Structuring the Paper
Outlining
Many people find it easier to write to a structural plan once they have prepared an outline. For some courses/assignments you will be required to provide an outline. In such cases, your outline should be in bullet-point form in a logical sequence matching the accompanying paper and consistent in bulleting style.
Organisational Guidelines
Writing that exhibits organisational flaws unavoidably lacks clarity and is thus, largely ineffective. As a result, it is very important to consider the structural aspect of writing before investing in an extensive draft. Strong structure will help your reader and support your message.
For most academic papers (and especially for the essays in COR/GNE classes), you have to abide by the guidelines below. On the other hand, if yours is a creative writing assignment, the expectations for structure are usually less strict.
- Your paper should start with an introduction where you state what you are going to talk about and how you are going to approach it.
- Towards the end of your introductory paragraph you should state your thesis (that is, what is it that you are going to argue or state in your paper).
- In the body of your paper you should present you arguments or anecdotes in support of/relation to the topic. Your arguments should be presented in separate paragraphs, united through proper transitions and organisational logic. (Examples of organisation logic include chronology, alternation between two sides of an argument, organisation relating to geography, component parts or scope.)
- Your paper should finish with a conclusion, where you emphasize the main argument of your paper as well as the most substantial points. Depending on the type of essay you write, the conclusion might be the place to clarify what readers are expected do in response to your paper (applicable for persuasive essays).