chronological definition in essay writing

Chronological Order In Essay Writing

Table of contents

• 1 What Is a Chronological Order Essay
• 2 Chronological Order vs. Sequential Order
• 3 Importance of Correct Historical Occurrences
• 4 How to Write a Chronological Paragraph?
• 5.1 Pick an Idea and Make a Plan
• 5.2 Use a Variety of Sentence Structures to Keep Your Writing Interesting
• 5.3 Provide Sufficient Details
• 5.4 Use Transitional Words and Phrases, Such As “First,” “Next,” and “Then,” to Indicate the Chronological Flow
• 5.5 Use Headings and Subheadings to Organize Your Essay
• 5.6 Use Introductory and Concluding Sentences to Signal the Main Points of Each Paragraph
• 5.7 Use Appropriate Citations and References (Especially for the Historical Essay)
• 5.8 Maintain a Consistent Timeline and Avoid Jumping Back and Forth in Time
• 6 Conclusion

Writing a chronological essay is a pure pleasure. This type of university assignment is clear and structured, so knowing the basic requirements, you can easily cope with the task. Essays in chronological order require their author to have deep knowledge of the chosen subject. Not to stray from the course of the story, you need to be a real expert in this niche.

In this article, you will learn what a chronological-order essay is and how to write it. Also, you will find precious tips on making the writing process quick and enjoyable. So here are the milestones of our chronological essay guide:

• What a chronological order essay is;
• The difference between chronological and sequential order;
• Guidelines for chronological paragraph writing;
• Tips for writing an outstanding chronological essay.

Together we will consider each important point and dispel your doubts about the chronological essays. Without further ado, let’s get it started!

What Is a Chronological Order Essay

A chronological essay is an expository writing that describes historical events or a biography of a specific person. Surprisingly, not only students of the Faculty of History are faced with this type of essay. Whenever you have been given the task of writing about outstanding personalities, talking about your experiences, or presenting a life story or historical event, you will be faced with the need to use chronological order in writing.

This type of narrating writing essay requires you to present information in a logical and structured way. Expository essay writers must state all the events in the order in which they occurred. Moreover, you should dip the reader into the context of the event, explaining to him the background and the outcomes.

Chronological Order vs. Sequential Order

You may think that sequence and chronological order are identical concepts. Don’t worry, you’re not the only one who thinks so. These concepts are strongly related but not identical. Sequential order is based on the order of steps performed and how events occur relative to each other. But what is a chronological order of events?

The chronological timeline tells about the sequence of actions in time-space. Sequential order is well suited for writing step-by-step instructions and listing events. At the same time, the chronological order is excellent for narrating historical events and writing biographies.

Importance of Correct Historical Occurrences

Preliminary research is a solid foundation for your chronological essay. Take information only from reliable and trusted sources respected in science. Avoid unverified facts and loud statements. Make an effort to pre-study to avoid building an essay on false grounds. It may seem that a detailed study will take too much time, but on the contrary, it will save you the effort of rewriting the time order essay.

Check several sources for proof of the integrity of the information you found. Whenever you don’t have enough time for research, consider buying an essay rather than copying random facts from the web. After all, no matter how well you present the events in chronological order, if it does not correspond to reality, then your essay will lose all scientific value.

How to Write a Chronological Paragraph?

You can be assigned to write a chronological paragraph in your paper. This is also a type of chronological writing that you should do right if you need to get a good grade for your essay.

This paragraph should describe the sequence of events that occurred to a specific object or person. These events should be sorted chronologically, from the earliest to the latest. You should present the sequence and make logical transitions between events. This will help readers understand the connections between events and the outcomes of specific things.

You can write about anything interesting, there are almost no topics you should avoid in the essay if they meet the requirements. However, it is better when the subject is interesting to you.

When structuring these paragraphs, students not only present the facts but also explain them as causes and effects. If you don’t see connections between things, you should look closer and do more research.

To write a good chronological paragraph, you need to include crucial elements. Thus, it will be easier to structure the course of events. This guide may not only be used for chronological essays, it’s a rather versatile piece of advice on how to compose a personal statement . Among the integral components are:

• Topic sentence
• Important supporting points
• Chronological progression
• Coherence of the narrative
• Summarizing sentence

Topic sentences exist to briefly remind the reader of the main topic of your paper. Give enough detail to put the reader in the context of the chronological sequence essay. Do not jump in time, state all events clearly and unambiguously to maintain logical transitions. End your paragraph by summarizing what has been said so far.

Example of chronological order:

The Second World War was the largest bloody war, in which more than 30 countries participated and left an indelible mark on the history of mankind. (Strong topic sentence.) The prerequisites ( the supporting details ) for this historic event are considered Germany’s course for revenge in the First World War. Events began in September 1939 with the German attack on Poland. ( Chronological progression). The most important event of the Second World War is thought to be the Japanese attack on the United States of America in Pearl Harbor. After six years of fierce fighting, the Nazis were defeated by the Allies, and the war ended with the Japanese surrender on 2nd September 1945. ( Summarizing sentence)

Tips on Writing a Chronological Essay

You start the writing process by choosing a topic for it. Find an interesting topic that meets your assignment’s requirements, or ask your teacher to give you a topic.

If you are stuck with creating this paper, you can use an essay editing service to prepare it. Its writers have experience working on chronological essays, they can help you with narrative and cause-and-effect paper .

Then you should research and find as much information on your topic as possible. Collect this information in a well-organized format so you can reference any of it if needed, and don’t forget to keep the dates of all events.

Pick an Idea and Make a Plan

If you need to create informative essays about a specific historical event, you should start from the beginning of this event or even with earlier events that lead to it. If a particular group organizes an event, tell the motives of this group, how they got to this idea, and how they started working on it. Then write about each step from the beginning to the conclusion of this event and arrange the events in chronological order.

Use a Variety of Sentence Structures to Keep Your Writing Interesting

If you only use simple sentences or start each sentence with the word «then», your writing will be boring to read. PapersOwl specialists advise studying several chronological ordering examples to understand the linking words and the structuring strategy. Use different stylistic devices as well as different types of complex sentences.

Provide Sufficient Details

Provide your reader with the full context of the story in time-order paragraphs. To understand the course of action of the chronological essay, the reader must be aware of the background and cause of historical events. At the same time, try not to overload your compositions with unnecessary details.

Use Transitional Words and Phrases, Such As “First,” “Next,” and “Then,” to Indicate the Chronological Flow

Sequencers help keep the story logical, they’re keywords for chronological order that make the essay flow smoothly. Use transitional words to direct the reader through the flow of your story. Don’t forget to use different expressions to avoid tautology.

Use Headings and Subheadings to Organize Your Essay

Provide clear divisions so that the paper becomes much more readable. Large arrays of text always repel the reader, so use a proper chronological structure. Also, headings and subheadings will help you further structure your essay.

Use Introductory and Concluding Sentences to Signal the Main Points of Each Paragraph

A thesis statement that summarizes the main message of your chronological essays should be restructured and repeated several times during writing. This technique is used by writers to express the main idea of the essay in the introduction and throughout the text. The thesis proposal should be catchy and memorable.

Use Appropriate Citations and References (Especially for the Historical Essay)

There could be many sources of false information on the Internet. Students should check information and put only proven citations into the chronological expositions. We know it could be challenging to deal with citation norms, so we’re always ready to write your paper for you . Be sure to check the accuracy of the quotes and the veracity of the facts you refer to.

Maintain a Consistent Timeline and Avoid Jumping Back and Forth in Time

When you have the list of essential timeline events, you can arrange the events in the order in which they happened. It helps you to use the correct order in an essay from the earliest events in your story to the latest. You can use simple editors or a spreadsheet for sorting lists.

When you write a chronological essay, nothing may cause you problems if you are well-oriented to the chosen subject. You should carefully choose topics for writing, do not forget about the preliminary study, and double-check the sources you use.

After reading our guide in detail, you will undoubtedly be able to write a decent chronological essay. However, even if you find it difficult to find inspiration for writing, this is not a problem either, as you can resort to exposition editing services. Remember that an experienced team of professionals is always ready to help you with heavy research writing essays.

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9.3 Organizing Your Writing

Learning objectives.

• Understand how and why organizational techniques help writers and readers stay focused.
• Assess how and when to use chronological order to organize an essay.
• Recognize how and when to use order of importance to organize an essay.
• Determine how and when to use spatial order to organize an essay.

The method of organization you choose for your essay is just as important as its content. Without a clear organizational pattern, your reader could become confused and lose interest. The way you structure your essay helps your readers draw connections between the body and the thesis, and the structure also keeps you focused as you plan and write the essay. Choosing your organizational pattern before you outline ensures that each body paragraph works to support and develop your thesis.

This section covers three ways to organize body paragraphs:

• Chronological order
• Order of importance
• Spatial order

When you begin to draft your essay, your ideas may seem to flow from your mind in a seemingly random manner. Your readers, who bring to the table different backgrounds, viewpoints, and ideas, need you to clearly organize these ideas in order to help process and accept them.

A solid organizational pattern gives your ideas a path that you can follow as you develop your draft. Knowing how you will organize your paragraphs allows you to better express and analyze your thoughts. Planning the structure of your essay before you choose supporting evidence helps you conduct more effective and targeted research.

Chronological Order

In Chapter 8 “The Writing Process: How Do I Begin?” , you learned that chronological arrangement has the following purposes:

• To explain the history of an event or a topic
• To tell a story or relate an experience
• To explain how to do or to make something
• To explain the steps in a process

Chronological order is mostly used in expository writing , which is a form of writing that narrates, describes, informs, or explains a process. When using chronological order, arrange the events in the order that they actually happened, or will happen if you are giving instructions. This method requires you to use words such as first , second , then , after that , later , and finally . These transition words guide you and your reader through the paper as you expand your thesis.

For example, if you are writing an essay about the history of the airline industry, you would begin with its conception and detail the essential timeline events up until present day. You would follow the chain of events using words such as first , then , next , and so on.

Writing at Work

At some point in your career you may have to file a complaint with your human resources department. Using chronological order is a useful tool in describing the events that led up to your filing the grievance. You would logically lay out the events in the order that they occurred using the key transition words. The more logical your complaint, the more likely you will be well received and helped.

