'Compare and contrast the advantages of buying or renting a home.'

Method 1 - Dealing with each aspect separately

This is the pattern	This is how the sample outline looks
Introduction introduction of general topic specific topic areas to be covered in this essay	Introduction importance of a home choice for most people = buy or rent? essay will look at advantages/disadvantages of each
(Aspect A) Point 1 a) subsection b) subsection Point 2 a) subsection b) subsection c) subsection Point 3 a) subsection	Advantages of buying a home Personal freedoms a) No limit on redecoration b) Freedom for children and pets Financial benefits a) Tax advantages b) Value of house may increase c) Gives enhanced credit ratings Psychological aspects a) Feeling that you 'belong' to an area
(Aspect B) Point 1 a) subsection b) subsection Point 2 a) subsection b) subsection c) subsection Point 3 a) subsection	Advantages of renting a home Personal freedoms a) Freedom from worry of maintenance b) More mobility, as no house to sell Financial benefits a) Landlord must pay for major repairs b) No mortgage needed c) Value of house may decrease Psychological aspects a) Time spent on maintenance can be used for recreation
Conclusion Summary of main points Evaluation and/or Possible future developments	Conclusion Three main issues Buying (e.g) = better, because...and/or Possible changes in future

Click here for a sample essay

Comment: this method is easy to write, because it follows a sequence. It is suitable for short pieces of writing (500 words), but in longer pieces of writing the reader will have to work hard to see the relation between 'A'and 'B'; for example, 'Personal freedoms' (Aspect A) will be many paragraphs away from 'Personal freedom' (Aspect B).

In such cases, method 2 is more appropriate.