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Notes on Arrangement (Order of Ideas)

•  Identify ways an overall discourse is organized •  Recognize different types of

•  beginnings •  middles •  endings

- some information adapted from Sargent and Paraskevas, in LIBS 7001 Course Reader (2103), and from Strategies for Successful Writing, 4th Cdn. Ed., 2010 (SSW)

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What is Arrangement?

•  also called “organization” or "order of ideas” •  ordering a text to deliver intended

information appropriately and smoothly.

•  Sargent & Paraskevas, “Organization & Genre: “what holds longer pieces of text together in our minds,” (p. 203) giving it a sense of coherence, cohesion

•  one of the most important canons of rhetoric: comes second after invention.

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In classical rhetoric . . . . . . arrangement is the second of the five traditional “canons” or basic principles:

1.   invention: finding & developing a topic 2.   arrangement 3.   style 4.   memory [critical in spoken discourse] 5.   delivery

These principles hold true today, for all types of discourses (messages, essays, ads, etc.)

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Parts of a Discourse

•  Everyone expects a discourse (e.g., a paper, essay, speech, movie, cartoon), to have a

•  beginning (introduction) •  organized middle •  clear transitions •  end (conclusion).

•  Each part plays a specific role, “setting up certain patterns” (Sargent & Paraskevas, p. 204) and expectations

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Cicero's 7 Parts of an Oration (a speech)

1. entrance - introduction of topic 2. narration - background to the topic 3. proposition - central idea or thesis 4. division - brief outline of concepts the speaker will

demonstrate

5. confirmation - body of evidence supporting the speaker’s concepts

6. rebuttal – discussion of opposition to evidence 7. conclusion - summation of evidence and last

appeal to audience’s emotions

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Alternative patterns •  are common in personal essays •  can be “heuristics” (Sargent & Paraskevas, p. 205):

“ways to explore . . . material” •  always contain these elements – but order (esp. 3-4)

can vary 1.  capture the audience's attention 2.  provide necessary background information 3.  state and prove the text's thesis or central idea 4.  anticipate and address possible counter-theses 5.  conclude w/appeal to the audience's emotions

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7 Part of the text:

Function in the overall text:

Beginning •  captures reader attention •  builds reader expectations •  states the purpose of the text •  indicates the author's point of view •  briefly suggests how the author will develop his/

her ideas Body / Middle (longest part)

•  develops ideas •  sustains the reader's interest

Transitions •  connects ideas and details •  facilitates changes of subject or course of

discussion

Ending •  ties up loose ends •  may (re)state the thesis •  may refer back to the opening idea, or add an

extra idea, based on the discussion

Introduction: purposes - SSW, 72 ff •  announces topic •  may state thesis •  sets tone •  may familiarize reader (give context) •  arouses audience interest •  may list or suggest sub-topics to be discussed

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Six introductory tactics

1.  a directly stated thesis 2.  a definition 3.  a quotation (either in the body of the

paper or set before it, as an epigraph) 4.  an anecdote or personal testimony 5.  an intriguing statement, claim, or detail 6.  a question or problem statement

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Developing the “middle” •  longest section of a paper or article •  develops ideas •  sustains audience interest •  uses common sequencing patterns •  may use 1 or >1 methods of development

•  illustration (example) •  description •  narration •  process analysis/causal analysis •  definition •  classification •  comparison

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Common sequencing patterns for the “middle” of a text (SSW, pp. 66-68)   time sequence

  chronological (years; minutes; decades; centuries; millennia)   first step to final step (e.g., instructions; recipes)

  spatial sequence   top to bottom OR vice-versa   left to right OR vice-versa   nearby to far away OR vice-versa   clockwise OR counterclockwise

  order of climax   least important to most important OR most important to least

important Always review your essays and reports and edit to ensure a

strong sequencing pattern. Effective texts have strong patterns

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12 Sequencing Pattern When to Use / Examples

chronological - as events unfold in time

"step-by-step" - describing a process: teaching someone how to parallel park

spatial - details given as the eye sees them

describing a scene, moving from one part of what's seen to the next (films)

from easy to most difficult describing a progressively complex series of skills: serving a tennis ball

from the least to the most important

building interest and accumulating evidence for a persuasive argument

from the least to the most interesting

building interest slowly towards a climax or revelation

from the general to the specific from "big picture" to example: e.g., from theory of combustion to details of the process

from the specific to the general from example of an effect (a plate falling off a table) to a general principle (theory of gravity), or definition

argument highly variable patterns; use to anticipate & answer audience questions &/or objections

Illustration, or example (SSW, Ch. 8)

  a simple, elegant, useful development method   enlivens writing & clarifies ideas   supports claims; the simplest kind of proof   Examples, when used effectively   actually do support claims made   are presented in appropriate numbers   are organized effectively   are true (not falsified)   are presented dispassionately, in a fair, balanced way

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Transitions •  bridge audience from one section to the next •  can be a paragraph, word or phrase •  professional /technical writing - may use

headings & numbers to order text •  but logical, convincing sequence is still needed •  a mere heading does not always = a transition

•  essay writing/formal speeches - must imbed transitions, using words within sentences.

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Transition Type Words to use:

qualification however, nevertheless, nonetheless

Illustration / explanation

for example, so, thus

comparison similarly, in the same way, by comparison

contrast by contrast, on the one hand, on the other hand

consequence thus, as a result, consequently, therefore

concession admittedly, nevertheless, however

amplification moreover, furthermore, also, in addition, indeed

summation to sum up, in conclusion, all in all, finally

Transitions & Coherence •  words connect ideas & signal changes of subject •  paragraphs in longer essays

•  mark a “shift” from one group of ideas to another •  build coherence by looking behind and ahead - can

•  summarize ideas •  repeat thesis •  forecast ideas to follow.

•  Use “In conclusion” correctly; not = “In summary”

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Conclusion of a discourse SSW, 76-79

•  shorter papers: a paragraph •  longer essays: can be multiple paragraphs •  signals discussion is complete •  “drives the point home a final time” •  may

•  add an interesting (but related) final thought •  include a final emotional appeal

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Some Concluding Tactics

1.  restatement of thesis 2.  summary 3.  question 4.  quotation 5.  surprising observation or twist, including

with humor (use sparingly)

6.  recommendation, hope, or call to action

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