skeleton for essay writing

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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]

Teaching Analytical Writing: Essay Skeletons

Posted March 17, 2015 by laurielmorrison & filed under Series on teaching students to write essays , Teaching .

Hi there! I’m back with the third installment of my series on teaching analytical writing. Last time, I explained the TIQA paragraph , which I see as the building block of an analytical essay, and described how I give students a lot of practice writing analytical paragraphs before moving onto essays.

When it’s time to move onto analytical essays, I lay the groundwork in a couple of ways. First, I tell students about the essay topics I plan to give them as we are reading the book they will be writing about. We look out for quotes that relate to those topics together, and I encourage them to look out for additional quotes on their own. That way they’re not starting from scratch when it comes time to find quotes for their essays.

Once we’ve finished the book, I have students choose an essay topic. I can provide scaffolding for students who need it by steering them toward one of the topics we found quotes for during class, while I can encourage other students to branch out to topics we haven’t spent much class time exploring or even to come up with topics on their own.

Next, each student creates an essay skeleton . The essay skeleton includes their thesis statement , their  topic sentences , and the quotes they will use in their body paragraphs. (For eighth grade I require that at least one of the body paragraphs includes a second quote and follows the TIQATIQA format. For seventh graders I don’t require a double TIQA paragraph, but some students choose to write them.)

The essay skeleton provides the core of the essay that students will be writing. It isn’t too difficult for me to give prompt feedback to each student on a thesis statement, topic sentences, and quotes, and I find that it’s worth it to look at these elements of their essays before they move forward with drafting. The bottom line is, it’s impossible to write a successful essay without a decent thesis or with quotes that don’t match up with the thesis.

So how do you teach students to write a good thesis statement ? Here is my explanation of  thesis statements , adapted from a handout I made for seventh graders writing essays about Howard Fast’s novel April Morning.  If students are struggling to grasp thesis statements, it can work well to create some faulty thesis statements, model the process of fixing one, and then have students work together to fix another.

Interested in tips for explaining topic sentences ? Here’s my explanation of  topic sentences , using the same example thesis from the  April Morning  thesis resource. It can work well to have the class practice breaking down a model thesis into effective topic sentences before students try to write their own.

Once students have their essay skeletons, they draft their body paragraphs, using the TIQA format, and then after that, we move on to introductions and conclusions. Next time I’ll explain my reasoning for leaving the introduction and conclusion until the end, and I’ll share handouts I use for those two parts of the essay.

7 Responses to “Teaching Analytical Writing: Essay Skeletons”

Wow. That’s excellent, Laurie. Have your students given you any feedback on ways the essay skeleton (great idea) or the TIQATIQA format in general helped them formulate their arguments? This is such a good way to help them to not be afraid of analytical writing.

Thanks so much! Most of them prefer creative writing assignments regardless of my attempts to make analytical writing accessible. 🙂 But several of them have mentioned that essays feel more manageable in chunks, and they definitely have some satisfying aha moments when they get what makes a good thesis and how to analyze a quote well. I’ve heard from a few of them who continue to start by coming up with the thesis, quotes, and topic sentences once they get to high school because they find the process helpful, and that makes me feel like it’s working pretty well.

Good. They’ll be ready for the research papers they will have to write!

Laurie, I love the way you’re teaching this to your students. Not an easy task at all. You sound like such a wonderful teacher!

Thanks so much, Sharon! I know you know a lot about teaching, so I especially appreciate that comment coming from you!

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Breakout English

First (FCE) B2 Essay Structure – Essay Skeletons

There have been many occasions where my students have no time to learn the correct B2 essay structure for a Cambridge B2 First exam. Course books often do a great job of providing model answers, useful phrases and much more. However, sometimes people just want to be spoon-fed the correct way to write an essay. Well, are you hungry?

What is an essay skeleton?

An essay skeleton provides you with the base for an essay, without including any of the content. It includes all the necessary linkers, transitions and placeholders to emulate the ideal B2 essay structure. However, it is incomplete. In an ideal word, these skeletons can be memorised and adapted to any topic that you may find in the B2 First exam. Obviously, it isn’t likely to always be a perfect fit, so it can’t replace learning how to write an essay from scratch. However, if you are short on time or really struggling to produce a passing essay, this skeleton may be helpful.

B2 essay structure

A Cambridge B2 First essay has a reasonably set structure. This is because the tasks are always similar. Take a look at the task below:

When we analyse the task, the most obvious structure is to write 5 paragraphs. This allows us to keep a clear separation between our three points. It also gives us plenty of opportunities for lovely linking words . With a word limit of 190 words, these paragraphs will be quite short, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be clear and effective.

Our standard paragraph plan for a B2 essay structure is…

• Introduction – Including a thesis statement that mentions the 3 areas of focus
• Body paragraph 1 – In this case about pollution
• Body paragraph 2 – In this case about rubbish
• Body paragraph 3 – Our own idea (for example, endangered animals)
• Conclusion – Summarise the 3 areas and optionally choose the most important

The two proposed essay skeletons below follow this paragraph plan in order to produce the perfect B2 essay every time.

The materials

We’ve designed two essay skeletons. They are similar but have subtle differences. Either one of them can be used with any topic that may come up in the B2 First exam. If you want to practise using the essay skeletons, try it out with a B2 essay task .

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2.3.3: Body – the Skeleton of Your Paper, Using Paragraphs

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Using Paragraphs

Read this article, which will help you understand how to organize paragraphs in the body of your essay to help make your paragraphs cohesive and to smoothly transition between one discussion point to the next. Keep in mind that the paragraphs in the body of your essay should work to prove or address your main purpose or argument set out by your thesis statement.

Understand how to organize information in paragraphs so readers can scan your work and better follow your reasoning.

Unlike punctuation, which can be subjected to specific rules, no ironclad guidelines exist for shaping paragraphs. If you presented a text without paragraphs to a dozen writing instructors and asked them to break the document into logical sections, chances are that you would receive different opinions about the best places to break the paragraph.

In part, where paragraphs should be placed is a stylistic choice. Some writers prefer longer paragraphs that compare and contrast several related ideas, whereas others opt for a more linear structure, delineating each subject on a one-point-per-paragraph basis. Newspaper articles or documents published on the Internet tend to have short paragraphs, even one-sentence paragraphs.

If your readers have suggested that you take a hard look at how you organize your ideas, or if you are unsure about when you should begin a paragraph or how you should organize final drafts, then you can benefit by reviewing paragraph structure. The following guidelines can give you some insights about alternative ways to shape paragraphs.

Note: When you are drafting, you need to trust your intuition about where to place paragraphs; you don't want to interrupt the flow of your thoughts as you write to check on whether you are placing them in logical order. Such self-criticism could interfere with creativity or the generation of ideas. Before you submit a document for a grade, however, you should examine the structure of your paragraphs.

Paragraph Transitions

Effective paragraph transitions signal to readers how two consecutive paragraphs relate to each other. The transition signals the relationship between the "new information" and the "old information".

