QUARTER 4 – ENGLISH 8 – LESSON 2
Expanding the Content of an Outline Using Notes from
Primary and Secondary Sources
How you select and organize the information is important because it brings either success or failure in
conveying your message to your target audience. In this lesson, you will know one essential technique in
writing a composition which is outlining.
What is an outline?
An outline is a tool used in improving and organizing written ideas about a topic into a logical order.
Writers use outlines when writing their papers to know which topic to cover and in what order.
What are the types of an outline?
The type of outline to be used by the writer depends on the nature of the topic and purpose of the
writer. Topics that are information-heavy may require more major topics and subtopics since the writer’s
purpose is to be as informative as possible. However, if the writer wants to be persuasive, outline should only
accommodate what is important to the audience’s needs.
There are two types of outline: the sentence outline and the topic outline.
1. Sentence Outline
It is a type of outline that presents the thesis statement, major topics, subtopics, and supporting
details in sentence form. It allows you to include those details in the sentences instead of having to create an
outline of many short phrases that goes on page after page. Also, it follows a hierarchical structure composed
of sentences and headings around the subject of the speech or essay.
These characters are used in this order in bullet formatting.
• Roman Numerals
• Capitalized Letters
• Arabic Numerals
• Lowercase Letters
Below is an example of a sentence outline and its parts.
2. Topic Outline
It is a type of outline which presents the major topics, subtopics, and supporting details in the form of words
and phrases.
Below is an example of a topic outline and its parts.
What are the contents of an outline?
An outline is composed of many parts. These parts work together to present a clear idea of a
paragraph or an essay. An outline contains thesis statement, major topics, subtopics, and
supporting details. The following are the parts with their corresponding definition:
Contents of an Outline Definition
A thesis statement is a one-sentence statement
Thesis Statement
that expresses the main idea of an essay.
Major topics refer to the major
Major topics phrases/sentences which are formed from the
thesis statement.
Subtopics refer to the minor phrases/sentences
Subtopics
which are formed from the major topics.
Supporting details are phrases/sentences which
provide additional information to clarify or prove
Supporting Details the main idea. These details help you explain
further the ideas presented by the major topics
and subtopics.
What are the steps in writing an outline?
Writing an outline involves a series of steps. To achieve a well-organized outline, follow these
steps carefully:
Choose your topic and Create and organize a
list of your major topics.
establish your purpose.
Make and organize a
STEPS IN WRITING AN OUTLINE list of your subtopics.
Provide additional
Review and refine the
information to support
contents of your outline.
your subtopics.
How to Expand the Content of an Outline Using Different Sources?
In expanding the content of an outline, you need to use primary and secondary sources. Primary
sources are firsthand information taken from original evidences such as reports on discoveries and events
and interviews from persons in authority while secondary sources are secondhand information taken from
the primary sources.
Below are examples of primary and secondary sources which will be used in expanding the contents of
your outline.
Examples of primary sources include: Examples of secondary sources include:
journal articles that comment on or
• diaries, letter correspondence, analyses research
• original documents e.g. birth textbooks
certificates, trial records dictionaries and encyclopedias
• interviews, speeches, oral histories books that interpret, analyze
• laws, regulations, constitutions political commentary
• government documents, biographies
statistical data, research reports dissertations
• journal article reporting new newspaper editorial/columns
research or findings criticism of literature, art works or
• creative art works, literature music
• opinion pieces
Example:
Thesis Statement: COVID-19 pandemic is a difficult challenge faced by the
government because it has brought massive breakdown to the economy,
destabilization of the educational system, and anxieties among families and
communities in the country.
I. Effects of COVID-19 pandemic
A. World Economy
1. Travel
2. Tourism
3. Manufacturing
4. Family income
Now, you will use your notes from primary and secondary sources in expanding the content of
your outline.
Study the example below.
Primary Source: (research report) Secondary Source: (editorial)
World Health
While COVID-19 presents
Organization advised countries to
a healthcare crisis, the economic
strengthen public health
paralysis that nations will
surveillance for case experience because of current
and future expected
and contact tracing, shutdowns/lockdowns and
low-resource, weak, or high-risk
mandatory quarantines will
likely be even more catastrophic.
settings and to maintain essential
Even as there is a critical need
health services with sufficient
for the world to collectively
funding, supplies, and human
engage with the virus SARS-CoV-
resources. Countries
2 and the COVID-19 disease it
causes, there is a visible lack of
were advised to implement
leadership at a global level.
measures and advice on travel,
based on risk assessments,Source:
and Banerjee D, “The COVID-19
outbreak: the crucial role
psychiatrists can play” Asian J.
to review these measures
Psychiatr, 2020, [PMC free article]
regularly. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
Source: “COVID-19
Committee highlights need for
response efforts over long term”,
World Health Organization, A
2021, https://www.who.int/news
/item/01-08-2020-covid-19
emergency-committee-highlights-
needfor-response-efforts-over-long-term
Thesis Statement: COVID-19 pandemic is a difficult challenge faced by the
government because it has brought massive breakdown to the economy,
destabilization of the educational system, and anxieties among families and
communities in the country.
I. Effects of COVID-19 pandemic
Expanded content of an outline
A. World Economy
1. Travel
Notice that in the expanded
a. fair measures
content of an outline, some
1. risk assessment important keywords taken from
2. travel advice primary and secondary sources b. mandatory
quarantine were added.
2. Tourism
3. Manufacturing Industries
4. Family Income