Choose an accomplishment you have achieved in your life. The important moment could be in sports, schooling, or extracurricular activities. On your own sheet of paper, list the steps you took to reach your goal. Try to be as specific as possible with the steps you took. Pay attention to using transition words to focus your writing.

Keep in mind that chronological order is most appropriate for the following purposes:

• Writing essays containing heavy research
• Writing essays with the aim of listing, explaining, or narrating
• Writing essays that analyze literary works such as poems, plays, or books

When using chronological order, your introduction should indicate the information you will cover and in what order, and the introduction should also establish the relevance of the information. Your body paragraphs should then provide clear divisions or steps in chronology. You can divide your paragraphs by time (such as decades, wars, or other historical events) or by the same structure of the work you are examining (such as a line-by-line explication of a poem).

On a separate sheet of paper, write a paragraph that describes a process you are familiar with and can do well. Assume that your reader is unfamiliar with the procedure. Remember to use the chronological key words, such as first , second , then , and finally .

Order of Importance

Recall from Chapter 8 “The Writing Process: How Do I Begin?” that order of importance is best used for the following purposes:

• Persuading and convincing
• Ranking items by their importance, benefit, or significance
• Illustrating a situation, problem, or solution

Most essays move from the least to the most important point, and the paragraphs are arranged in an effort to build the essay’s strength. Sometimes, however, it is necessary to begin with your most important supporting point, such as in an essay that contains a thesis that is highly debatable. When writing a persuasive essay, it is best to begin with the most important point because it immediately captivates your readers and compels them to continue reading.

For example, if you were supporting your thesis that homework is detrimental to the education of high school students, you would want to present your most convincing argument first, and then move on to the less important points for your case.

Some key transitional words you should use with this method of organization are most importantly , almost as importantly , just as importantly , and finally .

During your career, you may be required to work on a team that devises a strategy for a specific goal of your company, such as increasing profits. When planning your strategy you should organize your steps in order of importance. This demonstrates the ability to prioritize and plan. Using the order of importance technique also shows that you can create a resolution with logical steps for accomplishing a common goal.

On a separate sheet of paper, write a paragraph that discusses a passion of yours. Your passion could be music, a particular sport, filmmaking, and so on. Your paragraph should be built upon the reasons why you feel so strongly. Briefly discuss your reasons in the order of least to greatest importance.

Spatial Order

As stated in Chapter 8 “The Writing Process: How Do I Begin?” , spatial order is best used for the following purposes:

• Helping readers visualize something as you want them to see it
• Evoking a scene using the senses (sight, touch, taste, smell, and sound)
• Writing a descriptive essay

Spatial order means that you explain or describe objects as they are arranged around you in your space, for example in a bedroom. As the writer, you create a picture for your reader, and their perspective is the viewpoint from which you describe what is around you.

The view must move in an orderly, logical progression, giving the reader clear directional signals to follow from place to place. The key to using this method is to choose a specific starting point and then guide the reader to follow your eye as it moves in an orderly trajectory from your starting point.

Pay attention to the following student’s description of her bedroom and how she guides the reader through the viewing process, foot by foot.

Attached to my bedroom wall is a small wooden rack dangling with red and turquoise necklaces that shimmer as you enter. Just to the right of the rack is my window, framed by billowy white curtains. The peace of such an image is a stark contrast to my desk, which sits to the right of the window, layered in textbooks, crumpled papers, coffee cups, and an overflowing ashtray. Turning my head to the right, I see a set of two bare windows that frame the trees outside the glass like a 3D painting. Below the windows is an oak chest from which blankets and scarves are protruding. Against the wall opposite the billowy curtains is an antique dresser, on top of which sits a jewelry box and a few picture frames. A tall mirror attached to the dresser takes up most of the wall, which is the color of lavender.

The paragraph incorporates two objectives you have learned in this chapter: using an implied topic sentence and applying spatial order. Often in a descriptive essay, the two work together.

The following are possible transition words to include when using spatial order:

• Just to the left or just to the right
• On the left or on the right
• Across from
• A little further down
• To the south, to the east, and so on
• A few yards away
• Turning left or turning right

On a separate sheet of paper, write a paragraph using spatial order that describes your commute to work, school, or another location you visit often.

Collaboration

Please share with a classmate and compare your answers.

Key Takeaways

• The way you organize your body paragraphs ensures you and your readers stay focused on and draw connections to, your thesis statement.
• A strong organizational pattern allows you to articulate, analyze, and clarify your thoughts.
• Planning the organizational structure for your essay before you begin to search for supporting evidence helps you conduct more effective and directed research.
• Chronological order is most commonly used in expository writing. It is useful for explaining the history of your subject, for telling a story, or for explaining a process.
• Order of importance is most appropriate in a persuasion paper as well as for essays in which you rank things, people, or events by their significance.
• Spatial order describes things as they are arranged in space and is best for helping readers visualize something as you want them to see it; it creates a dominant impression.

Writing for Success Copyright © 2015 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Chronological Essay: What Is It? How to Write It? + FREE Example

A chronological essay is rarely used as a term even though it is incredibly widespread in writing practice. Learn all the secrets of writing a chronological essay with  myeasypaper.com  

Chronological Essay Definition: What Is It?

You all have definitely written a chronological essay at least once in your life. We are writing so with great certainty as this is one of the most widespread types of essay or the methods to write it. A chronological paper is the one where all the events are written in a linear order, starting from the very beginning and ending with the last event of the sequence. Basically, biographies are often written chronologically: you first read about the date and circumstances of someone’s birth, then — childhood, studying, adult life, and death. So, historical texts are most often written chronologically as it’s much easier to trace cause-effect relations between the connected events in this case. 

However, the chronological essay is not only the instrument of historians. It is often the easiest way to describe any event or process: you just start from the very beginning and continue writing according to the way everything happened. Starting from the ending or the most intriguing part usually requires more skills and practice as it is used to raise the reader’s interest. That is why those students who only start learning the principles of  academic writing  usually refer to the regular chronological order. 

Organizational Strategies for Using Chronological Order in Writing

Even though chronological order is the basic one, it can be difficult to use it correctly. The issue is that it requires strict chronological order, while in the regular process of communication we can skip some events, return to them later, or add irrelevant details as we speak. In the writing, we tend to do the same, so it’s better to prepare yourself and avoid this mistake. So, what can you do?

• Create a plan. Write a brief  outline  that will include a strict order of events.
• Proofread your plan. Make sure you have included all the necessary events.
• Organize described events in chronological order.
• Eliminate unnecessary events and details that can affect the perception of your text.
• Write an essay according to your plan.
• Add signal words that can smooth transitions between specific events or steps.
• Dedicate a separate paragraph to each step or event.
• Proofread it once again. 

Topics for a Chronological Order Essay

Generally, the chronological sequence is used for three types of papers: historical papers (stories about events or biographies), fictional stories, and explaining processes or procedures. Therefore, we can divide possible topics into three categories. 

Historical topics:

• Battle of Gettysburg  
• The life of Abraham Lincoln 
• Civil War: Main events
• The war in Ukraine: How it lasted during the first months of a horrible attack
• The main milestones of human activity in space
• World War II: Brief description of its history 

Process/procedure essay: 

• How to write a compare and contrast essay
• How to complete a winning annotated bibliography 
• How to prepare the best cake ever: Main steps
• How to cook eggs properly: Different methods and levels of preparation 
• How to write a proper application letter 
• How children grow up: Major milestones 
• How we breathe: A basic explanation for students

Fictional Stories

Here we cannot name exact topics as fictional stories are always developed by their authors. However, you can also use chronological order when you retell the plot of the book, such as in 1984 or A Rose for Emily . 

Chronological Sequence in an Essay: Example of Preparation 

To make things clear, we have decided to prepare an example of a chronological order essay, using one of its most widespread forms — a process essay. You can use this example to make your own wonderful chronological essay. If you still need help with it, feel free to place the order with us — our experts will do their best to meet all your demands. 

A Life of a Plastic Bottle: How Its Pieces Appear in Your Water

One sunny day, a bottle was produced. It was made out of plastic on a giant production somewhere in Wisconsin. The bottle was made for a purpose — it was created to be filled in with a soda drink. And that is what was done — and on the following day the bottle started its journey. 

It was delivered in a huge truck to a sorting center. Out of it the bottle was put in a smaller van and distributed to a supermarket. It was standing on a shelf for a week until one of the shop workers decided to put it in a fridge. That’s where a boy with blue eyes and a red cap has found it. It was so hot on that July day that the boy decided to buy something refreshing. He took the first bottle that he saw — it appeared to be the bottle with a soda drink. The boy bought it, drank it, and left it on a bench. 

The bottle was standing on the bench until a wind became stronger and blew it out on the ground. It blew the bottle on a huge road, where it was crumpled by the wheels of a school bus. It was lying under the sun for several weeks near the road. As the wind was blowing, sand started covering it, hiding from human eyes. No one was thinking about the bottle passing down this road. 

However, the bottle continued its life under the ground. It was slowly decomposing, losing micro parts day by day. Some of these parts were so tiny that they looked the same as the sand that was covering the bottle. Some of the parts were moving down the ground, deeper and deeper until they reached a source of water. Combining with water, parts of the bottle continued their journey under the ground, moving slowly in the direction of a river. Reaching the river, these parts moved further until they found an ocean. 

One cannot count the weeks and the months that the bottle parts spent in the ocean. However, one day they moved once again: a huge pump sucked it and started filtrating — again, under the ground. These parts were moving from one filter to another until the moment they were pushed from a tap into a glass. A man in a red T-shirt wanted to have a drink and after not finding anything in his fridge decided to sip some water. That’s when the micro parts of the bottle disappeared in the darkness of his organism. 

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Chronological Order

Chronological arrangement has the following purposes:

• To explain the history of an event or a topic
• To tell a story or relate an experience
• To explain how to do or to make something
• To explain the steps in a process

Chronological order is mostly used in expository writing, which is a form of writing that narrates, describes, informs, or explains a process. When using chronological order, arrange the events in the order that they actually happened, or will happen if you are giving instructions. This method requires you to use words such as first, second, then, after that, later, and finally. These transition words guide you and your reader through the paper as you expand your thesis. For example, if you are writing an essay about the history of the airline industry, you would begin with its conception and detail the essential timeline events up until present day. You would begin with its conception and detail the essential timeline events up until present day. You would follow the chain of events using words such as first, then, next, and so on. Keep in mind that chronological order is most appropriate for the following purposes:

• Writing essays containing heavy research
• Writing essays with the aim of listing, explaining, or narrating
• Writing essays that analyze literary works such as poems, plays, or books

When using chronological order, your introduction should indicate the information you will cover and should also establish the relevance of the information. Your body paragraphs should then provide clear divisions or steps in chronology. You can divide your paragraphs by time (such as decades, wars, or other historical events) or by the same structure of the work you are examining (such as a line-by-line explication of a poem.

