprehensive essay outline:

Step 1: Choose Your Topic

Before you can create an outline, you need to have a clear understanding of your essay topic. Choose a topic that interests you and is relevant to your assignment.

Step 2: Determine Your Thesis Statement

Your thesis statement is the main point of your essay. It should be a clear, concise statement that outlines your argument or the purpose of your essay.

Step 3: Identify Main Points

Identify the main points that support your thesis statement. These will form the basis of your essay's body paragraphs.

Step 4: Organize Supporting Details

For each main point, list the supporting details and evidence that you will include in your essay. This could include quotes, statistics, examples, or personal anecdotes.

Step 5: Create an Outline Structure

Organize your main points and supporting details into a logical structure. A typical essay outline includes the following sections:

Introduction

• Hook: A captivating opening sentence to grab the reader's attention.
• Background information: Brief context or background information about the topic.
• Thesis statement: Your main argument or purpose.

Body Paragraphs

• Main Point 1: Topic sentence and supporting details.
• Main Point 2: Topic sentence and supporting details.
• Main Point 3: Topic sentence and supporting details.
• Restate thesis: Summarize your main argument.
• Summary of main points: Briefly recap your main points.
• Closing statement: A final thought or call to action.

Essay Example

To help you understand how to apply the outline to an actual essay, here is a detailed example on the topic of "The Importance of Renewable Energy":

Renewable energy is becoming an increasingly important topic in today's world. As the effects of climate change become more apparent, the need for sustainable energy sources is more pressing than ever. In this essay, we will explore the benefits of renewable energy and why it is crucial for our future.

Main Point 1: Environmental Benefits

Renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar, and hydropower, produce little to no greenhouse gas emissions. Unlike fossil fuels, which release harmful pollutants into the atmosphere, renewable energy sources help reduce air pollution and combat climate change. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, switching to renewable energy could significantly lower our carbon footprint.

Main Point 2: Economic Benefits

Investing in renewable energy can also have significant economic benefits. The renewable energy industry creates jobs and stimulates economic growth. For example, the solar industry alone employed over 250,000 people in the United States in 2020. Additionally, renewable energy can lead to lower energy costs in the long run, as the technology becomes more efficient and widespread.

Main Point 3: Energy Security

Renewable energy sources provide a more stable and secure energy supply. Unlike fossil fuels, which are subject to price fluctuations and geopolitical tensions, renewable energy is abundant and locally available. This reduces our reliance on imported energy and enhances national security.

In conclusion, renewable energy offers numerous benefits for the environment, economy, and energy security. As we face the challenges of climate change and dwindling fossil fuel reserves, it is essential that we invest in sustainable energy solutions. By transitioning to renewable energy, we can create a cleaner, healthier, and more prosperous future for generations to come.

Final Thoughts

Creating an outline and following a clear example are essential steps in the essay writing process. By organizing your thoughts and ideas in advance, you can write more effectively and efficiently. Remember, practice makes perfect, so don't be afraid to experiment with different outlining techniques and essay structures until you find what works best for you. Happy writing!

Which of the following best states the steps of writing an argumentative essay? • finding evidence to support a claim, creating a thesis and outline. expanding the outline into a draft, and rewriting the draft in an engaging way © creating a thesis and outline, finding evidence to support: claim, writing a first draft, and creating an outline O making a claim, collecting evidence to support it, writing a draft, and expanding the draft in an engaging way O creating a thesis and outline, finding evidence O support a claim, and expanding the outline into a final draft

Which of the following best describes how to write an argumentative essay.

locating proof for a point, formulating a thesis , and writing an outline. developing the outline into a draft, then updating the draft to make it more interesting.

Which of the following statements most accurately sums up the process of producing an argumentative essay? The issue and perspective of the thesis statement are reiterated in the conclusion.

Aristotelian (Classic)

1 Identify the issue.

2 Describe your point of view.

3 Describe your opponent's viewpoint. As you go, refute each of their arguments.

Show off your supporting documentation.

5 Bring your case to a close.

2 Outline your opponent's viewpoint first.

3 Describe your point of view.

To Know more about   thesis

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Related Questions

Why did the moche develope a complex early irrigation system

The moche developed a complex early irrigation system because of the harsh environment and weather.

