Writing Center: Structure

Now that you have a formulated thesis and outline, it is important to organize that information. An essay needs a clear beginning, middle, and end. Organizing your ideas before you begin writing will give you a structure to cling to. Here are some example structures to follow.

• Chronological Order- The paragraphs of the essay separate a series of events into main stages in order of how they happen.
• Classification- The paragraphs divide the material into separate categories and tell the differences of each.
• Increasing importance- The paragraphs build in intensity, starting with the least important idea and saving the most important idea for last.
• Cause and effect- The paragraphs are split into pairs. The first paragraph explains the causes while the next paragraph explains the effects of that cause.
• Comparison and Contrast- The paragraphs compare the differences and the similarities between ideas.

Although one pattern should serve as the main framework that you use throughout your essay, you can benefit from using a combination of strategies. For example, you may use an Increasing Importance structure but may incorporate comparisons and contrasts within the structure to get your point across.