29/10/2010

Purdue OWL Engagement

Welcome to the Purdue OWL
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Contributors:Elyssa Tardiff, Allen Brizee. Summary: This resource describes why outlines are useful, what types of outlines exist, suggestions for developing effective outlines, and how outlines can be used as an invention strategy for writing.

Four Main Components for Effective Outlines
Ideally, you should follow these four suggestions to create an effective outline. The examples are taken from the Sample Outline handout.

Parallelism - How do I accomplish this?
Each heading and subheading should preserve parallel structure. If the first heading is a verb, the second heading should be a verb. Example: 1. Choose Desired Colleges 2. Prepare Application ("Choose" and "Prepare" are both verbs. The present tense of the verb is usually the preferred form for an outline)

Coordination - How do I accomplish this?
All the information contained in Heading 1 should have the same significance as the information contained in Heading 2. The same goes for the subheadings (which should be less significant than the headings). Example: 1. Visit and evaluate college campuses 2. Visit and evaluate college websites 1. Note important statistics 2. Look for interesting classes (Campus and websites visits are equally significan...

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