The Moche people of ancient Peru were able to develop an irrigation system so as to be able to savage the situation at hand, which is the harsh weather that do not support their farming activities.

It should be noted that this was done for their large population  so that they can grow crops like corn, , hence we can conclude that   moche developed a complex early irrigation system because of the harsh environment and weather in their region.

Learn more about irrigation system at:

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NOTE; This is a complete question , no given option , even on the internet.

Write an expression that represents the total owed for 3 months of cable at a price of c dollars for each month, plus a one-time equipment fee of $25? 2(25) + c 25c + 3 3(c) + 25 3(c + 25)

3(c) + 25 which is an expression that represents the total owed for 3 months of cable at a price of c dollars for each month, plus a one-time equipment fee of $25 . The correct option is C.

A one-time, non- refundable fee is paid by the registrar to select a price structure that best suits the demands of the business.

3(c) + 25 It is a representation of the total amount payable for three months of cable service at a monthly cost of c dollars plus a $25 one-time equipment fee . 3(c) represents the total owed for 3 months o f cable and $25 represents an additional one-time equipment fee.

Thus, the ideal selection is option C .

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Explanation: love

X All of the following are benefits of the U.S. free enterprise system EXCEPT- freedom of consumers Oresponsive prices O guaranteed income O individual choice X

All of the following are benefits of the U.S. free enterprise system except guaranteed income.

When an economy uses free enterprise or the free market, prices, goods, and services are set by the market rather than by the government. Government regulation of businesses and services is absent.

Alternatively, the term " free enterprise " may refer to an idea or a set of laws wherein commercial operations are predominantly governed by privacy regulations.

Private property rights voluntarily entered into contracts, and open bidding for products and services in the marketplace are the defining characteristics of free markets, both in theory and in practice.

Contrasting this framework are public property ownership, coercive behavior, and fixed or controlled distribution of goods and services.

Free enterprise is often connected to philosophical libertarianism and laissez-faire capitalism in Western nations.

To learn more about free enterprise refer to:

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What is a tariff? an amount of money owed to a company or person a competition between two or more individuals a region where goods can be taken across borders a tax on goods leaving or entering the country

Explanation:

a tax on goods leaving or enteringthe country.

Who was the expansion of expense of in the Indian removal act of?

In the early 1800s, American demand for Indian nations' land increased, and momentum grew to force American Indians further west. The first major step to relocate American Indians came when Congress passed, and President Andrew Jackson signed, the Indian Removal Act of May 28, 1830.

Reflect on what you think about when you see or hear the word if. Use your understanding of the word to a make prediction about the poem. Type your response in the box below.

We can use hints or text evidence to learn more about tale elements in order to assist us in making a prediction . A reader can draw conclusions based on what they already know, what they read, and what they see in the illustrations . The next possible event in a novel can be predicted by readers using their inferences.

By encouraging readers to consider what has previously occurred in the text, you may best help them to make logical predictions . This will make it easier for readers to deduce what the characters may have intimated is about to happen or what the author may have implied via the use of language.

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Which sentence uses an ellipsis correctly? A. One officer said, "I've never ... anything like it." B. One officer said, "I've never, not ever, seen anything like it..." C. One officer said... "I've never, not ever, seen anything like it." D. One officer said, "I've never ... seen anything like it."

A. I've never what anything like it.

B. I've never, not ever, seen anything like it... Not ever is not correct.

C. I've never, not ever, seen anything like it. Not ever is not correct.

D. I've never ... seen anything like it. This sentence makes sense and uses the correct words so people can understand it.

According to Zinn, what was one of the greatest fears for those in power in the colonies? a. A natural disaster b. A religious uprising c. A food shortage d. A slave rebellion

Explanation: A slave rebellion.

An example of a pull factor would be Who are the “men of goodwill” that Gladden describes?

Answer: Immigrants, or Reformers (depends on your teacher!, both work)

social Darwinists wealthy people immigrants reformers. I believe that's your answer

hope it helps..;)

How was classical Persias extensive network of road important to its civilization?

HOPE IT HELPS !

MARK AS BRAINLIAST.

Defenders of the electoral college argue that ____________. a. its a known process, created by America’s founding fathers. b. its problems are over-exaggerated. c. it identifies the winning candidate quickly and accurately. d. all of the above are true. e. only b and c are true.