Choose an accomplishment you have achieved in your life. The important moment could be in sports, schooling, or extracurricular activities. On your own sheet of paper, list the steps you 25 Return to Table of Contents took to reach your goal. Try to be as specific as possible with the steps you took. Pay attention to using transition words to focus your writing.

On a separate sheet of paper, write a paragraph that describes a process you are familiar with and can do well. Assume that your reader is unfamiliar with the procedure. Remember to use the chronological key words, such as  first,   second ,  then,  and  finally.

• Order of Importance
• Order of importance is best used for the following purposes:
• Persuading and convincing
• Ranking items by their importance, benefit, or significance
• Illustrating a situation, problem, or solution

Most essays move from the least to the most important point, and the paragraphs are arranged in an effort to build the essay’s strength. Sometimes, however, it is necessary to begin with the most important supporting point, such as in an essay that contains a thesis that is highly debatable. When writing a persuasive essay, it is best to begin with the most important point because it immediately captivates your readers and compels them to continue reading. For example, if you were supporting your thesis that homework is detrimental to the education of high school students, you would want to present your most convincing argument first, and then move on to the less important points for your case. During your career, you may be required to work on a team that devises a strategy for a specific goal of your company, such as increasing profits. When planning your strategy you should organize your steps in order of importance. This demonstrates the ability to prioritize and plan. Using the order of importance technique also shows that you can create a resolution with logical steps for accomplishing a common goal.

On a separate sheet of paper, write a paragraph that discusses a passion of yours. Your passion could be music, a particular sport, filmmaking, and so on. Your paragraph should be built upon the reasons why you feel so strongly. Briefly discuss your reasons in the order of least to greatest importance.

Writing for College Introduction to College Writing with Grammar Skills Review by Cheryl McCormick; Sue Hank; and Ninna Roth is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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• Literary Terms
• When & How to Use Chronology
• Definition & Examples

How to Use Chronology

When writing, establishing a chronology can be relatively easy, especially in fiction, when the timeline of events is completely up to you! Overall, the best way to establish your work’s chro-nology is by creating a timeline of events. Start at the beginning and work your way to the end, being sure not to forget any important dates, events, or occurrences that are relative to your story. After that, you can decide how the timeline fits in with the way you want your audience to un-derstand the story. Ask yourself several questions:

• Is a sense of time crucial to your work?
• If so, to what extent—Historical period? Century? Decade? Specific date and time of day?
• Is the order in which things occurred essential to the plot?
• Are you trying to share a sequence of linked events?
• Are you trying to show a chain of cause and effect?
• Which events in your timeline are relative to the big picture?
• Are any events not important enough to cover thoroughly, but at least need to be mentioned?

In general, you need to think about context when developing a chronology—what about your timeline is crucial for the audience and your work? What can be left out, and what can’t? Ulti-mately, it is up to you and your creativity to decide how your audience will understand the time-line of your work.

When to Use Chronology

Basically, you always need to at least consider chronology when writing, in one way or another. When you are sharing any type of event or sequence of events, the timeline is important in just about every case, across all genres of both fiction and nonfiction.

Of course, it is particularly important to establish a timeline of events when storytelling—that’s how we ultimately develop a plot! Your readers need some perception of time to follow what is happening, and the easiest way to assure that is by putting things in chronological order. Even if you decide to share events out of order, you as the author need to know when and how they hap-pened so that you can share them with your readers and avoid making mistakes with your story- line or characters . Let’s think back to the baseball player example—if the focus of your story is about how a rookie becomes a star, you could still begin by showing him hitting a home run on the field, and later show the steps it took to get him there. But imagine if in the beginning, your rookie character is also shown as being popular because he’s been partying all summer. Only, during all his practicing, he actually missed all the parties. It would be confusing to your readers and show a conflicting character, instead of a hardworking rookie. But this would be avoided if the timeline is well-developed before the story is composed.

Since the theme is about the player’s road to fame, it’s also crucial to show how one thing causes another—the cause is that the boy is dedicated to practicing and sacrifices all other activities over a period of time, and the effect is that he becomes a great player and finally makes the baseball team. So even when “beginning with the end.” you still need to have an idea about the story’s chronology. What’s more it’s just a great starting point when you’re developing a piece of fiction!

List of Terms

• Alliteration
• Amplification
• Anachronism
• Anthropomorphism
• Antonomasia
• APA Citation
• Aposiopesis
• Autobiography
• Bildungsroman
• Characterization
• Circumlocution
• Cliffhanger
• Comic Relief
• Connotation
• Deus ex machina
• Deuteragonist
• Doppelganger
• Double Entendre
• Dramatic irony
• Equivocation
• Extended Metaphor
• Figures of Speech
• Flash-forward
• Foreshadowing
• Intertextuality
• Juxtaposition
• Literary Device
• Malapropism
• Onomatopoeia
• Parallelism
• Pathetic Fallacy
• Personification
• Point of View
• Polysyndeton
• Protagonist
• Red Herring
• Rhetorical Device
• Rhetorical Question
• Science Fiction
• Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
• Synesthesia
• Turning Point
• Understatement
• Urban Legend
• Verisimilitude
• Essay Guide
• Cite This Website

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Paragraphs: Chronology

Transitions : after, afterward, at that moment, at last, at length, before, by that time, during, earlier, first, from then on, later, meanwhile, next, presently, since, second, soon afterward, the next day, then, when, while, within an hour

Example : The rehearsal dinner will be on Friday night. Afterward, we are hoping that many of the guests will help to clean the area for tomorrow's wedding.

Explanation : In these sentences, the transition "afterward" highlights a chronology of events (first the dinner, then the cleaning).

Transitions Video Playlist

Note that these videos were created while APA 6 was the style guide edition in use. There may be some examples of writing that have not been updated to APA 7 guidelines.

• Academic Paragraphs: Introduction to Paragraphs and the MEAL Plan (video transcript)
• Academic Paragraphs: Types of Transitions Part 1: Transitions Between Paragraphs (video transcript)
• Academic Paragraphs: Types of Transitions Part 2: Transitions Within Paragraphs (video transcript)
• Academic Paragraphs: Appropriate Use of Explicit Transitions (video transcript)
• Engaging Writing: Incorporating Transitions (video transcript)
• Engaging Writing: Examples of Incorporating Transitions (video transcript)
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4.3 Organizing Your Writing

Learning objectives.

• Understand how and why organizational techniques help writers and readers stay focused.
• Assess how and when to use chronological order to organize an essay.
• Recognize how and when to use order of importance to organize an essay.
• Determine how and when to use spatial order to organize an essay.

The method of organization you choose for your essay is just as important as its content. Without a clear organizational pattern, your reader could become confused and lose interest. The way you structure your essay helps your readers draw connections between the body and the thesis, and the structure also keeps you focused as you plan and write the essay. Choosing your organizational pattern before you outline ensures that each body paragraph works to support and develop your thesis.

This section covers three ways to organize body paragraphs:

• Chronological order
• Order of importance
• Spatial order

When you begin to draft your essay, your ideas may seem to flow from your mind in a seemingly random manner. Your readers, who bring to the table different backgrounds, viewpoints, and ideas, need you to clearly organize these ideas in order to help process and accept them.

A solid organizational pattern gives your ideas a path that you can follow as you develop your draft. Knowing how you will organize your paragraphs allows you to better express and analyze your thoughts. Planning the structure of your essay before you choose supporting evidence helps you conduct more effective and targeted research.

Chronological Order

In Chapter 3: The Writing Process: Where Do I Begin? Section Overview , you learned that chronological arrangement has the following purposes:

• To explain the history of an event or a topic
• To tell a story or relate an experience
• To explain how to do or to make something
• To explain the steps in a process

Chronological order is mostly used in expository writing , which is a form of writing that narrates, describes, informs, or explains a process. When using chronological order, arrange the events in the order that they actually happened, or will happen if you are giving instructions. This method requires you to use words such as first , second , then , after that , later , and finally . These transition words guide you and your reader through the paper as you expand your thesis.

For example, if you are writing an essay about the history of the airline industry, you would begin with its conception and detail the essential timeline events up until present day. You would follow the chain of events using words such as first , then , next , and so on.

Connecting the Pieces: Writing at Work

At some point in your career you may have to file a complaint with your human resources department. Using chronological order is a useful tool in describing the events that led up to your filing the grievance. You would logically lay out the events in the order that they occurred using the key transition words. The more logical your complaint, the more likely you will be well received and helped.

Choose an accomplishment you have achieved in your life. The important moment could be in sports, schooling, or extracurricular activities. On your own sheet of paper, list the steps you took to reach your goal. Try to be as specific as possible with the steps you took. Pay attention to using transition words to focus your writing.

Keep in mind that chronological order is most appropriate for the following purposes:

• Writing essays containing heavy research
• Writing essays with the aim of listing, explaining, or narrating
• Writing essays that analyze literary works such as poems, plays, or books

When using chronological order, your introduction should indicate the information you will cover and in what order, and the introduction should also establish the relevance of the information. Your body paragraphs should then provide clear divisions or steps in chronology. You can divide your paragraphs by time (such as decades, wars, or other historical events) or by the same structure of the work you are examining (such as a line-by-line explication of a poem).

On a separate sheet of paper, write a paragraph that describes a process you are familiar with and can do well. Assume that your reader is unfamiliar with the procedure. Remember to use the chronological key words, such as first , second , then , and finally .

Order of Importance

Recall from Chapter 3: The Writing Process: Where Do I Begin? that  order of importance  is best used for the following purposes:

• Persuading and convincing
• Ranking items by their importance, benefit, or significance
• Illustrating a situation, problem, or solution

Most essays move from the least to the most important point, and the paragraphs are arranged in an effort to build the essay’s strength. Sometimes, however, it is necessary to begin with your most important supporting point, such as in an essay that contains a thesis that is highly debatable. When writing a persuasive essay, it is best to begin with the most important point because it immediately captivates your readers and compels them to continue reading.

