Your professor has assigned you a paper; you have chosen a topic; you have memorized the essay structure; and you have picked an analytical strategy with which to approach your topic. Perhaps you even have an outline. Now it is time to put your ideas into words.
You will discover, however, that putting thoughts into words can be quite difficult. Your readers not only need you to present material in a logical fashion, but they also need you to present material in a way that engages their interest.
Fortunately, there are patterns for presenting your material that can engage readers. Learning these patterns can help when it is time to begin writing. The patterns can apply to paragraphs, paper sections, and entire papers.
Click on the carousel items below to see the different types of writing patterns.
Some writing activities have specific writing patterns associated with them. Though sometimes an entire assignment can consist of these activities, they can also be just one component of a larger assignment. Here are some frequent examples of activities with specific writing patterns: