How to Make/Create an Essay Outline [Templates + Examples] 2023

Essay outlines are referred to as the basic blueprints of essay writing, and learning how to write an essay outline increases your chances of delivering a compelling essay. From setting the essay’s structure, and counting the required number of paragraphs, down to deciding what topics to discuss, you can definitely benefit from an essay outline for your next writing piece.

Table of Content

Build an Essay Outline Template – Step-by-Step Instructions

Outlines for essays make it easier to arrange and organize your ideas while writing. And the writing process could not get any easier when you apply these steps on how to create an essay outline using printable sample templates:

Step 1: Look for an Essay Outline Template (Option 1)

how to make create an essay outline step

Open your browser and log on to Template.net. View the landing page for essay outlines and you’ll receive plenty of downloadable options such as a research paper essay outline template, an 8th-grade essay outline template, and many more.

Step 2: Search for an Essay Outline Template (Option 2)

how to make create an essay outline step

You can also use the search box found on the top center of the site to access any template you want pronto. Just type “essay outline” and you’ll receive recommendations of different essay outline templates as well as related templates in various file formats.

Step 3: Choose an Essay Outline Template and Its Format

how to make create an essay outline step

Pick a template you want to use by clicking it. Then, set the file format under “Select a File Format” to your preferred version, such as Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or PDF.

Step 4: Download the Template in Your Preferred Format

how to make create an essay outline step

After choosing a file format, click “Download Now” and you’ll eventually have a zip file downloaded to your computer. Open that specific file once the download process is complete.

Step 5: Extract the Zip File

how to make create an essay outline step

To use the content of your zip file moving forward, extract it to a specific folder or location first. Open the file in MS Word if you picked the Word format, access Google Docs if you selected Google Docs format, and so forth.

Step 6: Enable Editing

how to make create an essay outline step

If you’re using MS Word, the zip file’s version would be locked for editing by default. Hence, click “Enable Editing” found on the top of your screen to cancel the document’s protected view.

Step 7: Alter the Text and Overall Content

how to make create an essay outline step

Begin editing the essay outline document by clicking on any part of the text and typing the new words you want to add. Be sure to plan on how to build the three parts of an essay (introduction, body, and conclusion) as well as set the essay outline’s purpose whether it is made for a 6th-grade thesis essay, high school essay in MLA format, middle school essay in APA format, descriptive English essay, narrative history essay, college analysis essay, or a general persuasive essay.

Step 8: Save and Print the Edited Essay Outline Document

how to make create an essay outline step

You can still add a graphic organizer and more informative data to the essay outline as long as you save your document by pressing Ctrl + S on your keyboard when you’re finished editing. Then, you can print it by clicking “File,” “Print,” and finalizing the printing options to have a hard copy of the essay outline.

Essay Outline Templates & Examples

Writing essays would run a smooth sail with a premade layout to guide you; hence, essay outlines exist to achieve that very purpose. Whether you need to accomplish a long five-paragraph essay or a short one-page essay, there are always many essay outline examples available such as:

General Essay Outline Template

general essay outline template

A general essay outline marks your go-to template for writing any type of essay. This is the very outline used so you won’t go wrong in making standard essays; thus, it is multi-functional compared to only making one type of essay.

Argumentative Essay Outline Template

argumentative essay outline template

An argumentative essay outline is where you make a detailed map of what to write in an essay that aims to investigate a particular subject. Being argumentative means your writing assignment should be well-researched and evidence-based to make your arguments valid.

College Essay Outline Template

college essay outline template

A college essay outline is basically made for college students. College students won’t have a hard time organizing their thoughts and notions through writing with a college essay outline for reference.

Character Analysis Writing Essay Outline Template

character analysis writing essay outline template
Details
File Format
  • MS Word
  • Google Docs
  • PDF

Download Now

Literary Analysis Essay Outline Template

literary analysis essay outline template
Details
File Format
  • MS Word
  • Google Docs

Download Now

Problem Solution Essay Outline Template

problem solution essay outline template
Details
File Format
  • MS Word
  • Google Docs

Download Now

Reflective Essay Outline Template

reflective essay outline template
Details
File Format
  • MS Word
  • Google Docs
  • PDF

Download Now

General Essay Outline Template

general essay outline template
Details
File Format
  • MS Word
  • Google Docs
  • PDF

Download Now

Argumentative Essay Outline Template

argumentative essay outline template
Details
File Format
  • MS Word
  • Google Docs
  • PDF

Download Now

DBQ Essay Outline Template

dbq essay outline template
Details
File Format
  • MS Word
  • Google Docs
  • PDF

Download Now

College Essay Outline Template

college essay outline template
Details
File Format
  • MS Word
  • Google Docs
  • PDF

Download Now

Descriptive Essay Outline Template

descriptive essay outline template
Details
File Format
  • MS Word
  • Google Docs

Download Now

Essay Prewriting Outline Template

essay prewriting outline template
Details
File Format
  • MS Word
  • Google Docs

Download Now

Community Essay Outline Template

community essay outline template
Details
File Format
  • MS Word
  • Google Docs

Download Now

Historical Essay Outline Template

historical essay outline template
Details
File Format
  • MS Word
  • Google Docs

Download Now

Simple Essay Outline Template

essay outline template
Details
File Format
  • MS Word
  • Google Docs

Download Now

Essay Outline For Research Paper Template

essay outline for research paper template
Details
File Format
  • MS Word
  • Google Docs

Download Now

Biography Essay Outline Format Template

biography essay outline format template
Details
File Format

Free Download

Sample Essay Outline Template Word Format

sample essay outline temlate word format downloadfc.deltasd.bc.ca
Details
File Format
  • DOC

Size: 6.9 KB

Download Now

Essay writing is fun, but it can also be challenging. People who write essays know that the best thing to do to get then best results is to have an outline. Use this outline to write your essay. You may also see Business Plan Outline Template

Free Expository Essay Outline Template Word Doc

free expository essay outline template word docteacherweb.com
Details
File Format
  • DOC

Size: 8.5 KB

Download Now

Writing an essay doesn’t happen in the spur of a moment. It requires idea and careful forethought. The best place to write down all your ideas is on a essay outline template. This template is one example that you can download, print, and work on for your essay-writing assignment. You may also see Research Paper Outline Template.

