The structure of an essay plays a crucial role in helping the reader understand our points. A good structure is logical, and the individual points are connected. The reader can easily follow the connections that lead to our conclusion or the point we are trying to make. A bad structure jumps from point to point in a seemingly random fashion. The reader winds up confused, if he even finishes reading the piece.
A good structure is much like a staircase. We lead the reader up the staircase, one step at a time. And we let the reader know when we are taking another step. There are many options when it comes to structure. Possible structures include:
- Hierarchical (level of importance)
- Chronological (the time events occurred)
- Spatial (where things occurred)
- Comparison and contrast (such as good and bad)
- Problem and solution (such as getting poor grades and how to improve them)
- Cause and effect (such as what causes students to get poor grades)
Sometimes, the purpose of the piece we are writing will require a particular structure. For example, if we are writing about baking a cake, then a chronological structure makes the most sense. We need to write about what should be done in the order that it should be done. Otherwise, it would be confusing to the reader. If we told the reader to remove the cake from the oven before we told him what ingredients to mix, he would be confused.
However, many times the structure is optional. For example, if we are writing about our favorite vacation, we could choose a hierarchical structure or a chronological structure. We would write about the experiences we had in the order of their importance to us or the order in which they occurred.
The important point here is to consciously choose a structure and then stick to it throughout the piece we are writing. Our structure gives us direction and focus. It tells us the order to present our thoughts and ideas. Order makes writing easier for us, and it makes comprehension easier for the reader.
Writing is about communicating a thought or idea. To do that effectively, we must make it easy for the reader to follow our points. And to do that effectively, we must connect or unite our thoughts and ideas. We must make it easy for the reader to understand. A consistent structure will help make that possible.
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