Paragraph Organisation  (direct quotation from pp. 50-65 Smith, Brady. Proofreading, revising, and editing skills : success in 20 minutes a day / Brady Smith.—1st ed.)

  1. Chronological. Chronos means time. Dividing the word chronological into two parts—chrono and logical—is a good way to remember that it means “logical time” order. Chronological order describes events in the order in which they took place. This is particularly effective for explaining a process. Perhaps you have to write an office memo explaining how the mail will be collected and delivered. Or maybe someone has borrowed your tent and needs directions from you for assembly. Step-by-step instruction is chronological order. Plot summaries for literature usually use chronological order. Used appropriately, chronological order adds to clarity
  2. Order of importance. One idea can have many aspects. If your topic sentence introduces an idea that can be supported by several details, you may want to present the supporting details in order of importance. Example Part-time jobs can be perfect for a student if they do not interfere with school. Most importantly, the employer must follow the state and federal regulations for employing minors. An employer should also offer flexibility with scheduling to accommodate major projects or extra-curricular activities for school. Some employers even offer incentive programs designed to encourage students to keep up their grades
  3. Compare/Contrast: To compare means to discuss the similarities between two or more things and to contrast means to discuss the differences between things. If your piece looks at two topics and the ways in which they are alike, you should use the comparison method of organizing your paragraph. If it examines differences, use the contrast method. If it looks at both similarities and differences, then you should consider organizing your paper so that you discuss similarities in one paragraph or group of paragraphs and differences in another. That way, the comparison is very clear for your reader. Example The San Juan Islands off the coast of Washington State and Cape Cod in Massachusetts are alike in many ways, but they are also different. Both areas are in coastal climates and have similar weather patterns. Both offer a similar, low-key lifestyle to the residents. Both are surrounded by natural beauty. The fish that provide a living to the local fishing population, however, differ considerably. The other wildlife, like birds and rodents, are also different. Finally, Cape Cod enjoys beautiful sunrises, while the sun sets over the ocean in the San Juan Islands, making the evening the most colorful time of the day. 
  4. Spatial Order: Spatial order means order in space. For example, if you wanted to describe to someone where your seats are for the concert, you might start with a seat number, then a row, then the section. You might have to expand further out into space by telling them what side of the stage you will sit on and how far back your seat is. This is spatial order. Example From the observation deck of the Empire State Building, one can see Central Park to the north. To the south are lower Manhattan, SoHo, and the financial district. One can see the the Statue of Liberty and the beautiful New York Harbor. 
  5. Order of Familiarity: If you are writing about a well-known topic, you might choose to organize your information into the order of familiarity. Start with the most commonly known information and move to information your reader may not know, or write it the other way around. Whether you go from the familiar to the unknown or the unknown to the familiar, you are organizing your information in order of importance. Example The Human Genome Project’s goal is to define all human genes. Scientists have already described, in detail, the genes of simple species such as yeast, bacteria, roundworms, and fruit flies. Recently, they began to unlock the genomes of the cow, rat, and dog. What many people do not know is that scientists have been decoding the genes of the common house cat and finding similarities to human genes. The study shows that humans are more closely related to cats than to any other animal group studied so far except primates. Different types of writing call for different organizational methods. Expository, persuasive, narrative, and descriptive writing all follow different patterns, and the way you organize each paragraph in each type of writing affects how the piece works as a whole. You must look at the purpose of your piece to determine the best way to organize it. Often, this kind of organization occurs during revision.

Transitions (Linking words)

(ibid., p.57)

"Imagine you are playing music at a dance party. Your goal is to keep the dance floor filled with happy people. To do this, you must keep the beat and the energy going from one song to the next, because people often decide to sit down when there is an awkward break between songs. If you make a smooth transition, the dancing never stops. When writing an essay, transitions are just as important. You are trying to keep your reader reading, and that means making smooth transitions between words and ideas within sentences, between sentences, and between paragraphs."

