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English / Language Arts
Webmaster -- Carol Bach                                                         Last updated on April 7, 2009
cbach@luthernorth.org                           Based on a template from Yahoo SiteBuilder 2.3
Luther North Online Library

How to Make a Formal Outline
using Microsoft Word
OUTLINE STYLESHEET
Open Microsoft Word.
Under “Format” for “Paragraph,” set line spacing to “Double.”
Center the word “Outline” near the top of the page.
Left justify to continue.

1.     Go to Format. Click on “Bullets and Numbering.”
2.     Click on the tab that says “Outline Numbered.”
3.    The outline that looks closest to the one you need is the one in the first
     square to the right of the one that says “None.” Click on it so there is a
     blue border around the “square.” Now look down above the “OK” and "Cancel”
     buttons. See the one that says “Customize”? Click it.
4.    The first thing you will see is a screen that says “Customized Outline
     Numbered List.” Level 1 should be highlighted.
5.    In the blank where it says “Number format,” clear the current content (it
     should just be an “I”). Simply select it all and press “Backspace” or right-
     click and “Cut.” However you usually delete text should be fine. The point
     is to get rid of it.
6.     Now click on the drop-down menu that says “Number style.” You should be
     presented with several choices for Level 1. Choose this one: I, II, III, etc.
     You should now see “I” in the “Number format” blank. Put a period after the
     “I” so your outline will automatically insert periods after each number or
      letter in the outline.
7.     Now do the same thing for each level. Click on Level 2 in the “Level” area.
      Follow the same process for customizing, this time selecting “A, B, C, etc.”
      Make sure you have a period after each number or letter. Remove
      parentheses; you don’t need them.
8.     For Level 3, select “1, 2, 3, etc.”
9.     For Level 4, select “a, b, c, etc.”
10.     For Levels 5-9, select “none” & remove the periods and/or parentheses.
11.     Don’t change “Number Position” or “Text Position.”
12.     Click “OK” to save your formatting & start typing your outline from your
      notecards.
13.     Use the “decrease indent”           & “increase indent”          icons in the   
      toolbar to shift back & forth between levels.                      
14.     SAVE FREQUENTLY – in your Panther folder & on your flashdrive.
Adapted from:   Huff English  www.huffenglish.com/handouts/formaloutlione.rtf         cb 02/05/09
Print a copy of this page to use as a guide.
So how do you get Microsoft Word to listen to you while you’re composing this outline —
that is, how do you keep the program from changing your font to Arial size 18 for no reason,
Well, it isn’t a piece of cake, but it’s not rocket science either.  Here is what you do: