skeleton paper essay

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What Is a Skeleton?

A skeleton is the assemblage of a given paper’s first and last sentences of each paragraph.

Why Should I Use a Skeleton?

A skeleton can be used to address a bunch of different elements of a paper: precision of topic and concluding sentences, transitions, arrangement, repetition -- you name it. Mostly, it forces us to think of these sentences as joints to a skeleton, or moves being made in papers, and whether those moves are effective and accurate.

How Do I Perform a Skeleton?

First, copy and paste (or copy if working with a paper draft) the first and last sentences of each paragraph into a different document. Then, read them in the order they’re written and consider the moves these sentences are trying to make.

Example (the Following Skeleton Represents About One-Third of a Complete Draft):

P1​: Topic: Jean Rhys' Good Morning, Midnight confines the reader to Sasha's declining mental state for the whole of the novel, robbing them of varied perspectives and enveloping them in her traumatic isolation. Conclusion: In doing so, Sasha creates a world within the world, one that exists behind the curtain of her mind, to remove herself from the pain of the present. P2: T: Terrance Hawkes argues that it is human nature to create worlds – stories, myths, and the like – to deal with the immediate world creatively, rather than directly. C: Deep within this well, Sasha finds herself mute during moments where she might defend herself, or dignify her actions.   P3: T: Ewa Ziarek's writing in Female Bodies, Violence, and Form, help inform Sasha's silence as having resulted from (and be Rhys' response to) sexism and the abasement of females during the time of publication. C: However, Sasha's outward silence that is ventilated in her mind reveals a great deal about the nature of her isolation and her means of maintaining it. P4: T; Sasha's most telling method of isolation is what Ziarek refers to as 'petrified female tongue' (174), a silence that arises when a voice is needed most. C*: This is the present the novel takes place in. P5:  ​ T: Stuck in the now but desperately escaping to the safe place inside her head (which proves not much better), Sasha often reflects on the past to anesthetize the pain of the present. C: Sasha doesn't feel a connection with men like Mr. Blank but rather perceives herself as a damaged commodity, albeit one with a small measure of dignity   *You’ll notice that this structure can and probably should be changed. Often we open and conclude in 1-2 sentences, and so paragraph 4’s last sentence is actually only half of the conclusion. 

To What End?

Many observations may be made from the above skeleton, given a reading of the entire paper. Since it’s an old paper of my own, I see now that front-loading Hawkes and Ziarek into the paper might not be the most effective use of those readings. Moreover, I can see now the transition between such readings (P2C and P3T) is pretty loose.

[ Activity written by Luke Useted, May 2015. Image by Flickr user,  Shaun Dunmall  and used under Creative Commons license]

The Writer’s Guide to Skeleton Outlines

When I first heard the term “skeleton outline,” I assumed that it must be some kind of tool for horror writers.

I kid, of course. When you think about it, though, freelance writing can be kind of horrifying, especially when you’re attacking a new topic or trying to figure out how to please a new client. But that’s where skeleton outlines come in and, ironically, help to alleviate some of the horrors.

What is a skeleton outline?

Just like a skeleton defines the basic shape of a body and provides something for the muscles, tendons, and such to attach to, a skeleton outline marks out the structure of a piece of writing. It can be used in fiction writing, article writing or a copywriting project as a tool to help plan and draft work.

If you’re new to skeleton outlines, the name will tell you most of what you need to know!

Why use a skeleton outline?  

A skeleton outline has one primary purpose: to help you write more efficiently.

Think of it as a GPS for your writing. If you don’t enter a destination and at least take a cursory glance at the route you plan to take, you probably won’t end up on the most efficient route. You’ll get there (probably), but it might take longer.

Efficiency matters

The scenic route is fine if you’re going on a camping trip, but you’re a freelance writer. Chances are good that the longer you take to write a particular piece, the less you’ll earn that day. A skeleton outline keeps you on track so you can produce more words without compromising quality.

Remember, it’s not just about writing fast. Anyone can write fast, but the quality of the result can be questionable. Skeleton outlines help you write quickly and well. You hit your deadline and turn in something good enough to get you re-hired.

As freelancers, most of us can’t afford to turn in bad work, nor do we want to because our reputations are on the line.

Why does it work?

Creating a skeleton outline is a time investment, albeit a minor one. For this method, you take a few minutes to write out the points you want to make in your article. The result is a simple document that keeps you on track in several different ways.

1. Freedom to be inspired

Some writers assume that an outline limits your creativity, but more often it’s the opposite. Whenever I write without an outline, I feel bound to whatever sub-topic I’m working on at the moment. 

Let’s say that I’m working on a 1,000-word article about training dogs, and I’m in the middle of a paragraph about positive reinforcement. Suddenly I decide I need to write about the history of behaviorist theory and how it relates to animal training. 

If I try to do anything more than making a note about it, though, I’ll lose track of…  wait, what was I talking about? Oh, that’s right, positive reinforcement. 

2. The bucket effect

The elements of your skeleton outline are like empty buckets, each of which contains blocks of a certain color. If you find that one bucket would work better somewhere else, you can move it, and all the colored blocks with it.

Now imagine that all of your colored blocks are lying on the floor individually. How much longer is it going to take to move all of the blue blocks without leaving any of them behind?

3. Structured research

A skeleton outline helps you to stop flailing about the Internet, looking for statistics that probably relate to your topic. Your skeleton outline provides you with sub-topics that let you be a lot more specific with your search. I’ve found that the more specific I can be with my research, the less likely I am to follow random leads until I can’t remember where I started.

How do you make a skeleton outline?

Now that we’ve covered the “why it works,” let’s move on to “how.”

Fun fact: if you do a Google image search for “skeleton outline,” you’ll mostly find craft templates and coloring pages featuring human bones. (Seriously. Try it. ) Scroll down for a while, though, and you’ll start to see documents that look like a book’s table of contents.

That’s essentially what a skeleton outline is—a table of contents for your piece. It’s not a detailed or necessarily formalized outline like those you may have written in school, complete with sub-topics and full sentences. 

A skeletal outline is really “just the bones,” pun fully intended.

Take a look at the example below (with thanks to AcademicHelp.net ).

You can use this template to create a skeleton outline for almost any piece of copy you’re going to write. You’ll replace the placeholders like First Point, Detail, and Conclusion with specific references to your topic and sub-topics, but the outline won’t get more complex. 

Nor should it. For the commercial writer, a complex outline is counter-productive.

How do you use your skeleton outline?

Once you have your skeleton outline complete, it’s time to flesh it out. 

If you’ve never tried this before, you’ll be amazed at how much quicker you end up with a great finished product.

Step 1: Choose your main points  

Let’s say you’ve been asked to create an article about how to concentrate while you’re writing. Your first step is to choose your main points. You decide on:

• Choosing music to write to
• The Pomodoro Technique for self-accountability
• Handling inevitable distractions

If you’re happy with your three main points, or however many you decide to use, you’re ready to move on to details. 

Step 2: Find your details

There’s an awkward experience that many writers are familiar with. You’ve chosen a topic and backed it up with three or four supporting details, each of which flows into the next one. You’ve started to research one of the details and found out that actually the rest of your article comes out of that supporting point instead, so you have to go back and start over.

I’ve been there. It’s terrible.

On the other hand, if I’m using an outline and one of my main points won’t work, I can replace it as necessary without having to re-write much content or throw out all of my research.

Step 3: Write

If you’ve been diligent in your approach to the first two steps, this last one will be a breeze. Your research is done, the piece is structured; now all you have to do is translate the information into sentences and paragraphs.

You can do this. You’re a writer.

Is it possible to write without a skeleton outline? Of course. The shorter the piece, the easier it is to write off the cuff. Use an outline, though, and you’ll almost certainly create better work in less time. 

That’s the freelance Holy Grail right there.

Ellie is a full-time freelance writer with a background in playwriting, theater, and dance. She especially loves writing articles that help creatives and freelancers manage their time, talent, and money.

Reference management. Clean and simple.

Getting started with your research paper outline

Levels of organization for a research paper outline

First level of organization, second level of organization, third level of organization, fourth level of organization, tips for writing a research paper outline, research paper outline template, my research paper outline is complete: what are the next steps, frequently asked questions about a research paper outline, related articles.

The outline is the skeleton of your research paper. Simply start by writing down your thesis and the main ideas you wish to present. This will likely change as your research progresses; therefore, do not worry about being too specific in the early stages of writing your outline.