Free Argumentative Essay Outline Template PDF Sample

free argumentative essay outline template pdf sampledepts.washington.edu
Details
File Format
  • PDF

Size: 164.8 KB

Download Now

Did you know that an outline can help you pre determine what will go into your essay? You can download this outline for free and use it to plan your essay before you start writing. You may also see General Essay Outline Templates in Word.

Narrative Essay Outline Template Free PDF Example

narrative essay outline template free pdf examplethewritersalley.com
Details
File Format
  • PDF

Size: 72 KB

Download Now

If you reckon yourself as not very-well equipped to write a good essay, an essay outline would be a good place for you to give your topical ideas a shape and a flow. This particular essay outline template would be serviceable to you. You can download and use this simple template to jot down your ideas and other relevant information in a systematic manner. You may also see Paragraph Essay Outline.

Sample Compare and Contrast Essay Outline PDF Download

sample compare and contrast essay outline pdf downloadkibin.com
Details
File Format
  • PDF

Size: 172.6 KB

Download Now

Sample Research Essay Outline Template Download

sample research essay outline template downloadbutte.edu
Details
File Format
  • PDF

Size: 173.3 KB

Download Now

Blank Informative Essay Outline Template Sample

blank informative essay outline template sample
Details
File Format
  • PDF

Size: 7 KB

Download Now

Blank Sentence Outline for Literary Analysis Essay

blank sentence outline for literary analysis essay free downloadnapavalley.edu
Details
File Format
  • PDF

Size: 71.7 KB

Download Now

Essay Paper Outline Template

essay paper outline templatedmitchell77.weebly.com
Details
File Format
  • PDF

Size: 65.9 KB

Download Now

Outline Structure for Literary Analysis Essay Template

outline structure for literary analysis essayudc.edu
Details
File Format
  • PDF

Size: 234.5 KB

Download Now

Example of a Argument Essay Outline

example of a argument essay outlinefsusd.org
Details
File Format
  • PDF

Size: 31 KB

Download Now

Free Five Paragraph Essay Outline

free five paragraph essay outlinecwcboe.org
Details
File Format
  • PDF

Size: 55.7 KB

Download Now

Free Printable Essay Plan Outline

free printable essay plan outlineshare.nanjing-school.com
Details
File Format
  • PDF

Size: 51.9 KB

Download Now

Example of free Narrative Essay Outline Worksheet in PDF

narrative essay outline worksheet in pdfela8devonmiddle.wikispaces.com
Details
File Format
  • PDF

Size: 5.3 MB

Download Now

Business School Essay Exam Outline

business school essay exam outlinebusiness.unsw.edu.au
Details
File Format
  • PDF

Size: 38.4 KB

Download Now

Free Compare and Contrast Essay Outline Examples

compare and contrast essay outline exampleskibin.com
Details
File Format
  • PDF

Size: 172.6 KB

Download Now

Basic Proper Essay Outline Format

basic proper essay outline formattacoma.uw.edu
Details
File Format
  • PDF

Size: 23.7 KB

Download Now

Topical Outlines Essay Format

topical outlines essay formatstaffwww.fullcoll.edu
Details
File Format
  • PDF

Size: 80.5 KB

Download Now

Short Essay Outline Template

short essay outline templatealexandercollege.ca
Details
File Format
  • PDF

Size: 625.1 KB

Download Now

Group Explanatory Essay Outline Format

group explanatory essay outline formatchino.k12.ca.us
Details
File Format
  • PDF

Size: 58.5 KB

Download Now

Standard Detailed Essay Outline

standard detailed essay outlineawsstudentacademy.hbicambodia.com
Details
File Format
  • PDF

Size: 51.7 KB

Download Now

Sample College Research Paper Outline Download

sample college research paper outline downloadgcsny.org
Details
File Format
  • PDF

Size: 53.2 KB

Download Now

Free College Essay Outline Template Example

free college essay outline template example
Details
File Format
  • DOC

Download Now

FAQs

What are the standard parts of an essay outline?

An essay outline usually highlights the introduction, first topic, second topic, third topic, and conclusion of the essay.

What is the standard five-paragraph essay structure?

It starts with one introductory statement that should welcome the main topic, follows by three paragraphs for the body supporting the topic, and ends with one conclusion to summarize everything.

How long should essay outlines be?

Essay outline documents are quite short since these aren’t the actual essays but rather the main guide for writing an essay; hence, they often only have one to two pages.

More in Outline Templates

17+ Autobiography Outline Template 12+ Lesson Plan Outline Template
10+ Biography Outline Template 10+ Essay Outline Template
9+ Project Outline Template 7+ Blank Outline Template
8+ Research Paper Outline Templates 4+ Essay Outline Template