Types of transitions:

  1. Transition between sentences. Linking expressions can be used within a sentence to connect two related clauses. Example To plant similar trees, on the other hand, could result in one disease wiping out all the trees on the block. If used to connect two sentences, transition words will appear at the beginning of the second sentence. Example Skateboarding is prohibited in certain public areas. As a result, many skaters use designated skating areas and are working hard to convince the city council to build more skate parks. A strategy for revising your writing to clarify and reinforce the connections between ideas is to closely examine the transitions between sentences. As always, it is helpful if your draft is double-spaced. First, draw a box around the last word of the first sentence and the first word of the next sentence. Identify the relationship that connects the sentences. If the relationship is clear, then move on the next sentence. If the relationship is unclear, and you cannot identify it, try adding a linking expression to serve as a transition.
  2. Transition between paragraphs. Checking to see that your transitions between paragraphs are clear is similar to the method you used when checking transitions between sentences. Place a box around the last sentence of a paragraph and the first sentence of the next paragraph. Identify the relationship that connects the two ideas. If the relationship is clear and the transition is smooth, then there is no need to revise. If the relationship is not clear and there is not a smooth transition, sentences within the paragraphs may need to be rearranged, the paragraphs may need to be better organized, or the transition between the paragraphs may need to be revised. Transitions between paragraphs are very important for maintaining coherence.
  3. Chronological order is shown by using such transition words as first, second, finally, next, then, afterward, later, before, eventually, and in the future. Example Before the employees arrive in the morning, the building is empty. It is then that the janitor can clean thoroughly. Example First, it is necessary to collect sources about your research topic. Second, you must put these sources in order of importance. Finally, you must read the information and take notes. Chronological order is a common organizational technique for writers of fiction, as you will see in the next example. Example “In consideration of the day and hour of my birth, it was declared by the nurse, and by some sage women in the neighbourhood who had taken a lively interest in me several months before there was any possibility of us becoming personally acquainted, first, that I was destined to be unlucky in life; and secondly, that I was privileged to see ghosts and spirits; both these gifts inevitably attaching, as they believed, to all unlucky infants of either gender, born towards the small hours on a Friday night.” —David Copperfield 
  4. Spatial Order Transition words that show spatial order are beside, in the middle, next to, to the right, on top of, in front of, behind, against, and beneath. Spatial order is helpful when describing a place or the setting of a story. Example Against the wall, there is a dresser. On top of the dresser is where Brad keeps his spare change. Example There is a damp cave beneath the house. If you enter the cave, take the fork to the right, or, as legend has it, you might disturb the ancient spirits. 
  5. Order of Importance Transition words that show the order of importance are more, less, most, least, most important, least important, and more importantly. Example Yesterday was a beautiful, sunny day, but more importantly, it was my birthday. 
  6. Comparison and Contrast Transition words that show comparison and contrast are likewise, however, similarly, in contrast, a different kind, unlike this, and another difference. Example The book Of Mice and Men begins with George and Lennie walking through the woods. In contrast, the movie begins with a woman in a red dress running through a field. Example My mother and grandmother both taught preschool. I chose, however, to become an engineer.
  7. Cause/Effect - Transition words used to show cause and effect are therefore, as a result of, consequently, thus, one cause, one effect, another cause, and another effect. Example Security officers guarded the gates of the airport. As a result, traffic slowed considerably on the highway. Example The recipe calls for two tablespoons of butter, and, consequently, the cookies will be thin and crisp.
  8. Classification - Transition words that show classification are helpful, especially in scientific writing where classification is an important step in understanding the natural world. Transition words include another group, the first type, one kind, other sorts, other types, and other kinds. Example One type of tennis player, like John McEnroe, lets his emotions show on the court. Another type of player stays calm throughout the match, whether the calls are bothersome or not.
  9. Contradictions - When comparing and contrasting in a piece of writing, you often must introduce contradictions. They can be very effective tools for persuasion. Transition words that introduce contradictions are nonetheless, however, in spite of, otherwise, instead, and on the contrary. Example The storm continued to toss the ship and managed to snap off the tip of the mast. In spite of this, they sailed on, desperate to reach Hawaii. Example Growers have recently marketed prunes as dried plums. Nonetheless, most people still refer to them as prunes.


Source: p. 50-65 Smith, Brady. Proofreading, revising, and editing skills : success in 20 minutes a day / Brady Smith.—1st ed.