Build a strong essay outline

This prompt helps you plan an essay and explicitly does not write it for you. Give the question, word count, level and rough ideas, and it returns a thesis statement and an outline to work from.

text-essay-outline — chatgpt — 66 words

Help me plan an essay. Do not write it for me.

Question or topic: [ESSAY QUESTION]
Word count: [NUMBER]
Level: [SCHOOL / UNDERGRAD / MASTERS]
My rough ideas: [IDEAS]

Give me: a thesis statement (3 options), paragraph-by-paragraph outline with the point and evidence for each, counter-arguments to address and 5 types of sources I should look for. Then ask me 3 questions to sharpen my argument.

Edit in the builder Copy & open ChatGPT ↗Copy & open Gemini ↗Copy & open Claude ↗

Write the essay yourself from the outline. Use the AI as a planner, not a ghostwriter.

Get a better result

What you will get

Three thesis options, a paragraph-by-paragraph outline with the point and evidence for each, the counter-arguments to answer, five types of sources to look for, and three questions to sharpen your argument.

Common mistake

The outline is generic and could fit any essay.

Fix: Paste your own rough ideas in the bracket, even if they are messy. The outline should build on your thinking.

Also watch for

You copy the outline as your essay. Use it as a plan only. Write each paragraph yourself in your own words and check your institution’s rules on AI help.
The evidence points are invented. Treat the sources as types to search for, then find real, checkable ones in your library or database.

Try a variation: ask for the weakest point

Paste your finished outline and ask “where is my argument weakest and what would a strict marker ask?” Use the answer to revise, not to rewrite.

Still not right? Reply with this

Here is the thesis I picked and my answers to your three questions: [PASTE]. Check whether this outline fits [WORD COUNT] words and say which section to cut or expand.