Defenders of the electoral college argue that its a known process, created by America’s founding fathers.

Performing as an intermediary, it reviews the certificate of Ascertainment and Vote earlier than Congress accepts them as proof of respectable kingdom movement in training for the counting of electoral votes in Congress.

As prescribed in the U.S. Constitution, American presidents are elected not immediately by the people, but by way of the people's electors. The Electoral college was created by the framers of the U.S. Constitution as an opportunity to electing the president via famous vote or via Congress.

The Electoral college become created for 2 motives. The primary cause turned into to create a buffer between populace and the choice of a President. The second as part of the structure of the government that gave greater energy to the smaller states.

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Explain why sectional and political divisions in the United States grew chapter 11 Us history 1301

Between the years 1800 and 1850, sectionalism steadily increased as the North industrialized , urbanized, and built thriving factories , while the deep South focused on large plantations based on slave labor, in addition to subsistence farming for poor whites who did not own slaves. During this time period, the North industrialized , urbanized and built prosperous factories.

This is further explained below.

Generally, In the years leading up to the American Civil War, the country was torn apart by a number of contentious problems, the most significant of which were slavery, cultural (social), economic, and constitutional concerns.

In conclusion, These topics may be grouped into the following four categories: (Political). All of these problems contributed to the rise of sectionalism in the United States and brought that nation dangerously close to starting a war.

Read more about   sectionalism

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God has allowed our consciences to decide how we are to worship Him. True False please help.

Answer: false

Explanation: I got it right

Explain 2 reasons why Zimbabwe formed as a major state in Africa. please helpp!!!!!! for AP w/history :')

Answer: There are several reasons for the rise of the Great Zimbabwe state: Rich soils- the availability of rich agricultural soils. The black and red soils around the Great Zimbabwe area were especially suited for agriculture.

Explanation: Hope this helps :)

Which of the following is the most reasonable implication of James Madison's argument in The Federalist 46?

The forty-sixth of The Federalist Papers is an article by James Madison titled Federalist No. 46. It was released on January 29, 1788, using the same pseudonym as all of The Federalist papers: Publius.

This essay analyzes how the proposed US Constitution would affect the relative power of the state and federal governments. "The Influence of the State and Federal Governments Compared" is the title of the article. Alexander Hamilton's points from earlier works were supported by Madison. In this essay, Madison argues that state governments have an edge over the federal government when it comes to winning public support and fending off intrusions.

In earlier essays, Madison worked hard to persuade his readers that the constitutional system would produce a strong and effective government. He does, however, go into great detail in this paper on a number of fictitious conflicts between state and federal governments. The kind of struggle between state and federal authority portrayed here is not one that Madison anticipates or hopes would result from the constitution. Instead, he argues that opponents of the constitution's "chimerical" predictions that the federal government will overthrow state governments are wholly false, in an effort to refute their claims.

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What is your opinion of this compromise approach to pot legalization? What are some of its drawbacks and benefits?

Drug legalization might gain the united states in several approaches: shop Federal, country, and local governments billions of dollars a 12 months; result in reduced crime and safer neighborhoods; and decorate public fitness.

The preceding year, a federally funded observation determined that legalizing marijuana has little to no impact on the prices of violent or assets crime. The coverage exchange did seem related to a protracted-time period decline in burglaries in a single nation, however.

Legal guidelines guard our wellknown safety, and ensure our rights as citizens towards abuses via other people, via companies, and by the government itself. we have legal guidelines to help offer for our general protection. these exist on the nearby, kingdom and national stages, and include things like: legal guidelines about food protection.

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What would have happened if Mexico never recieved it's independence and what would life with Spain in today's modern day be like? [5 sentences minimum]​

Spain's empire had a long history of decadence; by the time the independence wars began, the metropolis had been attacked. Other powers would have to accept Spain's (or a portion of its) American possessions or face the now-inevitable wars for American independence. People in New Spain desired greater self-government, which I doubt anyone in Europe was willing to provide at the turn of the nineteenth century.

When the Aztec empire was overthrown in August 1521 by Hernán Cortés and his army of conquistadors, the territory that is now Mexico came under Spanish control. This marked the beginning of three centuries of colonial rule and the introduction of new diseases that decimated the once-thriving native populations.

