essay skeleton plan

Teaching Analytical Writing: Essay Skeletons

Posted March 17, 2015 by laurielmorrison & filed under Series on teaching students to write essays , Teaching .

Hi there! I’m back with the third installment of my series on teaching analytical writing. Last time, I explained the TIQA paragraph , which I see as the building block of an analytical essay, and described how I give students a lot of practice writing analytical paragraphs before moving onto essays.

When it’s time to move onto analytical essays, I lay the groundwork in a couple of ways. First, I tell students about the essay topics I plan to give them as we are reading the book they will be writing about. We look out for quotes that relate to those topics together, and I encourage them to look out for additional quotes on their own. That way they’re not starting from scratch when it comes time to find quotes for their essays.

Once we’ve finished the book, I have students choose an essay topic. I can provide scaffolding for students who need it by steering them toward one of the topics we found quotes for during class, while I can encourage other students to branch out to topics we haven’t spent much class time exploring or even to come up with topics on their own.

Next, each student creates an essay skeleton . The essay skeleton includes their thesis statement , their  topic sentences , and the quotes they will use in their body paragraphs. (For eighth grade I require that at least one of the body paragraphs includes a second quote and follows the TIQATIQA format. For seventh graders I don’t require a double TIQA paragraph, but some students choose to write them.)

The essay skeleton provides the core of the essay that students will be writing. It isn’t too difficult for me to give prompt feedback to each student on a thesis statement, topic sentences, and quotes, and I find that it’s worth it to look at these elements of their essays before they move forward with drafting. The bottom line is, it’s impossible to write a successful essay without a decent thesis or with quotes that don’t match up with the thesis.

So how do you teach students to write a good thesis statement ? Here is my explanation of  thesis statements , adapted from a handout I made for seventh graders writing essays about Howard Fast’s novel April Morning.  If students are struggling to grasp thesis statements, it can work well to create some faulty thesis statements, model the process of fixing one, and then have students work together to fix another.

Interested in tips for explaining topic sentences ? Here’s my explanation of  topic sentences , using the same example thesis from the  April Morning  thesis resource. It can work well to have the class practice breaking down a model thesis into effective topic sentences before students try to write their own.

Once students have their essay skeletons, they draft their body paragraphs, using the TIQA format, and then after that, we move on to introductions and conclusions. Next time I’ll explain my reasoning for leaving the introduction and conclusion until the end, and I’ll share handouts I use for those two parts of the essay.

7 Responses to “Teaching Analytical Writing: Essay Skeletons”

Wow. That’s excellent, Laurie. Have your students given you any feedback on ways the essay skeleton (great idea) or the TIQATIQA format in general helped them formulate their arguments? This is such a good way to help them to not be afraid of analytical writing.

Thanks so much! Most of them prefer creative writing assignments regardless of my attempts to make analytical writing accessible. 🙂 But several of them have mentioned that essays feel more manageable in chunks, and they definitely have some satisfying aha moments when they get what makes a good thesis and how to analyze a quote well. I’ve heard from a few of them who continue to start by coming up with the thesis, quotes, and topic sentences once they get to high school because they find the process helpful, and that makes me feel like it’s working pretty well.

Good. They’ll be ready for the research papers they will have to write!

Laurie, I love the way you’re teaching this to your students. Not an easy task at all. You sound like such a wonderful teacher!

Thanks so much, Sharon! I know you know a lot about teaching, so I especially appreciate that comment coming from you!

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The Writer’s Guide to Skeleton Outlines

When I first heard the term “skeleton outline,” I assumed that it must be some kind of tool for horror writers.

I kid, of course. When you think about it, though, freelance writing can be kind of horrifying, especially when you’re attacking a new topic or trying to figure out how to please a new client. But that’s where skeleton outlines come in and, ironically, help to alleviate some of the horrors.

What is a skeleton outline?

Just like a skeleton defines the basic shape of a body and provides something for the muscles, tendons, and such to attach to, a skeleton outline marks out the structure of a piece of writing. It can be used in fiction writing, article writing or a copywriting project as a tool to help plan and draft work.

