80 / Methods of Development
messages are more important than verbal messages and whether reward/reinforcement
is most or least important. The internal organization, then, will likely be one of the
orders of importance. [See order of importance in the Glossary.]
Whichever order you choose, keep these guidelines in mind:
- The topic you discuss last will have the most impact on your reader.
- The topic you discuss first will have the next greatest impact on your reader.
- The details in the middle attract less attention and sometimes are nearly
buried, a situation that may or may not be beneficial to your subject.
These general guidelines apply both to the overall organization of the broad topics
and to the internal organization of the details.
[See the Sample for Science and the Sample Workplace Writing online in Comparison
and Contrast at http://www.wiley.com/go/wnwstudentwritinghandbook for examples of orders
of importance.]
Chronological organization or spatial organization may also be appropriate for the
internal organization of comparison-and-contrast papers. Note the spatial organiza-
tion in the Sample for Social Studies in this chapter and in the Sample for English
online in Comparison and Contrast at [http://www.wiley.com/go/wnwstudentwritinghandbook](http://www.wiley.com/go/wnwstudentwritinghandbook)
and the chronological order in the Sample Technical Writing online in Comparison
and Contrast at [http://www.wiley.com/go/wnwstudentwritinghandbook.]
Choose the internal organization that best suits your subject and enables you to
achieve the greatest emphasis.
STEP 5: Prewriting—Developing the Topic or Thesis
Sentence
With the organizational plan in place, you are ready to develop the topic sentence,
or, in preparation of a theme, the thesis sentence. The topic or thesis sentence should
indicate not only the general subject and whether the paper will deal with compari-
sons or contrasts, but also the organization. For example:
Two methods of disciplining children show vast differences between the verbal
and nonverbal messages as well as the reinforcement techniques.The preceding topic sentence indicates the subject (two methods of disciplining chil-
dren), establishes a purpose of contrast (vast differences), and indicates the order
(a discussion of verbal and nonverbal messages will be followed by a discussion of
reinforcement techniques). The implication of the topic reinforcement techniques
appearing last is that it illustrates the greatest differences between the two methods
of discipline and, perhaps, offers the best means for determining which method to
choose.