How To Check Your Writing’s Organization
In writing, “organization” refers to the pattern in which you present your ideas. A well-organized paper makes logical sense to the reader; a poorly-organized ones can leave readers lost trying to follow its train of thought.
When editing your writing for organization, make sure to do all of these things:
- Make sure that your thesis is clearly and completely stated in the introduction. Failing to do so can leave your reader without a certain path to follow.
- Check that each paragraph looks to serve the thesis, instead of branching into unrelated material.
- Check your transitions between paragraphs and between topics. The paper should flow logically from one to the other. If a transition sounds awkward, revise it.
- Check your paragraphs to verify if they focus on a single core idea. Combine paragraphs that look to push a singular thought and break apart those that don’t.
- Check for one- or two-sentence paragraphs. Rather than leave them alone, either combine them with one that promotes a similar thought or expand them for a more detailed discussion. At the least, you want three sentences for each block.
While English grammar checkers won’t do much to help your writing’s organization, you’ll still need to use them later for fixing grammar and other mechanical issues. Make sure to keep one on hand at all times.