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College Writing Guide

How to Organize

Effectively organizing your paper’s ideas is key! If your paragraphs are well organized, your readers can easily read and understand your ideas.

The three most common ways to organize a paper are by:

  • CHRONOLOGY: timing or steps
  • IMPORTANCE: least to most
  • LOGICAL BREAKS: reasons or solutions

Create a Thesis Statement

Your thesis statement, usually placed at the end of your introduction, points to the purpose of your paper and sets up readers' expectations.

REMEMBER: the thesis is not a mere statement of fact; it is an assertion (SCOPE) you must support (POINTS)

General Printable Organizers and Outlines

Use these organizers and outlines to help you organize your paper.

Specific Printable Organizers and Outlines

These organizers and outlines are based on thinking patterns.

Templates

Use these Word templates to start your paper with the correct formatting (header, titles, etc.)

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