Example: Outline of a written text

OUTLINE OF “BIG BOX STORES ARE BAD FOR MAIN STREET”

Thesis: Whether or not they take jobs away from a community or offer low prices to consumers, we should be worried about “big-box” stores like Wal-Mart, Target, and Home Depot because they harm communities by taking the life out of downtown shopping districts.

I. Small businesses are better for cities and towns than big-box stores are.

1. Small businesses offer personal service and big-box stores do not.
2. Small businesses don’t make demands on community resources as big-box stores do.
3. Small businesses respond to customer concerns and big-box stores do not.

II. Big-box stores are successful because they cater to consumption at the expense of benefits to the community.

1. Buying everything in one place is convenient.
2. Shopping at small businesses may be inefficient, but it provides opportunities for socializing.
3. Downtown shopping districts give each city or town a special identity.

Conclusion: While some people say that it’s anti-American to oppose big-box stores, actually these stores threaten the communities that make up America by encouraging buying at the expense of the traditional interactions of Main Street.