Organization

"Good academic writing has a formal structure, unlike fictional or personal writing. Exploiting this means that readers know what to expect, which greatly helps the communication process. The burden of communication is not carried at the word or sentence level alone but through the overall structure and organization of the text. The content should be individual and reflect the writer's argument and research." (Sussex Language Institute)

This part of the tutorial outlines different types of writing students may come across in their classes. While it is beyond the scope of this tutorial to review all possible types of written assignments across the disciplines, this section does focus on some of the main components of a good organizational structure: introduction, thesis statement, supporting paragraphs, and conclusion. You will also find a discussion of the steps in the revision process.

Take the Quick Self-Test to identify the common organization mistakes you may encounter in your writing. Follow the links included in the answers to the quiz questions to learn more about how to correct or avoid each mistake. If you prefer, you may review the entire organization section.

Quick Self-Test

Review Organization