If you’re new to skeleton outlines, the name will tell you most of what you need to know!

Why use a skeleton outline?  

A skeleton outline has one primary purpose: to help you write more efficiently.

Think of it as a GPS for your writing. If you don’t enter a destination and at least take a cursory glance at the route you plan to take, you probably won’t end up on the most efficient route. You’ll get there (probably), but it might take longer.

Efficiency matters

The scenic route is fine if you’re going on a camping trip, but you’re a freelance writer. Chances are good that the longer you take to write a particular piece, the less you’ll earn that day. A skeleton outline keeps you on track so you can produce more words without compromising quality.

Remember, it’s not just about writing fast. Anyone can write fast, but the quality of the result can be questionable. Skeleton outlines help you write quickly and well. You hit your deadline and turn in something good enough to get you re-hired.

As freelancers, most of us can’t afford to turn in bad work, nor do we want to because our reputations are on the line.

Why does it work?

Creating a skeleton outline is a time investment, albeit a minor one. For this method, you take a few minutes to write out the points you want to make in your article. The result is a simple document that keeps you on track in several different ways.

1. Freedom to be inspired

Some writers assume that an outline limits your creativity, but more often it’s the opposite. Whenever I write without an outline, I feel bound to whatever sub-topic I’m working on at the moment. 

Let’s say that I’m working on a 1,000-word article about training dogs, and I’m in the middle of a paragraph about positive reinforcement. Suddenly I decide I need to write about the history of behaviorist theory and how it relates to animal training. 

If I try to do anything more than making a note about it, though, I’ll lose track of…  wait, what was I talking about? Oh, that’s right, positive reinforcement. 

2. The bucket effect

The elements of your skeleton outline are like empty buckets, each of which contains blocks of a certain color. If you find that one bucket would work better somewhere else, you can move it, and all the colored blocks with it.

Now imagine that all of your colored blocks are lying on the floor individually. How much longer is it going to take to move all of the blue blocks without leaving any of them behind?

3. Structured research

A skeleton outline helps you to stop flailing about the Internet, looking for statistics that probably relate to your topic. Your skeleton outline provides you with sub-topics that let you be a lot more specific with your search. I’ve found that the more specific I can be with my research, the less likely I am to follow random leads until I can’t remember where I started.

How do you make a skeleton outline?

Now that we’ve covered the “why it works,” let’s move on to “how.”

Fun fact: if you do a Google image search for “skeleton outline,” you’ll mostly find craft templates and coloring pages featuring human bones. (Seriously. Try it. ) Scroll down for a while, though, and you’ll start to see documents that look like a book’s table of contents.

That’s essentially what a skeleton outline is—a table of contents for your piece. It’s not a detailed or necessarily formalized outline like those you may have written in school, complete with sub-topics and full sentences. 

A skeletal outline is really “just the bones,” pun fully intended.

Take a look at the example below (with thanks to AcademicHelp.net ).

You can use this template to create a skeleton outline for almost any piece of copy you’re going to write. You’ll replace the placeholders like First Point, Detail, and Conclusion with specific references to your topic and sub-topics, but the outline won’t get more complex. 

Nor should it. For the commercial writer, a complex outline is counter-productive.

How do you use your skeleton outline?

Once you have your skeleton outline complete, it’s time to flesh it out. 

If you’ve never tried this before, you’ll be amazed at how much quicker you end up with a great finished product.

Step 1: Choose your main points  

Let’s say you’ve been asked to create an article about how to concentrate while you’re writing. Your first step is to choose your main points. You decide on:

• Choosing music to write to
• The Pomodoro Technique for self-accountability
• Handling inevitable distractions

If you’re happy with your three main points, or however many you decide to use, you’re ready to move on to details. 

Step 2: Find your details

There’s an awkward experience that many writers are familiar with. You’ve chosen a topic and backed it up with three or four supporting details, each of which flows into the next one. You’ve started to research one of the details and found out that actually the rest of your article comes out of that supporting point instead, so you have to go back and start over.

