Essays are one of the most arduous pieces of content a student or scholar writes in their life. Everyone can use an essay outline for a clear idea on what to write and how to write an essay. It is also one of the most elaborate ways you will be engaging in something.
If you are new to writing essays, let us introduce you to one of the most basic things that can fetch you the highest grades. Be it a job interview, an internship opportunity or a simple test. Essay writing is a skill that you should master early in your academic life.
Think of it as journalling but also bringing in factually correct information on the topic you’re writing. And if it is to land that job or internship, you can write passionately about the topic you’re pursuing.
The following article will help you know all about the different essay outlines and how you can write the best one with their help. Let’s go!
Essay Outline – Components, Examples and More!
Let’s take the example of writing an essay for your college admission or getting an interview at that dream company. Having an essay outline by your side can help you put your thoughts into words and present them.
You may ask me, if it’s all about putting thoughts into words, why do I need an outline? Well, an essay outline will give your piece a structure. Something that can keep your reader hooked till the last word.
The following section will illustrate the components of a good essay, tips to write a captivating essay and examples of a few essay types. Here are a few common types of essays, some of which we will be talking about in this series:
- Argumentative essay
- Literary analysis
- Personal statements/Cover letter
Essay Outline – Components of an Essay
Essay outline is basically all the different things you keep in mind while writing an essay. Be it an argumentative essay where you’re expressing your opinions, or a personal statement explaining why you deserve a seat at the table.
There are things that make sense in one type of essay that does not add up for the other type. It is always best to know what will work best than putting everything and going wrong with important content.
Here are the basic components of an essay:
- Captivating introduction
- Descriptive body
- Clear conclusion
An introduction to your essay is basically what will tell the reader “Read on, this is worth your time!” This is what builds the interest of the reader – from presenting a glimpse of what’s to follow to highlighting the points you’ll be sharing. That’s your introduction.
Next comes the essay’s body – this is the descriptive part of the essay that helps the reader know all about the things you’re exploring with the topic. It includes the evidence supporting your statements (in case this is an argumentative essay) or simply the information you want the reader to know.
(Pst! We’re in the body of this essay, right now!)
This is also where you develop the main points which you may have introduced in the introduction. It is also one of those places where you use one main point every paragraph to describe your stance or experience.
Lastly, we have the conclusion. This is a summarization of the points that were discussed and uses a conclusive tone. This can be the area where you convince the reader to engage further – such as the hiring manager or the professor.
You will not find new points in the conclusion as this summarizes the “body” for the reader.
How To Write A Good Essay?
Before we give you different essay outline examples, let us share a few tips on writing an essay that’s a delight to read! Here are a few ways you can do it right:
- Structure the essay correctly. No matter what the topic is, provide the information in a correct structure. Your conclusion will not follow the introduction, neither will it come in between the body.
- Similarly, provide the information in a clear and logical way. This will help you improve the information dissemination and ensure you are speaking directly to the reader. Directly focus on answering the question instead of beating around the bush.
- Your essay should reflect a clear understanding of the topic. It should show that you know enough about the topic. This isn’t the same as elaborating on the topic and waiting for a reader to respond with “I get it!” Anyone else around you who reads it – even without any knowledge of the topic, should be able to know what it is about.
- If you are writing an academic article – thesis or scientific paper, be sure to provide correctly formatted resources. This helps verify the information you’re providing and redirect the people to credible sources.
- Set a word limit and keep within it to avoid beating around the bush.
These are some of the most effective ways you can write an effective essay that captivates the audience.
Different Types of Essay Outline
Here are some of the different presentation ways or outlines for different essay types. These help you keep the intention of the essay clear and let the reader know the type of content they’re reading.
Argumentative Essay Outline
Here’s an example that illustrates writing an argumentative essay. An argumentative essay helps present evidence for a topic and shows two sides of the argument. The writer can present the arguments, following it with evidence and then provide the counterarguments for it.
The counterarguments are for your initial position and come with a supportive rebuttal to them. Here’s the outline to this essay type:
- Introduction
This section presents the opening statements and includes the thesis statement. This is usually at the end of the introduction. The thesis statement identifies the topic and includes the points that will be discussed.
The introduction before the thesis statement should include a few introductory lines about the topic, for example, social media and concerns about its use.
- Body
Next comes the body. The body can have several parts depending on the topics you want to explore within it. It can include the following:
- Topic 1 (The harmful effects of social media on attention span)
- Social media is a significant distraction
- Evidence 1 supporting this
- Evidence 2 supporting it
- Analyzing both evidence
- How it affects one’s focus.
- Employees’ inability to concentrate
- Why is this data concerning
- Topic 2 (How social media connects people near and far)
- DMs, video chat, voice call that it allows people to stay connected
- Direct messages to people
- Ability to interact face to face through video chat
- Accessibility to verified, credible information
- Speeds up getting credible information from verified authoritative pages
- Transition into next topic (counterargument)
- People believing myths easily
- Evidence such as people avoiding vaccines
- Argument that it spreads misinformation when people look at the likes and shares instead of fact-checking
- Positives of social media
- Conclusion
Summarize the points and reinstate the importance of digital education as well as the need to enforce the importance of setting dedicated timings for using the platform.
Cover Letter
A cover letter can be for various needs – landing an interview or getting that internship. It can be anything that requires convincing – that’s a way to put it. A cover letter introduces you, explains your qualifications and shows why you are the best pick!
No, you do not have to toot your own horn with pomp and show, but you have to formally declare your achievements. Here are the different components:
- Introduction (“Hello, I’m…,”)
- Summary of your professional background (if any and if applying for an interview) or academic background when applying for academic purpose
- Statement of purpose that explains why you are applying (job, internship, college)
- Discussion into why you are the best pick for a position
- Explaining any gaps in your career – job hopping or employment or a gap year after college/school
- Personal statement
This accompanies a cover letter much like the cover letter accompanying your CV or resume. Personal statement is an account of your interests, achievements, talents and goals. This is also one of the ways you can showcase your talent and strengths.
Outline for a personal statement:
- Consider your career goals, achievements, personal interests
- Narrow your focus to one theme and point it out at the beginning
- Consider the challenges you may have faced and highlight how you overcame it
- Use examples to demonstrate the relevant skills and experiences
- Your personal statement is usually limited to a word count – 500 words, typically. Stick to this by using short, clear sentences
- Follow the requirements sent by the University or employer. This is important for you to
These are all the different components of a personal statement that accompanies a cover letter.
Wrapping It Up!
So that’s how an essay outline looks and functions – we present two outline examples of popular essay types that people need. The article highlights all the different ways you can use essays to land that dream job or admission to the University.
So, brainstorm your achievements for your cover letter or research on the topic for that argumentative essay. You’re set on the outline with our helpful guide!
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