A research paper outline typically contains between two and four layers of organization. The first two layers are the most generalized. Each layer thereafter will contain the research you complete and presents more and more detailed information.

The levels are typically represented by a combination of Roman numerals, Arabic numerals, uppercase letters, lowercase letters but may include other symbols. Refer to the guidelines provided by your institution, as formatting is not universal and differs between universities, fields, and subjects. If you are writing the outline for yourself, you may choose any combination you prefer.

This is the most generalized level of information. Begin by numbering the introduction, each idea you will present, and the conclusion. The main ideas contain the bulk of your research paper 's information. Depending on your research, it may be chapters of a book for a literature review , a series of dates for a historical research paper, or the methods and results of a scientific paper.

I. Introduction

II. Main idea

III. Main idea

IV. Main idea

V. Conclusion

The second level consists of topics which support the introduction, main ideas, and the conclusion. Each main idea should have at least two supporting topics listed in the outline.

If your main idea does not have enough support, you should consider presenting another main idea in its place. This is where you should stop outlining if this is your first draft. Continue your research before adding to the next levels of organization.

• A. Background information
• B. Hypothesis or thesis
• A. Supporting topic
• B. Supporting topic

The third level of organization contains supporting information for the topics previously listed. By now, you should have completed enough research to add support for your ideas.

The Introduction and Main Ideas may contain information you discovered about the author, timeframe, or contents of a book for a literature review; the historical events leading up to the research topic for a historical research paper, or an explanation of the problem a scientific research paper intends to address.

• 1. Relevant history
• 2. Relevant history
• 1. The hypothesis or thesis clearly stated
• 1. A brief description of supporting information
• 2. A brief description of supporting information

The fourth level of organization contains the most detailed information such as quotes, references, observations, or specific data needed to support the main idea. It is not typical to have further levels of organization because the information contained here is the most specific.

• a) Quotes or references to another piece of literature
• b) Quotes or references to another piece of literature

Tip: The key to creating a useful outline is to be consistent in your headings, organization, and levels of specificity.

• Be Consistent : ensure every heading has a similar tone. State the topic or write short sentences for each heading but avoid doing both.
• Organize Information : Higher levels of organization are more generally stated and each supporting level becomes more specific. The introduction and conclusion will never be lower than the first level of organization.
• Build Support : Each main idea should have two or more supporting topics. If your research does not have enough information to support the main idea you are presenting, you should, in general, complete additional research or revise the outline.

By now, you should know the basic requirements to create an outline for your paper. With a content framework in place, you can now start writing your paper . To help you start right away, you can use one of our templates and adjust it to suit your needs.

After completing your outline, you should:

• Title your research paper . This is an iterative process and may change when you delve deeper into the topic.
• Begin writing your research paper draft . Continue researching to further build your outline and provide more information to support your hypothesis or thesis.
• Format your draft appropriately . MLA 8 and APA 7 formats have differences between their bibliography page, in-text citations, line spacing, and title.
• Finalize your citations and bibliography . Use a reference manager like Paperpile to organize and cite your research.
• Write the abstract, if required . An abstract will briefly state the information contained within the paper, results of the research, and the conclusion.

An outline is used to organize written ideas about a topic into a logical order. Outlines help us organize major topics, subtopics, and supporting details. Researchers benefit greatly from outlines while writing by addressing which topic to cover in what order.

The most basic outline format consists of: an introduction, a minimum of three topic paragraphs, and a conclusion.

You should make an outline before starting to write your research paper. This will help you organize the main ideas and arguments you want to present in your topic.

• Consistency: ensure every heading has a similar tone. State the topic or write short sentences for each heading but avoid doing both.
• Organization : Higher levels of organization are more generally stated and each supporting level becomes more specific. The introduction and conclusion will never be lower than the first level of organization.
• Support : Each main idea should have two or more supporting topics. If your research does not have enough information to support the main idea you are presenting, you should, in general, complete additional research or revise the outline.

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• How to write an essay outline | Guidelines & examples

How to Write an Essay Outline | Guidelines & Examples

Published on August 14, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on July 23, 2023.

An essay outline is a way of planning the structure of your essay before you start writing. It involves writing quick summary sentences or phrases for every point you will cover in each paragraph , giving you a picture of how your argument will unfold.

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Table of contents

Organizing your material, presentation of the outline, examples of essay outlines, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about essay outlines.

At the stage where you’re writing an essay outline, your ideas are probably still not fully formed. You should know your topic  and have already done some preliminary research to find relevant sources , but now you need to shape your ideas into a structured argument.

Creating categories

Look over any information, quotes and ideas you’ve noted down from your research and consider the central point you want to make in the essay—this will be the basis of your thesis statement . Once you have an idea of your overall argument, you can begin to organize your material in a way that serves that argument.

Try to arrange your material into categories related to different aspects of your argument. If you’re writing about a literary text, you might group your ideas into themes; in a history essay, it might be several key trends or turning points from the period you’re discussing.

Three main themes or subjects is a common structure for essays. Depending on the length of the essay, you could split the themes into three body paragraphs, or three longer sections with several paragraphs covering each theme.

As you create the outline, look critically at your categories and points: Are any of them irrelevant or redundant? Make sure every topic you cover is clearly related to your thesis statement.

Order of information

When you have your material organized into several categories, consider what order they should appear in.

Your essay will always begin and end with an introduction and conclusion , but the organization of the body is up to you.

Consider these questions to order your material:

• Is there an obvious starting point for your argument?
• Is there one subject that provides an easy transition into another?
• Do some points need to be set up by discussing other points first?

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Within each paragraph, you’ll discuss a single idea related to your overall topic or argument, using several points of evidence or analysis to do so.

In your outline, you present these points as a few short numbered sentences or phrases.They can be split into sub-points when more detail is needed.

The template below shows how you might structure an outline for a five-paragraph essay.

• Thesis statement
• First piece of evidence
• Second piece of evidence
• Summary/synthesis
• Importance of topic
• Strong closing statement

You can choose whether to write your outline in full sentences or short phrases. Be consistent in your choice; don’t randomly write some points as full sentences and others as short phrases.

Examples of outlines for different types of essays are presented below: an argumentative, expository, and literary analysis essay.

Argumentative essay outline

This outline is for a short argumentative essay evaluating the internet’s impact on education. It uses short phrases to summarize each point.

Its body is split into three paragraphs, each presenting arguments about a different aspect of the internet’s effects on education.

• Importance of the internet
• Concerns about internet use
• Thesis statement: Internet use a net positive
• Data exploring this effect
• Analysis indicating it is overstated
• Students’ reading levels over time
• Why this data is questionable
• Video media
• Interactive media
• Speed and simplicity of online research
• Questions about reliability (transitioning into next topic)
• Evidence indicating its ubiquity
• Claims that it discourages engagement with academic writing
• Evidence that Wikipedia warns students not to cite it
• Argument that it introduces students to citation
• Summary of key points
• Value of digital education for students
• Need for optimism to embrace advantages of the internet

Expository essay outline

This is the outline for an expository essay describing how the invention of the printing press affected life and politics in Europe.

The paragraphs are still summarized in short phrases here, but individual points are described with full sentences.

• Claim that the printing press marks the end of the Middle Ages.
• Provide background on the low levels of literacy before the printing press.
• Present the thesis statement: The invention of the printing press increased circulation of information in Europe, paving the way for the Reformation.
• Discuss the very high levels of illiteracy in medieval Europe.
• Describe how literacy and thus knowledge and education were mainly the domain of religious and political elites.
• Indicate how this discouraged political and religious change.
• Describe the invention of the printing press in 1440 by Johannes Gutenberg.
• Show the implications of the new technology for book production.
• Describe the rapid spread of the technology and the printing of the Gutenberg Bible.
• Link to the Reformation.
• Discuss the trend for translating the Bible into vernacular languages during the years following the printing press’s invention.
• Describe Luther’s own translation of the Bible during the Reformation.
• Sketch out the large-scale effects the Reformation would have on religion and politics.
• Summarize the history described.
• Stress the significance of the printing press to the events of this period.

Literary analysis essay outline

The literary analysis essay outlined below discusses the role of theater in Jane Austen’s novel Mansfield Park .

The body of the essay is divided into three different themes, each of which is explored through examples from the book.