I’ve been there. It’s terrible.

On the other hand, if I’m using an outline and one of my main points won’t work, I can replace it as necessary without having to re-write much content or throw out all of my research.

Step 3: Write

If you’ve been diligent in your approach to the first two steps, this last one will be a breeze. Your research is done, the piece is structured; now all you have to do is translate the information into sentences and paragraphs.

You can do this. You’re a writer.

Is it possible to write without a skeleton outline? Of course. The shorter the piece, the easier it is to write off the cuff. Use an outline, though, and you’ll almost certainly create better work in less time. 

That’s the freelance Holy Grail right there.

Ellie is a full-time freelance writer with a background in playwriting, theater, and dance. She especially loves writing articles that help creatives and freelancers manage their time, talent, and money.

Breakout English

First (FCE) B2 Essay Structure – Essay Skeletons

There have been many occasions where my students have no time to learn the correct B2 essay structure for a Cambridge B2 First exam. Course books often do a great job of providing model answers, useful phrases and much more. However, sometimes people just want to be spoon-fed the correct way to write an essay. Well, are you hungry?

What is an essay skeleton?

An essay skeleton provides you with the base for an essay, without including any of the content. It includes all the necessary linkers, transitions and placeholders to emulate the ideal B2 essay structure. However, it is incomplete. In an ideal word, these skeletons can be memorised and adapted to any topic that you may find in the B2 First exam. Obviously, it isn’t likely to always be a perfect fit, so it can’t replace learning how to write an essay from scratch. However, if you are short on time or really struggling to produce a passing essay, this skeleton may be helpful.

B2 essay structure

A Cambridge B2 First essay has a reasonably set structure. This is because the tasks are always similar. Take a look at the task below:

When we analyse the task, the most obvious structure is to write 5 paragraphs. This allows us to keep a clear separation between our three points. It also gives us plenty of opportunities for lovely linking words . With a word limit of 190 words, these paragraphs will be quite short, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be clear and effective.

Our standard paragraph plan for a B2 essay structure is…

• Introduction – Including a thesis statement that mentions the 3 areas of focus
• Body paragraph 1 – In this case about pollution
• Body paragraph 2 – In this case about rubbish
• Body paragraph 3 – Our own idea (for example, endangered animals)
• Conclusion – Summarise the 3 areas and optionally choose the most important

The two proposed essay skeletons below follow this paragraph plan in order to produce the perfect B2 essay every time.

The materials

We’ve designed two essay skeletons. They are similar but have subtle differences. Either one of them can be used with any topic that may come up in the B2 First exam. If you want to practise using the essay skeletons, try it out with a B2 essay task .

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Essay writing template

A useful essay planning template for A-level students to help them to construct an argument in response to any essay question, for coursework or exam conditions. Includes prompts for introductions and conclusions, and a framework for each paragraph.

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What Is a Skeleton?

A skeleton is the assemblage of a given paper’s first and last sentences of each paragraph.

Why Should I Use a Skeleton?

A skeleton can be used to address a bunch of different elements of a paper: precision of topic and concluding sentences, transitions, arrangement, repetition -- you name it. Mostly, it forces us to think of these sentences as joints to a skeleton, or moves being made in papers, and whether those moves are effective and accurate.

How Do I Perform a Skeleton?

First, copy and paste (or copy if working with a paper draft) the first and last sentences of each paragraph into a different document. Then, read them in the order they’re written and consider the moves these sentences are trying to make.