For example, if you were supporting your thesis that homework is detrimental to the education of high school students, you would want to present your most convincing argument first, and then move on to the less important points for your case.

Some key transitional words you should use with this method of organization are most importantly , almost as importantly , just as importantly , and finally .

During your career, you may be required to work on a team that devises a strategy for a specific goal of your company, such as increasing profits. When planning your strategy you should organize your steps in order of importance. This demonstrates the ability to prioritize and plan. Using the order of importance technique also shows that you can create a resolution with logical steps for accomplishing a common goal.

On a separate sheet of paper, write a paragraph that discusses a passion of yours. Your passion could be music, a particular sport, filmmaking, and so on. Your paragraph should be built upon the reasons why you feel so strongly. Briefly discuss your reasons in the order of least to greatest importance.

Spatial Order

As stated in Chapter 3: The Writing Process: Where Do I Begin? , spatial order  is best used for the following purposes:

• Helping readers visualize something as you want them to see it
• Evoking a scene using the senses (sight, touch, taste, smell, and sound)
• Writing a descriptive essay

Spatial order means that you explain or describe objects as they are arranged around you in your space, for example in a bedroom. As the writer, you create a picture for your reader, and their perspective is the viewpoint from which you describe what is around you.

The view must move in an orderly, logical progression, giving the reader clear directional signals to follow from place to place. The key to using this method is to choose a specific starting point and then guide the reader to follow your eye as it moves in an orderly trajectory from your starting point.

Pay attention to the following student’s description of her bedroom and how she guides the reader through the viewing process, foot by foot.

Attached to my bedroom wall is a small wooden rack dangling with red and turquoise necklaces that shimmer as you enter. Just to the right of the rack is my window, framed by billowy white curtains. The peace of such an image is a stark contrast to my desk, which sits to the right of the window, layered in textbooks, crumpled papers, coffee cups, and an overflowing ashtray. Turning my head to the right, I see a set of two bare windows that frame the trees outside the glass like a 3D painting. Below the windows is an oak chest from which blankets and scarves are protruding. Against the wall opposite the billowy curtains is an antique dresser, on top of which sits a jewelry box and a few picture frames. A tall mirror attached to the dresser takes up most of the wall, which is the color of lavender.

The paragraph incorporates two objectives you have learned in this chapter: using an implied topic sentence and applying spatial order. Often in a descriptive essay, the two work together.

The following are possible transition words to include when using spatial order:

• Just to the left or just to the right
• On the left or on the right
• Across from
• A little further down
• To the south, to the east, and so on
• A few yards away
• Turning left or turning right

On a separate sheet of paper, write a paragraph using spatial order that describes your commute to work, school, or another location you visit often.

Collaboration

Please share with a classmate and compare your answers.

Key Takeaways

• The way you organize your body paragraphs ensures you and your readers stay focused on and draw connections to, your thesis statement.
• A strong organizational pattern allows you to articulate, analyze, and clarify your thoughts.
• Planning the organizational structure for your essay before you begin to search for supporting evidence helps you conduct more effective and directed research.
• Chronological order is most commonly used in expository writing. It is useful for explaining the history of your subject, for telling a story, or for explaining a process.
• Order of importance is most appropriate in a persuasion paper as well as for essays in which you rank things, people, or events by their significance.
• Spatial order describes things as they are arranged in space and is best for helping readers visualize something as you want them to see it; it creates a dominant impression.

Putting the Pieces Together Copyright © 2020 by Andrew Stracuzzi and André Cormier is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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• The four main types of essay | Quick guide with examples

The Four Main Types of Essay | Quick Guide with Examples

Published on September 4, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on July 23, 2023.

An essay is a focused piece of writing designed to inform or persuade. There are many different types of essay, but they are often defined in four categories: argumentative, expository, narrative, and descriptive essays.

Argumentative and expository essays are focused on conveying information and making clear points, while narrative and descriptive essays are about exercising creativity and writing in an interesting way. At university level, argumentative essays are the most common type. 

In high school and college, you will also often have to write textual analysis essays, which test your skills in close reading and interpretation.

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Table of contents

Argumentative essays, expository essays, narrative essays, descriptive essays, textual analysis essays, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about types of essays.

An argumentative essay presents an extended, evidence-based argument. It requires a strong thesis statement —a clearly defined stance on your topic. Your aim is to convince the reader of your thesis using evidence (such as quotations ) and analysis.

Argumentative essays test your ability to research and present your own position on a topic. This is the most common type of essay at college level—most papers you write will involve some kind of argumentation.

The essay is divided into an introduction, body, and conclusion:

• The introduction provides your topic and thesis statement
• The body presents your evidence and arguments
• The conclusion summarizes your argument and emphasizes its importance

The example below is a paragraph from the body of an argumentative essay about the effects of the internet on education. Mouse over it to learn more.

A common frustration for teachers is students’ use of Wikipedia as a source in their writing. Its prevalence among students is not exaggerated; a survey found that the vast majority of the students surveyed used Wikipedia (Head & Eisenberg, 2010). An article in The Guardian stresses a common objection to its use: “a reliance on Wikipedia can discourage students from engaging with genuine academic writing” (Coomer, 2013). Teachers are clearly not mistaken in viewing Wikipedia usage as ubiquitous among their students; but the claim that it discourages engagement with academic sources requires further investigation. This point is treated as self-evident by many teachers, but Wikipedia itself explicitly encourages students to look into other sources. Its articles often provide references to academic publications and include warning notes where citations are missing; the site’s own guidelines for research make clear that it should be used as a starting point, emphasizing that users should always “read the references and check whether they really do support what the article says” (“Wikipedia:Researching with Wikipedia,” 2020). Indeed, for many students, Wikipedia is their first encounter with the concepts of citation and referencing. The use of Wikipedia therefore has a positive side that merits deeper consideration than it often receives.

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An expository essay provides a clear, focused explanation of a topic. It doesn’t require an original argument, just a balanced and well-organized view of the topic.

Expository essays test your familiarity with a topic and your ability to organize and convey information. They are commonly assigned at high school or in exam questions at college level.

The introduction of an expository essay states your topic and provides some general background, the body presents the details, and the conclusion summarizes the information presented.

A typical body paragraph from an expository essay about the invention of the printing press is shown below. Mouse over it to learn more.

The invention of the printing press in 1440 changed this situation dramatically. Johannes Gutenberg, who had worked as a goldsmith, used his knowledge of metals in the design of the press. He made his type from an alloy of lead, tin, and antimony, whose durability allowed for the reliable production of high-quality books. This new technology allowed texts to be reproduced and disseminated on a much larger scale than was previously possible. The Gutenberg Bible appeared in the 1450s, and a large number of printing presses sprang up across the continent in the following decades. Gutenberg’s invention rapidly transformed cultural production in Europe; among other things, it would lead to the Protestant Reformation.

A narrative essay is one that tells a story. This is usually a story about a personal experience you had, but it may also be an imaginative exploration of something you have not experienced.

Narrative essays test your ability to build up a narrative in an engaging, well-structured way. They are much more personal and creative than other kinds of academic writing . Writing a personal statement for an application requires the same skills as a narrative essay.

A narrative essay isn’t strictly divided into introduction, body, and conclusion, but it should still begin by setting up the narrative and finish by expressing the point of the story—what you learned from your experience, or why it made an impression on you.

Mouse over the example below, a short narrative essay responding to the prompt “Write about an experience where you learned something about yourself,” to explore its structure.

Since elementary school, I have always favored subjects like science and math over the humanities. My instinct was always to think of these subjects as more solid and serious than classes like English. If there was no right answer, I thought, why bother? But recently I had an experience that taught me my academic interests are more flexible than I had thought: I took my first philosophy class.

Before I entered the classroom, I was skeptical. I waited outside with the other students and wondered what exactly philosophy would involve—I really had no idea. I imagined something pretty abstract: long, stilted conversations pondering the meaning of life. But what I got was something quite different.

A young man in jeans, Mr. Jones—“but you can call me Rob”—was far from the white-haired, buttoned-up old man I had half-expected. And rather than pulling us into pedantic arguments about obscure philosophical points, Rob engaged us on our level. To talk free will, we looked at our own choices. To talk ethics, we looked at dilemmas we had faced ourselves. By the end of class, I’d discovered that questions with no right answer can turn out to be the most interesting ones.

The experience has taught me to look at things a little more “philosophically”—and not just because it was a philosophy class! I learned that if I let go of my preconceptions, I can actually get a lot out of subjects I was previously dismissive of. The class taught me—in more ways than one—to look at things with an open mind.

A descriptive essay provides a detailed sensory description of something. Like narrative essays, they allow you to be more creative than most academic writing, but they are more tightly focused than narrative essays. You might describe a specific place or object, rather than telling a whole story.

Descriptive essays test your ability to use language creatively, making striking word choices to convey a memorable picture of what you’re describing.

A descriptive essay can be quite loosely structured, though it should usually begin by introducing the object of your description and end by drawing an overall picture of it. The important thing is to use careful word choices and figurative language to create an original description of your object.

Mouse over the example below, a response to the prompt “Describe a place you love to spend time in,” to learn more about descriptive essays.

On Sunday afternoons I like to spend my time in the garden behind my house. The garden is narrow but long, a corridor of green extending from the back of the house, and I sit on a lawn chair at the far end to read and relax. I am in my small peaceful paradise: the shade of the tree, the feel of the grass on my feet, the gentle activity of the fish in the pond beside me.

My cat crosses the garden nimbly and leaps onto the fence to survey it from above. From his perch he can watch over his little kingdom and keep an eye on the neighbours. He does this until the barking of next door’s dog scares him from his post and he bolts for the cat flap to govern from the safety of the kitchen.

With that, I am left alone with the fish, whose whole world is the pond by my feet. The fish explore the pond every day as if for the first time, prodding and inspecting every stone. I sometimes feel the same about sitting here in the garden; I know the place better than anyone, but whenever I return I still feel compelled to pay attention to all its details and novelties—a new bird perched in the tree, the growth of the grass, and the movement of the insects it shelters…

Sitting out in the garden, I feel serene. I feel at home. And yet I always feel there is more to discover. The bounds of my garden may be small, but there is a whole world contained within it, and it is one I will never get tired of inhabiting.