• Describe the theatricality of Austen’s works
• Outline the role theater plays in Mansfield Park
• Introduce the research question : How does Austen use theater to express the characters’ morality in Mansfield Park ?
• Discuss Austen’s depiction of the performance at the end of the first volume
• Discuss how Sir Bertram reacts to the acting scheme
• Introduce Austen’s use of stage direction–like details during dialogue
• Explore how these are deployed to show the characters’ self-absorption
• Discuss Austen’s description of Maria and Julia’s relationship as polite but affectionless
• Compare Mrs. Norris’s self-conceit as charitable despite her idleness
• Summarize the three themes: The acting scheme, stage directions, and the performance of morals
• Answer the research question
• Indicate areas for further study

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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You will sometimes be asked to hand in an essay outline before you start writing your essay . Your supervisor wants to see that you have a clear idea of your structure so that writing will go smoothly.

Even when you do not have to hand it in, writing an essay outline is an important part of the writing process . It’s a good idea to write one (as informally as you like) to clarify your structure for yourself whenever you are working on an essay.

If you have to hand in your essay outline , you may be given specific guidelines stating whether you have to use full sentences. If you’re not sure, ask your supervisor.

When writing an essay outline for yourself, the choice is yours. Some students find it helpful to write out their ideas in full sentences, while others prefer to summarize them in short phrases.

You should try to follow your outline as you write your essay . However, if your ideas change or it becomes clear that your structure could be better, it’s okay to depart from your essay outline . Just make sure you know why you’re doing so.

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writing skeletons

 In order to get into the hang of academic writing it is sometimes helpful to examine closely the way in which other writers structure their work.

Swales and Feak (1) offer the use of skeleton sentences to achieve this. This where all of the content is stripped out of a paragraph in order to reveal the syntactic moves. They suggest that those wishing to improve their writing should experiment with putting their own content into these skeletons. This is the equivalent of walking in someone else’s footprints.

Here are some that Barbara Kamler and I use in our workshops on academic writing.

SKELETON ONE

(1)  This chapter begins with a brief discussion of…………….(key theoretical approach you will take in your research) its history and major theorists.

(2)  Next, I look at how ……………. (state the problem you are researching) is constructed in education.

(3)  Then the chapter examines the literature about …………..( the problem you are addressing) that has been produced over the last …………. years.

(4)  The chapter concludes with a look at some notable scholars …………..( names)  from ………………..(name the theory again ) perspective.

 From Ladson Billings, G (1999) Preparing teachers for diverse student populations: a critical race theory perspective, in  A Iran-Nejad and P. D Pearson (Eds) Review of Research in Education. (pp. 211-247)WashingtonDC: American Educational Research Association.

SKELETON TWO

In this paper I discuss the main arguments that deal with the issue of…………

(2) it is my purpose to highlight the ……………… by pointing to…………….

(3) The paper is structured as follows. After giving an overview of the scope of the …………. I review the particular……………

(4) Next I provide a summary of …………….

(1)  Finally in the last two sections I consider several implications for ……. and argue that…………….

 Adapted from Lavie, J (2006) Academic discourse on school based teacher collaboration: revising the arguments. Educational Administration Quarterly 42 (5) 773-805.

SKELETON THREE

The thesis builds on and contributes to work in the field of __________________________

(2)      Although a number of studies (   ) have examined _______________, there has not been a strong focus on ____________________________________________________.

(3)  As such, this study provides additional insights about ______________________.

(4)  This research differs from previous studies in ………….   by identifying/documenting/ ………….

(5) In doing this it draws strongly on the work of ………… and …………. who……………

 Adapted from Dunsmire, P (1997) Naturalizing the future in factual discourse: a critical linguistic analysis of a project event. Written Communication 14 (2) 221-264.

SKELETON FOUR

The thesis differs from other studies of_____________________.

(2) It owes a factual and interpretative debt to ________________________and _____________________ and__________________.

(3) In other respects it has benefited from the _________________ presented by _____________ and from  ____________’s treatment of ________________ (    ).

(4) In these writings it is possible to find descriptions and analyses of____________ ________________________________which this thesis does not intend to match.

(5) What it rather does is to present a broader perspective on ______________ than is usually managed, with a more consistently maintained ________________, a greater attention to ____________________, a fuller sense of the range of _____________within a framework which conveys ________________________.

(6) If it is successful in these respects, then much is owed to______________________.

 Adapted from Jones K (2003) Education in Britain: 1944 to the present. Oxford: Polity Press.

(1) Swales, J and Feak, C 1994 Academic writing for graduate students. University of Michigan Press. Second edition now in print.

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About pat thomson

16 responses to writing skeletons.

Thanks Pat. I’ve found this really useful in writing, especially when I’ve been stuck for ideas. It’s very similar to the ‘Writing Frames’ we give children when structuring genres for them!

I too found this useful way to scaffold the writing process for inexperienced academic writers like myself.

i think it can be quite helpful at the finishing stage leroy where you are now.. so use it to get the thesis abstract crisp

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Very useful and timely, thank you!

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These examples are really useful, thank you; I will definitely utilise them. A friend used a similar skeleton to construct an abstract and completed the abstract within 1/2 hour, after agonising over it for days.

Very clear examples. So helpful indeed

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Thank you so much, this is very helpful, even for ESL students! And for teaching as well.

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An Awesome Essay Skeleton in 5 Simple Steps

I know what you’re wondering, what is the difference between an essay skeleton and an essay outline? To be honest, there is very little difference other than the outline tends to come equipped with a little more meat. The essay skeleton is, as the name suggests, just a basic frame of reference that helps students organize their ideas and define what goes where. In most cases, it does not have too much content other than the titles and subtitles and maybe topic sentences.

A thesis statement is also a welcome edition to the skeleton. In comparison, an outline will usually have brief paragraphs that define what the segment will talk about. The skeleton is usually very heavily edited throughout the writing process.

So, why even bother creating an essay skeleton, you wonder? Simple, because it will serve as a boilerplate for all your written assignments. And I do mean all of them. Forever!

Let’s dive in and see how is this even possible.

Table of Contents

What is an essay skeleton.

The skeleton is the framework that guides your writing . Think of it this way. If you wanted to build a house, the first thing you’d do is to draw a design, layout of the rooms, placement of the electric and water appliances, doors and windows, and similar. The skeleton is just like that, only for writing. If you do it properly, it will help you organize your research and writing, which saves time and lowers stress. So let’s dig in and see what can you do to make an awesome essay skeleton.

Understanding the Structure

Understanding the essay’s structure is crucial. Learn the anatomy of an essay: introduction, body, and conclusion. This comprehension guides your essay’s direction. In almost every situation you will come across, written work will have only three main parts – the introduction, the body, and the conclusion.

While in most cases there are some elements that must be added later such as the abstract or the bibliography , the three core elements never change.

Essay Skeleton Examples

Depending on the length of your paper, each part will vary in size and can encompass several sub-sections. It is important that you outline these immediately, as it helps define what you need to focus on. For example, a standard essay structure may look like this:

• Introduction
• Body topic 1
• Body topic 2
• Body topic 3
• Bibliography

If you need to write a longer paper, say 10-15 pages that requires primary or secondary research, then you would use something like this:

• Research question
• Thesis statement
• Literature review
• Body topic 4
• Body topic 5

Selecting the Main Points

Choose the main points wisely. They form the backbone of your essay skeleton. Prioritize key arguments that align with your thesis statement. Don’t go into too much detail, but rather focus on those elements that make the core of your essay. If you’re writing about World War II, pick 3-5 main points and create body paragraphs first, and only then develop the other parts. This way you will be more prepared and know what to write about.

Crafting a Strong Thesis

Crafting a robust thesis statement is pivotal. It succinctly summarizes the purpose of your essay and sets the roadmap for your skeleton.

Building the Body

The body of your essay skeleton fleshes out your main points. Arrange them logically, ensuring coherence and progression.

Incorporating Evidence

Support your main points with credible evidence. This can include statistics, quotes, or scholarly references. Strengthen your essay’s structure with substantial support.

Conclusion and Recap

Conclude your essay skeleton with a concise recap. Reinforce your thesis and summarize the key arguments. A well-constructed skeleton ensures a robust essay.