Cortés established Ciudad de Mexico as the capital city on the site of Tenochtitlan as per the instructions of Charles V, the S panish king. Subsequent viceroys took control of the region, which was known as New Spain.

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Rice cultivation in the American colonies began in South Carolina in 1685. Production spread rapidly in the colony. What was one effect of the large increase in rice cultivation? Responses The number of indentured servants in the colony increased because of their agricultural skills. The number of enslaved people in the colony increased quickly because of the need for inexpensive labor. The number of small farm in the colony increased because growing rice required very little land. The number of factories in the colony increased to produce the tools needed to grow rice.

One effect of the large increase in rice cultivation which began in South Carolina in 1685 was that The number of enslaved people in the colony increased quickly because of the need for inexpensive labor.

The need for cheap and dependable labor which was provided by slaves greatly increased during this period because a lot of workers were needed on the farms for rice cultivation.

Therefor option B is correct.

Rice cultivation and farming refers to the entire process of tilling , preparing, planting and harvesting of matured rice grains for consumption.

   During the early years of rice cultivation in America particularly in South Carolina, farm owners needed slaves to cultivate the land because rice farming was tedious and requires adequate supply of labor to ensure that a bountiful harvest is achieved.

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Constantinople was the center of the Eastern Orthodox religion as evident by what great architectural achievement?

Justinian's basilica was both the pinnacle of Late Antiquity architecture and the first masterpiece of Byzantine architecture. Its architectural and liturgical influence was widespread and long-lasting in the Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Muslim worlds. Its architectural and liturgical impact was enormous and long-lasting in the Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Muslim worlds.

The Byzantine era is commonly defined as beginning in 330 AD when Constantine the Great relocated Rome's capital to Byzantium, which became Constantinople, and ending in 1453 when the Byzantine Empire fell. However, there was no clear distinction between the Byzantine and Roman empires at first, and early Byzantine architecture is stylistically and structurally identical to earlier Roman architecture.

Modern historians coined this term to describe the medieval Roman Empire as it evolved as a distinct artistic and cultural entity centered on Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul) rather than the city of Rome and its environs.

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When did king Henry the 8th rule england?

Who was the real Henry VIII? Henry VIII's reign (1509-47) is usually remembered for the King's six wives and his legendary appetite. Infamously, he sent two of his wives, Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, to their deaths on the executioner's block at the Tower of London.

What are some feedback types that an investigator should avoid in order to avoid tainting an identification? (Select all that apply.) Indicating that the suspect may be present Thanking the witness for their time Indicating that the suspect may or may not be present O Confirming an identification

Indicating that the suspect may or may not be present in order to avoid tainting an identification. The investigator's role. A criminal investigator's main responsibility is to gather pertinent information from witnesses, suspects, and other parties involved in the case.

Someone who manages a clinical trial or research study in the scientific field. The investigator may assist with the development and execution of the study's protocol (plan), as well as with data collection, analysis, and reporting. A person is suspect who prepares and executes research exploration using statistical tools and methodologies to derive the relevant inference from a specific research challenge is known as an investigator.

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which chamber of Congress can gerrymandering occur?

House of Representatives.

In the Senate, all states regardless of population only get 2 representatives (which favors smaller states).

Gerrymandering is to manipulate boundaries in such a way to give an advantage to one party or another. A party in power may draw boundaries in such a way to put a large percentage of their opposing party in one district (denying them more representatives), while redistricting their supporting districts as smaller to fulfill the district quota (represented by the amount of representative seats the state has.)

Gerrymandering is practiced by all political parties in an effort to maintain control of the state seats, and in return to maintain power in the government.

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Which diagram shows how changes in steel production in the late 19th and early 20th centuries affected transportation in the United States? OA. OB. O C. O D. Steel refinement increased as new iron deposits were discovered. Steel was made lighter than before. Steel could be produced more quickly. Steel production was made faster and more efficient. caused caused caused caused The military began to invest in mechanized warfare. The new aviation industry used steel to make airplanes more efficiently. Rails for train transport were laid down across the country. Telephone communi- cation became increasingly popular.

The diagram that explained how steel production in the late 1800s affected transportation was C. Steel could be produced more quickly. - Rails for train transport were laid down across the country.