Example (the Following Skeleton Represents About One-Third of a Complete Draft):

P1​: Topic: Jean Rhys' Good Morning, Midnight confines the reader to Sasha's declining mental state for the whole of the novel, robbing them of varied perspectives and enveloping them in her traumatic isolation. Conclusion: In doing so, Sasha creates a world within the world, one that exists behind the curtain of her mind, to remove herself from the pain of the present. P2: T: Terrance Hawkes argues that it is human nature to create worlds – stories, myths, and the like – to deal with the immediate world creatively, rather than directly. C: Deep within this well, Sasha finds herself mute during moments where she might defend herself, or dignify her actions.   P3: T: Ewa Ziarek's writing in Female Bodies, Violence, and Form, help inform Sasha's silence as having resulted from (and be Rhys' response to) sexism and the abasement of females during the time of publication. C: However, Sasha's outward silence that is ventilated in her mind reveals a great deal about the nature of her isolation and her means of maintaining it. P4: T; Sasha's most telling method of isolation is what Ziarek refers to as 'petrified female tongue' (174), a silence that arises when a voice is needed most. C*: This is the present the novel takes place in. P5:  ​ T: Stuck in the now but desperately escaping to the safe place inside her head (which proves not much better), Sasha often reflects on the past to anesthetize the pain of the present. C: Sasha doesn't feel a connection with men like Mr. Blank but rather perceives herself as a damaged commodity, albeit one with a small measure of dignity   *You’ll notice that this structure can and probably should be changed. Often we open and conclude in 1-2 sentences, and so paragraph 4’s last sentence is actually only half of the conclusion. 

To What End?

Many observations may be made from the above skeleton, given a reading of the entire paper. Since it’s an old paper of my own, I see now that front-loading Hawkes and Ziarek into the paper might not be the most effective use of those readings. Moreover, I can see now the transition between such readings (P2C and P3T) is pretty loose.

[ Activity written by Luke Useted, May 2015. Image by Flickr user,  Shaun Dunmall  and used under Creative Commons license]

Skeleton Outline – How To Use It In Writing?

This time, instead of simply powering through the writer’s block, you can try to alter your approach. Finding out about the skeleton outline method gave me a fresh attack plan for every piece of writing I needed to do. Instead of staring at a blank page for hours, not knowing where to start, I know exactly what points I need to get across in which paragraph. Ultimately, skeleton outlining has made my writing more efficient , less stressful, and easier to manage. And the best thing is – it’s so simple you’ll wonder how come the idea never crossed your mind!

What is a Skeleton Outline and Why Should Writers Care?

Skeleton outline – how it helps in writing:, 1. don’t lose track.

Did you ever get halfway through your blog post only to realize you can’t remember the other points you wanted to make? If this sounds like you, chances are that the quality of your writing will rise significantly as soon as you integrate skeleton outlining into your routine. Setting up an outline skeleton with short notes in advance will let you focus on what you’re writing right now and know exactly what you need to write later on. That way, you’ll cover all the details without losing track of the big picture. Content and essay writers who need to reach a particular word count will love working with a skeleton outline – you can pre-calculate how long each heading needs to be to reach your target length!

2. Take It Step By Step

When you have your outline nailed down, it doesn’t matter if you write from top to bottom or from the middle out. Filling out part by part will make the whole writing process faster and help you beat procrastination. Work in little bits and tackle the easier sections first for a motivation and productivity boost !

3. Reorganize Easily

How to create a skeleton outline and write faster.

So, what exactly does a skeleton outline look like? Well, it depends on the kind of writing you do. Here, I’ll share my process, which is tailored for blogging . Here’s what this article’s skeleton looks like:

Step 1 – Create a Heading Structure

This heading structure is the first thing that I created for this article, right after doing my research. This article is rather simple – it includes four H2 headings and six H3 subheadings. In some cases, the skeleton may get pretty intricate, going as far as including H4 subheadings. I wasn’t sure whether to put the “How to” or the “How it helps” section first, so I dragged them around a bit and settled for this structure in the end. In essence, your headings should cover the basic concepts, and subheadings are reserved for details and specifics.

Step 2 – Add Details and Research Notes

Step 3 – start adding meat.

Now, there’s only one thing left to do – write, write, and write! You can fill in your outline in order or jump from part to part. It doesn’t matter because your skeleton outline won’t let you stray far from your main points. Case in point – I wrote this “How to” section first, even though it’s located at the end of the article! Bonus Tip: There is a lot of great outlining software for writers in the market that you can check out. These apps can help you structure your stories and other compositions faster and easier.

