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4.5 – Organizing your messages: Structure will set you free

Learning Objectives

  • Understand how and why organizational techniques help writers and readers stay focused.
  • Assess how and when to use chronological order to organize an essay.
  • Recognize how and when to use order of importance to organize an essay.
  • Determine how and when to use spatial order to organize an essay.
  • Identify the steps in constructing an outline.
  • Construct a topic outline and a sentence outline.

Your prewriting activities and research have helped you gather information for your assignment. The more you sort through the pieces of information you found, the more you will begin to see the connections between them. Patterns and gaps may begin to stand out. But only when you start to organize your ideas will you be able to translate your raw insights into a form that will communicate meaning to your audience.

Tip

Longer papers require more reading and planning than shorter papers do. Most writers discover that the more they know about a topic, the more they can write about it with intelligence and interest.

Organizing Ideas

For more details about ways to structure your writing, please visit:

Organizing Ideas – Writing & Communication – The Learning Portal at Ontario Colleges Library Services

 

The way you organize your communication is as important as the content.  A clear organization pattern helps the reader to follow and understand your message.  Not only does structure help your reader see the connections between your ideas, but it keeps you focused as you build your message.  Thinking about how you’ll organize your message early in your writing process will help you support and develop your ideas effectively.

In the writing process, your mind may generate ideas in a seemingly random fashion. Whether you’re preparing an essay, a presentation, or any type of an assignment, different communication structures can help you stay organized.

Order refers to your choice of what to present first, second, third, and so on in your writing. The order you pick closely relates to your purpose for writing that particular assignment.

Ways to Organize your content

In longer pieces of writing, you may organize different parts in different ways so that your purpose stands out clearly and all parts of the message work together to consistently develop your main point.

There are many ways to structure your communication.

Three traditional ways to organize your communication include:

  1. Chronological order
  2. Order of importance
  3. Spatial order

Chronological Order

Chronological arrangement has the following purposes:

  • To explain the history of an event or a topic
  • To tell a story or relate an experience
  • To explain how to do or to make something
  • To explain the steps in a process

Chronological order is mostly used in expository writing , which is a form of writing that narrates, describes, informs, or explains a process. When using chronological order, arrange the events in the order that they actually happened, or will happen if you are giving instructions. This method requires you to use words such as first, second, then, after that, later, and finally. These transition words guide you and your reader through the paper as you expand your thesis.

For example, if you are writing an essay about the history of the airline industry, you would begin with its conception and detail the essential timeline events up until present day. You would follow the chain of events using words such as first, then, next, and so on.

Another way to think of chronological order is: Past-Present-Future. 

Using Chronological Order

Using Chronological Order (Text version)

Put the statements in the correct chronological order by numbering them in the order you believe they should be organized into a paragraph.

  1. When I have the shot pulled, I use a milk steamer to steam one cup of milk.
  2. Every morning I make my coffee in the same way for maximum flavour.
  3. Next, I use an espresso machine to pull an espresso shot directly into my coffee cup.
  4. And that’s how I start my day with my perfect latte!
  5. First, I freshly grind my espresso beans.
  6. Finally, I slowly pour the steamed milk into my espresso.

Check your answers: [1]

Activity Source: “Self-Practice 5.11 Chronological Order” by Brenna Clark Gray (H5P Adaptation) is based on content from Writing for Success – 1st Canadian Edition by Tara Harkoff & [author removed], licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. / Interactive content extracted to plain text.

Keep in mind that chronological order is most appropriate for the following purposes:

  • Developing longer essays, reports, or presentations that contain heavy research
  • Preparing messages with the aim of listing, explaining, or narrating
  • Communicating an analysis of  literary works such as poems, plays, or books

Tip

When using chronological order, your introduction should indicate the information you will cover and in what order, and the introduction should also establish the relevance of the information. Your body paragraphs should then provide clear divisions or steps in chronology.

Order of Importance

Photo by Bradyn Trollip, used under Unsplash license

Order of importance is best used for the following purposes:

  • Persuading and convincing
  • Ranking items by their importance, benefit, or significance
  • Illustrating a situation, problem, or solution

Most essays move from the least to the most important point, and the paragraphs are arranged in an effort to build the essay’s strength. Sometimes, however, it is necessary to begin with your most important supporting point, such as in an essay that contains a thesis that is highly debatable. When writing a persuasive essay, it is best to begin with the most important point because it immediately captivates your readers and compels them to continue reading.

For example, if you were supporting your thesis that homework is detrimental to the education of high school students, you would want to present your most convincing argument first, and then move on to the less important points for your case.

Some key transitional words you should use with this method of organization are most importantly, almost as importantly, just as importantly, and finally.

 

 

Writing at Work

During your career, you may be required to work on a team that devises a strategy for a specific goal of your company, such as increasing profits. When planning your strategy, you should organize your steps in order of importance. This demonstrates the ability to prioritize and plan. Using the order of importance technique also shows that you can create a resolution with logical steps for accomplishing a common goal.

Using Order of Importance

Using Order of Importance (Text version)

Put the statements in the correct order of importance by numbering them in the order you believe they should be organized into a paragraph.

  1. Most importantly, it prevents unexpected harm from coming to the dog or to the people and animals he encounters.
  2. Almost as important, though, is the bond that it helps create between the dog and his caretaker.
  3. And finally, dogs love the sense of achievement they feel when they master simple tasks.
  4. For all of these reasons, proper dog training is important and should not be overlooked.
  5. Adequate training is critical to the success of a relationship between a person and their dog.

