Writing Skills Part 1: Outlining

血映雪

Hi, everyone. I'm Regina. I'm here to share a skill of writing, which is outlining, to help you write a better composition. Hope you'll like it.

Writing is an important part of English. To make the composition well-organized and fully-stuctured, as well as avoid getting the writing off topic, an outline can be firstly made as a pre-writing activity.


An outline reflects logical thinking and sensible grouping.

In properties, an outline is:
1. a logical and general description
2. a schematic summary
3. an organizational pattern
4. a visual and conceptual design of your writing

Outline can have the following functions:
1. help you organize your idea
2. present your material in a logical form
3. show the relationships among ideas in your writing
4. construct an ordered overview of your writing


How to make an outline for a writing?

Before you begin:
1. determine the purpose of your writing
2. determine the audience you are writing for
3. develop the thesis of your paper

Then, an outline can be made by the following processes:
1. list all the ideas that you want to include
2. put relative ideas into groups
3. main headings and sub-headings can be added if necessary


Here is an example outline on the topic of major aspects of AIDS.

I. Transmittal of AIDS
   A. Transfusions
   B. Body fluids
       1. Sexual
       2. Non-sexual
II. Societal Consequences of AIDS
    A. Epidemic disease pattern
       1. Teenagers
       2. Women
       3. Homosexuals
    B. AIDS babies
    C. Increased homophobia
    D. Overburdened health care
III.  Research Solutions to AIDS
    A. AZT
    B. HIV virus
    C. Other viruses

This is just a part one while more and more are coming! Are you looking forward to reading more? Let's wait and see! Wish all of you a merry Christmas and a happy new year!

血映雪

Oh, come on! Why there's nobody replying?

血映雪

watching TV programmes which is in English are possible ways 
無名小卒=] 發表於 3-1-2013 20:25

I think it should be an "are".

血映雪

Yes.
My English standard is very poor
Don;t laugh at me
無名小卒=] 發表於 3-1-2013 20:47

That's fine. It's just a minor careless mistake after all. All of us must have made it.