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Advantages of Drafting a Skeleton Essay Structure

Table of Contents

Writing is a complex process. You are in charge of coming up with what you’re about to say and how you’re going to say it. Then you have to be able to convey it in a way that others will get what you’re saying.

That’s no small feat. So, to help you, let me look at writing as a process with several skeleton essay structures . This can help in your ability to communicate clearly.

What Is a Skeleton Essay Structure?

Just like a skeleton gives a body its basic shape and gives muscles, tendons, and other body parts something to connect to, a skeleton essay structure shows how a piece of writing is put together . It can help plan and draft work in fiction writing, article writing, or copywriting.

Think of it as your writing’s GPS. If you don’t enter a location and at least quickly look at the route you want to take, you probably will not arrive on the most efficient road. You’ll probably get there, but it could take longer.

Reasons Why You Should Use a Skeleton Essay Structure

1. having the freedom to be inspired.

Some writers think an outline will stop them from being creative, but that’s usually not the case. When I don’t have a strategy, I feel like I have to stick to the subtopic I’m working on at the time. The structure of your essay’s skeleton keeps you on track and gives you ideas .

2. The Bucket Effect

Your skeleton outline’s parts are like empty buckets, each holding blocks of a different color. If you think one bucket would perform better in another place, you can reposition it and all the colored blocks with it.

3. Research With Structure

With a skeleton outline, you don’t have to go all over the Internet looking for statistics that relate to your topic.

Your skeleton outline gives you sub-topics that help you search in a much more focused way. You should know that the more organized your research is, the fewer reasons to follow random research.

How to Start Writing Your Skeleton Essay Structure

1. start with your main points.

Assume you’ve been requested to write an essay about how to concentrate while writing. The first stage is to decide on your primary points. You make the call.

You’re ready to go on to details if you’re satisfied with your three primary points or however many you decide to employ.

2. Sort Your Details

Many writers are familiar with an awkward experience. You’ve chosen a topic and supported it with three or four specifics, each leading into the next. You started studying one of the specifics and discovered that the rest of your post is based on one supporting point, so you must go back and start over.

3. Start Writing!

If you’ve carefully approached the first two phases, this last one will be a snap. Your research is complete, and the article is organized; all that remains is transforming the information into sentences and paragraphs.

Is it feasible to write without a skeleton essay structure ? Without a doubt. The shorter the piece, the better it is to write on the spur of the moment. However, if you use an outline, you will produce better work in less time.

Abir Ghenaiet

Abir is a data analyst and researcher. Among her interests are artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing. As a humanitarian and educator, she actively supports women in tech and promotes diversity.

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Nine steps to essay success

Hint: You need a lot of prep

Essay writing is an essential skill that all students need to develop in order to survive, and thrive in, school, university and beyond.  Follow our nine steps to essay success. 

BONUS TIP : Check out our Assignment Calculator to help break it down into easy, manageable steps and tasks, each with its own mini-deadline. 

• Nail the question.   It sounds obvious, but if you don't REALLY understand the question, you're doomed to fail before you even put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard).  If you have any doubts whatsoever about what your lecturer or teacher wants, double- and triple-check with them before you start.
• Create a skeleton.   Break the question down into parts to create an outline of your essay.  Make sure all the points in the question are included in your outline.  Need some help with this step?  Grab a free copy of our essay planning template on this page. You can also connect with an English specialist in real time to discuss it.
• Research.  Gather as much information as you can about your topic.  Use the library, research online (using lots of different authoritative sites), speak to people you know, gather interviews and sources.
• Brainstorm.  Ask yourself a whole heap of questions about the topic.  If you're used to creating mindmaps, this is the time to use one.  Allow your mind to travel broadly on the topic to stretch yourself beyond what might usually be expected.  Then, when you've got all your questions, use more research to answer them!
• Body build.   In point form, start to put some muscle on that skeleton you built earlier.  Don't start writing yet, but using all the notes you've taken in your research and brainstorm phase, plan out the main arguments you'll include in each paragraph.
• Hang on a sec!  Don't start with your introduction yet, that will come later...
• Your essay body.  Each paragraph in your essay should deal with a separate insight.  Start each paragraph with a topical sentence, then support that topic with the evidence or reasoning found in your research phase.
• The conclusion.  Wrap up your essay with a quick summary that holds up your arguments one last time.  Some students like to end with a memorable thought such as a quotation or call to action - but make sure it's relevant, and that you attribute it correctly.
• Finally... the introduction.  It's much easier to introduce something AFTER you've written it. Use your introduction to outline the points asked in the question, and describe how your essay addresses these points.

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From Bare Bones to Meaty Analysis: How to Skeleton Outline Your Essay

December 15, 2014 By Ariel Salzer Leave a Comment

1. Get with the Times

Note the start time and the time when you should be moving on from outlining your answer to actually writing it. Plan to spend about a quarter to a third of the total allotted time in planning mode—just you, your fact pattern and your scratch paper—no typing.

2. Look to the Call for Help

Immediately read the call of the question first. This will help to orient you toward the question being asked and give you any structural clues your Professor may have left for you.

3. Build an Issue “Skeleton”

Read the fact pattern the first time. Note on your scratch paper any issues you see that you think may be triggered by the facts you have in front of you and the rules you’ve learned over the semester. If you’re not sure about something, write it down anyway, but put a question mark. Underline or highlight any facts that seem important. Leave space between each issue you jot down so you have room to write below each one. Think of this as the “skeleton stage.” You’re laying down the bones of your essay.

4. “Flesh Out” the Skeleton with the Facts

Read the facts for the second time. This time, try highlighting every fact and asking yourself whether it fits into the skeleton you’ve constructed, and if so, where. The goal here is to “find a home” for every fact, if possible. In matching the facts up and writing them under the issues you’ve mapped out on your scratch paper, you’re taking a valuable step toward a more structured, coherent and concise essay. Think of this step as “fleshing out” the skeleton you’ve built. Adding the facts that go with each issue is like wrapping muscle onto the bones.

Whether your Professor throws in facts that don’t matter, e.g. “red herring” facts will depend on her individual exam writing style. For each fact, though, at least ask yourself “does this fact matter?” Challenge yourself to pin each legally significant fact to an element from one of the rules triggered by the issues you’ve spotted and put in your skeleton. Check off each highlighted fact so you can tell at a glance whether you’ve used it yet or not. Note: I’m not saying you should actually spend time writing the full rule out in your skeleton. Hopefully by the time you get to exams, you know the rule in your head well enough to not have to write it down.

5. Write! Write! Write!

Either IRAC or follow an integrated approach. Which style you use will depend on what your individual Professor is looking for. Write based on the structure you’ve come up with. Hopefully, with the comprehensive blueprint you’ve made, you won’t have to stop and think about what to say, you’ll just type quickly and efficiently until you’re finished!

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And check out these helpful posts:

• Don’t Panic! Last Minute Tips for Final Exams
• Can You Fake It Till You Make It With Law School Final Exams?
• Rely on Systems, Not Willpower
• You’re Totally Unprepared for a Law School Exam! How to Avoid Disaster

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About Ariel Salzer

Ariel Salzer is a tutor and mentor tutor for Law School Toolbox and Bar Exam Toolbox. Ariel has taught everything from conjunctions to calculus on four different continents. A primary and secondary school educator in the U.S. and abroad before law school, Ariel has always had penchant for teaching and editing. As a student at the University of San Francisco School of Law, Ariel tutored Torts and led 1L workshops on time management, exam preparation, legal writing, and outlining. As the chief Technical Editor on the Executive Board of the USF Law Review, Ariel was in charge of ensuring the accuracy of thousands of legal citations, and has become a Bluebook expert. She also served as a Case Counsel for the USF Moot Court program, and received CALI awards for high-scoring two classes, including Legal Research and Writing. After practicing law as a product liability litigator in California for a number of years, Ariel found her way back to teaching and now enjoys helping students find success in their law school classes and on the bar exam.