For example, the new paragraph might:

• Elaborate on the idea presented in the preceding paragraph;
• Introduce a related idea;
• Continue a chronological narrative;
• Describe a problem with the idea presented in the preceding paragraph;
• Describe an exception to the idea presented in the preceding paragraph;
• Describe a consequence or implication of the idea presented in the preceding paragraph.

Let's consider a few examples (drawn from published books and articles) of paragraph transitions that work. The examples below reproduce paragraph endings and openings. Pay attention to how each paragraph opening signals to readers how the paragraph relates to the one they have just finished reading. Observe the loss in clarity when transitional signals are removed.

The transitional sentence signals that the new paragraph will seek to demonstrate that the phenomenon described in the preceding paragraph (Taylorism) is ongoing: it is "still" with us and "remains" the dominant workplace ethic. Compare this sentence with the one directly beneath it ("paragraph opening without transitional cues"). With this version, readers are left on their own to infer the connection.

The transitional sentence signals that the new paragraph will provide another example of the phenomenon (changed mental habits) described in the preceding paragraph. In this example, the word also serves an important function. Notice that without this transitional cue the relationship between the two paragraphs becomes less clear.

The transitional sentence signals that the new paragraph will challenge the assumption described in the preceding paragraph. The single transitional term "but" signals this relationship. Notice the drop-off in clarity when the transitional term is omitted.

The transitional sentence signals that the new paragraph will further explore the idea expressed in the preceding paragraph. The phrase "makes a similar point" signals this relationship. Without this transitional phrase, the connection between the two paragraphs can still be inferred, but it is now much less clear.

As the above examples illustrate, effective paragraph transitions signal relationships between paragraphs.

Below are some terms that are often helpful for signaling relationships among ideas.

The examples of transitional sentences are from:

• Parker, Ian. "Absolute Powerpoint". New Yorker. 28 May 2001: 76-87.
• Carr, Nicholas. "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" Atlantic Monthly. Jul/Aug2008: 56-63.
• Harrington, John. The Rhetoric of Film. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1973.
• Spurr, David. The Rhetoric of Empire. Durham, N. C.: Duke University Press, 1993.

Paragraphs Often Follow Deductive Organization

Your goals for the opening sentences of your paragraphs are similar to your goals for writing an introduction to a document. In the beginning of a paragraph, clarify the purpose. Most paragraphs in academic and technical discourse move deductively--that is, the first or second sentence presents the topic or theme of the paragraph and the subsequent sentences illustrate and explicate this theme. Notice, in particular, how Chris Goodrich cues readers to the purpose of his paragraph (and article) in the first sentence of his essay "Crossover Dreams":

Norman Cantor, New York University history professor and author, most recently, of Inventing the Middle Ages, created a stir this spring when he wrote a letter to the newsletter of the American Historical Association declaring that "no historian who can write English prose should publish more than two books with a university press – one for tenure, and one for full professor after that (or preferably long before) work only in the trade market". Cantor urged his fellow scholars to seek literary agents to represent any work with crossover potential. And he did not stop there: As if to be sure of offending the entire academic community, Cantor added, "If you are already a full professor, your agent should be much more important to you than the department chair or the dean".

Paragraphs Use Inductive Structure for Dramatic Conclusions or Varied Style

While you generally want to move from the known to the new, from the thesis to its illustration or restriction, you sometimes want to violate this pattern. Educated readers in particular can be bored by texts that always present information in the same way.

For example, how Valerie Steele's anecdotal tone and dialogue in the opening sentences of her essay on fashion in academia prepare the reader for her thesis:

Once, when I was a graduate student at Yale, a history professor asked me about my dissertation. "I'm writing about fashion", I said.

"That's interesting. Italian or German?"

It took me a couple of minutes, as thoughts of Armani flashed through my mind, but finally, I realized what he meant. "Not fascism", I said. "Fashion. As in Paris."

"Oh." There was a long silence, and then, without another word, he turned and walked away.

Fashion still has the power to reduce many academics to embarrassed or indignant silence. Some of those to whom I spoke while preparing this article requested anonymity or even refused to address the subject. ("The F-Word". Lingua Franca April 1991: 17–18.)

Paragraphs Are Unified by a Single Purpose or Theme

Regardless of whether a paragraph is deductively or inductively structured, readers can generally follow the logic of a discussion better when a paragraph is unified by a single purpose. Paragraphs that lack a central idea and that wander from subject to subject are apt to confuse readers, making them wonder what they should pay attention to and why.

To ensure that each paragraph is unified by a single idea, Francis Christensen, in Notes Toward a New Rhetoric (NY: Harper & Row, 1967), has suggested that we number sentences according to their level of generality. According to Christensen, we would assign a 1 to the most general sentence and then a 2 to the second most general sentence, and so on.

Christensen considers the following paragraph, which he excerpted from Jacob Bronowski's The Common Sense of Science, to be an example of a subordinate pattern because the sentences become increasingly more specific as the reader progresses through the paragraph:

• The process of learning is essential to our lives.
• All higher animals seek it deliberately.
• They are inquisitive and they experiment.
• An experiment is a sort of harmless trial run of some action which we shall have to make in the real world; and this, whether it is made in the laboratory by scientists or by fox-cubs outside their earth.
• The scientist experiments and the cub plays; both are learning to correct their errors of judgment in a setting in which errors are not fatal.
• Perhaps this is what gives them both their air of happiness and freedom in these activities.

Christensen is quick to point out that not all paragraphs have a subordinate structure. The following one, which he took from Bergen Evans's Comfortable Words, is an example of what Christensen considers a coordinate sequence:

• He [the native speaker] may, of course, speak a form of English that marks him as coming from a rural or an unread group.
• But if he doesn't mind being so marked, there's no reason why he should change.
• Samuel Johnson kept a Staffordshire burr in his speech all his life.
• In Burns' mouth the despised lowland Scots dialect served just as well as the "correct" English spoken by ten million of his southern contemporaries.
• Lincoln's vocabulary and his way of pronouncing certain words were sneered at by many better educated people at the time, but he seemed to be able to use the English language as effectively as his critics.

Paragraphs Must Logically Relate to the Previous Paragraph(s)

Readers also expect paragraphs to relate to each other as well as to the overall purpose of a text. Establishing transitional sentences for paragraphs can be one of the most difficult challenges you face as a writer because you need to guide the reader with a light hand. When you are too blatant about your transitions, your readers may feel patronized.

To highlight the connections between your ideas, you can provide transitional sentences at the end of each paragraph that look forward to the substance of the next paragraph. Or, you can place the transition at the beginning of a paragraph looking backward, as Valerie Steele does in the following example:

Can a style of dress hurt one's professional career? True to form most academics deny that it makes any difference whatsoever. But a few stories may indicate otherwise: When a gay male professor was denied tenure at an Ivy League university, some people felt that he was punished, in part, for his dress. It was "not that he wore multiple earrings" or anything like that, but he did wear "beautiful, expensive, colorful clothes that stood out" on campus.

