AI essay outline generator
Turn your topic or thesis into a clear essay outline you can edit and write from, or paste a draft to check its structure.
Your outline will appear here.
What is an essay outline?
An essay outline is a plan for your essay: the thesis you will argue or explain, the main point of each paragraph, and the evidence you will use, in the order you will use it. Most outlines share the same shape: an introduction that ends with your thesis, body paragraphs that each make one point, and a conclusion.
Writing an essay outline first makes the draft faster and clearer. You can check that every paragraph supports your thesis, spot points that repeat or wander, and fix the order before you write a sentence. A topic outline uses short phrases; a sentence outline uses full sentences.
Essay outline examples
One essay outline example for each kind of essay, showing the structure that type usually follows.
Argumentative
Should high schools start later?
I. Introduction
A. Hook: a first period class half asleep
B. Thesis: High schools should start later because teenagers learn better and stay safer when they sleep more.
II. Later starts improve learning
A. Evidence to find: studies of schools that moved their start time
III. Later starts make mornings safer
A. Evidence to find: research on drowsy teen drivers
IV. Counterargument and rebuttal
A. Later starts disrupt sports and jobs
B. Schedules can shift without losing activities
V. Conclusion: restate the thesis and call on the school board to act
Persuasive
Banning single-use plastic bags
I. Introduction
A. Hook: a plastic bag caught in a tree
B. Thesis: Our city should ban single-use plastic bags, because a small change for shoppers buys cleaner streets and rivers.
II. Bags litter streets and parks
III. Bags harm rivers and wildlife
IV. Other cities switched with little trouble (strongest point last)
V. Counterargument and rebuttal
A. Reusable bags cost shoppers more
B. Low-cost bags and a short grace period solve it
VI. Conclusion: a call to support the ban
Expository
How vaccines train the immune system
I. Introduction
A. Thesis: Vaccines protect the body by teaching the immune system to recognize a germ before a real infection.
II. What a vaccine contains
III. How the immune system responds
A. Antibodies form
B. Memory cells stay behind
IV. Why protection lasts, and why boosters help
V. Conclusion: why the process matters
Analytical
The green light in The Great Gatsby
I. Introduction
A. Thesis: The green light shows that Gatsby’s dream is always just out of reach.
II. The light as Gatsby’s hope
A. Evidence to find: the scene where Gatsby reaches toward the light
III. The light loses its power once Daisy is near
IV. The light as the American Dream
V. Conclusion: what the symbol says about longing
Compare and contrast
Online and in-person college classes
I. Introduction
A. Thesis: Online classes offer more flexibility, but in-person classes do more to keep students motivated.
II. Flexibility
A. Online: study around work and family
B. In person: fixed times and places
III. Motivation and accountability
IV. Community and support
V. Conclusion: which suits which students
Cause and effect
Rising rents and young families
I. Introduction
A. Thesis: Rising city rents push young families to the suburbs, which lengthens commutes and empties city schools.
II. Cause: rents rise faster than wages
III. Effect: families move to the suburbs
IV. Effect: longer commutes and emptier city schools
V. Conclusion: what cities could do
Narrative
Learning to swim as an adult
I. Introduction
A. Hook: standing at the edge of the pool
B. Thesis: Learning to swim as an adult taught me that facing a fear openly is easier than hiding it.
II. Setup: signing up for lessons
A. Detail to add: the embarrassment at the front desk
III. Rising action: failing to float
IV. Turning point: the instructor lets go
V. Resolution: what changed afterward
VI. Conclusion: the lesson I kept
Research paper
Phone use before bed and student sleep
I. Introduction
A. Research question: How does phone use before bed affect university students’ sleep quality?
II. Literature Review
A. Screen light and melatonin
B. Social media and alertness at night
III. Methods: survey and sleep diary
IV. Results: what to report for each question
V. Discussion: meaning, limitations, next steps
VI. Conclusion
Essay outline templates
Free essay outline templates to download and fill in. Each essay outline template is a Word file that also opens in Google Docs and Pages.
Argumentative essay outline template
Three reasons for your claim, a counterargument with your rebuttal, and a conclusion.
I. Introduction: hook, background, thesis
II to IV. Body paragraphs: one reason each
V. Counterargument and rebuttal
VI. Conclusion
Expository essay outline template
An essay that explains a process, a concept or causes, one part per paragraph.
I. Introduction: hook, background, thesis
II to IV. Body paragraphs: one part or step each
V. Conclusion
Compare and contrast essay outline template
The point by point structure: each body paragraph compares both subjects on one point.
I. Introduction: both subjects and your thesis
II to IV. Points of comparison: subject A, subject B, what it shows
V. Conclusion
Research paper outline template
The standard sections of a research paper, with prompts for what goes in each.
I. Introduction and research question
II. Literature Review
III. Methods and IV. Results
V. Discussion and VI. Conclusion
How to write an essay outline, step by step
Step 1
Start with your thesis
Write the one sentence your essay will argue or explain. Every part of the outline supports it.
Step 2
List your main points
Note the points that best support your thesis. Each one becomes a body paragraph.
Step 3
Put them in order
Choose the order that builds best: strongest point last for an argument, step by step for a process, cause before effect.
Step 4
Add evidence under each point
Note the example, quote or source you will use, or what you still need to find.
Step 5
Plan the introduction and conclusion
Sketch a hook and the background your reader needs, then how you will close.
Step 6
Check it before you write
Make sure every point supports the thesis, nothing repeats, and the plan fits your word count and assignment.
Frequently asked questions
What is an essay outline?
It is a plan of your essay: your thesis, the main point of each paragraph and the evidence you will use, in order. It usually has an introduction, body paragraphs and a conclusion.
How do I use this essay outline generator?
Enter your topic or thesis, add any main points or assignment instructions, and choose your essay type and length. Select Create outline, then edit any line, reorder sections, and copy or export the outline to Word.
Is this outline maker free?
Yes. You can create or rework 20 outlines a day for free, with no signup. Rewriting a section, expanding a point and each refine count as one. If you need more, create a free Writing Studio account.
What is the difference between a topic outline and a sentence outline?
A topic outline uses short phrases, which is quick to write and easy to scan. A sentence outline uses a full sentence for every point, which makes drafting easier because much of the wording is already there. Choose either under Outline style.
How many paragraphs should an essay outline have?
A 500 to 1,000 word essay usually has three body paragraphs, plus an introduction and a conclusion. Longer essays add a body paragraph for every few hundred words. Choose a length and the outline scales to it, with a word target for each section.
Does the outline include sources?
No. It never invents facts, statistics, quotes or sources. Each point has a note on what kind of evidence to look for, such as a recent study on your topic. When you find sources, the free Writing Studio citation generator can cite them.
Can I outline an essay I already wrote?
Yes. Open Outline my draft and paste your draft or upload a PDF or Word file. You get an outline of what each paragraph says, feedback on the structure, and a suggested outline you can edit. Teachers call this reverse outlining.
Can I use an essay outline template instead?
Yes. Download a free essay outline template above for argumentative, expository, compare and contrast, or research paper essays, and fill in each part yourself.
Does it work for research papers?
Yes. Choose Research paper as the essay type to get the standard research paper outline: Introduction, Literature Review, Methods, Results, Discussion and Conclusion.
Does it work in other languages?
Yes. Choose the output language: English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese or Korean.
Can I use an AI generated outline?
Check your instructor’s or school’s policy first. An outline is a plan, not the essay: use it to organize your own ideas, then write the essay in your own words.