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Ordering your ideas

A good essay lays out issues in a helpful and clear order.

Here's an argument map:

If you were going to write an essay based on this map, one important job would be to work out the best way to arrange the ideas on the page.

The map is very clear about how the reasoning goes. We can keep this clarity by carefully arranging the claims in the essay:

• The introduction clearly identifies the position

• The body examines the branches of the argument. The essay steps the reader through the argument one branch at a time, working from the top of the branch to the bottom. So our essay would have this form:

• The conclusion reminds the reader of the position

Set 6 - Essays • Second page • Third page • Ordering ideas • Exercise 1 • Signposting • Exercise 2 • Final

© Austhink 2007.  Rationale Exercises version 0.1, Sep-07

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