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Templates

Copyable essay templates for every writing task

Start with the structure, not a blank page. Browse outline templates, filled examples, and practical planning checks for essays, research papers, admissions writing, and timed exams.

57 templates·6 families·Free to copy

Template library

57 templates · 6 families

Built for

Students planning the next essay, not the next chat.

What you get

  • Copy any template, no sign-up required
  • Filled examples next to every outline
  • Pairs with the editor for a real draft
57copyable templates
6template families
ENEnglish-first library
0sign-ups required

Inside every template

More than a list of bullet points

Each template is a small lesson in form. The page you land on includes the structure, a filled example, adaptation steps, and the mistakes that flatten this kind of essay.

Outline structure

Section-by-section bullets you can paste into a doc and adapt to your prompt.

Filled example

A worked draft showing the template in action — prompt, claim, evidence, and closing.

Usage steps

A short adaptation walkthrough so the structure stays useful when your prompt is unique.

Common mistakes

The traps that flatten this template type, with the fix to apply before you draft.

Linked sources

Pairs with related guides and the source library inside the EssayGenius editor.

Pairs with a generator

Most templates link directly to a tool that customizes the structure for your topic.

Essay outlines

Essay outlines templates

General-purpose essay structures for argument, explanation, comparison, narrative, and analysis.

12 templates in family

General

Argumentative Essay Outline Template

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Copy a structured argumentative essay outline template with thesis, evidence, counterargument, rebuttal, and a filled example.

Debatable claims with evidence and rebuttalGeneral

General

Persuasive Essay Outline Template

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Copy a persuasive essay outline template with audience, emotional appeal, logical proof, credibility, and call to action.

Essays that ask the reader to believe or actGeneral

General

Narrative Essay Outline Template

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Plan a narrative essay with setting, conflict, turning point, resolution, and reflection using this copyable outline template.

Personal stories with reflectionGeneral

General

Expository Essay Outline Template

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Use this expository essay outline template to explain a topic clearly with definition, evidence, examples, and conclusion.

Clear explanation without arguing a sideGeneral

General

Compare and Contrast Essay Outline Template

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Copy a compare and contrast essay outline template with point-by-point structure, balanced evidence, and a filled example.

Two subjects with meaningful similarities and differencesGeneral

General

Cause and Effect Essay Outline Template

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Plan a cause and effect essay with causes, effects, causal links, evidence, and conclusion using this template.

Explaining why something happened and what changed afterGeneral

General

Descriptive Essay Outline Template

Use a descriptive essay outline template with dominant impression, sensory details, spatial organization, and reflection.

Vivid description of a place, person, object, or momentGeneral

High school

Analytical Essay Outline Template

Copy an analytical essay outline template for breaking a topic into claims, evidence, interpretation, and significance.

Explaining how parts create a larger meaningHigh school

General

Reflective Essay Outline Template

Plan a reflective essay with experience, interpretation, personal growth, and future application using this template.

Personal growth and learning from experienceGeneral

Middle school

5 Paragraph Essay Outline Template

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Use a classic 5 paragraph essay outline template with introduction, three body paragraphs, and conclusion.

Short classroom essays with three main reasonsMiddle school

General

Informative Essay Outline Template

Copy an informative essay outline template for explaining a topic with facts, categories, examples, and conclusion.

Teaching the reader about a topic neutrallyGeneral

College

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Outline Template

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Use a rhetorical analysis essay outline template to analyze audience, purpose, rhetorical choices, evidence, and effect.

Analyzing how a text persuades an audienceCollege

Admissions

Admissions templates

Personal, college, scholarship, and graduate application templates that keep story and fit connected.

11 templates in family

College

Personal Statement Outline Template

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Use a personal statement outline template for admissions essays, with narrative arc, reflection, fit, and a filled example.

Admissions essays and personal narrativesCollege

Middle school

Middle School Essay Outline Template

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Copy a middle school essay outline template with thesis, three body paragraphs, evidence, reasoning, and conclusion.

Simple five-paragraph classroom essaysMiddle school

High school

High School Essay Outline Template

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Plan a high school essay with a focused thesis, body claims, evidence, commentary, and a polished conclusion.

High school analytical and argumentative assignmentsHigh school

College

College Essay Outline Template

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Use a college essay outline template for thesis-driven essays with source integration, analysis, and academic structure.

