LESSON 10 • OUTLINING SKILLS

Adding Details to Subtopics

Master the full 3-tier outline hierarchy! Discover how Arabic numerals (1, 2) add granular facts to support subtopics, and synthesize the outline into sentences.

Animal Homes
   I. Caves
A. Mountain lions
B. Rocky Mountain goats
  II. Underground
A. Fox
B. Prairie dogs
1. Dig mine shafts 14’ deep
2. Build horizontal tunnels from shaft
 III. Underwater
A. Salmon
B. Male sticklebacks
 IV. Trees
A. Squirrels
B. Skunks
🐸 Meet the 3-Tier Hierarchy:

Look at B. Prairie dogs under II. Underground! We added two supporting details to describe their amazing underground homes:

  • I, II, III, IV: Main Topics (Where homes are)
  • A, B: Subtopics (Which animals live there)
  • 1, 2: Details (How prairie dogs dig)
Indent rule: Detail numbers (1., 2.) align right under the first letter of the subtopic!

Practice: Prove the Outline by Filling in the Blanks

6 Sentences • 14 Blanks • 20 Points
1. Animal homes can be in , , , and in .
2. Animals which make their homes in caves are and .
3. Animals which make their homes underground are and .
4. The prairie dogs make their homes underground and and .
5. Animals that make their homes underwater are and .
6. Animals which make their homes in trees are and .