Though every essay type tests your writing skills, some essays also test your ability to read carefully and critically. In a textual analysis essay, you don’t just present information on a topic, but closely analyze a text to explain how it achieves certain effects.

Rhetorical analysis

A rhetorical analysis looks at a persuasive text (e.g. a speech, an essay, a political cartoon) in terms of the rhetorical devices it uses, and evaluates their effectiveness.

The goal is not to state whether you agree with the author’s argument but to look at how they have constructed it.

The introduction of a rhetorical analysis presents the text, some background information, and your thesis statement; the body comprises the analysis itself; and the conclusion wraps up your analysis of the text, emphasizing its relevance to broader concerns.

The example below is from a rhetorical analysis of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech . Mouse over it to learn more.

King’s speech is infused with prophetic language throughout. Even before the famous “dream” part of the speech, King’s language consistently strikes a prophetic tone. He refers to the Lincoln Memorial as a “hallowed spot” and speaks of rising “from the dark and desolate valley of segregation” to “make justice a reality for all of God’s children.” The assumption of this prophetic voice constitutes the text’s strongest ethical appeal; after linking himself with political figures like Lincoln and the Founding Fathers, King’s ethos adopts a distinctly religious tone, recalling Biblical prophets and preachers of change from across history. This adds significant force to his words; standing before an audience of hundreds of thousands, he states not just what the future should be, but what it will be: “The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.” This warning is almost apocalyptic in tone, though it concludes with the positive image of the “bright day of justice.” The power of King’s rhetoric thus stems not only from the pathos of his vision of a brighter future, but from the ethos of the prophetic voice he adopts in expressing this vision.

Literary analysis

A literary analysis essay presents a close reading of a work of literature—e.g. a poem or novel—to explore the choices made by the author and how they help to convey the text’s theme. It is not simply a book report or a review, but an in-depth interpretation of the text.

Literary analysis looks at things like setting, characters, themes, and figurative language. The goal is to closely analyze what the author conveys and how.

The introduction of a literary analysis essay presents the text and background, and provides your thesis statement; the body consists of close readings of the text with quotations and analysis in support of your argument; and the conclusion emphasizes what your approach tells us about the text.

Mouse over the example below, the introduction to a literary analysis essay on Frankenstein , to learn more.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is often read as a crude cautionary tale about the dangers of scientific advancement unrestrained by ethical considerations. In this reading, protagonist Victor Frankenstein is a stable representation of the callous ambition of modern science throughout the novel. This essay, however, argues that far from providing a stable image of the character, Shelley uses shifting narrative perspectives to portray Frankenstein in an increasingly negative light as the novel goes on. While he initially appears to be a naive but sympathetic idealist, after the creature’s narrative Frankenstein begins to resemble—even in his own telling—the thoughtlessly cruel figure the creature represents him as. This essay begins by exploring the positive portrayal of Frankenstein in the first volume, then moves on to the creature’s perception of him, and finally discusses the third volume’s narrative shift toward viewing Frankenstein as the creature views him.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

• Ad hominem fallacy
• Post hoc fallacy
• Appeal to authority fallacy
• False cause fallacy
• Sunk cost fallacy

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At high school and in composition classes at university, you’ll often be told to write a specific type of essay , but you might also just be given prompts.

Look for keywords in these prompts that suggest a certain approach: The word “explain” suggests you should write an expository essay , while the word “describe” implies a descriptive essay . An argumentative essay might be prompted with the word “assess” or “argue.”

The vast majority of essays written at university are some sort of argumentative essay . Almost all academic writing involves building up an argument, though other types of essay might be assigned in composition classes.

Essays can present arguments about all kinds of different topics. For example:

• In a literary analysis essay, you might make an argument for a specific interpretation of a text
• In a history essay, you might present an argument for the importance of a particular event
• In a politics essay, you might argue for the validity of a certain political theory

An argumentative essay tends to be a longer essay involving independent research, and aims to make an original argument about a topic. Its thesis statement makes a contentious claim that must be supported in an objective, evidence-based way.

An expository essay also aims to be objective, but it doesn’t have to make an original argument. Rather, it aims to explain something (e.g., a process or idea) in a clear, concise way. Expository essays are often shorter assignments and rely less on research.

The key difference is that a narrative essay is designed to tell a complete story, while a descriptive essay is meant to convey an intense description of a particular place, object, or concept.

Narrative and descriptive essays both allow you to write more personally and creatively than other kinds of essays , and similar writing skills can apply to both.

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Each method can be used separately or in combination with any of the others. Learning which methods best suit your purpose will help when you create outlines and write first drafts of paragraphs and essays.

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LEARN TO NARRATE

Use narration to recall an event or explain how a process works. A narrative is a story. It arranges information in chronological (time) order; one event in a story or one step in a process follows another just as it happened.

Narratives contain action words—verbs and adverbs—that help move the story or process along and make it more interesting. They also use transitions such as first, then, soon, after, and suddenly, which maintain coherence and show movement from one event to the next.

Read this paragraph from Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings . It recalls a childhood incident when neighborhood children mocked her and her grandmother. Action words are in red; transitions are in blue:

Before the girls got to the porch, I heard their laughter crackling and popping like pine logs in a cooking stove. I suppose my lifelong paranoia was born in those cold, molasses-slow minutes. They came finally to stand on the ground in front of Momma. At first they pretended seriousness. Then one of them wrapped her right arm in the crook of her left, pushed out her mouth and started to hum. I realized that she was aping my grandmother.

LEARN TO DESCRIBE

Use description when you need to explain the nature of people, places, and things. It's always a good idea to start a physical description by relying on your five senses to gather details about what your subject looks, sounds, feels, smells, or even tastes like.

Unlike narration, which presents information from beginning to end, description can be arranged in any pattern you think best. Usually, the pattern is spatial, presenting things as they appear in space. But each writer chooses his or her own perspective—the position from which to view a subject. And each decides where to begin and where to end.

Read this paragraph from Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings . Angelou doesn't simply describe her subjects' appearance; she uses description to explain their characters. She also uses it to reveal her emotional reaction to their behavior.

The dirt of the girls' cotton dresses continued on their legs, feet, arms, and faces to make them all of a piece. Their greasy uncolored hair hung down, uncombed, with a grim finality. I knelt to see them better, to remember them for all time. The tears that had slipped down my dress left unsurprising dark spots, and made the front yard blurry and even more unreal. The world had taken a deep breath and was having doubts about continuing to revolve.

LEARN TO EXPLAIN, CONVINCE, AND PERSUADE

Narration and description can also be used to explain an idea or statement, to convince readers that an opinion is correct, or to persuade them to do something. But such purposes also lend themselves to other methods.

USING ILLUSTRATION

Illustration explains abstract ideas by providing clear, specific, and concrete examples. Take this paragraph from "A Few Kind Words for Superstition" by Robertson Davies:

Many superstitions are so widespread and so old that they must have risen from a depth of human mind that is indifferent to race or creed. Orthodox Jews place a charm on their doorposts; so do (or did) the Chinese. Some peoples of Middle Europe believe that when a man sneezes, his soul, for that moment, is absent from his body, and they hasten to bless him, lest he should be seized by the Devil. How did the Melanesians come by the same idea? Superstition seems to have a link with some body or belief that far antedates the religions we know—religions which have no place for such comforting little ceremonies and charities.

There are two concrete examples here:

• Orthodox Jews place a charm . . . .
• Some peoples of Middle Europe believe . . . .

USING COMPARISON/CONTRAST

A comparison explains similarities. A contrast explains differences. The first half of the following paragraph compares a harpsichord and a piano. The second half contrasts these instruments.

USING DEFINITION

A definition identifies a term and sets it apart from all other terms that may be related to it. Often, definitions begin by mentioning the general class to which a term belongs. Then they provide specifics to distinguish the term from other members of that class. For example, if you were to define whale, you might start by saying it is an aquatic mammal. Then you could talk about its size, shape, varieties, environment, breeding habits, and so on.

Read this paragraph. Try to determine the general class to which the subject belongs; then find specifics that distinguish it from other members of that class.

The viola is a stringed instrument in the violin family. It is only slightly larger than the violin and is tuned at a lower pitch. Like its smaller relative, the viola is held on the shoulder under the chin and is played with a bow. While the violin has many uses, the viola is used mainly in orchestral and chamber music.

COMBINING METHODS OF DEVELOPMENT

One method of development can be used in combination with others. Reread the paragraph defining the viola. Pick out examples of comparison and contrast.

USING CLASSIFICATION

Classification—distinguishing types or classes—can help you explain a great deal of seemingly unrelated information in an organized and easy-to-follow manner. Take this paragraph that explains stringed instruments:

There are many types of stringed instruments. The violin family is made up of the violin, viola, cello, and double bass. Fretted instruments (frets are strips that show players where to put their hands) include the banjo, mandolin, lute, ukulele, and guitar. Related to these instruments are the lyre and the harp. The dulcimer, zither, and psaltery form another family, whose strings are stretched over flat sound boxes. Finally, there are the keyboard stringed instruments such as the piano, clavichord, and harpsichord.

USING CAUSE AND EFFECT

The cause-and-effect method is useful in explaining why something happens. Take this paragraph on the causes of avalanches:

An avalanche is a huge snow slide that rushes down the side of a mountain, carrying large trees, rocks, and other debris in its path. Avalanches are similar to landslides but can be more dangerous and destructive. Avalanches can occur when huge amounts of new snow fall on layers of snow and ice that have become unstable because of melting. They can also be triggered by explosions or earthquakes.

Read the paragraph on avalanches again:

Where is definition used in this paragraph? How about comparison?

MASTER FOUR PATTERNS OF ARRANGEMENT

As you have learned, there are several ways to develop details in a paragraph. These methods—narration, description, comparison/contrast, definition, classification, illustration, and cause and effect—relate to the paragraph's purpose. You should also learn patterns of arrangement—ways to organize details in a paragraph.

There are four basic patterns, but there are as many variations on such patterns as there are writers who use them. Study these four patterns of arrangement. You can use any of them regardless of the method of development you choose.

GENERAL-TO-SPECIFIC PATTERN

The pattern that begins with a general statement followed by specific supporting details can be used to argue a point or make an abstract idea clear. In the next paragraph, the writer starts with the idea that living with an alcoholic parent is difficult. This is the topic sentence. She then gives details to explain how difficult this problem is.