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Research Paper: A step-by-step guide: 3. Thesis Statement & Outline

• 1. Getting Started
• 2. Topic Ideas
• 3. Thesis Statement & Outline
• 4. Appropriate Sources
• 5. Search Techniques
• 6. Taking Notes & Documenting Sources
• 7. Evaluating Sources
• 8. Citations & Plagiarism
• 9. Writing Your Research Paper

About Thesis Statements

Qualities of a thesis statement.

Thesis statements:

• state the subject matter and main ideas of a paper.
• appear in the first paragraph and announces what you will discuss in your paper.
• define the scope and focus of your essay, and tells your reader what to expect.  
• are not a simple factual statement.  It is an assertion that states your claims and that you can prove with evidence.
• should be the product of research and your own critical thinking.
• can be very helpful in constructing an outline for your essay; for each point you make, ask yourself whether it is relevant to the thesis.

Steps you can use to create a thesis statement

1. Start out with the main topic and focus of your essay.

youth gangs + prevention and intervention programs

2. Make a claim or argument in one sentence.  It can be helpful to start with a question which you then turn into an argument

Can prevention and intervention programs stop youth gang activities?  How?  ►►►  "Prevention and intervention programs can stop youth gang activities by giving teens something else to do."

3. Revise the sentence by using specific terms.

"Early prevention programs in schools are the most effective way to prevent youth gang involvement by giving teens good activities that offer a path to success."

4. Further revise the sentence to cover the scope of your essay and make a strong statement.

"Among various prevention and intervention efforts that have been made to deal with the rapid growth of youth gangs, early school-based prevention programs are the most effective way to prevent youth gang involvement, which they do by giving teens meaningful activities that offer pathways to achievement and success."

5. Keep your thesis statement flexible and revise it as needed. In the process of researching and writing, you may find new information or refine your understanding of the topic.

You can view this short video for more tips on how to write a clear thesis statement.

An outline is the skeleton of your essay, in which you list the arguments and subtopics in a logical order. A good outline is an important element in writing a good paper. An outline helps to target your research areas, keep you within the scope without going off-track, and it can also help to keep your argument in good order when writing the essay.  Once your outline is in good shape, it is much easier to write your paper; you've already done most of the thinking, so you just need to fill in the outline with a paragraph for each point.

To write an outline: The most common way to write an outline is the list format.  List all the major topics and subtopics with the key points that support them. Put similar topics and points together and arrange them in a logical order.    Include an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. 

A list outline should arrange the main points or arguments in a hierarchical structure indicated by Roman numerals for main ideas (I, II, III...), capital letters for subtopics (A, B, C...), Arabic numerals for details (1,2,3...), and lower-case letters for fine details if needed (a,b,c...). This helps keep things organized.  

Here is a shortened example of an outline:

Introduction: background and thesis statement

I. First topic

1. Supporting evidence 2. Supporting evidence

II. Second Topic

III. Third Topic

I. Summarize the main points of your paper II. Restate your thesis in different words III. Make a strong final statement

You can see examples of a few different kinds of outlines and get more help at the Purdue OWL .

• << Previous: 2. Topic Ideas
• Next: 4. Appropriate Sources >>
• Last Updated: Apr 18, 2023 12:12 PM
• URL: https://butte.libguides.com/ResearchPaper

How to Use Skeleton Outlines to Write Faster

A fellow writer mentioned client projects sometimes took longer than they hoped, so they wanted to learn to write faster in order to avoid this. While there are plenty of ways you can increase your writing speed, one tip I gave them was to use "skeleton outlines."

I worked through the beginning stages of of a skeleton outline while they watched to show how quick the process could be. Today I'd like to share the resulting example so you, too, can give this technique a try.

Let's take a look at what skeleton outlines are, then we'll explore how they can help you get through writing projects faster.

What Are Skeleton Outlines?

A skeleton outline is a high-level breakdown of your content. In other words, it's the "bare bones" framework you'll use as a guide to later write the "meat" of your work.

For instance, think about a nonfiction book's table of contents.

The TOC might list the book's sections, chapter titles, and then it might even include major sub-sections or topics covered in each chapter. This works similarly to a skeleton outline for a new writing project in that it breaks down the content into smaller parts.

Skeleton outlines can be used for any kind of writing. For example, I use skeleton outlines for press releases, white papers, blog posts, case studies, video scripts, podcast episodes, web copy, and even fiction.

With fiction, The Snowflake Method would be another similar approach in that you start small and build outward as you flesh out your writing.

How Can Skeleton Outlines Help You Write Faster?

Skeleton outlines give you an overview of what you'll write before you draft the content itself. This can make the writing process faster in several ways.

For example:

• You'll know exactly what research you need to conduct, so you don't waste time gathering unnecessary information.
• You can shuffle ideas around before you fully commit, therefore minimizing rewrites for the sake of maintaining your content's flow.
• When you have a skeleton outline breaking things down into smaller bits, you don't have to write in a linear fashion. For example, you can hop around between sections or tackle the easiest sections first to give you a motivational boost.

Once you have the initial skeleton outline, you can start fleshing out the rest of your content.

For me, that involves several passes where I build up each section in layers. While that sounds slow, those passes are quick to get through -- a minute or two for the first, and up to maybe five minutes for the last before I turn that into a full draft. For you, it might mean going from skeleton outline to full draft in one shot, using your outline as a simple road map.

Fleshing Out a Skeleton Outline

Let's look at an example of a skeleton outline for a blog post, and then see how I might flesh things out in a second pass.

In this first example, you'll see the only actual content would be the post title and sub-headings. In this first pass, you're simply deciding what you want the content structure to look like.

After that, I put in placeholder text for body copy, intros, transitions, and lists to give me that skeletal structure -- a frame I can flesh out.

Here's what a bare-bones skeleton outline might look like:

How to Write Fast - Skeleton Outline

Why you might want to write faster, 5 tips for faster writing.

Closing / Call to Action

In this next example you'll see a fleshed out version of the same post's outline.

You'll notice some notes, or points I'd want to make in the post, were added in the first sub-section.

I also listed the five tips I'd want to cover both as a short-form list for the "scanners" reading the blog, and then I transferred those tips to the sub-headings below where each can be covered in more detail.

In this case, I went a step further by adding notes under those tip sub-headings (well, I did one of them for the sake of the example, but normally I would do the same for all). You could do that in this step or in another pass-through depending on what's more efficient for you.

How to Write Fast - Fleshed Out Outline

• More billable hours
• More time off
• Less of a chance to procrastinate
• Faster turn-around, therefore happier clients and a competitive advantage
• Timers / Pomodoros
• Voice-to-Text
• Outlining / fleshing out from a skeleton outline
• Self-imposed deadlines
• Batching projects / tasks

Use a Timer & the Pomodoro Technique

Benefits of using timers -- makes it a challenge, lets you improve over your own "best," helps you determine average time spent on certain project types, as a result improving productivity

Introduce the Pomodoro Technique (every 4 Pomodoros = a longer break).

• 25 minutes working
• 5 minute break
• 15 minute break

Section closing / transition

Try Voice-to-Text Applications

Outline your writing projects, set (and enforce) self-imposed deadlines, batch your projects & tasks.

From the example above, you could move into your first full draft. Or you might choose to add another pass-through if it's a research-heavy (or media-heavy) post.

In that case, after you've noted the key points you want to make, you can find supporting data, charts, illustrations, or whatever else you might need before fleshing out the writing itself any further.

That's all there is to it.

Skeleton outlines are a simple tool, and they should help you write faster by making sure you never feel "stuck" in the first place.

What's great about skeleton outlines is they never leave you staring at a blank page wondering what comes next. In other words, you know what topics you're covering. You know what points you want to make before you write, and you know where you want to make them. You know how everything ties together. And, as a result, skeleton outlines can help you drastically improve your writing speed.

This post was originally published on November 16, 2016 and has since been updated.

Jennifer Mattern

Jennifer Mattern is a professional blogger, freelance business writer , consultant, and indie author. She runs numerous websites & blogs including All Freelance Writing, Freelance Writing Pros , NakedPR , and Kiss My Biz .

Jenn has 25 years' experience as a professional writer and editor and over 20 years' experience in marketing and PR (working heavily in digital PR, online marketing, social media, SEO, new media, and thought leadership publication). She also has 19 years' professional blogging and web publishing experience (including web development) and around 18 years of experience as an indie author / publisher.

Jenn also writes fiction under multiple pen names and is an Active member of the Horror Writers Association.

