Essay Skills

Explain or Illustrate Key Ideas (continued)

An outline for your essay will be a valuable tool to follow during the writing process. Begin with the thesis statement, which will indicate the main idea. In the example of a college student preparing for a test, notice the manner in which this was accomplished.

A college student preparing for a test needs to have a knowledge of questions on the test, effective study notes, and a classmate who wants to study, too.

Now the organization of the three ideas listed in the main idea of the essay can be described by:

• first, find out types of questions;

• next, take notes effectively;

• last, study with a classmate.

Notice that these supporting ideas are in a chronological order (first, next, last). Other essays will have a different logical sequencing because of their subjects, but a logic is of importance in building a flow of ideas for the reader.