4. 含有众多材料的段落提纲列法:
有些段落根据主题思想要用很多材料或例子来叙述.在列提纲时，要选择有代表性的材料和例子予以归类，按其类别列纲，如Topic Sentence 为：I make preparations for a trip to the United Stats 的提纲如下：
(1) Getting the necessary documents
a. Passport b. Visa
(2) Making financial arrangements
(3) Buying clothes
(4) Taking care of medical requirements
(5) Packing
A. Suitcase b. Bags
记叙文，描写文提纲列法：议论文遵循逻辑顺序（如上所述），而记叙文应按事物发生的先后顺序即时序列纲，描写文则按所处空间位置关系（如前后左右上下等关系）列纲，如记叙文A Spring Outing 的提纲如下：
(1) Spring on Sunday, the 20th of April
A. Setting out early on bikes across the fields
B. Seeing the beautiful scenes
(2) At
A. Climbing the hill and having a picnic near the top
B. Enjoying the landscape on the top
(3) At 4p.m. returning
My Hometown
(1)Geographic location
A. location B. Surroundings
a. Circled by mountains
b. Passed by a river in front
c. Covered with trees at back
(2)The town’s layout
A. Buildings
a. Low houses
b. A few high buildings
B. The streets
a. The main cement street
b. The other stone roads
C. An early morning scene of my hometown
a. Women washing by the river
b. Farmers working in the fields
因为段落具有单一性（只有一个主题）、连贯性、统一性的特点，所以，所列提纲均为阐述主题这一目标，任何与主题无关的都不得列入。
列提纲才能扣准主题，不列提纲容易跑题，列不列提纲文章成色大不一样。如文章题目为What would happen if there were no power的作文。有人没列提纲在第一段主题句Ever since early this century electricity has become an essential part of our modern life 后写道：We could not work，live and study without electricity。该段的扩展与该段的主题不符，这样的内容该放在第二段，这样写，使第一段不切题，使第二段无话可说。第三段仅有一提示词Therefore。虽只有一个词，根据前两段的内容，这段应进行总结，得出结论，显然应该这样来扩展：Therefore, we should make good use of electricity and never waste power. 但有人却写成Therefore, we could not leave power. There were no power there were no modern life. 根据前两段内容，这段话应放在第二段，所以写成这样，显然是因没有能通篇考虑，构思和周密安排。如果先列个提纲，第一段用什么素材来阐述主题句，第二段怎样写才能切题，各自分哪几个小论点来写，根据前两段内容，第三段应得出什么结论，就不会犯上述跑题的错误了。
相反，列了提纲，文章就容易写得切题。有人对该题第二段主题句If there were no electric power列提纲如下：
(1)Stopping wheels and ceasing of many industries
(2)Falling apart of world transportation system
(3)The worst effect on world communication system
(4)The impossibility of our modern world
根据提纲，该段可这样扩展：
If there were no electricity, our modern world would be in trouble. For one thing, all wheels would stop because the motors that power the machines would fail; for another, many, if not all, of our industries would cease production. All world transportation system would fail apart and the worst effect would be felt on the world communication system. Thus, our modern world would be impossible without electricity.
列提纲常用的模式有：时间法（Chronological Patten），空间法（Spatial Pattern），由面及点法（General-to-Specific Pattern），由点及面法（Specific-to-General Pattern），以及几种方法相结合的综合法（Combining Pattern）。
