A basic essay will follow the 5-point “hamburger” outline, but some types of essays will require their own formatting. This happens because specific types of essays often require that you include sections for additional types of content.
We’re going to go over some specific types of essay outlines with you to give you a better idea of what you’ll need. Expository essays, research papers, and analytical essays will generally follow the basic outline format, while argumentative essays, compare/contrast essays, and cause/effect essays will need some tweaking.
Argumentative Essay Outline
In an argumentative essay, you need to include a section for opposing viewpoints and counterarguments. This isn’t always required, but it is an important way to strengthen your argument and show that you’ve acknowledged or considered other viewpoints before taking your own position.
The number of paragraphs you’ll need depends on the number of arguments and counterarguments you’re presenting. If you are writing a shorter paper, you can put one or two counterarguments in the same paragraph, but for longer papers, you can include more of them in their own paragraphs. Here is a typical structure for a basic essay:
- Introduction Paragraph
- A catchy hook for your opening line
- Background information or context to introduce your topic
- The thesis statement
- Body Paragraph 1: Argument 1
- Topic sentence
- Evidence
- Transition to next point
- Body Paragraph 2: Argument 2
- Topic sentence
- Evidence
- Transition to next point
- Body Paragraph 3: Argument 3
- Topic sentence
- Evidence
- Transition to next point
- Body Paragraph 4: Counter Arguments
- Topic sentence
- Counter argument 1
- Rebuttal to counter argument 1
- Counter argument 2
- Rebuttal to counter argument 2
- Transition to conclusion
- Conclusion Paragraph
- Restate thesis statement
- Summarize arguments and counter arguments
- Ending line
This particular structure is the most common way to organize your argumentative essay, but if you’d like, you can use a different method. You may choose to alternate arguments and counterargument paragraphs if there are many, or you could include a counter-argument in each body paragraph that relates to your own argument.
Using the latter structure, in your body paragraphs you would then present your argument, point out the evidence, state a counter argument someone might have to your point, and then refute that argument further.
Compare and Contrast Essay Outline
When writing a compare and contrast essay, you could choose from a few different options to structure your paper. You could choose to present all of the similarities together at once, and then list the differences, you could go point by point, or you could go subject by subject.
No matter which method you choose, you always need to make sure you tie the subjects together and focus on the examination of your chosen theme or topic. If necessary, add an additional body paragraph with a brief plot summary of both subjects before you get into your points if you don’t already do this in your introduction
paragraph. Here is a typical structure if you decide to do the similarities first, and then differences:
- Introduction Paragraph
- Body Paragraph 1: Comparisons
a. Topic sentence
b. Argument from subject 1
c. Similar argument from subject 2
d. Continue this pattern for additional similar arguments between subjects
e. Transition sentence to next paragraph - Body Paragraph 2: Contrasts
a. Topic sentence
b. Argument from subject 1
c. Contrasting argument from subject 2
d. Continue this pattern for all additional different arguments between subjects
e. Transition sentence to next paragraph - Body Paragraph 3: Further Analysis
a. Topic sentence
b. Analysis of comparisons
c. Analysis of contrasts
d. Transition sentence to conclusion - Conclusion Paragraph
a. Restate thesis statement
b. Summarize arguments
c. End on a high note
Here is an example of a compare and contrast essay that goes point by point:
- Introduction Paragraph
a. Catchy opening hook
b. Background information or introduction of topic
c. Thesis statement - Body Paragraph 1: Point or Argument 1
a. Topic sentence
b. Position of subject 1
c. Position of subject 2
d. Analysis
e. Transition sentence to next paragraph - Body Paragraph 2: Point or Argument 2
a. Topic sentence
b. Position of subject 1
c. Position of subject 2
d. Analysis
e. Transition sentence to next paragraph - Body Paragraph 3: Point or Argument 3
a. Topic sentence
b. Position of subject 1
c. Position of subject 2
d. Analysis
e. Transition sentence to next paragraph - Conclusion Paragraph
a. Restate thesis statement
b. Summarize arguments
c. End with a resonating line
Lastly, here is an example of the subject by subject structure:
- Introduction Paragraph
a. Catchy opening hook
b. Background information or introduction of topic
c. Thesis statement - Body Paragraph 1: Subject 1
a. Topic sentence
b. Arguments and points in subject 1
c. Transition sentence to next paragraph - Body Paragraph 2: Subject 2
a. Topic sentence
b. Arguments and points in subject 2
c. Transition sentence to next paragraph - Body Paragraph 3: Analysis
a. Topic sentence
b. Connect arguments from subject 1 to arguments from subject 2
c. Transition sentence to conclusion - Conclusion Paragraph
a. Restate thesis statement
b. Summarize arguments and subjects
c. End with a nice, relevant line
Cause and Effect Essay Outline
Cause and effect essays have a variety of potential structures based on the direction you choose to take. As we said, you could focus on how one cause has multiple effects (Focus-on-Effects), how multiple causes lead to one effect (Focus-on-Causes), or put the emphasis equally on both. If you use the Focus-on-Effects method, your essay outline should look something like this:
- Introduction Paragraph
a. Catchy opening hook
b. Background information or introduction of the topic
c. Thesis statement - Body Paragraph 1: Information on the Cause (Optional)
- Body Paragraph 2: Effect 1
a. Topic sentence
b. Points and evidence
c. Transition sentence to next paragraph - Body Paragraph 3: Effect 2
a. Topic sentence
b. Points and evidence
c. Transition sentence to next paragraph - Body Paragraph 4: Effect 3
a. Topic sentence
b. Points and evidence
c. Transition sentence to next paragraph - Conclusion Paragraph
a. Restate thesis statement
b. Summarize arguments and subjects
c. End with a nice, relevant line
If you use the Focus-on-Causes method, your essay outline will resemble this structure:
- Introduction Paragraph
a. Catchy opening hook
b. Background information or introduction of topic
c. Thesis statement - Body Paragraph 1: Information on the Effect (Optional)
- Body Paragraph 2: Cause 1
a. Topic sentence
b. Points and evidence
c. Transition sentence to next paragraph - Body Paragraph 3: Cause 2
a. Topic sentence
b. Points and evidence
c. Transition sentence to next paragraph - Body Paragraph 4: Cause 3
a. Topic sentence
b. Points and evidence
c. Transition sentence to next paragraph - Conclusion Paragraph
a. Restate thesis statement
b. Summarize arguments and subjects
c. End with a nice, relevant line
Lastly, if you choose to focus on both causes and effects as a chain of reactions, your essay structure may take the following form:
- Introduction Paragraph
a. Catchy opening hook
b. Background information or introduction of topic
c. Thesis statement - Body Paragraph 1: Cause and Effect 1
a. Topic sentence
b. Points and evidence about the cause
c. Points and evidence about the effect
d. Transition sentence to next paragraph - Body Paragraph 2: Cause and Effect 2
a. Topic sentence
b. Points and evidence about the cause
c. Points and evidence about the effect
d. Transition sentence to next paragraph - Body Paragraph 3: Cause and Effect 3
a. Topic sentence
b. Points and evidence about the cause
c. Points and evidence about the effect
d. Transition sentence to next paragraph - Conclusion Paragraph
a. Restate thesis statement
b. Summarize arguments and subjects
c. End with a nice, relevant line