Developing Outlines
Outlines keep the main elements of our arguments organized.
They need not be formal. Make brief outlines as you write on
whatever’s handy – a piece of scrap paper or napkin.
Main Claims, Subclaims, and Evidence
Effective arguments and outlines contain main claims, subclaims
(that support main claims), evidence (that supports subclaims),
and explanation.
An Outline’s Starting Place: The Main Claim
Main claims articulate the point of the argument and are therefore the important sentences in
essays. They determine what will be discussed in the essay.
An Example
Main Claim: Smoking should be banned on campus because of its negative health and
environmental impacts.
At least two things are clear from this statement:
1. The central claim is that smoking should be banned on campus.
2. The author will discuss both the health and environmental impacts of allowing smoking
on campus. Health impacts and environmental impacts will be the two key contributing
points in the essay.
This would translate into the following outline:
Main Claim: I argue that smoking should be banned on campus because of its
negative health and environmental impacts.
SC1: Smoking should be banned on campus because its negative health
impacts.
SC2: Smoking should be banned on campus because of its negative
environmental impacts.
Keep Building
Next, these ideas need to be explored more fully. There are probably more than one health
impact and one environmental impact. Consider health impacts on students with allergies and
asthma. Consider the environmental harms caused cigarette butts and ashes.
The resulting outline might look like this:
Main Claim: I argue that smoking should be banned on campus because of its
negative health and environmental impacts.
SC1: Smoking should be banned on campus because its negative health
impacts.
SC2: Smoking affects students with allergies.
SC3: Smoking affects students suffering from asthma.
SC4: Smoking should be banned on campus because of its negative
environmental impacts.
SC5: The cigarette butts are harming animals on campus.
SC6: The cigarette ash is killing the grass in the campus green areas.
Each one of these statements reflects an argumentative claim, so each needs to be defended
with evidence, explanation, and reasoning. For instance, if the writer asserts that “smoking
affects students with allergies,†the reader would ask, “What support do you have for that
claim?â€
Supporting Subclaims With Evidence, Explanation, and Links to the Main Claim
The following studies could function as evidence to support two subclaims. Additional
evidence may be necessary.
@ Evidence for SC2: To support the subclaim that “smoking affects students with allergies,â€
the writer might cite a poll taken on campus proving that students with allergies have
suffered more when walking through smoky areas.
@ Evidence for SC3: To support the subclaim that “smoking affects students suffering from
asthma,†the writer might cite a report released by the Center for Disease Control.
For each subclaim, the writer should explain 1) any quotations, paraphrases, or summaries,
keeping the point of the subclaim in mind, and 2) how the subclaims, once defended, support
the main claim.
But What About the Opposition?
In addition to defending their own main claims and subclaims, the writer also needs to consider
opposing positions and, if convinced by them, modify their own claims. For those positions they
aren’t convinced by, the writer needs to faithfully and respectfully represent them in their essays
and respond to them. These opposing positions and responses are called the counterarguments
and rebuttals. They are required in argumentative essays where we respond to ongoing
debates.
How Many Subclaims Do I Need to Write?
It depends on how many are necessary to fully defend the main claim, keeping the page length
requirement in mind. As good rule of thumb, full body paragraphs are a half-page to threequarters of a page in length, so when outlining, expect to write about 7-8 body paragraphs for
a six-page paper plus an introduction and conclusion. This just gives you a rough measure. If
you only have three subclaims, keep thinking about and breaking down the main claim and
expand it, if necessary. If you have twenty subclaims, narrow the main claim.
Putting it All Together: A Basic Argument Outline
Main Claim: I argue that smoking should be banned on campus because of its
negative health and environmental impacts.
SC1: Smoking should be banned on campus because its negative health
impacts.
SC2: Smoking affects students with allergies.
SC3: Smoking affects students suffering from asthma.
SC4: Smoking should be banned on campus because of its negative
environmental impacts.
SC5: The cigarette butts are harming animals on campus.
SC6: The cigarette ash is killing the grass in the campus green areas.
Counter: This recommendation interferes with personal liberty.
Rebuttal: Our liberties are curtailed for many reasons based on the public interest.
Adapted from: “Distinguishing between Main Points and Sub-claims,†by Jennifer Janechek The Writing
Commons: https://writingcommons.org/distinguishing-between-main-points-and-sub-claims
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