How to Structure an Argument :: Process Esays

How to Structure an Argument Audience and purpose guide a writer’s selection of what structure to use for his/her argument. To satisfy the audience’s needs, certain organizational concepts have developed. The common types of arrangements below are in no way discrete and usually do not occur in isolation. They do create a sense of structure for the reader and the writer. Chronological: sequence-oriented, usually based on time. For example, â€Å"First A happened, then B, then C.† This structure works well for recipes, instructions, lab reports, and possibly narratives. Order of importance: you can order your points hierarchically and present them in either ascending or descending order of importance; however, the former approach is rarely effective—don’t save the best for last—you have no guarantee that your reader will make it to the end of your paper. Topical: this arrangement is based on subdivisions of a topic, usually either presented numerically or alphabetically. For example, â€Å"I will discuss three points: first,†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Spatial: this approach uses the location of what is being discussed as its key emphasis. This arrangement is especially useful in architecture and engineering design. Cause/Effect: A causes B, or B resulted from A. â€Å"Because† is a strong signifier of this type of arrangement. The problem with this kind of arrangement is that a single cause rarely results in a single event (life is more complicated). This structure is often seen in news reports, history, and other genres in which the analyst is attempting to explain why something happened—note the past tense. Comparison/Contrast: A is like or not like B. You likely used this type of structure in your synthesis. Problem/Solution: almost any writing task you approach is one involving problem/solution. Identifying a problem is usually only part of the process; most times, you need to be able to provide some idea of a solution as well.