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Extended Essay: Step 6 - Outlines and Plans

• Introduction to the EE
• Step 1 - Choose a subject
• World Studies
• Step 3 - The Researchers Reflection Space
• Identify Sources
• Tools for Note Taking
• Video Guides
• Step 5 - Creating Research Questions
• Step 6 - Outlines and Plans
• Step 7 - Citing
• Criteria E - 3 Reflections
• Know Your Criteria
• Criteria D - Check your Formatting
• 4000 words final hand in

Creating Outlines for your Essay

Importance of outlines.

Task: You will now be writing your own Outline prior to writing your first 2000 words of your essay.

• Think of the outline as the skeleton of your essay. You will start to put some flesh on this skeleton with your 2000 words.
• Look at some examples of outlines and use the template to start you going. Your essay must always focus on answering the research question. The outline should show you how you are going to do this. 
• Each section of the essay must be relevant and link to the research question and to show different perspectives.

Resource: Template for writing an outline - You do not have to use this, you can create your own style, however, this could be helpful.

Note these are just examples. If there is not one from you subject area, don't worry. Look at these to get some ideas.

Source: ISB

• << Previous: Step 5 - Creating Research Questions
• Next: Step 7 - Citing >>
• Last Updated: Jun 12, 2024 9:53 AM
• URL: https://cis.libguides.com/extendedessay

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Figure 14.3 Example skeleton essay plan

Essay title:

There has been a noticeable increase in delegated legislation. Discuss the proposition that the advantages of delegated legislation outweigh any disadvantages.

INTRODUCTION

• key terms: what is delegated legislation (DL)
• anything inherent in the question:
• that there has been a noticeable increase
• that there are both advantages and disadvantages
• that it is reasonable to explore the notion that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages
• this essay will discuss first, the history of issue of DL to date, including its purpose, how it operates, its effect, and explain how and why it has increased
• it will then analyse the advantages and disadvantages of DL to conclude that
• this essay is/ is not persuaded that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages [for the key reason that/ for the reasons set out below].
• The history of DL

Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of DL here, including the rationale for the increase:

• The purpose of DL ( Sources : texts.)
• How DL operates, and what its effect? ( Sources : texts and examples of delegated legislation to illustrate.)
• The practical implications ( Sources : as above plus journal articles.)
• The advantages and disadvantages of DL

Demonstrate analysis here: the intellectual skill of discussion, with critical thinking:

• Why they are perceived as advantages ( Sources : as above, primarily journal articles.)
• Why they are perceived as disadvantages ( Sources : as above, primarily journal articles.)
• Do the advantages of DL outweigh the advantages of DL? ( Sources : as above)
• Which sources discuss this?
• Is there a consensus of support, one way or another?
• Explore the context and value of those sources, and any bias (e.g. date, jurisdiction)
• Of those arguments, which is this essay most persuaded by, and why?

Answer the question asked: this essay is/is not persuaded that the advantages of DL outweigh the disadvantages of DL [for the key reason that/for the reasons set out above].

Select your Country

An Awesome Essay Skeleton in 5 Simple Steps

I know what you’re wondering, what is the difference between an essay skeleton and an essay outline? To be honest, there is very little difference other than the outline tends to come equipped with a little more meat. The essay skeleton is, as the name suggests, just a basic frame of reference that helps students organize their ideas and define what goes where. In most cases, it does not have too much content other than the titles and subtitles and maybe topic sentences.

A thesis statement is also a welcome edition to the skeleton. In comparison, an outline will usually have brief paragraphs that define what the segment will talk about. The skeleton is usually very heavily edited throughout the writing process.

So, why even bother creating an essay skeleton, you wonder? Simple, because it will serve as a boilerplate for all your written assignments. And I do mean all of them. Forever!

Let’s dive in and see how is this even possible.

Table of Contents

What is an essay skeleton.

The skeleton is the framework that guides your writing . Think of it this way. If you wanted to build a house, the first thing you’d do is to draw a design, layout of the rooms, placement of the electric and water appliances, doors and windows, and similar. The skeleton is just like that, only for writing. If you do it properly, it will help you organize your research and writing, which saves time and lowers stress. So let’s dig in and see what can you do to make an awesome essay skeleton.