College-level academic essaysCollege

High school

Common App Essay Outline Template

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Plan a Common App essay with story, reflection, values, growth, and a forward-looking conclusion.

Personal application essays up to the Common App limitHigh school

High school

Scholarship Essay Outline Template

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Use a scholarship essay outline template to connect story, need, impact, goals, and fit with the scholarship mission.

Scholarship prompts about goals, service, or resilienceHigh school

High school

Why This College Essay Outline Template

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Plan a Why This College essay with specific fit, academic goals, campus evidence, and mutual contribution.

Supplemental essays about school fitHigh school

High school

UC Personal Insight Questions Outline Template

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Outline UC PIQ responses with context, action, reflection, and fit in a concise structure for the 350-word format.

Concise University of California PIQ responsesHigh school

Graduate

Statement of Purpose Outline Template

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Use a statement of purpose outline template for graduate applications with research interests, preparation, fit, and goals.

Graduate school applicationsGraduate

Graduate

Law School Personal Statement Outline Template

Plan a law school personal statement with motivation, evidence of judgment, service, and legal education fit.

Law school admissions essaysGraduate

Graduate

Graduate School Personal Statement Outline Template

Outline a graduate school personal statement with academic motivation, preparation, fit, and future contribution.

Graduate applications that ask for personal motivationGraduate

Research and academic formats

Research and academic formats templates

Academic research structures for source synthesis, proposals, lab reports, literature reviews, and formats.

10 templates in family

College

Research Paper Outline Template

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Copy a research paper outline template with research question, literature context, evidence sections, methods or analysis, and conclusion.

Source-based academic papersCollege

High school

Synthesis Essay Outline Template

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Plan a synthesis essay with source grouping, original claim, integrated evidence, and commentary using this template.

Combining multiple sources into one argumentHigh school

College

Literature Review Outline Template

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Use a literature review outline template to organize themes, debates, methods, gaps, and research direction.

Reviewing scholarly conversations by themeCollege

College

Annotated Bibliography Outline Template

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Copy an annotated bibliography outline template with citation, summary, evaluation, reflection, and source-use notes.

Evaluating sources before draftingCollege

College

Research Proposal Outline Template

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Plan a research proposal with research question, background, method, feasibility, significance, and timeline.

Planning a study before conducting researchCollege

College

Lab Report Outline Template

Use a lab report outline template with objective, hypothesis, methods, results, discussion, and conclusion.

Science courses and experiment writeupsCollege

College

Scientific Paper Outline Template

Plan a scientific paper with abstract, introduction, methods, results, discussion, and conclusion sections.

IMRaD-style science writingCollege

High school

Source Evaluation Outline Template

Evaluate a source with authority, evidence, bias, relevance, limitations, and planned use using this outline template.

Deciding whether a source belongs in an essayHigh school

College

APA Research Paper Outline Template

Use an APA research paper outline template with title page planning, abstract, headings, source synthesis, and references.

Social science and education papers in APA styleCollege

High school

MLA Research Paper Outline Template

Plan an MLA research paper with thesis, section headings, quoted evidence, parenthetical citations, and Works Cited checks.

Humanities papers with textual evidenceHigh school

Literary analysis

Literary analysis templates

Templates for close reading, theme, character, symbol, poetry, and comparative literary analysis.

6 templates in family

Writing components

Writing components templates

Reusable paragraph and sentence patterns for thesis statements, body paragraphs, transitions, and conclusions.

8 templates in family

General

Thesis Statement Template

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Copy thesis statement templates for argumentative, analytical, expository, and compare-and-contrast essays.

Turning a topic into a focused controlling ideaGeneral

General

Argumentative Thesis Statement Template

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Use argumentative thesis statement templates for debatable claims, reasons, counterpoints, and precise essay positions.

Debatable claims that need reasons and a counterpointGeneral

General

Essay Introduction Template

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Copy essay introduction templates with hook, context, bridge, and thesis patterns for academic essays.

Opening an essay without over-explainingGeneral

General

Body Paragraph Template

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Use body paragraph templates for topic sentence, evidence, analysis, commentary, and transition structure.

Turning outline bullets into evidence-driven paragraphsGeneral

General

Counterargument Paragraph Template

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Copy counterargument paragraph templates with opposing view, concession, rebuttal evidence, and return to thesis.