At the design department on one of the campuses of the University of California system, a job applicant appeared for her interview wearing a navy blue suit. The style was perfect for most departments, of course, but in this case, she was told – to her face – that she "didn't fit in, she didn't look arty enough".

Another bit of evidence that suggests dress is of career significance for academics is the fact that some universities (such as Harvard) now offer graduate students counseling on how to outfit themselves for job interviews. The tone apparently is patronizing ("You will need to think about an interview suit and a white blouse"), but the advice is perceived as necessary.

The phrase "another bit of evidence" beginning the second paragraph refers back to the topic sentence that began the first paragraph, "Can a style of dress hurt one's professional career?"

When evaluating your transitions from paragraph to paragraph, question whether the transitions appear too obtrusive, thereby undercutting your credibility. At best, when transitions are unnecessary, readers perceive explicit transitional sentences to be wordy; at worst, they perceive such sentences as insulting. (After all, they imply that the readers are too inept to follow the discussion.)

Vary the length of paragraphs to reflect the complexity and importance of the ideas expressed in them. Different ideas, arguments, and chronologies warrant their own paragraph lengths, so the form of your text should emerge in response to your thoughts. To emphasize a transition in your argument or to highlight an important point, you may want to place critical information in a one- or two-sentence paragraph.

Paragraphs Are Influenced by the Media of Writing

As much as any of the above guidelines, you should consider the media and genre where your text will appear. For as much as paragraphs are shaped by the ideas being expressed, they are also influenced by the genre of the discourse.

For instance, newspapers and magazines produced for high-school educated readers tend to require much shorter paragraphs than those published in academic journals. When evaluating how you have structured your ideas, however, pay attention to whether you have varied the length of your paragraphs. Long chunks of text without paragraph breaks tend to make ideas seem complicated, perhaps even inaccessible to less educated audiences. In turn, short paragraphs can create a list-like style, which intrudes on clarity and persuasive appeal. Because long paragraphs tend to make a document more complicated than short paragraphs, you should question how patient and educated your readers are.

Paragraphs Flow When Information Is Logical

Paragraphs provide a visual representation of your ideas. When revising your work, evaluate the logic behind how you have organized the paragraphs.

Question whether your presentation would appear more logical and persuasive if you rearranged the sequence of the paragraphs. Next, question the structure of each paragraph to see if sentences need to be reordered. Determine whether you are organizing information deductively or according to chronology or according to some sense of what is most and least important. Ask yourself these five questions:

• How is each paragraph organized? Do I place my general statement or topic sentence near the beginning or the end of each paragraph? Do I need any transitional paragraphs or transitional sentences?
• As I move from one idea to another, will my reader understand how subsequent paragraphs relate to my main idea as well as to previous paragraphs? Should any paragraphs be shifted in their order in the text? Should a later paragraph be combined with the introductory paragraph?
• Should the existing paragraphs be cut into smaller segments or merged into longer ones? If I have a concluding paragraph, do I really need it?
• Will readers understand the logical connections between paragraphs? Do any sentences need to be added to clarify the logical relationship between ideas? Have I provided the necessary forecasting and summarizing sentences that readers will need to understand how the different ideas relate to each other?
• Have I been too blatant about transitions? Are all of the transitional sentences and paragraphs really necessary or can the reader follow my thoughts without them?

How to use a skeleton outline in writing. Including my personal method & template

• Post author By Vasyl Kafidov
• Post date October 12, 2020
• Categories In tips , writing
• 3 Comments on How to use a skeleton outline in writing. Including my personal method & template

Content writing is a creative process, first of all. But it doesn’t mean that it cannot benefit from a little structure and systematic approach. I feel like a lot of bloggers underestimate the benefits of skeleton outlines in their everyday work.

Why? Well, it is hard to say for everyone, but I think a lot of them do not like skeleton outline writing since their college years.

Working on an outline might seem too academic and boring at first sight. But, it is still an excellent way to write faster, more efficiently, and provide better content for readers.

If you want to know how to implement a skeletal outline in your blogging, let’s start with the basics. 

What is a skeleton outline?

To put it simply, a skeleton outline is a breakdown of the future post. It is a lot like a plan of what you are going to write with a specific structure. 

A great example of a skeleton outline is a table of content of any academic publication or non-fiction book. The table of content, in this case, is very particular and describes what each part of the text is about. 

An outline helps a writer to achieve several goals, starting with breaking down the big task into smaller parts. I always create a skeleton blog outline before writing a post or article because it helps me to be a better writer.  

And the best part is that it can be used for any writing type, whether it is an article, press release, essay, or blog post. The difference lies only in the structure of each of them. 

In their blog posts that cover the same topic as you are reading now, Coschedule has created a blog post outline template . You will find an outline or, as it is also called, a skeleton or skeletal outline on the picture below.

I do not want to repeat others or tell you only some theoretical information about how important an outline can be when we talk about crafting a blog post after you have already come up with a topic idea and will move forward to my personal thoughts and experience.

For me, a blog outline serves as a guide on what I’m going to cover and in what order. It is also a perfect way to get rid of writer’s block and fear of a blank page. Like with a blog content writing plan , with a skeletal outline, you’ll never have to stare at the blank screen, thinking about what to write next because you have a plan. 

Why skeleton outlines are important?

There are several quite crucial benefits of starting with an outline.

• It helps to write faster. When you have a plan, you know exactly what research you need to do and what type of information to look for. It works as a compass. It also helps to figure out the lengths, breakdown, and general idea of the piece. And you can work from section to section, not necessarily in the correct order. 
• An outline adds up a logical structure. Logical flow is extremely valuable for good writing. And readers appreciate it, as it is much easier to follow something consequential. An outline gives perspective and helps to reorganize your ideas in the most powerful way. 
• It helps to break down a task into smaller steps. It helps to stay motivated and inspired. Huge tasks are stressful and it is much easier to work on one part at a time.  
• A skeleton outline makes your writing efficient. The more you use it, the easier and faster it gets to create a skeleton outline. Texts always follow approximately the same structure. In a couple of times, you’ll know exactly where to start. 
• It helps to build stronger argumentation. Always start with the strongest points and deliver them one by one.  

My method of using skeleton outlines for blogging

Now, let’s get to practice. I’ll guide you through my process of creating a skeleton outline with the example of my blog post on humor. 

Start with a title. Titles are important, every writer knows that. Ensure that it is specific, works for your blog, includes keywords, and is not too long. 

In my case, the title is “Usage of humor for your business. Funny but serious”. It is catchy, SEO-friendly, and shows the reader what the subject of the post is.  

After reading the article, you can look at the final “ Usage of humor for your business. Funny but serious ” article that was written using the method I’m showing in the article.

Research the subject and analyze what is extensively covered and what is missed. Consider what points you want to address based on your experience and knowledge. 

