Spatial organization
Chronological organization
Logical organization
Associational organization
Combined organizational patterns
Sample: A student’s organizational patterns
While you’re finding information on your topic, think about how you will group or organize that information to make it accessible and persuasive to readers. At the simplest level, writers most often group information in their writing projects according to four principles—
Spatial organization
Spatial organization of texts allows the reader to “walk through,” beginning at one point and moving around in an organized manner—
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Chronological organization
Organization can also indicate when events occur, usually chronologically—
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Logical organization
Organizing according to logic means relating pieces of information in ways that make sense. Some of the most commonly used logical patterns include illustration, definition, division and classification, comparison and contrast, cause and effect, problem and solution, analogy, and narration.
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Associational organization
Some writers organize information through a series of associations that grow directly out of their own experiences and memories. In doing so, they may rely on a sensory memory, such as an aroma, a sound, or a scene. Thus, associational organization is common in personal narrative, where the writer follows a chain of associations to render an experience vividly for readers, as in this description:
Flying from San Francisco to Atlanta, I looked down to see the gentle roll of the Smoky Mountains begin to appear. Almost at once, I was transported back to my granny’s porch, sitting next to her drinking iced tea and eating peaches. Those fresh-
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Combined organizational patterns
In much of your writing, you will want to use two or more principles of organization. You might, for example, combine several passages of narration with vivid examples to make a striking comparison, as one student did in an essay about the dramatic differences between her life in her Zuni community and her life as a teacher in Seattle. In addition, you may want to include not only visuals but sound and other multimedia effects as well.
See examples of paragraphs that combine patterns here.
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Sample: A student’s organizational patterns
First-
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For Multilingual Writers: Organizing information
Video Prompt: Filling in the gaps
Student writing: Early draft (Emily Lesk)
Student writing: Final draft (Emily Lesk)