Summary: Show This exercise is useful for either difficult texts that you must read, or as a way to revise your work for organization and clarity. Some assignments ask you to read and analyze complex information. In these cases, reverse outlining can help you distill the main ideas into short, clear statements. You may also use reverse outlining to revise your own work. Reverse outlining follows a two-step, repeatable process:
Be brief, particularly when rereading your own work. If you can't complete each step in 5-10 words, the paragraph may need to be altered. You should be able to summarize the topic and the manner of support quickly; if you can't, revise the paragraph until you can. This exercise can be expanded into an actual outline by rewriting/typing your notes, but writing in the margin might be sufficient. There are lots of times when doing something in reverse isn’t the best idea—like walking backwards through town or driving in reverse down the interstate. Neither of these serve any useful purpose (and can actually be dangerous). So don’t try these at home. What you definitely should try at home (or in your dorm room, in the library, or anywhere else you study) is writing a reverse outline of your paper. A reverse outline? Is that like starting at the end and outlining your conclusion first? Not exactly. So what is a reverse outline, and why should you use one? Let me explain. “Kiddy Batman Slightly Confused” by Surian Soosay, Flickr.com (CC BY 2.0)What Is a Reverse Outline?I’m sure you’ve had to write outlines many times in your academic career. And I’m sure you know that an outline is a form of prewriting that helps you organize ideas before you begin drafting your essay. A reverse outline is a lot like a standard outline. The difference is that you’ll write a reverse outline after you write your paper. To do this, simply review a completed draft of your paper and outline the key parts, such as the thesis statement, main arguments (or topic sentences), and evidence used to support each of your arguments. Why Should You Use a Reverse Outline?The quick answer is that a reverse outline can help you write a better paper. (And a better paper means a better grade, so it’s a win-win, right?) More specifically, using a reverse outline can help you:
How Do You Write a Reverse Outline?“It Looks Insoluble” by David Goehring, Flickr.com (CC BY 2.0)Step #1 Draft your paperIf you don’t yet have a draft (or even a partial draft), you cannot exactly move on to step 2, so if you don’t have your paper written yet, what are you waiting for? Get writing! Step #2 Identify the thesis statement of your paperLook for the thesis statement at the end of your introductory paragraph(s). If you can’t find the thesis statement, you’ll definitely need to revise. Once you’ve identified the thesis statement, check to make sure that it’s appropriate for your paper and assignment. Let’s say you’re supposed to write a research-based argument essay about bike lanes in your city, and your thesis statement looks like this:
When you first look at this thesis, it looks fine. It explains the focus of the paper (the need for more bike paths) and explains the key argument (the city needs to invest more money in paths). Let’s continue our reverse outline to see if our thesis and essay arguments match. Step #3 Outline key ideasTo outline the key ideas of your paper, start by examining the structure of each body paragraph. Look for the topic sentence and the evidence you’ve used to support that topic sentence. “Cyclist-189” by ProfDEH, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)An outline of a body paragraph from our imagined argument essay about bike paths looks like this: Topic Sentence:
Evidence to Support Argument:
The topic sentence is basic, but it gets the job done. The evidence, on the other hand, is clearly lacking. One personal opinion about the number of bike paths isn’t enough to support a research-based essay. The other clear problem is that the paragraph also discusses bike racks. The focus of the paper is bike paths rather than bike racks. Thus, this information isn’t necessarily suited for this paper. Let’s take a look at another paragraph. Topic Sentence:
Evidence to Support Argument:
At first glance, this paragraph looks like it’s in fine shape. It has a clear topic sentence and ample evidence from sources. But look again. What is it missing? The topic sentence states that the paragraph will discuss dangers to cyclists and motor vehicle drivers. This paragraph only discusses the dangers to cyclists. It makes no mention of motor vehicle drivers. This is exactly why a reverse outline is so helpful! It makes it easy to see where your paper might need more information. Finally, let’s revisit our original thesis to see if it matches the content of our essay.
Hmmm … this thesis statement focuses on the need for the city to invest more in bike paths, but our paragraphs don’t discuss this at all. Big problem! A more appropriate thesis statement for this essay might look like this:
See how a reverse outline can help you evaluate these things? Genius, isn’t it? For more help with reverse outlines, check out this short video or try one of these worksheets:
And if you’re tackling your reverse outlining and making revisions on actual physical paper—ya know, by hand with a pen—here’s a good process. The Final RevisionsNotice that the previous heading says “final revisions”—plural. This means that, even though you revise after completing your reverse outline, you’ll still need to review your paper once again to make sure everything is ready to submit to your instructor. Check out these resources to help make your paper a literary masterpiece: Kibin editors can help also with revisions. Don’t forget to send your paper our way for some helpful feedback. Happy outlining! Psst... 98% of Kibin users report better grades! Get inspiration from over 500,000 example essays. |