Your personal experience is king , do not be afraid to mention several points from your personal stories or your friends’ experience in your initial blog outline draft. That WILL BE useful, believe me, even if you’ll decide to remove some of them in your final skeleton.

Write down the main points of the article. It is time to brainstorm ideas. Write them down without particular order. Think about what you want to cover and what takeaways will be there for the audience. Put them one by one.

For example, my ideas for the post were:

• Why the humor is used in marketing;
• How often do businesses use humor;
• What are the benefits; 
• What are the risks; 
• Which techniques can a blogger use to create humorous content; 
• Can a brand be serious while using humor in a marketing campaign;
• Importance of humor in communication and everyday life
• Examples of successful use of humor in business; 
• Examples of fails; 
• Types of humor techniques; 
• Practical advice on how to be funnier in your writing. 

Combine them into larger sections. Now it is time to rearrange them in a logical order and in large groups. Some of the ideas are smaller; others are going to take a full section.

Define the bigger and most important points and add smaller aspects to them. Hubspot has clearly explained how to make larger outline sections in detail, so do not hesitate to have a look. Ready to get a sample of the skeleton outline?

My personal blog outline template:  

• Importance of humor in communication and everyday life;
• Why it is used in marketing
• Statistics;
• List of benefits;
• Risks of Incorporating Humorous Strategy in Business;
• Usage of humor in your business blog and How to Do it;
• General tips on the usage of humor;
• Techniques to Make Your Blog Funnier;
• Example of successful usage;
• Examples of fails;
• Can a brand be serious while using humor in a marketing campaign?
• Summary 

Go through the outline and make changes. Maybe replace some points or add marks like “find statistic data” or “link to research”.

If there is no urgency, I would also suggest you leave the outline for a blog post for one day. Take a nap or spend your time with friends and then recheck your outline with fresh thoughts. This will help you to gain some new ideas before you have started writing.

Include the links to the sources you are going to use for each section. It will surely help you once you’ll start drafting your blog post. You can also add keywords to the subtitles.

In my opinion, it will help you from the beginning, but sometimes it doesn’t make sense because of the high chances that you’ll rewrite headings and subheadings during the writing process. Therefore, this trick is up to you 😉

Okay, let’s go! Now you are ready to start writing, following your astonishing outline skeleton.

Skeleton outline is extremely helpful in any type of writing. Even when you make a writing sample , you can use an outline before writing the final draft.

It organizes thoughts and ideas, helps to write faster, and creates a logical flow.

At the same time, it helps to overcome writer’s block as you always have a plan on what to cover next. 

If you have some personal methods that might be useful for my readers, kindly share them in the comments. I’ll be glad to find some new and unusual ways.

Vasyl Kafidoff is a founder and mastermind of KAFIDOFF.COM . He has a strong interest in education, modern technology, marketing, and business management. If Vasy is not working, you can find him somewhere in the world attending a Rock Concert with his mates.

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Skeleton Outline – How To Use It In Writing?

If you do anything just to put off your writing, you might be stuck in a vicious cycle of procrastination.

This time, instead of simply powering through the writer’s block, you can try to alter your approach. Finding out about the skeleton outline method gave me a fresh attack plan for every piece of writing I needed to do. Instead of staring at a blank page for hours, not knowing where to start, I know exactly what points I need to get across in which paragraph. Ultimately, skeleton outlining has made my writing more efficient , less stressful, and easier to manage. And the best thing is – it’s so simple you’ll wonder how come the idea never crossed your mind!

What is a Skeleton Outline and Why Should Writers Care?

A skeleton outline is a framework you build to make content creation smoother. It’s the bare bones of your article/book/essay – ready for you to add meat and skin on top. Let’s translate that into the terminology of digitally written documents. With skeleton outlining, you want to build the heading structure and write down the main ideas to include under each heading. In a way, creating this type of outline helps you break down your project into manageable chunks . The idea behind skeleton outlining is to organize your writing before you type a single word. Planning this way results in a concise piece of writing . You build your writing up in layers, never losing sight of the big picture. This type of planning works for any kind of writing, whether you’re in charge of creating a white paper , a blog post, a podcast episode, or a fiction book.

Skeleton Outline – How it Helps in Writing:

1. don’t lose track.

Did you ever get halfway through your blog post only to realize you can’t remember the other points you wanted to make? If this sounds like you, chances are that the quality of your writing will rise significantly as soon as you integrate skeleton outlining into your routine. Setting up an outline skeleton with short notes in advance will let you focus on what you’re writing right now and know exactly what you need to write later on. That way, you’ll cover all the details without losing track of the big picture. Content and essay writers who need to reach a particular word count will love working with a skeleton outline – you can pre-calculate how long each heading needs to be to reach your target length!

2. Take It Step By Step

When you have your outline nailed down, it doesn’t matter if you write from top to bottom or from the middle out. Filling out part by part will make the whole writing process faster and help you beat procrastination. Work in little bits and tackle the easier sections first for a motivation and productivity boost !

3. Reorganize Easily

A skeleton outline makes it easy to reorganize the text you wrote if you decide to change the structure later on. Minimal editing is required! Programs like MS Word and Scrivener let you move headings (and the text under each) by simply dragging and dropping. That’s far easier than cutting, scrolling, and then pasting each paragraph separately!

How to Create a Skeleton Outline and Write Faster

So, what exactly does a skeleton outline look like? Well, it depends on the kind of writing you do. Here, I’ll share my process, which is tailored for blogging . Here’s what this article’s skeleton looks like:

Step 1 – Create a Heading Structure

This heading structure is the first thing that I created for this article, right after doing my research. This article is rather simple – it includes four H2 headings and six H3 subheadings. In some cases, the skeleton may get pretty intricate, going as far as including H4 subheadings. I wasn’t sure whether to put the “How to” or the “How it helps” section first, so I dragged them around a bit and settled for this structure in the end. In essence, your headings should cover the basic concepts, and subheadings are reserved for details and specifics.

Step 2 – Add Details and Research Notes

Now you can refine your structure further deciding where intros, transitions, lists, and other parts of the article will go. This will help you follow a pre-set structure if you need to, but I omit this step to retain structural flexibility. Apart from structural details, you can also add notes from your research to help you cover everything. I usually label research notes with a colored highlight just to be sure I don’t accidentally leave them in the finished article. If that sounds too complex, a program like Scrivener can make keeping track of research simpler for you.

Step 3 – Start Adding Meat

Now, there’s only one thing left to do – write, write, and write! You can fill in your outline in order or jump from part to part. It doesn’t matter because your skeleton outline won’t let you stray far from your main points. Case in point – I wrote this “How to” section first, even though it’s located at the end of the article! Bonus Tip: There is a lot of great outlining software for writers in the market that you can check out. These apps can help you structure your stories and other compositions faster and easier.

It’s not easy to create something great if you don’t know what it’s supposed to look like. Setting up an outline before you start writing will give you the freedom to focus on the details without worrying if your work makes sense when you zoom out. After all, it’s true that preparation is half the battle. Do you create an outline before writing? How do you approach building your content? Next up, you may want to explore a guide on how to create a synthesis essay outline .