Check your Answers:[2]

Activity Source: “Self-Practice 5.12 Order of Importance” by Brenna Clark Gray (H5P Adaptation) is based on content from Writing for Success – 1st Canadian Edition by Tara Harkoff & [author removed], licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.

Spatial Order

Spatial order is best used for the following purposes:

  • Helping readers visualize something as you want them to see it
  • Evoking a scene using the senses (sight, touch, taste, smell, and sound)
  • Developing any descriptive communication, whether essay, presentation, daily log, or report.

Spatial order means that you explain or describe objects as they are arranged around you in your space, for example in a bedroom. As the writer, you create a picture for your reader, and their perspective is the viewpoint from which you describe what is around you.

The view must move in an orderly, logical progression, giving the reader clear directional signals to follow from place to place. The key to using this method is to choose a specific starting point and then guide the reader to follow your eye as it moves in an orderly trajectory from your starting point.

Pay attention to the following student’s description of her bedroom and how she guides the reader through the viewing process, foot by foot.

Attached to my bedroom wall is a small wooden rack dangling with red and turquoise necklaces that shimmer as you enter. Just to the right of the rack is my window, framed by billowy white curtains. The peace of such an image is a stark contrast to my desk, which sits to the right of the window, layered in textbooks, crumpled papers, coffee cups, and an overflowing ashtray. Turning my head to the right, I see a set of two bare windows that frame the trees outside the glass like a 3D painting. Below the windows is an oak chest from which blankets and scarves are protruding. Against the wall opposite the billowy curtains is an antique dresser, on top of which sits a jewelry box and a few picture frames. A tall mirror attached to the dresser takes up most of the wall, which is the color of lavender.

The paragraph incorporates two objectives you have learned in this chapter: using an implied topic sentence and applying spatial order. Often in a descriptive essay, the two work together.

The following are possible transition words to include when using spatial order:

  • Just to the left or just to the right
  • Behind
  • Between
  • On the left or on the right
  • Across from
  • A little further down
  • To the south, to the east, and so on
  • A few yards away
  • Turning left or turning right

Using Spatial Order

Using Spatial Order (Text Version)

Put the statements in the correct spatial order by numbering them in the order you believe they should be organized into a paragraph.

  1. The rest of the area within the gate is a meadow of clover and flowers.
  2. Reflecting on this space reminds me that it’s nice to have somewhere to go that is so calm and soothing.
  3. The farmyard is a peaceful and familiar space.
  4. When you first enter the property through the farm gate, there is a red barn to the right.
  5. To the immediate left of the red barn is a pig pen and a chicken coup.
  6. Across the farmyard from the animals is the farmhouse, which has a duck pond in the backyard.

Check your Answers: [3]

Activity Source: “Self-Practice 5.13 Spatial Order” by Brenna Clark Gray (H5P Adaptation) is based on content from Writing for Success – 1st Canadian Edition by Tara Harkoff & [author removed], licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.

What? So What?  Now What?

If you’re working on preparing a message, but the traditional patterns of spatial, chronological, or order of importance don’t feel like they fit your goals, there are other ways to structure.

Matt Abrahams (2016) explains that structure can be a powerful force in shaping your messages.  In his book, Speaking Up without Freaking out, he describes these ways to organize communication:

  • Comparison – Contrast – Conclusion
  • Cause- Effect – Result
  • Problem – Solution – Benefit
  • What? – So What? – Now What? 

The What? So What? Now What? structure can you communicate a message whether it’s to describe a product, explain a process, or make an argument.

What ? – With this part of the message, you introduce the concept, and provide the context.

So What ? – Through this section, you explain why this topic is important; show the audience how it impacts them.

Now What ? – In this section, you explain what your audience should do about the matter.

This structure helps format your message, focus on your audience’s needs, and concentrate on the key points that are most significant (Abrahams, 2016).

Abrahams, M. (2016). Speaking Up without Freaking Out: 50 Teachniques for Confident and Compelling Presenting. Kendall Hunt Publishing Company.

 

Key Takeaways

  • The way you organize your body paragraphs ensures you and your readers stay focused on and draw connections to your main message
  • A strong organizational pattern allows you to articulate, analyze, and clarify your thoughts.
  • Planning the organizational structure for your essay before you begin to search for supporting evidence helps you conduct more effective and directed research.
  • Chronological order is most commonly used in expository writing. It is useful for explaining the history of your subject, for telling a story, or for explaining a process.
  • Order of importance is most appropriate in a persuasion paper as well as for essays in which you rank things, people, or events by their significance.
  • Spatial order describes things as they are arranged in space and is best for helping readers visualize something as you want them to see it; it creates a dominant impression.

Attribution & References

Except where otherwise noted, this chapter is adapted from ” 9.3 Organizing your writing” In Writing for Success by University of Minnesota licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.

Media Attributions

  • “person holding white and blue plastic blocks” is used under Unsplash license
  1. 1. b, 2. e, 3. c, 4. a, 5. f, 6. d ↵
  2. 1. e, 2. a, 3. b, 4. c, 5. d. ↵
  3. 1. c, 2. d, 3. e, 4. f, 5. a, 6. b ↵

License

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Communication Essentials for College v. 2.0 Copyright © 2022 by Jen Booth, Emily Cramer & Amanda Quibell, Georgian College is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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