Avoid Blabbing! Put your ideas together in a Coherent manner.
Your paper will be easier to understand, not to mention more convincing, if it follows some kind of logical sequence. The following are some general strategies for organizing a paper. Of course, each of these strategies only works for specific kinds of arguments, so you'll need to know the assignment and have a general idea of what you're trying to argue before you'll “Know” which strategy will best serve your needs.
Chronological Order:
This is sometimes good when events you're discussing happened in a specific sequence. If you use this, avoid simply summarizing a book's plot or a series of already-known historical events.
Application: Events that led up to the exposure of the Watergate scandal.
Cause and Effect:
Begin by explaining the causes of an event, and then explain the effects that came about because of the event.
Application: Causes and effects of the Emancipation Proclamation
Comparison and Contrast:
Shows the similarities and differences between two things. This can be organized in two ways: A) Explain the similarities and then the differences or B) In each paragraph describe the similarities and differences in one specific area.
Application: Comparing the leadership styles of Ronald Reagan and Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Application and Analysis:
This involves interpreting an idea, book, or series of events in terms of a separate theory or set of ideas.
Application: Discussing how Bill Gates has applied the leadership strategies described in Machiavelli's The Prince.
Problem and Solution:
States a problem and proposes a solution. This might be a good choice for persuasive papers.
Application: The problem with the present electoral college system and ways to make it more equitable.
General to Specific:
Give a main idea and have paragraphs which give specific reasons, examples, and facts. This is useful for most papers in which the author is trying to prove a main idea or assertion.
Application: A persuasive essay about how violence on T.V. is influencing violence among teens.
Specific to General:
This is a useful device for creating a paper with extra punch at the end. To do this, the author uses specific details to build up to a more general conclusion.
Application: A persuasive or informational essay about how alcohol use is affecting teens. This essay would begin with specific statistics or details then conclude by showing that this is a large problem.