Creating a reverse outline Read through the first paragraph of your paper and write down what the main idea seems to be. This can be a short phrase or a complete sentence, just as long as the text ...

In the other column, write what each paragraph is doing—for example, argument/claim/thesis, context, evidence, support, transition to new topic, recap, significance. Number the paragraphs in your ...

They begin with an introduction, contain body paragraphs each making one main point, and end with a conclusion. As you outline what information you want to put in each of these paragraphs, it is ...