The nights that my mother was home were nightmares. She sat on the living room couch with a case of Budweiser, just drinking, listening to music, and talking to herself. On many occasions, she turned up the record player so high that the police stopped by our house late at night to ask that she lower the volume. I spent those evenings sitting up with my crying sister reassuring her that everything would be all right, while the sounds of Paul Anka vibrated into her bedroom. My brother went for long walks and sometimes didn't return until school was dismissed the next afternoon. The day after, I would find my mother sitting on the couch surrounded by beer cans and slumped over one corner of the couch. The record player would still be running, with the needle in the center of the record, playing nothing. (Author anonymous, "Mom")

SPECIFIC-TO-GENERAL PATTERN

This pattern can help you create suspense or build to an emotional high point. The following paragraph starts with a specific detail that leads to a more general topic sentence.

I was too cold now. My teeth were chattering, my feet frozen like lifeless stumps. I looked up to the heavens and screamed in agony, damning the fates. I lit another cigarette and expressed my dismay over the two friends who had accompanied me on this pilgrimage. Suddenly, I spotted them walking back to the car, their heads down, shoulders hunched, and hands buried deep within their coat pockets. I knew there was no need to talk. I understood immediately that they had found no help. I handed the keys and the lighter to Jason. He fumbled with them for a few minutes, but with no luck. Robert walked to the park bench and sat down. I looked away from them. My own frustration was compounded by the pain in their eyes. I felt another surge of self-pity. The dull agony of the cold, the biting pain of the wind, the guilt of endangering the lives of my friends: it was all too much to bear. (Bill McGlynn, "Taking the Blame")

QUESTION-TO-ANSWER PATTERN

Beginning with a question can capture the reader's attention. It is also an easy way to arrange information. After asking the question, you can fill the rest of the paragraph or essay with details that answer or relate to it.

What's so bad about junk food? A great deal. For example, it usually contains artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives—additives that pose serious health hazards and, over the long run, may cause cancer. In addition, much junk food is packed with sugar, fats, or cholesterol. It adds inches to our waistlines, clogs our arteries, and disturbs our metabolism. Most important, junk food contains few nutrients. Eating cotton candy, potato chips, and chocolate bars may satisfy our hunger, but for that very reason it keeps us from eating the foods we need to stay healthy. (Nicholas Cannino, "The Junk-Food Junkie")

ORDER-OF-IMPORTANCE PATTERN

Fiction writers often save the most important or startling information for last. This technique helps them maintain suspense and create emphasis. You can use this pattern whether your purpose is to tell a story, describe a scene, explain an idea, or defend an opinion. The next paragraph is a good example.

I am divorced now, free and alone, a woman of 45 with children who have gone off to finish school, to start families, and to spin out lives of their own. I got married when I was nineteen. Back then, some young people got married because they were genuinely in love, but too many of those I knew tied the knot for the wrong reasons. Some sought security; some, companionship, romance, or sex. A few even "had to" get married. But the most compelling reason to wed in those days was that everyone else was doing it, and nobody wanted to be left behind. (Lena Schmidt, "Time to Grow Up")

