Organizing your evidence (MLA)

MLA-6

The body of your paper will consist of evidence in support of your thesis. Some writers prefer to start with a formal outline, perhaps using complete sentences. Other writers sketch an informal plan that organizes ideas in bold strokes.

Sophie Harba, for example, used this simple plan to outline the structure of her argument:

After you have written a rough draft, a more formal outline can be a useful way to shape the complexities of your argument.

Related topics:

Informal outlines

Formal outlines

Harba, “What’s for Dinner? Personal Choices vs. Public Health”