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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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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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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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From Bare Bones to Meaty Analysis: How to Skeleton Outline Your Essay

1. Get with the Times

Note the start time and the time when you should be moving on from outlining your answer to actually writing it. Plan to spend about a quarter to a third of the total allotted time in planning mode—just you, your fact pattern and your scratch paper—no typing.

2. Look to the Call for Help

Immediately read the call of the question first. This will help to orient you toward the question being asked and give you any structural clues your Professor may have left for you.

3. Build an Issue “Skeleton”

Read the fact pattern the first time. Note on your scratch paper any issues you see that you think may be triggered by the facts you have in front of you and the rules you’ve learned over the semester. If you’re not sure about something, write it down anyway, but put a question mark. Underline or highlight any facts that seem important. Leave space between each issue you jot down so you have room to write below each one. Think of this as the “skeleton stage.” You’re laying down the bones of your essay.

4. “Flesh Out” the Skeleton with the Facts

Read the facts for the second time. This time, try highlighting every fact and asking yourself whether it fits into the skeleton you’ve constructed, and if so, where. The goal here is to “find a home” for every fact, if possible. In matching the facts up and writing them under the issues you’ve mapped out on your scratch paper, you’re taking a valuable step toward a more structured, coherent and concise essay. Think of this step as “fleshing out” the skeleton you’ve built. Adding the facts that go with each issue is like wrapping muscle onto the bones.

Whether your Professor throws in facts that don’t matter, e.g. “red herring” facts will depend on her individual exam writing style. For each fact, though, at least ask yourself “does this fact matter?” Challenge yourself to pin each legally significant fact to an element from one of the rules triggered by the issues you’ve spotted and put in your skeleton. Check off each highlighted fact so you can tell at a glance whether you’ve used it yet or not. Note: I’m not saying you should actually spend time writing the full rule out in your skeleton. Hopefully by the time you get to exams, you know the rule in your head well enough to not have to write it down.

5. Write! Write! Write!

Either IRAC or follow an integrated approach. Which style you use will depend on what your individual Professor is looking for. Write based on the structure you’ve come up with. Hopefully, with the comprehensive blueprint you’ve made, you won’t have to stop and think about what to say, you’ll just type quickly and efficiently until you’re finished!

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And check out these helpful posts:

• Don’t Panic! Last Minute Tips for Final Exams
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• Rely on Systems, Not Willpower
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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.

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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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Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, 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.

Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

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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The Skeletal System Essay

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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Home Essay Samples Health

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...

• Human Anatomy

Anatomy of the Human Muscular-Skeleton System

Morphology is a division of biology selling with the study of the shape and structure of organisms and their exact structural topographies. This includes features of the external arrival. outside morphology, as well as the shape and structure of the interior parts like bones and...

Bones TV Series: Show's Approach to the Anthropology

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

Introduction Protein is an indispensable supplement required for structure, keeping up, and fixing tissues, cells, and organs all through the body. When you eat protein, it is separated into the 20 amino acids that are the body's essential structure obstructs for development and vitality. The...

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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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List of Common TOEFL Writing Topics 2024

List of Common TOEFL Writing Topics: The TOEFL Writing section consists of two distinct types of essays, and candidates are given 50 minutes to complete this portion. They must respond to prompts and instructions provided for each essay. Adequate practice of the Writing section can greatly enhance candidates’ ability to tackle TOEFL essay topics, which cover a wide range of subjects including technology, education, social media, family, cell phones, and others.

In this article, we are going to discuss the List of Common TOEFL Writing Topics with their specifications and layers in detail.

Types of Different TOEFL Writing Topics

There are two types of TOEFL writing including the Integrated Writing Task and the Independent Writing Task. In the Integrated Writing Task, you will get 20 minutes and for the Independent Writing Task, you will have 30 minutes to write the content. The whole writing segment consists of 50 minutes. There are some basic domains in which the ETS sets the questions for both of these segments as mentioned below.

Basic Structure of an Integrated Writing Prompt

There is a basic structure of Integrated Writing in TOEFL. You need to follow that structure to construct an article which will make you able to get high points.

Here is the structure for the Integrated Writing Topics as mentioned below. 

Expert Tips For Both Integrated Writing Task and Independent Writing Task in TOEFL: Always be careful with the “Oxford Comma”. Do not break some particular words specifically the auxiliary verbs. Use “Don’t” not “Do Not”. It will decrease your score. Try to write meaningful complex sentences and compound sentences. Use more connecting words as much as you can but sentences have to be meaningful. Do not use the simple sentences too much. It will decrease the quality and score as well. Try to write in a single tense throughout. Avoid using passive voice.

Approaches to TOEFL Integrated Writing Task

TOEFL Integrated Writing Task tests your listening, reading, and writing skills in a composed way. You only get 5 minutes to read and listen to the source of the Integrated Writing Task. The most simple way to solve the problem, you need to take notes during the time of reading and listening. Add only necessary and valuable points in your note. We have already discussed the skeleton of the Integrated Writing Task for your reference. During the data collection period, you can follow some steps as mentioned below.

• Find the process on which you can rely on. Try to take some notes more or less about what works for you.
• To save some time, you can make bullet points to take notes.
• Practice writing the essay in 15 minutes. Last 5 minutes you will be able to check the grammar error as well.

Basic Structure of an Independent Writing Prompt

There is a basic structure of Independent Writing in TOEFL. You need to follow that structure to construct an article which will make you able to get high points. To make your writing more visible and understandable to the examiner you need to break the writing into three different parts i.e. introduction, the body, and the conclusion as same as the previous one. But Independent Writing structure for TOEFL is bit different.

Here is the structure for the Independent Writing Topics as mentioned below. 

Approaches to TOEFL Independent Writing Task

TOEFL Independent Writing Task is an opinion-based writing where you have to write on one topic only. The word count of the task is 300-500 words. There are mainly three types of questions you will find on the exam day as mentioned below.

Agree or Disagree

You need to pick a single side of the particular issue that is given as a topic. Then you need to justify with logic and an example of why you support your argument.

Explaining The Both Sides

In this section, you need to explain both sides by mentioning the advantages and disadvantages of each side. You need to give proper opinions and supportive sentences to explain each side as well.

Pick From Many Opinions or MCQ

In this section, candidates have to choose the correct answers from the different answers which are probably wrong.

List of Common Agree/Disagree TOEFL Writing Topics For 2024

Here are the list of most common Agree/Disagree TOEFL Writing Topics as mentioned below.