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Chronological Order refers to the practice of organizing information by time, either from the past to the future or the future to the past. Narratives (either chronological narratives or process narratives) are organized in chronological order. Brevity - Say More with Less Clarity (in Speech and Writing) Coherence - How to Achieve Coherence in Writing Flow - How to Create Flow in Writing Inclusivity - Inclusive Language The Elements of Style - The DNA of Powerful Writing Recommended Academic Writing – How to Write for the Academic Community Structured Revision – How to Revise Your Work Professional Writing – How to Write for the Professional World Credibility & Authority – How to Be Credible & Authoritative in Speech & Writing Citation Guide – Learn How to Cite Sources in Academic and Professional Writing Page Design – How to Design Messages for Maximum Impact Suggested edits. 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Genre may reference a type of writing, art, or musical composition; socially-agreed upon expectations about how writers and speakers should respond to particular rhetorical situations; the cultural values; the epistemological assumptions... Grammar refers to the rules that inform how people and discourse communities use language (e.g., written or spoken English, body language, or visual language) to communicate. Learn about the rhetorical... Information Literacy - Discerning Quality Information from Noise Information Literacy refers to the competencies associated with locating, evaluating, using, and archiving information. In order to thrive, much less survive in a global information economy — an economy where information functions as a... Mindset refers to a person or community’s way of feeling, thinking, and acting about a topic. The mindsets you hold, consciously or subconsciously, shape how you feel, think, and act–and... Rhetoric: Exploring Its Definition and Impact on Modern Communication Learn about rhetoric and rhetorical practices (e.g., rhetorical analysis, rhetorical reasoning,  rhetorical situation, and rhetorical stance) so that you can strategically manage how you compose and subsequently produce a text... Style, most simply, refers to how you say something as opposed to what you say. The style of your writing matters because audiences are unlikely to read your work or... The Writing Process - Research on Composing The writing process refers to everything you do in order to complete a writing project. Over the last six decades, researchers have studied and theorized about how writers go about... Writing Studies Writing studies refers to an interdisciplinary community of scholars and researchers who study writing. Writing studies also refers to an academic, interdisciplinary discipline – a subject of study. Students in... Featured Articles Find Study Materials for Explanations Business Studies Combined Science Engineering English Literature Environmental Science Human Geography Macroeconomics Microeconomics Social Studies Browse all subjects Read our Magazine Create Study Materials Flashcards Create and find the best flashcards. Notes Create notes faster than ever before. Study Sets Everything you need for your studies in one place. Study Plans Stop procrastinating with our smart planner features. Chronological Description The word chronology can be broken down into the Greek words krono, which means “time,” and l ogia,  a branch of learning or discourse. The meaning of chronological description thus has to do with arranging discourse according to time. Chronological descriptions are among the most common ways to describe an event because they follow the natural order that people understand in their everyday experiences. 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Instand access to millions of learning materials Flashcards, notes, mock-exams and more Everything you need to ace your exams 5 Paragraph Essay Argumentative Essay Cues and Conventions English Grammar English Language Study Essay Prompts Essay Writing Skills Global English History of English Language International English Key Concepts in Language and Linguistics Language Acquisition Language Analysis Language and Social Groups Lexis and Semantics Linguistic Terms Listening and Speaking Multiple Choice Questions Research and Composition Action Verbs Adjectival Clause Adverbial Clause Anthropomorphism Appositive Phrase Argument from Authority Argumentation Auditory Description Basic Rhetorical Modes Begging the Question Building Credibility Causal Flaw Causal Relationships Cause and Effect Rhetorical Mode Central Idea Circular Reasoning Circumlocution Classical Appeals Classification Close Reading Coherence Between Sentences Coherence within Paragraphs Coherences within Sentences Complex Rhetorical Modes Compound Complex Sentences Concessions Concrete Adjectives Concrete Nouns Consistent Voice Counter Argument Definition by Negation Description Description Rhetorical Mode Direct Discourse Equivocation Extended Metaphor False Connections False Dichotomy False Equivalence Faulty Analogy Faulty Causality Fear Arousing Gustatory Description Hasty Generalization Illustration Induction Rhetoric Levels of Coherence Line of Reasoning Missing the Point Modifiers that Qualify Modifiers that Specify Narration Rhetorical Mode Non-Sequitur Non-Testable Hypothesis Objective Description Olfactory Description Paragraphing Parenthetical Element Participial Phrase Personal Narrative Placement of Modifiers Post-Hoc Argument Process Analysis Rhetorical Mode Red Herring Reverse Causation Rhetorical Fallacy Rhetorical Modes Rhetorical Question Rhetorical Situation Scare Tactics Sentimental Appeals Situational Irony Slippery Slope Spatial Description Straw Man Argument Subject Consistency Subjective Description Tactile Description Tense Consistency Tone and Word Choice Transitions Twisting the Language Around Unstated Assumption Verbal Irony Visual Description Rhetorical Analysis Essay Single Paragraph Essay Sociolinguistics Summary Text Synthesis Essay Textual Analysis What Does Chronological Description Mean? In composition or speech, chronological description is a method of describing an action or event from beginning to end. Chronological order is also called linear order or time order because it denotes a movement through time in one forward direction. Description is a mode of speaking or writing—also known as a rhetorical mode —that recreates a person, place, event, or action for an audience. Rhetorical modes are a way of organizing communication so that the audience is impacted most effectively. They are also known as patterns of organization because they often happen naturally during discourse to create a natural pattern of discussion and/or argument. If rhetorical modes are about organizing communication for the benefit of the audience, then chronological descriptions are an excellent rhetorical tool because nearly everyone understands chronological order. This is because the entire human experience occurs in chronological order. For example, the first thing that happened to you today is that you woke up from sleeping (hopefully). You likely groomed yourself—changed your clothes, brushed your teeth, showered, or some other routine—then, at some point, you decided to study. Next, you picked up a digital device to find helpful content, and you navigated to this page. This is a (somewhat loose) chronological description of your day. Whether people are conscious of it or not, everyone experiences the same movement of time, so everyone has an innate understanding of chronological order. Stages of Chronological Structure Chronological descriptions can be organized by time—as you saw in the example about your hypothetical day—date, or as a series of steps in a process. The chronological structure of an event by date is written much the same way as if it were written by time. This is a helpful way to describe historical events. World War I began with the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, Archduke of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The very next month, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, and the War truly began, with the rest of the world joining in the conflict within a month after that. Trench warfare began in October 1914, after an indecisive victory between Germany and allied troops. After years of conflict in Europe, the United States declared war on Germany in April 1917. In September of 1918, American and French troops conducted the largest offense in US history with the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, where the victory was instrumental in bringing an end to the war. On November 11th, 1918, Germany signed the armistice after being given 72 hours to agree to the Allied Force's demands, and all hostilities were ordered to cease at 11 am Paris time. This example moves through the events of World War I in chronological order according to dates of significance. It would be much more difficult to understand this summary of the events if it was laid out other than chronologically. You can also use a chronological structure to explain the process of something. Think about a manual or instruction booklet you’ve read; if it was a good manual, it explained how to build the dresser (or whatever it was) by using transition words like first and next as it went through the process steps. Chronological Transition Words Transition words are those you use to transition from one piece of a chronological structure to the next. These words signal a transition from one step to the next. Look for these transition words that signal a transition through time: Look for these transition words that signal a movement through a sequence of some sort: First, second, third, etc. A transition isn’t always summed up in a single word, but these are common transition words you’re likely to see—or use—in a chronological description. Chronological Description in Writing with Examples The way you organize your writing is as important to the meaning as the content itself. If you don’t order your writing in a way that makes sense to the audience, then they’re likely to become confused and lose interest. Chronological descriptions are often used in expository writing . There are four common types of expository writing ; comparison / contrast , description, process analysis, and cause/ effect. These writing styles aim to expose information (hence the name, expository writing). Chronological descriptions help the audience understand something by exposing a chain of events. Three of the most common types of expository writing that benefit from chronological descriptions are: Describing the history of a topic Narrating a story Explaining how to do something You can use chronological description to explain information in all of these situations. Chronological Description: History Telling the history of something is perhaps the most natural place to use chronological description. It begins with the inception or beginning of something, then moves through its different phases, and ends with either the present time or a particular event that caused it to conclude. Oscar Wilde’s wild life began in 1854 as he was born in Dublin, Ireland, with the given name Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde. He began studying classics at Trinity college in 1871, and then in 1878, he won the Newdigate Prize for his poem Ravenna. After his personal life swelled with marriage and the birth of two children, his career as an author took off with the publication of titles such as Lady Windermere’s Fan, The Picture of Dorian Gray, An Ideal Husband, and The Importance of Being Ernest (and many more) between the years of 1891 and 1895. After suing the Marquess of Queensberry for libel due to a crude remark, Wilde was prosecuted for “gross indecency” and found guilty. After two years in prison, Wilde was released. This historical description of Oscar Wilde's life takes significant events one-by-one, going through time from beginning to end. Notice there is no emphasis on the order of importance—or what was the most significant thing that happened to him. Chronological Description: Narrative Narration is essentially story-telling, and how could anyone tell a story without the use of chronological description? It would be much, much more difficult. Narration depends on chronological order because it often seeks to mirror real-life experiences—which, as previously discussed, follow a chronological pattern. When the boy came back, the old man was asleep in the chair, and the sun was down. The boy took the old army blanket off the bed and spread it over the back of the chair and the old man’s shoulders. They were strange shoulders, still powerful although very old, and the neck was still strong too and the creases did not show so much when the old man was asleep and his head fallen forward. This example is a quote from Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea (1951). Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea is an interesting example of chronological order. It is a novella divided by days in the man's life rather than traditional chapters. This quote is found in the section for Day One. The chronology is subtly expressed in the first line of this quote. Because the story follows only a few days of the man’s life, Hemingway expresses the movement of time by describing where the sun is in the sky. Chronology will not always be expressed in obvious terms such as first, next, and last. Notice Hemingway doesn’t say, “Next, the boy took the old army blanket off the bed, then spread it over the back of the chair.” Keep an eye out for subtle references to chronological descriptions, especially in creative narratives. Chronological Description: Process Chronological descriptions are naturally used to describe processes because a process by nature has a clear beginning, middle, and end. It is important to walk through a process in chronological order to see your audience through to the finished product. You might notice a chronological structure in essay prompts or assignments on an exam. Carefully read the following six sources, then synthesize material from at least three. Next, produce a well-written essay in which you incorporate your own ideas based on your analysis of the three sources. This is a clear breakdown of the expectation for the assignment. Because it was explained with chronological description, the student knows exactly how to proceed with the assignment and in which order. Chronological Order in a Paragraph It is possible to craft an entire essay around a chronological description or simply use it as a tool to address a larger topic. Whatever the aim, you can use chronological structures to your advantage, one paragraph at a time. If you are writing a descriptive essay structured in chronological order, you should assemble your essay with each body paragraph taking one piece of the chronology at a time. This structures your essay in a way that clearly lays out the movement of time or steps. Remember, in a multi-paragraph essay, the body paragraphs are the place for you to provide support for your thesis or the main idea for your essay. Each body paragraph should have a topic sentence in which you address the main point of that particular paragraph. For a description essay that uses chronological order, the topic sentences for your body paragraphs should be the element or stage of the chronology that you will address in that paragraph. Your paragraphs could take the subject by date or time or by the structure of the thing you’re examining (line-by-line of a poem, for example). Remember to use helpful transition words to signal your movement through time or the process. A basic outline for body paragraphs using chronological description looks like this: Body paragraph 1 (one step or piece of the event) Topic sentence Discussion of larger context Body paragraph 2 (next step or piece of the event) Body paragraph 3 (next step or piece of the event) Don’t simply state the order of events in a descriptive essay that uses chronological order; you should try to illustrate connections between what is happening and whatever your main idea is for the essay. You can do this by discussing what is happening in the larger context with each new step in the chronology. Chronological Description - Key Takeaways In composition or speech, chronological description is a method of describing an action or event from beginning to end Chronological order can be explained by time, date, or steps in a process Transition words can be used to transition from one piece of a chronological structure to the next. Chronological descriptions are often used in expository writing You can organize an essay around a chronological structure by using the body paragraphs to break down the steps or events Flashcards in Chronological Description 20 What is the definition of chronological description? In composition or speech, chronological description is a method of describing an action or event from beginning to end. True or false: Description is a rhetorical mode If rhetorical modes are about organizing communication for the benefit of the audience, then ________     _______ are an excellent rhetorical tool because nearly everyone understands chronological order Chronological descriptions Chronological descriptions can be organized by ______, ________, and ____________. Time, dates, steps in a process. Which of the following is an example of a common source of chronological descriptions involving a process An instruction manual First, next,  and last  are examples of ______ ________. Transition words Learn with 20 Chronological Description flashcards in the free StudySmarter app We have 14,000 flashcards about Dynamic Landscapes. Already have an account? Log in Frequently Asked Questions about Chronological Description What is the chronological order in essay writing? Chronological order in essay writing is a method of describing an action or event from beginning to end to expose information to the audience. What is the purpose of chronological writing? The purpose of chronological writing is to show the movement of time or steps in a process, from beginning to end, to explain or expound on a larger concept. How do you write in chronological order? You write in chronological order by finding your starting point and breaking the event or process into sequential pieces. Use transition words to indicate movement from one step in the chronology to another. Is chronological order used in expository writing? Yes, chronological order is used in expository writing. Is chronological order from oldest to newest? Yes, since chronological order is the arrangement of events from first to last, it moves from oldest to newest. Test your knowledge with multiple choice flashcards Join the StudySmarter App and learn efficiently