A scratch outline is a simple list of the topics you plan to discuss in your essay, and at the top of the list is your thesis . When you write a scratch outline before you draft your essay, you can see your plan, consider other options, and organize your topics into the most effective order. For example, suppose you are writing an essay on the topic of automobiles in America and your thesis is Automobiles in America are responsible for the decay of the cities because they discourage the use of mass transit, they encourage suburban flight, and they create congestion. Automobiles in America are responsible for the decay of the cities because they discourage the use of mass transit, they encourage suburban flight, and they create congestion. Cars discourage the use of mass transit.
Cars encourage suburban flight.
Cars create congestion. This outline allows you to see immediately if your essay will work. An essay that follows emphatic organization generally puts the most expected point at the beginning of the essay, the weaker point in the middle, and the strongest point at the end. This scheme is useful when you are using examples or constructing an argument. An essay that follows spatial organization allows the reader to see a scene systematically, from right to left, for example, or from top to bottom.