Organizing Your Paper

Video Transcript

Slide 1

Tutor: Before you begin to write, you will need to decide what type of paper you will write.

Student: What do you mean?

Tutor: You need to think about how to organize your paper.

Student: Well, what different ways are there?

Slide 2

Tutor: Here are some different types of organization:

Compare-Contrast
Cause and Effect
Process
Persuasive Argument

Slide 3

Some different types of organization:

Compare-Contrast

Cause and Effect

Process

Persuasive Argument

Slide 4

Tutor: Another point to remember—if you’re writing the paper for an American college, be sure to use U.S. linear logic.

Student: What’s that?

Tutor: Here is an explanation of U.S. linear logic.

Slide 5 – Linear Logic in English Writing

Slide 6

In writing, styles of organization differ from country to country.

English writing follows a different logic than that used in some other cultures.

Slide 7

People say that English writing uses linear logic because it goes in a straight line.

Slide 8

The style is very direct because writers “get to the point” right away.

Slide 9

In other cultures, the writing may appear circular or “zig-zag.” The writing may be indirect. The conclusions may not be stated at all.

Slide 10

There is nothing wrong with this type of writing. But it may confuse professors in the United States. It is not what they expect to see.

Slide 11 

Professors in the United States expect to see the linear style of writing. When they see a different style, they may see it as “not logical.”

Slide 12

American Professors expect to see this type of organization in your essay:

I. Introduction

II. Body

III. Conclusion

We’ll be talking more about this later.

Slide 13

As you plan your writing, please remember to be direct and use linear logic!

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