Subscribe to the All Freelance Writing newsletter to get freelance writing updates from Jenn in your inbox.

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11 thoughts on “How to Use Skeleton Outlines to Write Faster”

This idea for a skeleton outline is a great one; my current WIP is taking much longer than expected largerly due to research issues. I wasn’t quite sure what I needed to research at the outset and then as the story developed, I realized that some of what I originally thought I needed to research wasn’t enough, and I had to go back and do more research. My challenge–and it’s one I’m going to have to work on if I want to avoid such delays again–is that I tend to be a pantser. Given that manner of writing, the idea of a skeleton outline would be a bit of a challenge since I couldn’t write the entire story framework down. But the name of the game at the end of the day is time management, which this outline can help with. So again, I may need to revisit my tendency to be a pantser if it’s going to keep delaying me. Thanks for posting. Jay

Thanks for sharing your story Jay. I’m assuming you’re thinking in terms of fiction. In that case, something like The Snowflake Method might be an easier way to start — one sentence story summary, then expand to a paragraph, then to a page, then to 4 pages, then to a scene list from that. A benefit for pantsers is that you still get the whole story out pretty freely. It’s just in a shorter form.

I adapt it a little bit. The one paragraph story summary is often easier for me to start with. Then I do a longer version — anywhere from 1-4 pages. Then comes the scene list, and I try to describe each scene fairly well. You could go through scene-by-scene in pantser mode, simply writing the story in shorter form. Then go back and flesh out each scene with better description, improved dialogue, and the research you’ve done where necessary. Basically it lets you write out the full story in a way without worrying about the research yet.

Very cool idea. Outlines have always mystified me somewhat. I’ve never been sure what they should look like or what information I should have in them. This gives me a good idea. I’ll have to try it for my next blog post! Thanks!

I hope it helps you Emily. 🙂

Good tip, Jenn. Most of my outlines are like that and I’ve always found it very helpful.

Sometimes you just need that quick blitz phase to get the creative juices flowing. 🙂

I use this sort of outline for producing most output – except I learned this as ‘mind-mapping’ and use third-party software to draw idea headings and connection lines. It’s a very similar concept though – write your outline, go through and add details, move elements around into a logical order – and in this case print out the end result as one long document for final polishing of i’s and t’s.

As a matter of interest the software I use is FreePlane (- no personal interest here, and the app is free.) 🙂

Thanks Stuart. 🙂 This is a bit different from mind mapping in that you work in a more linear way, but that’s certainly another good option for people who aren’t fans of outlines!

I’m writing a chapter for a book, and was asked for a skeleton by a certain date. I didn’t actually know what was meant by a skeleton in this context, so your article has been very helpful. Thanks.

I’ve been writing like this for years now, great tip. Apps like Checkvist and Dynalist in combination with, say Scrivener, can be game-changers.

I find very similar ideas to use skeleton outline for blog post and to use essay outline when you need to write an essay. In both cases, you decide what the structure will be: you build the framework of the future post/essay, and then you build “meat” around that framework. I am very glad that I learned about skeleton outline here and essay outline at Studybay’s blog. Now I can combine this knowledge for my future works. And you are right, if you know how to use it correctly, skeleton outlines are a simple tool.

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Advantages of Drafting a Skeleton Essay Structure

Table of Contents

Writing is a complex process. You are in charge of coming up with what you’re about to say and how you’re going to say it. Then you have to be able to convey it in a way that others will get what you’re saying.

That’s no small feat. So, to help you, let me look at writing as a process with several skeleton essay structures . This can help in your ability to communicate clearly.

What Is a Skeleton Essay Structure?

Just like a skeleton gives a body its basic shape and gives muscles, tendons, and other body parts something to connect to, a skeleton essay structure shows how a piece of writing is put together . It can help plan and draft work in fiction writing, article writing, or copywriting.

Think of it as your writing’s GPS. If you don’t enter a location and at least quickly look at the route you want to take, you probably will not arrive on the most efficient road. You’ll probably get there, but it could take longer.

Reasons Why You Should Use a Skeleton Essay Structure

1. having the freedom to be inspired.

Some writers think an outline will stop them from being creative, but that’s usually not the case. When I don’t have a strategy, I feel like I have to stick to the subtopic I’m working on at the time. The structure of your essay’s skeleton keeps you on track and gives you ideas .

2. The Bucket Effect

Your skeleton outline’s parts are like empty buckets, each holding blocks of a different color. If you think one bucket would perform better in another place, you can reposition it and all the colored blocks with it.

3. Research With Structure

With a skeleton outline, you don’t have to go all over the Internet looking for statistics that relate to your topic.

Your skeleton outline gives you sub-topics that help you search in a much more focused way. You should know that the more organized your research is, the fewer reasons to follow random research.

How to Start Writing Your Skeleton Essay Structure

1. start with your main points.

Assume you’ve been requested to write an essay about how to concentrate while writing. The first stage is to decide on your primary points. You make the call.

You’re ready to go on to details if you’re satisfied with your three primary points or however many you decide to employ.

2. Sort Your Details

Many writers are familiar with an awkward experience. You’ve chosen a topic and supported it with three or four specifics, each leading into the next. You started studying one of the specifics and discovered that the rest of your post is based on one supporting point, so you must go back and start over.

3. Start Writing!

If you’ve carefully approached the first two phases, this last one will be a snap. Your research is complete, and the article is organized; all that remains is transforming the information into sentences and paragraphs.

Is it feasible to write without a skeleton essay structure ? Without a doubt. The shorter the piece, the better it is to write on the spur of the moment. However, if you use an outline, you will produce better work in less time.

Abir Ghenaiet

Abir is a data analyst and researcher. Among her interests are artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing. As a humanitarian and educator, she actively supports women in tech and promotes diversity.

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My First College Paper (MLA) - South Bend-Elkhart: The Paper's Skeleton

• Getting Started
• The Paper's Skeleton
• MLA Formatting
• Other Resources

Introduction

The introduction is sort of the like the movie trailer for your paper.  It should give the bare bones of what your paper is about and why the reader should care.  Think of it as an expanded thesis statement.  One of the big things every good introduction will have is some sort of "hook".  This can be a controversial quote, a surprising statistic, or a bold statement.  The purpose is to "hook" the reader into wanting to read more. 

Taken from the Prentice Hall Reference Guide (8th ed.) by Muriel Harris & Jennifer L. Kunka

The conclusion is another important part of your paper.  If nothing else, you want the reader to remember a strong conclusion.  There are several different conclusion styles to choose from, so pick the one that you feel best suits your paper.

Summary (Good for longer, research papers)

Question (Gives readers something to think about)

Call to Action (Good for persuasive essays)

Quote (A good ending quote will make your paper memorable)

Evaluation/Interpretation (Good for descriptive, informal essays)

Taken from The Writing Process: A Concise Rhetoric, Reader, and Handbook by John. M. Lannon

Everything in 5's

One of the important things to remember when writing out your paper is the Ivy Tech standard of fives. 

A typical 3 to 5 page paper should have:

• At least 5 paragraphs
• Each paragraph should have least 5 sentences.

Basic Paper Outline

This is a typical outline.  You can use this to plan out your paper.

  A. Introduction

   1. Thesis Statement

   2. Supporting Statements

    1. Support Paragraph   

      a. Topic Sentence

      b. Supporting Statements (Usually includes research data, quotes, etc.)

    2.  Transitional Paragraph

      b. Supporting Statements

    3.  Support Paragraph

    4. Transitional Paragraph

      a. Topic Sentence

        b. Supporting Statements

    5. Support Paragraph

C. Conclusion

• << Previous: Getting Started
• Next: Revision >>
• Last Updated: Dec 9, 2021 1:03 PM
• URL: https://library.ivytech.edu/first-paper-north-central

The Skeletal System Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

Introduction

Axial portion of the skeleton, appendicular portion of the skeleton, functions of the skeleton, relationship between the skeletal system and the muscular system, sexual differences in skeletons, clinical conditions and disorders that affect the skeleton, works cited.

Movement is vital for all of you because it provides you with the opportunity to live your lives to the full. Just as other human beings, you fall and stand up to continue moving forward. But what provides you with this opportunity? It is your skeletal system. It does not only facilitate your physical activity but also supports and protects your bodies. This system consists of hundreds of bones that are full of calcium, which makes them strong enough to carry your weight. Bones are connected with the help of joints that facilitate motion. The majority of you were born with about 300 bones that fuse with the course of time so that now you have only 206 bones. They all are divided into two parts: axial and appendicular skeletons.