Answering opposing views fairlyGeneral

General

Essay Conclusion Template

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Use essay conclusion templates to restate thesis, synthesize evidence, explain significance, and end cleanly.

Ending without repeating the introductionGeneral

General

Topic Sentence Template

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Copy topic sentence templates that connect paragraph claims to thesis statements, evidence, and transitions.

Starting body paragraphs with purposeGeneral

General

Transition Sentence Template

Use transition sentence templates to connect essay paragraphs, compare ideas, show cause and effect, and signal contrast.

Improving essay flow between paragraphsGeneral

Exam and timed writing

Exam and timed writing templates

Timed writing structures for AP, GRE, IELTS, TOEFL, DBQ, and other exam-style prompts.

10 templates in family

High school

AP Lit Poetry Analysis Outline Template

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Plan an AP Lit poetry analysis response with defensible thesis, line evidence, commentary, complexity, and conclusion.

AP English Literature poetry analysis practiceHigh school

High school

AP Lit Prose Analysis Outline Template

Use an AP Lit prose analysis outline template for character, narration, setting, tone, and complexity in timed responses.

AP English Literature prose fiction analysisHigh school

High school

DBQ Essay Outline Template

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Plan a DBQ essay with contextualization, thesis, document grouping, outside evidence, sourcing, and complexity.

Document-Based Question history essaysHigh school

High school

AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis Outline Template

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Outline an AP Lang rhetorical analysis essay with rhetorical situation, thesis, choices, evidence, commentary, and sophistication.

AP English Language rhetorical analysis essaysHigh school

High school

AP Lang Synthesis Essay Outline Template

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Plan an AP Lang synthesis essay with source grouping, thesis, evidence integration, commentary, and sophistication.

AP English Language synthesis responsesHigh school

General

Timed Essay Outline Template

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Use a timed essay outline template for quick thesis planning, evidence selection, paragraph structure, and a fast conclusion.

In-class essays and exam writingGeneral

Graduate

GRE Analyze an Issue Essay Outline Template

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Plan a GRE Analyze an Issue response with position, reasons, examples, qualifications, and a timed conclusion.

GRE Analytical Writing Issue task practiceGraduate

Graduate

GRE Analyze an Argument Outline Template

Use a GRE Analyze an Argument outline template to evaluate assumptions, evidence needs, logical gaps, and argument strength.

GRE Argument task practice for older/published prep promptsGraduate

College

IELTS Writing Task 2 Outline Template

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Plan an IELTS Writing Task 2 response with position, paragraph claims, examples, cohesion, and a concise conclusion.

IELTS Academic or General Training Task 2 practiceCollege

College

TOEFL Writing Outline Template

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Use a TOEFL Writing outline template for academic discussion responses with claim, support, response to others, and academic tone.

Current TOEFL writing practice with classroom-style promptsCollege

How students use these

A template, then the workspace

Templates remove the blank page. The editor finishes the job — sources, citations, feedback, and a draft you can defend, all in one connected workspace.

  1. 01Pick

    Match the template to your assignment

    Filter by family — outline, admissions, research, literary, components, exam — and pick the structure that matches your prompt and length.

  2. 02Copy

    Paste it into your draft

    Each template is one click to copy. Replace bracketed text with details from your prompt, your sources, or your experience.

  3. 03Build

    Open the editor for the full draft

    Take the outline into EssayGenius, where the source library, citations, and feedback live in the same view as your draft.

FAQ

Common questions about templates

No. Every template is free to copy without sign-up. You only need an EssayGenius account if you want to draft inside the editor with sources, citations, and feedback in the same workspace.

Templates are reusable structures you adapt. They show the same shape every time — sections, claims, evidence — so you can learn the form. The matching generator personalizes that structure for your specific prompt when you are ready.

The templates are scaffolding. The argument, evidence, and voice still need to be yours. Copying the structure is fine; copying anyone else’s claims or analysis is not.

For most assignments, the argumentative essay outline is the safest default. For applications, start with the personal statement outline. For research papers, start with the research paper outline. Browse by family below if your prompt is more specific.

From template to draft

Turn a clean outline into a real essay.

Paste any template into EssayGenius, then draft with source search, citation support, and revision help in the same workspace.

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