An outline is based on coordination and subordination. That means the headings at the same level in an outline should be coordinate and parallel to each other (both the same kind of thing) and subheadings are subordinate to the heading they are under. Since headings are parallel in meaning, they should also be parallel grammatically. If one heading is a noun, the rest should be nouns, and so on.

The points of an outline can be full sentences, or they can be short phrases, but formal outlines should not contain both sentences and phrases. A student's goal is consistency. The main advantage of a sentence outline is that it focuses on the thesis and topic and transition sentences that provide the framework for an essay.

An MLA outline page should include a thesis written as a single sentence listed before the outline itself. The word "Outline" should be centered one inch from the top edge of the page. The page numbering for an MLA outline page contains the writer's last name plus a small Roman numeral (beginning with i) in the upper right corner ½ inch from the top edge of the page. The outline follows the title page and precedes the body of the research paper.

Sample Sentence Outline

Patel i

Outline

Thesis: Abraham Lincoln, one of America's greatest and most favored presidents, expresses, in his person and through his efforts, the essential ideals of American life.

  1. Although Abraham Lincoln was born as an ordinary, every day American, he was an extraordinary individual.
    1. Abraham Lincoln represents the quintessential example of the self-made man.
    2. Abraham Lincoln represents the tradition of the American humorist with his homespun wisdom and clever down-to-earth repartee.
    3. Abraham Lincoln represents the American Adam, the innocent Adam born into the new world.
  2. Although Abraham Lincoln was plain-spoken, his writing and speaking style made him a compelling rhetorician.
    1. Lincoln's simple yet heartfelt "Farewell Address to Springfield" represents Lincoln's sense of rhythm and balance.
    2. Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, through its plain yet careful prose, rewrote American history.
    3. Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, despite the limits of its prohibitions on slavery, transformed the Civil War and changed the world's view of the American conflict.
  3. Abraham Lincoln served the United States with firmness and compassion during its most difficult days.
    1. Abraham Lincoln, as Supreme Commander of the Union Army, directed the Northern forces in an effort to end the war as quickly as possible.
    2. Lincoln, as arbiter of the Constitution, extended the power of the federal government and laid the foundation for an increased power of the executive branch.