Steel production in the 1800s saw the Bessemer process being used to make Steel and it was very efficient and allowed for steel to be produced in way larger quantities and with much fewer impurities which allowed for steel to be very useful many sectors of the economy.

One of those sectors was the railway sector as steel was a major component in the production of rail lines. As a result of more steel being produced at faster rates and in more quantity, more rails were laid across the United States in the late 1800s and the early 1900s which allowed for people to get around much faster.

In conclusion, better steel production led to more rails for transport .

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Which of la Follettes reforms do you think had the most lasting impact on American government

La Follette's reforms that think had the most lasting impact on the American government, are the primary elections  as it still stands today

Generally,  The introduction of primary elections and an overhaul of the state's tax system were La Follette's top two concerns when he first took office and called for an extensive program of legislative change as part of his ambitious reform plan.

In conclusion, The primary election system that was established as a result of La Follette's reforms is one of the few aspects of the American political system that has survived to the present day.

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The Gregorian Calendar is based on the birth of ________ Christ the Vedas Sumerians Moses

Hope its right

The Triple Alliance and Triple Entente were formed through the signing of

Answer:The Treaty of London was signed in 1839, and Great Britain promised to protect Belgium's neutrality if a conflict in Europe occurred.

The Triple Entente was formed because the 3 countries feared the growing power of Germany

Explain the differences that existed in the assimilation of immigrants from Europe during the Gilded Age and that of Native Americans in the Western Plains during the same time period.

The differences that existed in the assimilation of immigrants from Europe during the Gilded Age and that Native Americans in the Western Plains during the same time period is the gradual ease of the immigrant into the society.

It referred to the period of gross materialism and blatant political corruption in U.S. history during the 1870s that gave rise to important novels of social and political criticism.

During this period, there was a great burst of industrial activity and corporate growth that characterized the Gilded Age was presided over by a collection of colourful and energetic entrepreneurs who became known alternatively as “captains of industry” and “robber barons.” The business owner grew rich through the monopolies they created in the steel, petroleum, and transportation industries.

In conclusion, the differences that existed in the assimilation of immigrants from Europe during the Gilded Age and that Native Americans in the Western Plains during the same time period is the gradual ease of the immigrant into the society.

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Unlike the early civilizations of Egypt and Mesopotomia, the success of the Minoans was based on trade, not conquest. They lived at the crossroads of three continents: Africa, Asia, and Europe. True False

The Minoans were sea traders who lived on Crete. Their success was based on trade not conquest and they set up outposts throughout the Aegean world. He was a legendary king of Crete.

Morgan Durr 8:01 AM Due Today Burke's call to action went unheeded, and the American Revolution began. Still appealing to his perennial belief in the superiority of the Parliamentary system of government, he pled with the House, "As long as you have the wisdom to keep the sovereign authority of this country as the sanctuary of liberty, the sacred temple consecrated to our common faith, wherever the chosen race and sons of England worship freedom, they will turn their faces towards you. The more they multiply, the more friends you will have; the more ardently they love liberty, the more perfect will be their obedience. Slavery they can have anywhere. It is a weed that grows in every soil. They may have it from Spain, they may have it from Prussia. But, until you become lost to all feeling of your true interest and your natural dignity, freedom they can have from none but you." Despite his wise words, the English still sought to enslave the colonies, thereby losing America. In lines 36-49, the author quotes Burke's speech to Parliament primarily to emphasize the fact that: Add cc

In lines 36 - 49, the author quotes Burke's speech to Parliament primarily to emphasize the fact that Option(A). Burke still believed Parliament was an inherently good institution.

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The complete question is: "In lines 36 - 49, the author quotes Burke's speech to Parliament primarily to emphasize the fact that:

A. Burke still believed Parliament was an inherently

good institution.

B. Parliament had ignored Burke's previous appeals.

C. the American colonies would find another nation to govern them if Parliament pulled away its

D. Parliament was too entangled in the slave trade

to maintain relations with America."

Durkheim's study about found that single people had a higher rate of than did married people. In this study, marital status was

Answer: The more socially integrated a person is the less likely they are to commit S ui ci de.

ps- sorry for spacing Brainly wouldn't let me write the word.