Your axial portion of skeleton is composed of “the skull, the vertebral column, and the thoracic cage” ( Skeletal System: Bones and Joints 120). Due to its location, it manages to protect your brain and spinal cord from injuries. In addition to that, it supports the organs in the ventral body cavity so that you do not need to carry them in your hands.

Twenty-two bones that are separated into two parts form the skull. You have 8 bones of the cranial cavity that are known as braincase. They surround your brain so that you do not hurt it when fall or receive a headnut. The rest of the bones (there are 14 of them) form your face. They are tightly connected to one another so that your nose is always in the right place. The only exception is the mandible that makes chewing possible. Otherwise, how would you eat? Minimal movement can also be observed within the middle ears. Each of them includes 3 auditory ossicles that are hidden deep in your head.

The vertebral column, or backbone, usually consists of “7 cervical vertebrae, 12 thoracic vertebrae, 5 lumbar vertebrae, 1 sacral bone, and 1 coccyx bone” ( Skeletal System: Bones and Joints 125). It is the central axis of the skeleton that has four major curvatures. Normally, the cervical and the lumbar regions curve anteriorly. The thoracic, as well as the sacral and coccygeal regions, curves posteriorly. However, considering the way you sit, abnormal curvatures are widespread.

The thoracic or the rib cage protects your organs and supports them. All in all, human beings have 24 ribs that are divided into 12 pairs, but you can recount them to make sure. They are categorized according to their attachment to the sternum. Thus, a direct attachment by costal cartilages is true (1-7); an attachment by a common cartilage is false (8-12); and the absence of attachment resorts to floating ribs (11-12). The sternum, or breastbone, consists of three parts: “the manubrium, the body, and the xiphoid process” ( Skeletal System: Bones and Joints 129).

Your appendicular skeleton consists of the bones of limbs and girdles so that you have:

• “4 bones in the shoulder girdle (clavicle and scapula each side).
• 6 bones in the arm and forearm (humerus, ulna, and radius).
• 58 bones in the hands (carpals 16, metacarpals 10, phalanges 28, and sesamoid 4).
• 2 pelvis bones.
• 8 bones in the legs (femur, tibia, patella, and fibula).
• 56 bones in the feet (tarsals, metatarsals, phalanges, and sesamoid)” (“The Axial & Appendicular Skeleton” par. 4).

What would you be without this part of skeleton? Imagine that it is a big 3D puzzle, gathering all these bones together in a right order, you will build your arms and legs with all details. These are all movable parts that allow you to run, dance, write, and even hug your nearest and dearest. Even though the axial skeleton seems to be more important because it is connected with your brain, the appendicular portion of the skeleton contains about 60% of all your bones, which means that its importance should not be undervalued.

As you have already understood, your skeleton maintains a lot of different functions. Some of them, such as movement and support, were already mentioned. But let us discuss them all in detail.

• Support. Your bodies are supported by the skeleton so that you can change your position to vertical one and stand strait. Without it, you would be able only to lie because of the gravitation. This function is provided by many bones but the long ones seem to be the leaders in this competition. For instance, those that are in legs, support the trunk. Similarly, vertebras support one another so that eventually the firs one provides support to the skull. In addition to that, they support the organs and ensure that they do not change their positions.
• Protection. The skeleton also protects you. For example, the skull prevents fatal brain injuries. The rib cage protects such vital organs as the heart and lungs. It also takes care of your abdominal organs ensuring that they develop normally.
• Movement. The function of bodily motion allowed you to come here today. However, it is critical to remember that it is maintained not only due to the bones but also with the help of the muscular system.
• Mineral and energy storage. From the outer side of your bones, there is a tissue that serves as a storage. It gathers calcium and phosphorus and withdraws them to maintain appropriate blood levels. In addition to that, mature bones store yellow marrow. It consists of fat almost totally and provides you with energy for various activities.
• Blood-cell formation. The inner core of your bones takes part in the formation of blood cell and platelet. It is known as bone marrow or red marrow. Platelet is vital for you because it ensures your ability to heal wounds while blood cells spread oxygen and destroy infectious cells (CAERT 3).

Have you ever thought of the way our movement are maintained? Even a simple nod of the head requires the cooperation between the skeletal and muscular systems. Muscles ensure movement of our body through the attachment to the bones. All in all, there are about 700 of them, which is an enormous amount that comprises about 50% of your weight.

So what happens in your body when you moves? When you want to move, your brain sends a message for the body to release energy. In medical terms, it is called adenosine triphosphate. Affecting your muscles, it makes them contract or shorten. Shortened muscles pulls bones at their insertion point. Thus, the angle between the bones connected by a joint shortens. Relaxation is maintained when the opposing muscle extends and pulls a bone to its initial position.

Human skeletons seem to be similar, as they contain the same bones. However, you should remember that their characteristics differ depending on the gender. For example, women have lighter pelvis bones that form a shorter cavity with less dimensions. It has less prominent marking for muscles and more circular pelvic brim. The sacral bones of men are longer and narrower, which makes them more massive. Their femur is also longer and heavier. Its texture is rough unlike women’s smooth.

Muscle marking is more developed and shaft is less oblique. The head of men’s femur is larger and trochanters are more prominent. The femoral neck angle in males is more than 125 and in females is less than 125. Women’s sternum is less than twice the length of manubrium and larger in men. Differences in skull include greater capacity, thicker walls, more marked muscular ridges, prominent air sinuses, smoother upper margin of orbit, less vertical forehead, and heavier cheekbones in males.

Hopefully, it will never affect any of you but the skeleton may be affected by tumours that cause bone defects. People may have skeletal developmental disorders including gigantism, dwarfism, osteogenesis imperfecta, and rickets lead to abnormal body sizes, brittle bones, and growth retardation. Bacterial infections cause inflammation and lead to bone destruction.

Decalcification, including the known to you osteoporosis, reduces bone tissue and softens bones. Joint disorders often deal with inflammation. For instance, arthritis. They are often influenced by age and physical activity. In this way, degradation of joints is observed in the elderly but can be delayed due to regular exercises. The abnormal curvatures of the spine may also cause health issues. That is why you should pay attention to your back posture and avoid kyphosis (a hunchback condition), lordosis (a swayback condition), and scoliosis (an abnormal lateral curvature).

CAERT. Structures and Functions of the Skeletal System . 2014. Web.

Skeletal System: Bones and Joints. 2012. Web.

“ The Axial & Appendicular Skeleton. ” TeachPE , 2017. Web.

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• "Cellular Metabolism and Disease" by DeBerardinis et al.
• Articular and Muscular Systems
• The Muscular System of a Human Body
• Aspects of the Skeletal System
• Neuropsychological Tests Reliability Following Concussion
• Physicians, Their Roles and Responsibilities
• Prevalence of Sleep Disorders among Medical Students
• Human Physical Performance Under Adverse Conditions
• Tongue and Why It Is Unique
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• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2020, September 6). The Skeletal System. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-skeletal-system/

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IvyPanda . (2020) 'The Skeletal System'. 6 September.

IvyPanda . 2020. "The Skeletal System." September 6, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-skeletal-system/.

1. IvyPanda . "The Skeletal System." September 6, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-skeletal-system/.

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Why You Shouldn't Copy Skeleton Templates for the SAT/ACT Essay

SAT Writing , ACT Writing

Creating your own essay skeleton can go a long way towards helping you prepare for the SAT or ACT essay. Having an essay template ready to go before you take the test can reduce feelings of panic, since it allows you to control at least some of the unknowns of a free-response question. It can even be helpful to look at other people’s essay skeletons to get an idea what your own essay template should look like.

But when does using an essay skeleton go from a great idea to a huge mistake? Keep reading to find out.

feature image credit: Skeletons taking a selfie @ Street art @ Walk along the Amstel canal @ Amsterdam by Guilhem Vellut , used under CC BY 2.0 /Cropped from original.

UPDATE: SAT Essay No Longer Offered

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In January 2021, the College Board announced that after June 2021, it would no longer offer the Essay portion of the SAT (except at schools who opt in during School Day Testing). It is now no longer possible to take the SAT Essay, unless your school is one of the small number who choose to offer it during SAT School Day Testing.

