7.1. Tone and Style http://www.ck12.org
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Text-level Coherence: Organizing Ideas
Coherence also depends on how writers organize their ideas. To keep ideas organized, the thesis statement should
function as a map highlighting theorganizational patternof the essay. However, this pattern will affect elements
beyond the thesis statement, such as the introduction and body paragraphs. For this reason, you should choose the
pattern that works best for your essay as a whole. Take a look at some of the differentorganizational patternsyou
may use:
a.Chronological order:explaining a step-by-step process, narrating a story, narrating an incident or anecdote
from earlier to later.
b.Cause and effect:explaining a historical event, explaining a scientific finding or process.
c.Coordinate:explaining the several reasons for a fact or state of affairs.After you have decided on the best organizational pattern for your essay, and your thesis statement is ready, you
should ask the following questions:
a.Does my thesis statement provide the reader with a map of the essay? That is, upon reading my thesis
statement, does the reader understand what I am writing about and what my main points are?
b.In each paragraph, do the examples, facts, or illustrations I use relate to and support the topic?
c.Does the topic of each paragraph detail one of the points or reasons I included in my thesis statement?Review Questions
The paragraphs below illustrate the organization pattern of the essays from which they were extracted. Read them
and determine which of the three patterns –chronological, cause and effect,andcoordinate- they exemplify. Write
your answer in the parentheses following each paragraph. After you identify the pattern, write a new paragraph
using the same pattern.
1.Paragraph 1 In the movie2001, A Space Odysseya group of apes were gathered when something unusual
happened: A black monolith emerged from the ground. Some of the apes were shocked, and they did not
know how to react, while others decided to investigate the strange object. From this incident, the apes learned
to throw and to hit with objects. They used this new skill to fight other animals and get food. This was the
beginning of mankind.Pattern:()