Free guide and outline generator

Outline Format: Examples & Templates

An outline is a plan of your writing: your main ideas in order, with the points and evidence under each. See the standard outline format, examples and templates, or generate an outline for your own topic.

An outline is a plan: you write the essay in your own words. Your text is used only to answer and isn't stored.

Example: 5-paragraph essay outline

  1. I. Introduction: hook, background, thesis statement
  2. II. Body paragraph 1: topic sentence, evidence, explanation
  3. III. Body paragraph 2: topic sentence, evidence, explanation
  4. IV. Body paragraph 3: topic sentence, evidence, explanation (or counter-argument)
  5. V. Conclusion: restate the thesis, sum up, final thought

Enter your topic to get an outline built for your essay, with what each section should do and the evidence to look for.

How to write an outline

  1. 1Decide your thesis. Write the one-sentence answer your essay argues or explains. Everything in the outline should support it.
  2. 2List your main points. Pick the 3 strongest reasons, ideas or parts. Each becomes a body section.
  3. 3Order them. Put them in the order that builds best: strongest last for persuasion, or step by step for explanation.
  4. 4Add evidence. Under each point, note the facts, quotes, data or examples you'll use, and where they come from.
  5. 5Plan the introduction and conclusion. Note a hook and background for the start, and how you'll pull the points together at the end.

Outline examples and templates

The standard outline format uses Roman numerals for main sections and letters and numbers for the points under them:

I. Main idea
   A. Supporting point
      1. Detail or evidence
         a. Smaller detail
   B. Supporting point
II. Main idea
   A. Supporting point

The usual outline for each type of writing. Copy one, or let the generator fill it in for your topic.

5-paragraph essay

  1. Introduction: hook, background, thesis
  2. Body paragraph 1: topic sentence, evidence, explanation
  3. Body paragraph 2: topic sentence, evidence, explanation
  4. Body paragraph 3: topic sentence, evidence, explanation
  5. Conclusion: restate thesis, sum up, final thought

Argumentative essay

  1. Introduction: hook, background, thesis
  2. Reason 1 with evidence
  3. Reason 2 with evidence
  4. Counter-argument and rebuttal
  5. Conclusion: restate thesis, why it matters

Research paper

  1. Introduction and research question
  2. Literature review
  3. Methods
  4. Results
  5. Discussion
  6. Conclusion and further research

Compare and contrast

  1. Introduction and thesis
  2. Similarities
  3. Difference 1
  4. Difference 2
  5. Conclusion: what the comparison shows

Speech

  1. Attention-getter
  2. Preview of main points
  3. Main point 1
  4. Main point 2
  5. Main point 3
  6. Summary and memorable close

Outline Format FAQs

What is an outline?

An outline is a structured plan of a piece of writing or a talk. It lists the main ideas in the order you'll present them, with supporting points and evidence indented underneath.

What is the standard outline format?

The alphanumeric format: Roman numerals (I, II, III) for main sections, capital letters (A, B, C) for the points under them, then numbers (1, 2, 3) and lowercase letters (a, b, c) for more detail. Each level is indented.

How do you write a presentation outline?

Start with an attention-getter and a preview of your points, give each main point its own section with an example, then finish with a summary and a memorable close. Choose "Speech or presentation" in the generator.

Is the outline generator free?

Yes. You can try it twice a day without an account, and a free account gets 5 a day. Premium gets 100 a day for every StudyCoach tool.

Is using an outline generator cheating?

An outline is a plan, not the essay. It gives you a structure and points to develop; you research and write every sentence yourself. Check your school's rules on AI tools.

More outline help: Literature Review Generator · Research Question Generator · Research Proposal · Essay Outline Generator · Research Paper Outline. Also try the thesis statement generator, the citation generator and the AI Essay Grader. Writing a dissertation? Map it out with the free dissertation timeline maker and track it in the Thesis & Dissertation Tracker.

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