with millions of flashcards and more! Keep learning, you are doing great. Discover learning materials with the free StudySmarter app About StudySmarter StudySmarter is a globally recognized educational technology company, offering a holistic learning platform designed for students of all ages and educational levels. Our platform provides learning support for a wide range of subjects, including STEM, Social Sciences, and Languages and also helps students to successfully master various tests and exams worldwide, such as GCSE, A Level, SAT, ACT, Abitur, and more. We offer an extensive library of learning materials, including interactive flashcards, comprehensive textbook solutions, and detailed explanations. The cutting-edge technology and tools we provide help students create their own learning materials. StudySmarter’s content is not only expert-verified but also regularly updated to ensure accuracy and relevance. StudySmarter Editorial Team Team Chronological Description Teachers 11 minutes reading time Checked by StudySmarter Editorial Team Study anywhere. Anytime.Across all devices. Create a free account to save this explanation.. Save explanations to your personalised space and access them anytime, anywhere! By signing up, you agree to the Terms and Conditions and the Privacy Policy of StudySmarter. Sign up to highlight and take notes. It’s 100% free. Join over 22 million students in learning with our StudySmarter App The first learning app that truly has everything you need to ace your exams in one place Flashcards & Quizzes AI Study Assistant Study Planner Smart Note-Taking Is MasterClass right for me? Take this quiz to find out. Get 50% off this Father's Day. Offer Ends Soon Writing 101: The 8 Common Types of Essays Written by MasterClass Last updated: Jun 7, 2021 • 3 min read Whether you’re a first-time high school essay writer or a professional writer about to tackle another research paper, you’ll need to understand the fundamentals of essay writing before you put pen to paper and write your first sentence. Most Common Book or Essay Organization Patterns Paul Bradbury​/Getty Images Homework Tips Learning Styles & Skills Study Methods Time Management Private School College Admissions College Life Graduate School Business School Distance Learning M.Ed., Education Administration, University of Georgia B.A., History, Armstrong State University To improve your ability to understand a difficult book or passage, you might start by finding the organization pattern. This may sound more difficult than it is. There are a few ways that writers can choose to organize their work , and the organization depends very much on the topic. If you were writing a description of your bedroom, for example, you would most likely use a spatial organization pattern. In other words, you would most likely start by describing one "space" and move on to another space, and keep going until you've covered the entire room. Spatial organization would be a suitable type of pattern for real estate professionals to use when describing a property.  Then again, if you were required to describe the events that led up to a certain event in history, your most likely organization pattern would be chronological . Chronological refers to the order that things happen in time. You might describe the legislation that set the stage for a particular event, followed by the public response to that legislation, and followed again by social conditions that changed because of the previous events. So, one of the first things you should do when trying to understand a difficult text is to figure out the particular organization pattern. This helps you frame the entire work in your brain or on paper, as when you're writing an outline. Chronological Organization A chronological organization is used by writers when they want to describe what happened or happens in a particular order. Your entire history book is most likely written in a chronological patter. Some of the types of work that might follow this patter include the following. You can see that this type of organization is best when describing things that happen over time. History chapters Biographies Summer vacation essays Legal case studies Logical Organization A logical organization might be used in many ways. Logical organization refers to works that express a point or position using evidence. Argument essays Comparison essays Functional Organization A functional organization system is used to explain how or why things work. The following types of writing might use this organization pattern most effectively. How-to essays Step-by-step essays Instruction manuals  Spatial Organization Spatial organization is used in essays that describe or give direction concerning a physical location. Descriptions Anatomy essay Descriptions in fiction The purpose of developing and understanding organization patters is to help our brains set the stage and know what to expect. These patterns help us to build a framework in our minds and place information in the correct "places" on that framework. Once you determine the overall organization of any text, you'll be better equipped to process information as you read. When writing your essays and chapters, you should keep your intended organizational pattern in mind as you work, to provide your readers with a clear message that is easily processed. 50 Great Topics for a Process Analysis Essay Structure of a Descriptive Essay Definition and Examples of Evaluation Essays Spatial Order in Composition Topical Organization Essay Understanding Organization in Composition and Speech The Essay: History and Definition How to Outline and Organize an Essay Definition and Discussion of Lexical-Function Grammar The Difference Between an Article and an Essay 6 Traits of Writing What an Essay Is and How to Write One How to Write a Descriptive Paragraph Organizational Strategies for Using Chronological Order in Writing 6 Steps to Writing the Perfect Personal Essay Development in Composition: Building an Essay More from M-W To save this word, you'll need to log in. Log In chronological Definition of chronological Examples of chronological in a sentence. These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'chronological.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples. Word History chonological from chronologic + -al entry 1 or from chronology + -ical ; chronologic from chronology + -ic entry 1 , probably after French chronologique or New Latin chronologicus 1614, in the meaning defined above Phrases Containing chronological chronological age Dictionary Entries Near chronological chronologer Cite this Entry “Chronological.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chronological. Accessed 12 Jun. 2024. Kids Definition Kids definition of chronological, more from merriam-webster on chronological. Nglish: Translation of chronological for Spanish Speakers Britannica English: Translation of chronological for Arabic Speakers Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! Can you solve 4 words at once? Word of the day, efficacious. See Definitions and Examples » Get Word of the Day daily email! Popular in Grammar & Usage What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism', more commonly misspelled words, commonly misspelled words, how to use em dashes (—), en dashes (–) , and hyphens (-), absent letters that are heard anyway, popular in wordplay, the words of the week - june 7, 8 words for lesser-known musical instruments, 9 superb owl words, 10 words for lesser-known games and sports, your favorite band is in the dictionary, games & quizzes. Definition of Chronology Examples from literature. The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway When the boy came back the old man was asleep in the chair and the sun was down. The boy took the old army blanket off the bed and spread it over the back of the chair and over the old man’s shoulders. They were strange shoulders, still powerful although very old, and the neck was still strong too and the creases did not show so much when the old man was asleep and his head fallen forward. Mr. Jones, of the Manor Farm, had locked the hen-houses for the night , but was too drunk to remember to shut the popholes. With the ring of light from his lantern dancing from side to side, he lurched across the yard, kicked off his boots at the back door, drew himself a last glass of beer from the barrel in the scullery, and made his way up to bed, where Mrs. Jones was already snoring. As soon as the light in the bedroom went out there was a stirring and a fluttering all through the farm buildings. Word had gone round during the day that old Major, the prize Middle White boar, had had a strange dream on the previous night and wished to communicate it to the other animals. In this example, from George Orwell’s novel, there is an intriguing example of chronology. The narrative depicts a significant shift in Manor Farm’s operations as all activities come to a halt. The contextual clues subtly suggest an evening setting, as indicated by the awakening lantern light. Furthermore, the mention of the extinguished bedroom light and the reference to the previous night further reinforce the passage’s temporal progression. This portrayal emphasizes that chronology in a narrative does not always adhere to a strictly linear structure. Instead, it can be skillfully woven into the story using implicit cues from the surrounding natural elements, enhancing the overall flow and enjoyment for readers. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness , it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way—in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only. Preface to Aeneid by R. W. MacFarland This narration occupies the second and the third nooks, which, therefore, in the order of time, are first and second, while which stands, first, is the third in the course of events. The others are in their natural order. But this arrangemnet of the first three books, has the advantage of making the hero relate the destruction of Troy. Function of Chronology The function of chronology in literature is instrumental in providing readers with a comprehensive understanding of the unfolding events. The use of chronology enables readers to discern whether the events take place in the past, present, or future by establishing the temporal framework of a narrative. This context allows readers to engage with the story and its developments logically. Furthermore, chronology serves as a guidepost for comprehending the order in which events occur, offering a sense of structure and progression. The chronological sequence allows readers to follow the storyline more effectively, gaining insight into the causal relationships between events and appreciating the overall coherence of the narrative. Ultimately, the function of chronology is key to providing readers with a cohesive framework that promotes their immersion in the story and enhances their comprehension of the events as they unfold. Related posts: Post navigation. In order to continue enjoying our site, we ask that you confirm your identity as a human. Thank you very much for your cooperation. 333 IMAGES Chronological essay. How Do I Write An Essay In Chronological Order Essay writing chronological order Chronological essay. How Do I Write An Essay In Chronological Order Chronological Order in Essay Writing Chronological Order in Essay Writing Chronological Order|Paragraph Writing in English|Methods of Writing a good Paragraph VIDEO A friend in need is a friend indeed 🤣🤣🤣 #shorts #funny #cat #shortsfeed #catlovers #meowpeow Summary of Definition and Components Essay Writing Definition Essay (10/24/23) Chronological Periods of English Literature || By Dr. Vinay Bharat || Foundation for UGC-NET|| Chronological Sequence Essay Writing for English 1302 COMMENTS How to Write a Chronological Essay 5 Tips on Writing a Chronological Essay. 5.1 Pick an Idea and Make a Plan. 5.2 Use a Variety of Sentence Structures to Keep Your Writing Interesting. 5.3 Provide Sufficient Details. 5.4 Use Transitional Words and Phrases, Such As "First," "Next," and "Then," to Indicate the Chronological Flow. 5.5 Use Headings and Subheadings to ... 9.3 Organizing Your Writing Exercise 3. On a separate sheet of paper, write a paragraph that discusses a passion of yours. Your passion could be music, a particular sport, filmmaking, and so on. Your paragraph should be built upon the reasons why you feel so strongly. Briefly discuss your reasons in the order of least to greatest importance. Chronology: Definitions and Examples Specifically, chronology is the science of ordering of events by time, is closely related to timekeeping itself, and is important across almost every discipline of study. In literature and writing, a chronology means a timeline of events or a history; for example, A Chronology of Candle-making would give a timeline of candle-making's history ... Chronological Essay: What Is It? How to Write It? + FREE Example A chronological paper is the one where all the events are written in a linear order, starting from the very beginning and ending with the last event of the sequence. Basically, biographies are often written chronologically: you first read about the date and circumstances of someone's birth, then — childhood, studying, adult life, and death ... Chronological Order Chronological order is mostly used in expository writing, which is a form of writing that narrates, describes, informs, or explains a process. When using chronological order, arrange the events in the order that they actually happened, or will happen if you are giving instructions. This method requires you to use words such as first, second ... When & How to Use Chronology When to Use Chronology. Basically, you always need to at least consider chronology when writing, in one way or another. When you are sharing any type of event or sequence of events, the timeline is important in just about every case, across all genres of both fiction and nonfiction. Of course, it is particularly important to establish a ... Chronology Academic Paragraphs: Types of Transitions Part 1: Transitions Between Paragraphs (video transcript) Academic Paragraphs: Types of Transitions Part 2: Transitions Within Paragraphs (video transcript) Academic Paragraphs: Appropriate Use of Explicit Transitions (video transcript) Engaging Writing: Incorporating Transitions (video transcript) 4.3 Organizing Your Writing Chronological order is most commonly used in expository writing. It is useful for explaining the history of your subject, for telling a story, or for explaining a process. Order of importance is most appropriate in a persuasion paper as well as for essays in which you rank things, people, or events by their significance. Organizational Strategies and Chronological Order In composition and speech, chronological order is a method of organization in which actions or events are presented as they occur or occurred in time and can also be called time or linear order. Narratives and process analysis essays commonly rely on chronological order. Morton Miller points out in his 1980 book "Reading and Writing Short Essay ... The Four Main Types of Essay An essay is a focused piece of writing designed to inform or persuade. There are many different types of essay, but they are often defined in four categories: argumentative, expository, narrative, and descriptive essays. Argumentative and expository essays are focused on conveying information and making clear points, while narrative and ... Paragraph Patterns It arranges information in chronological (time) order; one event in a story or one step in a process follows another just as it happened. ... Definition: Explains what a term means. Classification: Distinguishes between types or classes. ... After asking the question, you can fill the rest of the paragraph or essay with details that answer or ... Chronological Order Chronological Order refers to the practice of organizing information by time, either from the past to the future or the future to the past. ... Genre may reference a type of writing, art, or musical composition; socially-agreed upon expectations about how writers and speakers should respond to particular rhetorical situations; the cultural ... Chronological Description: Meaning & Examples In composition or speech, chronological description is a method of describing an action or event from beginning to end. Chronological order is also called linear order or time order because it denotes a movement through time in one forward direction. Description is a mode of speaking or writing—also known as a rhetorical mode —that ... Writing 101: The 8 Common Types of Essays Writing 101: The 8 Common Types of Essays. Written by MasterClass. Last updated: Jun 7, 2021 • 3 min read. Whether you're a first-time high school essay writer or a professional writer about to tackle another research paper, you'll need to understand the fundamentals of essay writing before you put pen to paper and write your first sentence. Definition Essay Definition is a rhetorical style that uses various techniques to impress upon the reader the meaning of a term, idea, or concept. Definition may be used for an entire essay but is often used as a rhetorical style within an essay that may mix rhetorical styles. For example, you may need to use definition in order to fully explain a concept ... Most Common Book or Essay Organization Patterns Spatial organization would be a suitable type of pattern for real estate professionals to use when describing a property. Then again, if you were required to describe the events that led up to a certain event in history, your most likely organization pattern would be chronological. Chronological refers to the order that things happen in time. Chronological Definition & Meaning How to use chronological in a sentence. of, relating to, or arranged in or according to the order of time; also : reckoned in units of time… See the full definition Chronology Chronology refers to the orderly arrangement of occurrences or incidents, particularly in a historical context. Its roots can be traced back to the Greek words "Kronos" and "Logia," signifying the study of time. Over time, the Greek term "Kronos" evolved into the Latin term "chronologia," which eventually became "chronology ... CHRONOLOGICAL Definition & Meaning Chronological definition: arranged in the order of time. See examples of CHRONOLOGICAL used in a sentence. Chronological Order Definition & Examples Chronological order is the arrangement of events based on the time they occurred. There are different ways to arrange events. For instance, people can arrange the events of their lives based on ... Chronological Definition & Meaning Chronological definition: Arranged in order of time of occurrence. Of chronology; esp., containing or relating to an account of events in the order of their occurrence. essay report thesis