Understanding the Structure

Understanding the essay’s structure is crucial. Learn the anatomy of an essay: introduction, body, and conclusion. This comprehension guides your essay’s direction. In almost every situation you will come across, written work will have only three main parts – the introduction, the body, and the conclusion.

While in most cases there are some elements that must be added later such as the abstract or the bibliography , the three core elements never change.

Essay Skeleton Examples

Depending on the length of your paper, each part will vary in size and can encompass several sub-sections. It is important that you outline these immediately, as it helps define what you need to focus on. For example, a standard essay structure may look like this:

• Introduction
• Body topic 1
• Body topic 2
• Body topic 3
• Bibliography

If you need to write a longer paper, say 10-15 pages that requires primary or secondary research, then you would use something like this:

• Research question
• Thesis statement
• Literature review
• Body topic 4
• Body topic 5

Selecting the Main Points

Choose the main points wisely. They form the backbone of your essay skeleton. Prioritize key arguments that align with your thesis statement. Don’t go into too much detail, but rather focus on those elements that make the core of your essay. If you’re writing about World War II, pick 3-5 main points and create body paragraphs first, and only then develop the other parts. This way you will be more prepared and know what to write about.

Crafting a Strong Thesis

Crafting a robust thesis statement is pivotal. It succinctly summarizes the purpose of your essay and sets the roadmap for your skeleton.

Building the Body

The body of your essay skeleton fleshes out your main points. Arrange them logically, ensuring coherence and progression.

Incorporating Evidence

Support your main points with credible evidence. This can include statistics, quotes, or scholarly references. Strengthen your essay’s structure with substantial support.

Conclusion and Recap

Conclude your essay skeleton with a concise recap. Reinforce your thesis and summarize the key arguments. A well-constructed skeleton ensures a robust essay.

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• Make a Skeleton

Good English Writing - Make a Skeleton

Good english writing – make a skeleton.

Before you start writing your thesis, article, assignment, or any other important piece of work, you need to plan two things: when you need to complete your task and what you are going to write. The when was discussed in a previous article entitled: “Better English Writing – Sleep On It.” In this article we will discuss making an outline of what you will write. As you may know, an outline or plan is like a skeleton and the actual article is like the rest of the body. This article will concisely explain how to make a plan and why it is so very, very important to do so.

Let’s start with the why. Making a plan saves time and energy. Inexperienced writers do not want to spend time in the planning stage and they end up being long winded. That is to say, their writing is too wordy and includes irrelevant information. Experienced writers always make a plan. Sometimes they do it in their head, sometimes they write it down and sometimes they even get up in the middle of the night (or even in the middle of a shower) to add an idea to their plan. Having a plan means that you have focus when you start writing, and you do not waste time both researching and writing information which never makes the final draft.

So, how do you make a plan? You need to analyse, select and organise. Analyse means asking yourself questions like: What is my specific theme or argument? What am I trying to prove or disprove? Who is my audience? Why am I writing this information, what is my objective? Personally I write the answers to these questions on a piece of paper which I keep in view during the whole writing process.

Now you are in a position to identify and select the information you are going to use in your piece of writing. This may involve selecting information from research you have already done, or identifying specific research which you will need to do in order to obtain relevant information, or both. Selecting your information means you will not use an excessive amount of time researching information which you will never use.

Once you have analysed what you are specifically writing about and why, and you have selected the main ideas you can organise your research and structure your piece of writing. Now a mind map, an outline or some sort of list may be helpful – this is when you actually make your skeleton. During this stage you may still select information to include or to discard because as your plan takes shape you may be inspired with a fresh idea or by the need for some specific information necessary to the logical development of your argument. Also, during this stage, you can start thinking about and noting down how you are going to link different thoughts.

How detailed should a plan be? Simply put, not detailed. Going back to the skeleton analogy: bare bones. When you review your plan, do you feel ready to write? Then your plan is done, your skeleton is complete, and you are ready to begin writing.

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