Essay Outline
I. Introduction
A. Attention-getter: Show a picture of my garden and tell about the joys it has brought me.
B. Purpose: To inform you of the steps needed to plant a successful garden.
C. Preview: To do this, you will need to follow these five steps:
1. Select the garden spot.
2. Select the plants.
3. Prepare the garden spot.
4. Plant the plants.
5. Maintain the garden.
II. Body
A. Select the garden spot.
1. Choose the location.
a. Sunny spots are one possibility.
b. Shady spots are another possibility.
2. Choose the size of the garden spot.
Transition: Now that you have selected your garden spot, you should pick out plants with that garden spot in mind.
Select the plants.
0. Do you select perennials or annuals?
1. Is your garden spot sunny or shady?
Transition: After you have selected your plants, you should next prepare the garden spot for planting.
Prepare the garden spot.
0. Remove all unnecessary debris, grass, etc.
1. Till the soil.
2. Fertilize the soil, if necessary.
Transition: Now that you have prepared the garden spot, you are ready to plant your plants.
Plant the plants.
0. Make a plan.
1. Dig the plant holes.
2. Plant.
Transition: Planting your plants is easy -- so is maintaining the garden you have planted.
Maintain the garden.
0. Water.
1. Fertilize.
2. Protect.
3. Weed.
Conclusion
Summary: I have told you today about five steps needed to plant a successful garden.
0. Select the garden spot.
1. Select the plants.
2. Prepare the garden spot.
3. Plant the plants.
4. Maintain the garden.
Final appeal: Now that you have seen how easy it is to have a successful garden, why don't you have your own special garden this summer? (Show picture of my garden again.)
• Proposed Topic:
o Eating breakfast
• Purpose:
o To persuade my audience to eat a healthy breakfast
• Possible Main Points:
o -- Elements of what's healthy
o -- Benefits of eating a healthy breakfast
o -- How easy it is to eat a healthy breakfast
• Ideas for Introduction & Conclusion:
o -- Audience survey of what their current breakfast eating patterns
o -- Sample healthy breakfast foods
OUTLINING
Outlining Stages
Key Word Outline
The third stage of outlining is the key word stage. In this stage, you make abbreviated notes for yourself from your full-sentence outline.
I. Introduction
A. Picture -- joys
B. To inform -- steps for a successful garden
C. Five steps
1. Select spot
2. Select plants
3. Prepare
4. Plant
5. Maintain
II. Body
A. Spot
1. Location
a. Sunny
b. Shady
2. Size
3. Plants
1. Perennials or annuals
2. Sunny or shady?
Preparation
0. Remove
1. Till
2. Fertilize
Planting
0. Plan
1. Dig
2. Plant
Maintenance
0. Water
1. Fertilize
2. Protect
3. Weed
Conclusion
Summary -- five steps
Select garden spot
Select plants
Prepare spot
Plant
Maintain the garden
Final appeal: Easy, so do it! Picture again.