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Children should be given a modest weekly allowance for doing household chores. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. Do not use memorized examples. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Video games are great ways to help children learn creativity. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. Do not use memorized examples. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Completing writing projects are more beneficial for students than taking multiple-choice exams. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. Do not use memorized examples. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Consumers should be forced to buy electric-powered vehicles. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. Do not use memorized examples. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Students should be given more options to learn in groups. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. Do not use memorized examples. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Children should consult with their parents when they are choosing a major in college. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. Do not use memorized examples. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Remote learning using techologies such as Zoom is just as effectice as in-person classroom learning. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. Do not use memorized examples. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? People who toss trash out their car windows should be fined at least $500. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. Do not use memorized examples. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Children should be encouraged to play sports such as soccer and basketball. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. Do not use memorized examples.

TOEFL Essay Question Types – Description

• In your opinion, what is the most important characteristic (for example, honesty, intelligence, a sense of humor) that a person can have to be successful in life? Use specific reasons and examples from your experience to explain your answer. When you write your answer, you are not limited to the examples listed in the question.
• If you were asked to send one thing representing your country to an international exhibition, what would you choose? Why? Use specific reasons and details to explain your choice.
• Your city has decided to build a statue or monument to honor a famous person in your country. Who would you choose? Use reasons and specific examples to support your choice.
• Describe a custom from your country that you would like people from other countries to adopt. Explain your choice, using specific reasons and examples.
• A foreign visitor has only one day to spend in your country. Where should this visitor go on that day? Why? Use specific reasons and details to support your choice.
• If you could go back to some time and place in the past, when and where would you go? Why? Use specific reasons and details to support your choice.
• What discovery in the last 100 years has been most beneficial for people in your country? Use specific reasons and examples to support your choice.
• Many students have to live with roommates while going to school or university. What are some of the important qualities of a good roommate? Use specific reasons and examples to explain why these qualities are important.

List of Common Mutiple-Choice Style TOEFL Writing Topics For 2024

Here are the list of most common Mutiple-Choice Style TOEFL Writing Topics as mentioned below.

Which of the following employee attributes are most important? Workers should be able to get along well with others. Workers who are honest will make the most contributions. Workers need to always show up on time and should never leave early. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. Do not use memorized examples. Which of the following are most important when choosing a house? Close to where you work Near where your children attend school In a safe neighborhood away from the city Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. Do not use memorized examples. Which of the following is most important when deciding on a university? An international reputation for research and teaching A reasonably priced institution that will not indebt its study body One which is located near a pristine beach Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. Do not use memorized examples. Which of the following is most important for someone suffering from depression? Having an affectionate pet such as a dog or cat Being able to interact with friends and family members regularly Having accurately prescribed medication to treat the mental illness Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. Do not use memorized examples. Which of the following is the most important part in maintaining an orderly society? A robust police department which builds relationships of trust with the public Having well-funded educational systems with trained and knowledgeable teachers Creating an environment in which churches have well-attended services Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. Do not use memorized examples. Which of the following is most important in having an environmentally-friendly city? A city with a public transportation system so extensive that private cars are not needed A city which requires all residences to use solar power for at least 80% of their energy needs City whose residences are required to recycle at least 50% of all water used. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. Do not use memorized examples. Which of the following is the most healthy part of a person’s lifestyle? Continuous cardiovascular exercise for 45 minutes daily 5 days a week Eating an adundance of fresh vegetables and fruits Getting 8-9 hours of deep sleep nightly Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. Do not use memorized examples. Who would you most likely fire if you were the CEO of a large company? An employee who often arrives late Someone who argues a lot with other co-workers A worker who doesn’t commplete his job tasks competently

List of Common Preference Style TOEFL Writing Topics For 2024

Here are the list of most common Preference Style TOEFL Writing Topics as mentioned below.

Computers are becoming more and more acceptable as tools that educators are using in classrooms. Some believe that this type of technology is useful for student learning. Others, on the other hand, believe that computers are not a required part of student learning. Which view do you support? Use reasons and examples to support your point of view. Make sure that you do NOT use memorized examples. Some believe that food is becoming more and more scarce. Therefore, international laws should be passed that limit couples to having only one child. Others, on the other hand, believe that there will always be plenty of food for the world’s population. As a result, no laws are needed to restrict wordwide population growth. Which view do you support? Use reasons and examples to support your point of view. Make sure that you do NOT use memorized examples. Some believe that all types of plastic should be banned since much of this material ends up polluting our oceans. Others, on the other hand, believe plastic should not be banned since it is an essential material. Which view do you support? Use reasons and examples to support your point of view. Make sure that you do NOT use memorized examples. Some believe consumers should have vegetarian diets. Others, on the other hand, believe that these people should also eat meat in addition to healthy amounts of fruits and vegetables. Which view do you support? Use reasons and examples to support your point of view. Make sure that you do NOT use memorized examples. Some believe that success mostly depends on how hard someone works to achieve his goals. Others, on the other hand, believe that luck plays an important role in whether or not someone succeeds in life. Which view do you support? Use reasons and examples to support your point of view. Make sure that you do NOT use memorized examples. Some believe that it is proper etiquette to kiss someone on a first date. Others, on the other hand, believe that a couple should not kiss the first time that they go out together. Which view do you support? Use reasons and examples to support your point of view. Make sure that you do NOT use memorized examples.

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List of Common TOEFL Writing Topics- FAQs

What are the most common topics for toefl.

TOEFL Reading Topics covers a wide range of academic subjects, including science, social science, humanities, and current events. While the exact reading topics for TOEFL can vary, common areas include astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology, medicine, and physics.

Is TOEFL writing difficult?

The TOEFL writing section may be considered challenging due to the requirement of presenting well-organized ideas within a limited timeframe. Practice is key to improving your writing skills.

What is most difficult in TOEFL?

Although the level of difficulty varies from person to person, the Speaking section is frequently mentioned as the most difficult part of the test, along with the Writing section. The TOEFL iBT Speaking section requires more than just language skills.

Is TOEFL easy for Indian students?

The average overall TOEFL score in India is pretty high compared to many other countries in the world. The average TOEFL score in India is 91 out of 120. The average score of each section is as follows: Reading = 22.

How to score 30 in TOEFL writing?

On both of the Writing tasks, you should use grammar structures and vocabulary you are familiar and confident with. So, if you are not sure how to spell a certain word, don’t use it. Think of a synonym that you can spell correctly. If you are unsure about the grammar structure in your sentence, don’t use it.

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Unveiling the Power of Storytelling: what a Narrative is

This essay about the profound role of storytelling explores its components, such as characters and plot, and its effects on culture and personal identity. It discusses how narratives evoke emotions, reflect societal norms, and aid in education. The text also examines the transformation of storytelling through digital technologies, highlighting its impact on cultural exchanges and communication across various disciplines. The significance of narratives in shaping personal and collective identities and their utility in various fields is underscored.

How it works

Storytelling, an intrinsic human practice, transcends mere entertainment, embodying a profound method of communication that connects individuals, delineates cultures, and shapes our understanding of the world. A narrative, at its essence, is a coherent sequence of events populated by characters, unfolding through intricately devised plots to engage and impact its audience. This exploration of narrative power sheds light on its components, effects, and significance in influencing thought and culture.