While most colleges had already made SAT Essay scores optional, this move by the College Board means no colleges now require the SAT Essay. It will also likely lead to additional college application changes such not looking at essay scores at all for the SAT or ACT, as well as potentially requiring additional writing samples for placement.

What does the end of the SAT Essay mean for your college applications? Check out our article on the College Board's SAT Essay decision for everything you need to know.

What Is An Essay Skeleton?

An essay skeleton, or essay template, is basically an outline for your essay that you prewrite and then memorize for later use/adaptation . Usually, an essay skeleton isn’t just an organizational structure—it also includes writing out entire sentences or even just specific phrases beforehand.

"But how can you do this, and more importantly, what’s the point?" I hear you cry (you sure manage to get out a lot of words in one cry).

Creating an essay template for the current SAT essay is pretty simple, as the SAT prompts tend to fall into one of six categories :

• What should people do?
• Which of two things is better?
• Support or refute counterintuitive statements (Is it possible that [an unlikely thing] is true?)
• Cause and effect (is X the result of Y?)
• Generalize about the state of the world
• Generalize about people

Because the prompts are, at the core, all "yes or no?" questions, you can somewhat customize your introduction and conclusion. Doing this is especially helpful if you tend to choke under pressure or are worried about your English language skills—you can come up with grammatically correct templates beforehand that you can memorize and then use on the actual test (filling in the blanks, depending on the prompt).

Formulating an essay template for the ACT is a little more tricky, as the new ACT essay asks you to read an excerpt, consider three perspectives, come up with your own perspective, and then discuss all the perspectives in the essay using detailed examples and logical reasoning. It’s possible to come up with a useful template, but I’ve not really come across any students using templates in the 200+ ACT essays I’ve graded.

In addition to figuring out your essay organization beforehand, you can look up synonyms for words that get commonly used in essays (like “example” or “shows”) and prewrite sentences that use these words correctly . For example, for the SAT essay, you could pre-write a way to introduce your examples: “One instance that illustrates [x] can be found in [y]" (where [x] is the point you're trying to make and [y] is the place from which you're taking your example).

Finally, on a semi-related note, because you know that you’ll have to use examples to explain your reasoning on the essay, you can also come up with the examples you’ll use beforehand and get good at writing about them. The better you know your examples, the more organized your writing will be on the essay (because you won’t have to waste valuable time trying to think of what exactly happened in The Hunger Games that proves your point). For more on this, see our article on the 6 examples you can use to answer any SAT essay prompt .

So What’s The Issue?

Problems occur when you rely on other people's skeletons, rather than coming up with your own. In theory, there’s nothing wrong with looking at other people’s essay skeletons to help inform your own—in fact, I've even written up a helpful template on this blog for SAT and ACT essays . The issue arises when you move beyond using the organizational aspects of someone else’s skeleton to copying words directly from someone else.

A Spooky Tale of Essay Skeleton Plagiarism

Out of the 600+ SAT essays I’ve graded over the last three months, I’ve seen the same essay skeleton come up 7 times . I know that it’s an essay skeleton because the key phrase repeated from essay to essay (“critics are too dogmatic in their provincial ideology”) was so unusual (and kind of grammatically incorrect) that I commented on it specifically the first time it showed up (to point out vocab misuse...because it just wasn’t good writing) and Googled it the second time it showed up.

It turns out that this phrase is from an SAT prep skeleton (we're not going to name the book or the author), but it also shows up in various essays around the internet that either copied that prep book or copied a College Confidential posting that plagiarized the book, so I don't know where exactly students were seeing this skeleton.

Here's the problem: while the idea of using essay skeletons makes a lot of sense, and even the using of some organizational aspects of another essay skeleton is acceptable, word-for-word copying of sentences is considered plagiarism, and plagiarism is not permitted on the SAT. In fact, it's specifically addressed in the SAT Terms and Conditions .

I sent a message to the CollegeBoard asking about the use of essay skeletons and what, exactly, was considered plagiarism. The language used to describe it in the terms and conditions is pretty vague, and I wanted to know if, for instance, a certain number of words had to appear in a row for something to be considered plagiarism. The response I got back only contained the relevant text from the Terms and Conditions:

“ ETS reserves the right to dismiss test-takers, decline to score any test, and/or cancel any test scores when, in its judgment , as applicable, a testing irregularity occurs, there is an apparent discrepancy in a test-taker's identification, an improper admission to the test center, a test-taker engages in misconduct, or the score is deemed invalid for another reason, including , but not limited to, discrepant handwriting or plagiarism .” [bolding mine]

Basically, if the CollegeBoard thinks you’re plagiarizing, then they can cancel your SAT score . And because the CollegeBoard does not define plagiarism, they basically have the latitude to do one of those “I know it when I see it” standards with things like essay skeletons. Chances are that you won't get marked down for the essay (other than for using vocab incorrectly), but since the template is so common, why risk it? Take an hour to develop your own template . You'll end up with even better results since you crafted it yourself and will be able to use it with more precision.

So what is plagiarism? There's the Google definition , which says plagiarism is taking the work or idea(s) of someone else and not crediting them/presenting it as your own work or idea(s). Plagiarism is generally considered ethically wrong, and in many cases (including with the SAT), it can have real world consequences.

You might have read that the writer of the essay template gave permission to reuse the template, and that makes it OK. This is 100% false. Consider this scenario: you're in high school and you're taking AP English. Your brother had the same teacher the year before, and he got As on all his essays. For whatever reason, he gives you permission to reuse his essays in your class. Does that count as plagiarism? 100%. There's no question about it. Your teacher and school don't care whether the writer gave you permission or not. You copied the essay, and that is an ethical lapse that is entirely on you. You'd probably fail the class and/or face whatever other punishment your school has as policy.

What Does This Mean For My SAT/ACT Essay?

Obviously, using the same word, or even the same couple of words in a row, as someone else isn't plagiarism (otherwise there would be lots of controversies over people using the two words “of the” together all the time and not citing their sources). A good general rule to follow is to avoid copying more than four words in a row .

I’ve seen several essays since that begin with the phrase “The presupposition that,” which is fine, because it’s a phrase anyone could come up with to describe an assumption, and is relatively short (3 words). The phrase “these romantic critics are too dogmatic in their provincial ideology,” on the other hand, is problematic because

When it comes to preparing for the SAT or ACT essay, it's much better to rephrase in your own words and create your own skeleton . You can (and even should) look at other people’s skeletons/essays for tips, but you should never copy someone else's work word-for-word without making it clear that it's someone else's work.

What’s Next?

Can’t get enough of those SAT essays? Check out our 15 tips and strategies for writing the SAT essay , as well as a complete list of SAT essay prompts . On the ACT side, we have a corresponding article with tips to raise your ACT essay score , as well as a complete guide to the new ACT Writing Test (for September 2015 and onward).

Want more in-depth essay articles? You’re in luck! We’ve got step-by-step examples of how to write both the SAT and ACT essays, as well as detailed advice for how you can get a perfect 12 on the SAT essay .

Reading articles is all very well and good, but how can you get feedback on your practice essays? One way is through trying out the PrepScholar test prep platform , where intrepid essay graders (like myself) give you custom feedback on each practice essay you complete as part of our program.

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Laura graduated magna cum laude from Wellesley College with a BA in Music and Psychology, and earned a Master's degree in Composition from the Longy School of Music of Bard College. She scored 99 percentile scores on the SAT and GRE and loves advising students on how to excel in high school.

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• Paper Craft

How to Make a Human Skeleton out of Paper

Last Updated: October 10, 2022

This article was reviewed by Anne Schmidt . Anne Schmidt is a Chemistry Instructor in Wisconsin. Anne has been teaching high school chemistry for over 20 years and is passionate about providing accessible and educational chemistry content. She has over 9,000 subscribers to her educational chemistry YouTube channel. She has presented at the American Association of Chemistry Teachers (AATC) and was an Adjunct General Chemistry Instructor at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College. Anne was published in the Journal of Chemical Education as a Co-Author, has an article in ChemEdX, and has presented twice and was published with the AACT. Anne has a BS in Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, and an MA in Secondary Education and Teaching from Viterbo University. This article has been viewed 330,303 times.

Paper skeletons are great to have around. They are popular for learning anatomy, as Halloween decorations, or just for fun! Making a paper skeleton at home can teach you about bones and be a fun activity at the same time.

