Patterns of Organization
Study Sheet

Patterns of Organization

Effective communication begins with a clearly organized set of ideas following a logical, consistent pattern. Thus, one of the most important decisions a writer makes concerns the pattern of organization that is used to structure and order information.

To help organize ideas, writers use transitions—words or phrases authors use to show relationships between sentences and paragraphs to make their ideas clear.

To understand patterns of organization or relationships look for transitions that signal a particular type of organizational pattern being used.

There are many patterns and transitions a writer can use to organize his/her ideas such as:

An Addition:

Also referred to as a "list of items," these transitions tell you that the writer is presenting two or more ideas that continue along the same line of thought. They introduce ideas that add to a thought already mentioned.

and	in addition	first of all	furthermore
another	next	third	finally
also	moreover	second	last of all

Examples:

My friend Ellen is so safety–conscious that she had her wooden front door replaced with a steel one. Also, she had iron bars inserted on all her apartment windows.
First of all, to make a pound cake one needs sugar, butter, and eggs. In addition, the cook may add vanilla, lemon zest, or many other flavorings. Finally, the eggs may be added whole or separated, and the whites beaten and folded in for a lighter cake.

Cause and Effect:

Cause and effect transitions signal that the author is describing results or effects. They tell us what happened or will happen because something else happened.

thus	as a result	therefore	because	consequently
so	since	if..then	accordingly

Examples:

As a result of overexposure to the sun, Mary was treated for second–degree burns.
If you download music illegally, then there is a chance you will have to pay a fine or even serve jail time.

Comparison:

These transitions signal that the author is pointing out a similarity between two subjects. They tell us that the second idea is like the first one in some way.

like	likewise	similarly	as
equally	in the same way	in a similar fashion	just as
just like	in like manner

Examples:

Like father like son is an old proverb that expresses the passing down of family traits from generation to generation.
The Falcons relied on their running game; likewise, the Cougars depended on thier running backs.
When individuals communicate, they are more likely to solve their problems. In like manner, countries can best solve their problems through communication.

Contrast:

These transitions signal a change in the direction of a writer's thought. They tell us that a new idea will be different in a significant way from the previous one.

but	in contrast	conversely	nevertheless	however
still	although	on the contrary	despite	in spite of
yet	instead	on the other hand	even though

Examples:

In spite of what people think, learning vocabulary is not hard; however, it does take concentrated effort.
In the 1980's, medical opinion stated that passive smoking was harmless. In contrast, current medical opinion says passive smoking is as harmful as actually smoking.
"You said I could go on the camping trip," I said. "On the contrary," said my father, "I said we will see how you do on your test before I decide."

Emphasis or Clarification:

These words signal that the author is about to clarify or interpret a certain point. They tell us that the second statement is an expansion of a previous one.

clearly	evidently	in fact	in other words
of course	as a matter of fact	undoubtedly	truly
obviously	certainly	to be sure

Examples:

I dislike fish sticks. In fact, if fish sticks were being served for dinner, I'd be at Domino's.
Studies have shown that many students try to pass their courses with D's. Clearly, schools do not hold them to a high enough standard. Undoubtedly, if students are encouraged to work for A's, they may earn higher grades.

Illustration or Example:

These transitions indicate that an author will provide one or more examples to illustrate and clarify a given idea. They tell us that the second idea is an example of the first.

for example	to illustrate	once	for instance	specifically
to be specific	as an illustration	such as	including

Examples:

There are various ways you can save money, such as bringing lunch to work and preparing home–cooked meals versus eating out.
There are several things you can do to prepare for a test, including reviewing the material, getting plenty of rest, and eating a good meal before going to class.
My brother Mike will do anything to impress his girlfriend. Once he spent his entire paycheck on a gift for her and did not have enough money to pay his rent.

Location (Spatial Order):

Location transitions show relationships in space. They tell us where something is in relation to something else.

next to	inside	across	over	in the middle of
in front of	outside	beneath	under	on the other side of
above	on top of	near	far	ahead of
below	nearby	within	between	at the end of
in back of	opposite	behind	beyond

Examples:

On top of my son's dresser are collectables from the Star Wars saga.
Several inexpensive restaurants are near TCC.
You have to go beyond the city limits to see a crystal–clear sky with all its stars.

Summarize or Conclusion:

These transitions signal that the author is about to summarize or come to a conclusion. They tell us that the idea that follows sums up what has gone before it.

in summary	all in all	to sum up	to conlude
in other words	ultimately	in short	on the whole
in conclusion	in brief

Examples:

At the banquet, the candidate for state senator spoke for an hour and a half without interruption. He finally concluded by saying, "In brief, ladies and gentlemen, vote for me."
After a twenty–minute analysis of my financial situation, my accountant told me, "To sum up, Mr. Mills, you're broke."

Time or Chronological Order:

These transitions indicate a time relationship. They tell us when something happened in relation to something else.

first	next	as	while	often
until	immediately	since	soon	previously
then	before	now	during	after

Examples:

First, I take notes in class, then I rewrite them at home. Next, I write down any questions I have so I can ask about them the next day.
During the thunderstorm, a tree fell on my car.
Before you go, please turn out the lights, then lock the front and back doors.

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Practice 1

Practice 2