A narrative typically comprises characters, a plot, and a setting, all woven together to craft a story that captivates its audience.

Characters are the soul of the narrative, humanizing the story and allowing the audience to see a reflection of themselves or explore new perspectives. These characters might range from people to mythical creatures, all crafted to evoke connection and empathy. The plot represents the skeleton of the narrative, outlining the critical events that propel the story from commencement to conclusion, thereby shaping the trajectory and pace of the narrative.

The true power of storytelling lies in its ability to stir emotions and develop empathy. As audiences immerse themselves in narratives, they often experience a spectrum of emotions, aligning their feelings with those of the characters. This emotional engagement is not mere coincidence but a crafted aspect of the narrative, designed to enhance the relatability and memorability of the story, thus amplifying its impact on the audience.

Narratives also act as societal reflections, offering insights into the cultural mores, issues, and conflicts of a community. Storytellers can subtly or overtly critique or uphold societal norms, thereby influencing public discourse and opinion. This reflective capacity of narratives makes them invaluable tools for both preserving cultural identity and advocating for change. Stories not only transmit historical and cultural knowledge but also adapt and evolve to incorporate new ideas and perspectives.

Furthermore, narratives play a pivotal role in shaping personal and collective identities. Through personal stories and public narratives, individuals and communities construct identities that define their roles and values within a societal context. Personal narratives, like autobiographies, help individuals make sense of their past experiences, while collective narratives unite groups with common histories and values, fostering a sense of community and continuity.

In education, narratives simplify complex ideas and enhance recall, making learning more accessible and engaging. Educational stories often use metaphors or hypothetical scenarios to convey complex issues, helping students to better understand and retain abstract concepts.

With the advent of digital technology, the landscape of storytelling has transformed, incorporating interactive and multimedia elements that enrich the narrative experience. Platforms like social media have revolutionized narrative dissemination, enabling anyone to share their stories with a global audience and engage in cultural exchange on an unprecedented scale.

Recognizing the essence and influence of narratives is crucial for appreciating not only the arts but also the daily exchanges that shape our experiences and relationships. Mastering narrative skills is invaluable across diverse disciplines, from therapy and education to marketing and media. As we continue to explore and push the boundaries of narrative possibilities, we open up new avenues for understanding, connecting with others, and shaping societal narratives for future generations.

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Unveiling the Power of Storytelling: What a Narrative Is. (2024, May 12). Retrieved from https://papersowl.com/examples/unveiling-the-power-of-storytelling-what-a-narrative-is/

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"Unveiling the Power of Storytelling: What a Narrative Is," PapersOwl.com , 12-May-2024. [Online]. Available: https://papersowl.com/examples/unveiling-the-power-of-storytelling-what-a-narrative-is/. [Accessed: 14-May-2024]

PapersOwl.com. (2024). Unveiling the Power of Storytelling: What a Narrative Is . [Online]. Available at: https://papersowl.com/examples/unveiling-the-power-of-storytelling-what-a-narrative-is/ [Accessed: 14-May-2024]

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FROM LATIN SPEECHES TO SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS: A Guide to Emory’s Evolving Commencement Traditions

No matter your role on that auspicious day in May — excited graduate, proud family member, engaged faculty, staff or alumni — Commencement ends too soon.

Cameras do their part , brought out in droves to record the moment, reminding us of all that Emory’s graduates have achieved. Still, during Commencement ceremonies, so much passes in a blur. It has always been thus, even in the earliest years when Emory graduations were marathons of speechifying (sometimes, painfully, in Latin).

Long-held anticipation of the big day gives way too soon to closing remarks. Caps are sent sailing, some bearing messages. The last notes of the recessional linger just a moment in the air. A new phase in the life of these extraordinary Emory alumni has begun.

 More than a few of us want the frames to move more slowly and the chance to take everything in. Here, then, is a guide to Emory Commencement traditions old and new — a hedge against forgetting this special scene on a day of joyful distractions.

Image captions

Academic dress got its start with the founding of European universities beginning in the 12 th century and then saw changes introduced in the 16 th century by Protestant reformers. In the U.S. in 1901, a convention of representatives from schools across the country voted to standardize academic costume. Eager to embrace the use of academic dress, which did not exist for graduations at Emory in the 19 th century, the Class of 1902 was the first to don the garb that is so familiar today.

Previous Dean of Emory College of Arts and Sciences John Stephens Jr. congratulating a student

The bachelor’s gown features an embroidered Emory University seal in gold thread and long, pointed, open sleeves.

The master’s gown has longer sleeves, which are closed at the bottom with openings about midway for the hands. Beginning in 2014, the bachelor’s and master’s gowns have been made of fabric spun from the molten plastic pellets of recycled water bottles. As a symbol of the university’s commitment to sustainability, an average of 23 post-consumer plastic bottles are used to create each gown.

The doctor’s gown has full-length lapels of velvet and bell-shaped sleeves with three horizontal velvet bars.

The hood varies for the respective degrees, the doctor’s hood being longer and fuller than the master’s. Each field of study has a corresponding color scheme. The hood is lined with silk in the colors of the degree-granting institution. For Emory graduates, the lining is blue with a chevron of gold.

At Oxford University in 1565 , the square cap seen today became the norm, but something known as the Tudor bonnet is still worn by doctoral candidates. For tassels, black is the color for bachelor’s and master’s caps; gold thread may be worn by doctors.

Enjoying the cooler temperatures of spring? Until 1880, Commencement week fell in mid-July and senior exercises consumed an entire day.

Emory ’s Commencement begins with an iconic sound that calls everyone to order:

“From the back of the gathered crowd, a single bagpipe wails its first martial notes, followed by a roll of drums and a crashing skirl from the rest of the Atlanta Pipe Band . The chief marshal of the university steps out in stately time, followed by the bagpipers, then university trustees, officers and honorary degree recipients.” (From Emory historian emeritus Gary S. Hauk’s essay “The Feast of Reason and the Flow of Soul.” )

In 1967, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution photographed Emory student Henry Frantz (r) playing his instrument. A couple of other pipers saw the article and reached out. Word began to spread in Atlanta’s Scottish community that there was a new band forming. Others joined in, and by 1970, the Atlanta Pipe Band was established.

These days the mellow tones of the Atlanta Symphony Brass Quintet alternate with the stir of the Atlanta Pipe Band, led by Emory alumnus Henry D. Frantz Jr. 71C 74L . The pipers carry the colors of both Emory University and the University of St Andrews, Emory’s sister university in Scotland. In recognition of the significant relationship between the two institutions, Pipe Major Frantz composed “The Emory and Old St Andrews March” used in the processional.

The video captures those stirring sounds indicating that another Emory graduation is officially underway.

Many of the band’s members are prize-winning soloists. All, however, take special pride in ensemble performance, producing a technically challenging and musically satisfying experience for the listener.