Printable Paper Skeleton

Making a Skeleton out of Paper

• Printer paper works fine and is cheap and available.
• Cardstock will hold its shape better and last longer, but it is also more expensive.
• Paper plates are a good alternative material with more strength than printer paper. [1] X Research source

• A cartoon skeleton will be easier to work with than a very detailed scientific picture.

• Skull (head)
• 2 Upper-arm bones
• 2 Lower-arm bones with hands
• 2 Upper-leg bones
• 2 Lower-leg bones with feet

Creating the Skeleton Parts

• For a basic skeleton, draw out two cartoon bone shapes. Use one for the upper arm and one, with a hand on it, for the lower arm.
• For a more anatomically correct skeleton, note that the arm has more than two bones in it. Follow a more detailed model and outline more detailed shapes or draw details on the parts of the arm. The upper arm has one bone, the humerus. The lower arm has the radius and the ulna. The hand has many bones in it. [2] X Research source For a detailed skeleton, draw these

• For a basic skeleton, draw out two cartoon bone shapes. Use one for the upper leg and one, with a foot on it, for the lower leg.
• For a more detailed skeleton, note that the leg has more than two bones in it. Follow a more detailed model and outline more detailed shapes or draw details on the parts of the arm.The upper leg is called the femur; the lower leg bones are the tibia and fibula. The foot is made of many bones called the tarsals, metatarsals and phalanges. [3] X Research source
• For a more anatomically correct skeleton, make the legs one and a half times the length of the arms.

• To be anatomically correct, make 12 pairs of ribs.
• For more detail draw shoulder blades, sockets, and collar bones near the top of the ribs.
• For a detailed pelvis, include the sacrum and coccyx, two bones at the end of the spine.

• For a more detailed skull, draw a bottom jaw and teeth.

Assembling the Skeleton

• If you don't have a hole puncher, use a scissor or a knife.
• Punch one hole at the bottom of the skull.
• Punch a hole at the top of the ribs to connect the skull and at the bottom of the ribs to connect the pelvis.
• Punch one hole in the top of the pelvis.
• Punch holes in the top and bottom of the upper arms and upper legs.
• Punch holes at the top of the lower arms and lower legs.

• Brass fasteners can be found at office supply or craft stores.
• String gives the skeleton a looser, dangly look. Brass fasteners can be fastened tightly to hold bones in particular positions.

• The bottom of the skull connects to the top of the ribs.
• The upper legs fasten to either side of the hip/pelvis bones.
• The shoulder blades connect to the upper arms.
• The lower arms connect to the upper arms and the lower legs connect to the upper legs.

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Things You'll Need

• Brass paper fasteners or string
• Paper, Cardstock, or paper plates

You Might Also Like

• ↑ http://www.the36thavenue.com/extraordinary-guest-paper-plate-skeleton/
• ↑ http://www.exploringnature.org/db/detail.php?dbID=24&detID=687

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Essay Samples on Skeleton

Application of forensic anthropology in human identification from the skeleton.

Forensic Anthropology The study of Biological anthropology includes a wide rage of sub categories such as medical anthropology, evolution, and forensic anthropology. Forensic anthropology uses the methods of osteology, a physical anthropology to analyse physical remains for legal issues such as criminal trials. Forensic anthropologists...

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Anatomy of the Human Muscular-Skeleton System

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Introduction The field of forensic anthropology is critical in determining causes of death, sex, age, and time of death by studying the bones of the deceased. Anthropological procedures, such as trauma investigations, can help in ascertaining the object that hit a bone and possibly caused...

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Protein Benefits And Intake Awareness For Osteoporosis Patients

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Best topics on Skeleton

1. Application Of Forensic Anthropology In Human Identification From The Skeleton

2. Anatomy of the Human Muscular-Skeleton System

3. Bones TV Series: Show’s Approach to the Anthropology

4. Protein Benefits And Intake Awareness For Osteoporosis Patients

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Toilet Paper Roll Skeleton

Get ready for Halloween with this Toilet Paper Roll Skeleton! These super simple skeletons come together in minutes and kids will love customizing them to create different poses.

RELATED: Q-tip Skeleton

Paper Roll Skeleton

We used black paper backing behind the skeletons for a classic Halloween skeleton look, but you could also use bright colors if you wanted to make a group of colorful rainbow skeletons instead!

For more easy Halloween crafts, see our list of Halloween crafts for kids.

If you make enough of them, you can even stack them up into a skeleton pyramid! This is a fun way to display them, or even turn them into a carnival-style game where kids can throw a small ball to try to knock them over.

Supplies Needed

• Toilet paper rolls – 1 per skeleton
• Printable skeleton templates – found at the bottom of the post
• Black cardstock or paper
• Glue – white glue, tacky glue or a glue stick, to attach the skeletons onto the roll
• Clear tape – to secure the black paper around the toilet paper roll

Watch the Video Tutorial

How to make toilet paper roll skeletons.

1. Wrap the toilet paper roll with black paper.

Cut a piece of black paper or cardstock into a 4 1/8″ by 6 1/4″ rectangle.

Wrap the black paper around the toilet paper roll to cover it, and use clear tape to secure it in place.

2. Print and cut out the skeletons.

Print off the skeleton template. You can get the template at the bottom of the post.

Each page includes 1 head, 1 set of ribs, and 4 options for arms, so that you can choose if you want the skeleton’s arms going up or going down. You only need 2 arms per skeleton, so there will be extras.

Cut out the shapes – we cut around the ribs and arms as groups to avoid the tricky nooks and crannies and to keep them together in larger pieces.

The printable also includes a D-shaped template – this will be used to create the black backing that the arms are glued onto.

3. Attach the skeleton onto the toilet paper roll.

Apply glue to the back of the skeleton head and glue it onto the toilet paper roll, right by the top edge.

Apply glue to the back of the ribs and place on the toilet paper roll right below the head.

4. Make the skeleton arms.

Trace the D-shaped arm templates onto black cardstock or paper – you will need 2 per skeleton. Cut out along the solid line, and make a fold along the dotted line, forming a narrow flap.

Decide how you want the arms to go and then use glue the arms to the black backings.

Apply glue (tacky glue or hot glue will work best here) onto the flaps of the backings and attach onto the toilet paper roll so that the base of the arms lines up with the top of the ribs.

Your skeleton is now complete!

Make as many as you like, switching up their arm positions for variety.

Get the Skeleton Template

Free printable skeleton template, more halloween crafts.

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The Increasing Cost of Buying American

The latest resurgence in the U.S. of policies aimed at reducing imports and bolstering domestic production has included the expansion of Buy American provisions. While some of these are new and untested, in this paper we evaluate long-standing procurement limitations on the purchase of foreign products by the U.S. Federal Government. We use procurement micro-data to first map and measure the positive employment effects of government purchases. We then calibrate a quantitative trade model adapted to include features relevant to the Buy American Act: a government sector, policy barriers in final and intermediate goods, labor force participation, and external economies of scale. We show that current Buy American provisions on final goods purchase have created up to 100,000 jobs at a cost of between $111,500 and $137,700 per job. However, the recently announced tightening of the policy on the use of foreign inputs will create fewer jobs at a higher cost of $154,000 to $237,800 per job. We also find scant evidence of the use of Buy American rules as an effective industrial policy.

We thank Vidya Venkatachalam and Bohan Wang for excellent research assistance. We appreciate comments by seminar and conference participants at LMU Munich, Boston University, Duke University, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, the University of Hong Kong, Singapore Management University, Peking University HSBC Business School, Yale University and the CESIfo Venice Summer Institute. We also thank Andrés Rodriguéz-Clare and Steve Tadelis for very helpful suggestions. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Bureau of Economic Research.

MARC RIS BibTeΧ

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Satellite-based census of residential buildings: application for climate risk assessment.

By Andinet Woldemichael, Iyke Maduako

September 20, 2024

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Disclaimer: IMF Working Papers describe research in progress by the author(s) and are published to elicit comments and to encourage debate. The views expressed in IMF Working Papers are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF, its Executive Board, or IMF management.

Subject: Climate change, Environment, Financial institutions, Housing, National accounts, Natural disasters, Population and demographics, Stocks

Keywords: Building Footprint, Census of buildings, Climate change, Climate Exposure, Global, Housing, Natural disasters, Stocks

Publication Details

https://doi.org/10.5089/9798400289828.001

Working Paper No. 2024/204

WPIEA2024204

9798400289828

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