Basic Essay Outline | The Writing Process

Summary

In this video, Wendy from Worldwide Speak provides an insightful guide on how to outline a basic essay, particularly for English language learners. She explains the structure of a three-paragraph essay—introduction, body, and conclusion—using the topic of describing the best city for a vacation. Wendy chooses Chicago as her example, emphasizing its architecture, restaurants, and museums as key reasons why it's the top destination. The video offers practical tips for brainstorming, organizing ideas, and crafting each paragraph effectively, making it an excellent resource for students new to essay writing.

Takeaways

• 😀 Outlining is an important step in the writing process where you organize ideas after brainstorming.
• 😀 The outline provides a framework for your essay, helping you visualize the structure before writing.
• 😀 For beginners, a basic essay should consist of three paragraphs: introduction, body, and conclusion.
• 😀 The introduction should include a hook, background information, and a clear thesis statement.
• 😀 The body paragraph should start with a topic sentence followed by supporting reasons and details.
• 😀 The conclusion should restate the thesis in a fresh way and leave the reader with something to think about.
• 😀 When outlining, it’s important to follow the order of reasons you state in your thesis to maintain clarity.
• 😀 Specific details are essential to make the body paragraph engaging and clear for the reader.
• 😀 A strong outline helps prevent losing focus during writing, ensuring clarity and effectiveness in your essay.
• 😀 For students, using an outline makes writing more manageable by showing how many sentences are needed for each section.

Q & A

What is the purpose of outlining an essay?

Outlining an essay helps organize ideas after brainstorming. It structures the paper, ensuring that the content is clear and focused, making the writing process smoother and more effective.

How does Wendy explain the connection between the outline and the final essay?

Wendy compares the outline to a monthly calendar, where the outline gives a big overview of the essay, similar to how a calendar gives an overview of the month, helping you organize specific points or tasks.

What is the suggested structure for a basic three-paragraph essay outlined in the video?

The basic three-paragraph essay includes an introduction, a body paragraph with supporting details, and a conclusion that restates the thesis and leaves the reader with something to think about.

Why is a three-paragraph essay particularly useful for English language learners?

A three-paragraph essay serves as a good transition for English language learners who are just starting to move from writing single paragraphs to full essays, offering a simpler structure to manage.

What elements should be included in the introduction paragraph?

The introduction paragraph should include a hook or general statement, background information, and a clear thesis statement that presents the writer’s opinion and focus of the essay.

How should the body paragraph be structured?

The body paragraph should start with a topic sentence that introduces the main point, followed by specific reasons and supporting details, organized in the same order as presented in the thesis.

What is the role of the conclusion paragraph?

The conclusion paragraph restates the thesis in a different way and leaves the reader with a thought-provoking idea, prediction, or suggestion, encouraging further reflection on the topic.

What does Wendy suggest if a student struggles to come up with a hook for their introduction?

Wendy suggests starting with a big general statement related to the essay's topic if a hook is hard to find. This general statement can later be narrowed down to the thesis.

What specific examples did Wendy use to support her reasons for choosing Chicago as the best vacation city?

Wendy highlighted Chicago's architecture, restaurants (like Lou Malnati's pizza), and museums (such as the Field Museum) as key reasons why it’s a great city for a vacation.

Why is it important to have an outline before writing an essay?

Having an outline ensures the essay stays focused, organized, and clear. It helps prevent the writer from losing track of their main points and allows them to see the structure of the essay in totality before they begin writing.