The university mace is carried in the procession by the immediate past president of the Student Government Association in a role known as the bedel. The mace symbolizes a university as a corporate body of scholars possessing its own jurisdiction and legally constituted authority. Traditionally, the mace is borne in procession immediately before the chief officer of a university — in Emory’s case, the president — and is placed before them during formal academic ceremonies.

Emory’s mace is a gift from D.V.S. Senior Honor Society in 1965. It was designed by Eric Clements and executed in silver and gold by the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths. In the teardrop at the apex of the mace, against a background of oxidized silver, is a freestanding representation in gold of a human skeleton. This is Dooley, the “spirit” of Emory, who traditionally “rises” once each spring and for a week rules campus.

Immediately below the skeleton , in an open teardrop, is a gold sphere divided (by stippling) into eight segments. Topping the sphere is a simple cross, symbolizing the relationship of Emory University to the Methodist Church.

The seal of the university is sculptured in gold within the circular base.

In addition to Commencement, the mace makes appearances at Convocation to mark the start of a new academic year. In between these events, the mace makes its home at the Rose Library, “quietly awaiting,” as an Emory Magazine article attested, “its next opportunity to shine.”

“Hail we now our alma mater, hail the gold and blue!”

Marvin Rast 1918C 29T sang in the Emory Glee Club and was elected to membership in D.V.S. Senior Honor Society. He is also the author of Emory’s alma mater — a project he undertook when, in the spring of Rast’s senior year, the glee club director was lamenting the absence of a song about Emory for the season’s final concert.

In 1945, the original line “Loyal sons and true” was wholly out of place as women were graduating from every school of the university. Two weeks after Commencement that year, once female graduates lodged complaints, the line was emended to “Sons and daughters true.”

During the presidency of James T. Laney (1977-1993) and for a decade afterward, the alma mater was not performed. It was Jason Hardy 95C — who founded Emory’s first a cappella singing group, No Strings Attached — who approached the administration about reviving the tradition. Another needed update was made to the language — replacing the line “In the heart of dear old Dixie” with “In the heart of dear old Emory” — and No Strings Attached began performing it. The alma mater came back into the Commencement lineup in 2005.

Emory’s alma mater is set to “Annie Lisle,” which is the tune of hundreds of alma maters for high schools, colleges and universities across the country — and even in China.

Society of Corpus Cordis Aureum

Society of Corpus Cordis Aureum (Latin for “Golden Core of the Heart”) , established in 2004, honors Emory alumni who have graduated 50 or more years ago. These “Golden Eagles” are invited to don their gold robes for the Commencement procession, leading the candidates for graduation into the ceremony.

Members of the society number 14,000 worldwide. With the understanding that not everyone can come to Atlanta to receive their medallions, Emory has begun conducting regional medallion ceremonies.

 A Golden Alumni Brunch takes place in the fall, associated with Homecoming, and events throughout the year offer members educational, cultural and social enrichment. 

The word “society” was added recently to more fully identify members as being part of a special and deeply valued group that shares a common memory of Emory. This enhancement acknowledges the fellowship of shared experience and honors the group’s collective wisdom and perspective.

Emory Alumni Legacy Medallion

Graduating students who have a parent , grandparent or sibling who is also an Emory graduate may wear specially commissioned medallions hanging from blue and gold ribbons. The medallions are expressions of the university’s gratitude to those families who have chosen to continue the Emory education tradition throughout the generations.

Legacy activities begin in a student’s first year during a pinning ceremony that includes family members .

Honorary Degrees

The awarding of honorary degrees has been a tradition at Emory since 1846 , when the Rev. William H. Ellison received a doctor of divinity. Ellison was a Methodist minister and a leader in establishing higher education in Virginia, Alabama and Georgia. He typified the sort of selection the university made in the 19 th century — namely, to honor individuals for their contributions to the church and education.

More recent honorees include Bryan Stevenson , founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, who has dedicated his career to helping the incarcerated; Temple Grandin , animal behaviorist and autism expert; former Georgia congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis ; and Natasha Trethewey , two-term U.S. Poet Laureate and former Emory faculty member.

Filmmaker Tyler Perry was Commencement speaker in 2022 and received an honorary doctor of letters degree from Emory

Emory honorary degree recipients have achieved the highest distinction in a field of scholarship — the arts, humanities, social sciences, sciences, health, business, law and all the professions — or in public service.

The university suggests its values and priorities with honorary degrees. For instance, the 14 Nobel Peace Prize winners with Emory honorary degrees include 10 peace laureates, two in literature and one each in economics and medicine. Although public servants and philanthropic business leaders tend to outnumber all others, writers also abound among the honored — appropriate for a university with a top-ranked undergraduate creative writing program.

View a full list of recipients.

At some institutions, the Kermit the Frogs of this world have earned honorary degrees. At Emory, it’s people only.

School-specific and Oxford College Traditions

Emory College

The sole speaker at the Emory College ceremony is the class orator, a graduating student chosen by a committee of seniors to represent the class. The college also awards the Lucius Lamar McMullen Award to a graduating senior “who shows extraordinary promise of becoming a future leader and who has the rare potential for service to their community, nation and world.”

Oxford College

Student marshals occupy the front of the line for the student procession, and they receive their diplomas first. These students have a 4.0 GPA. After the recessional, the historic Seney Hall bell tolls once for each graduating student.

Goizueta Business School

At the BBA graduation, there is a tradition of “class superlatives” whereby the BBA senior representatives determine the categories and then students nominate one another. The school recognizes the top students in each category as well as the winner.  

Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

BSN students receive pins featuring the initials of the school. Wearing it is a privilege earned by nursing graduates across the country and represents a commitment to the profession and serving the needs of society. If a graduate has an immediate relative who is also an alumnus/a of the school, the family member gives the graduate their nursing pin on stage.

Rollins School of Public Health

Eschewing “Pomp and Circumstance,” the school goes its own way, selecting a student song and a faculty song to play as graduates and faculty exit the venue.

School of Law

Black Law Students Association (BLSA) alumnae started the Sankofa Ceremony. In the spirit of “Sankofa” — an African word meaning “it is not taboo to fetch what is at risk of being left behind” — BLSA alumni reach back and assist students with becoming alumni. 

Candler School of Theology

The school’s DMin graduates — ministry professionals who have studied on either the Church Leadership and Community Witness or Biblical Interpretation and Proclamation tracks — are hooded by the program director and a faculty member.

School of Medicine

During the hooding part of the MD ceremony, graduates sign their names in the MD program alumni book, using the MD credential in their signature for the first time. This has been a tradition at the school since 1992, and many current faculty members’ names appear in the book.

Laney Graduate School

Doctoral graduates are hooded by their advisers. The hooding ceremony originated in European universities in the 11th or 12th century. Hooded robes, often required for warmth in unheated medieval libraries, were first used as a practical uniform for scholars. Universities then added colors to the robes to differentiate students by their academic majors.

Moments in Time

1970s or 1980s

1962: Stacked diplomas

1970s—Emory President Sanford Atwood and faculty member

To learn more about Emory, please visit:

Emory University | Emory News Center