It has been said since ancient times that to view a mountain you must first climb to the top, and to see the sea you must take a boat. But in the area of writing essays, writing an outline is the real beginning! It’s like washing and chopping vegetables and preparing ingredients before cooking, only when the ingredients are ready can you make a delicious meal. In the same way, only when the outline is well-written and organised can the whole paper flow smoothly and impressively. Let’s talk about how to draft a high-quality English dissertation outline.
1. Determine the topic of the paper
First of all, you have to have a clear topic. It’s like when you are travelling somewhere, you need to know where the destination is. If your teacher doesn’t assign you a topic, you have to think of one yourself. Don’t be afraid, it’s like finding a lighthouse in the middle of the ocean, as long as you have a direction, you can find your way forward.
2. Summarise the main arguments
Once you’ve decided on a topic, it’s time to start figuring out your essay outline. This is like marking out your route on a map so you know where to go at each stop. You need to list the main arguments of your paper and create a subheading for each one. This will not only help you organise your thoughts better, but also make it easier for you to follow the arguments one by one in the subsequent writing process.
3. Decide on a thesis statement
The thesis statement is like the opening of your paper, it determines how your paper will be presented. In general, the thesis statement should follow the topic of the paper and briefly summarise the main points of the paper. If your paper is an exploration of a specific topic, then the background and history about the topic can be the first argument of the paper.
4. Develop subheadings for the body of the paper
Subheadings for the body of your paper are like chapter headings for your paper; they are the skeleton of your paper. These subheadings should be derived directly from the thesis or thesis statement and should make your point succinctly and clearly.
5. Proofread the outline
Proofreading your dissertation outline is like checking that your travel plans make sense and seeing if there is anything you have missed. You need to read your outline over and over again to make sure that all your arguments are well presented and that the structure is logical. If you find any problems, make corrections promptly.
