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Spatial Order

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 readers, 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 this method is to choose a specific starting point and then guide the reader to follow your eye as it moves in an orderly fashion from your starting point. Pay attention to the following student’s description and how she guides the reader through the viewing process, foot by foot.

Sample Spatial Order Paragraph

Attached to my back-bedroom wall is a small wooden rack dangling with red and turquoise necklaces that shimmer as I enter. Just to the right of the rack, billowy white curtains frame a large window with a sill that ends just six inches from the floor. The peace of such an image is a stark contrast to my desk, sitting 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 three-dimensional 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 much of the lavender wall.

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

The information in this section comes from Successful College Composition p.24-29: Crowther, Kathryn; Curtright, Lauren; Gilbert, Nancy; Hall, Barbara; Ravita, Tracienne; and Swenson, Kirk, “Successful College Composition” (2016).  Galileo: English Open Textbooks . Successful College Composition is a transformation of Writing for Success, a text adapted by The Saylor Foundation under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License without attribution as requested by the work’s original creator or licensee. Kathryn Crowther, Lauren Curtright, Nancy Gilbert, Barbara Hall, Tracienne Ravita, and Kirk Swenson adapted this text under a grant from Affordable Learning Georgia to Georgia Perimeter College (GPC) in 2015.

Spatial Order by Cheryl McCormick; Sue Hank; and Ninna Roth is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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What Is Spatial Order And How To Use It In Essay?

Jared Houdi

Table of Contents

what is space order in an essay

When it comes to effective writing, high school and college students typically think about aspects like good story content, convincing evidence, appropriate word choice, correct grammar, etc.

But the clear and logical organization is an essential part of effective writing, too.

There are several patterns of logical organization that can be used in writing academic essays and term papers :

  • Chronological order.
  • Compare-contrast pattern.
  • Order of importance.
  • spatial order.
  • Problem-solution method.
  • Cause-effect pattern.
  • Advantages-disadvantages pattern.
  • Topical pattern.

There are no strict rules which pattern should be used for an effective conveying of ideas. Think carefully of patterns that make sense, and would help your readers get a better understanding of the information.

Besides, paper organization principles have many variations, and very often, different methods are combined.

Let’s talk of the most commonly used patterns: the spatial order meaning and its function.

Spatial order as a principle of organization

Writing an impressive high school or college academic essay depends on the logical organization of the content. Pro essay writing websites recommend organizing your thoughts is as important as the choice of relevant facts to prove your point of view.

For example, in a description of a scene or setting, a specific logical order helps the audience visualize the scene.

… So, what is spatial order?

It is a type of logical organization pattern that is used in descriptive writing. Its main feature is that things are described as they appear when observed.

This approach makes it easier for writers to paint a vivid picture for readers.

Let’s discuss this concept in detail and begin with spatial order definition.

Spatial order definition

…How would we define spatial order?

It’s a principle of descriptive writing when items are arranged in the order of their physical location or correlation.

This structural order in descriptive paragraphs determines the readers’ perspective and how details are perceived. Focus is on location; time is ignored.

How may this organizational arrangement be used?

  • In fiction , it is used for descriptions of objects and places; in nonfiction – for describing physical or social phenomena.
  • Technical writers can use this method for explaining how a mechanism works or how parts of a machine fit together.
  • Food critics apply this pattern when they review a new restaurant for a description of the dining area.
  • Architects utilize this order to describe designs of buildings.

What is the spatial order?

…What does spatial order mean?

If talking about descriptions, this method means that the writer explains or describes objects as they are arranged in space. It creates a picture for readers, and the audience’s perspective is the viewpoint from which the writer describes what’s around.

First, the writer has to choose a specific starting point and then create an orderly logical progression by providing readers with directional signals they should follow from place to place.

If the description is complicated, you can use a simple chart or diagram to help your readers understand it quickly.

Spatial writing: the details

A spatial organization of information in paragraphs is also called descriptive writing. It is often used when a narrator wants to describe how something looks. For example, you can use this approach in descriptive essays about a person when you describe someone’s appearance, starting from the feet and moving up to the head.

Take a look at spatial order example which describes various layers of a volcano.

A volcano is a beautiful and dangerous natural phenomenon. The magma chamber, an extremely hot part which people rarely see, is under the Earth surface beneath the bed’s rock. The conduit is running from the volcano’s magma chamber to the crater which is at the top of the volcano.

Logical order of location in space can be used in some narrations, classifications, comparisons, and other forms of expository writings.

Have a look at this description paragraph.

According to annual weather patterns, there are 6 major climate regions. In the extreme northern latitudes, the climate is polar without any plant life. Next to it, there is cold tundra in the extremes of the north of Asia and North America where we can find shrubs and grasses. In the adjacent temperate regions, there are forests with a rich diversity of plants.

Don’t worry if you still have some trouble with a proper understanding of what the spatial order is. You can always count on us and order essay from experienced writers.

What are spatial order signal words?

Here is a short list of spatial order signal words which might indicate that a speaker or a writer is following a spatial organization pattern.

Many of these words are prepositions that are placed at the beginning of sentences to connect them with the ideas expressed in the preceding sentences.

  • On the left hand
  • On the right hand
  • Attached to
  • At the top of
  • To the side of
  • In front of

These words are used to build a vivid picture that the audience can grasp.

Spatial organization in writing: how to..?

what is space order in an essay

The spatial pattern works well when writers want to create mental pictures of something that has various parts distinguished by physical location. You may start by describing a scene, object, or a location as a whole and then focus on specific details in the setting.

This type of organization is the best for describing a setting and scene, but writers can also utilize it for giving directions or instructions.

If you wish to apply this method of organization in your description, you need to make a series of decisions.

  • First of all, decide what scene you want to describe first. You should take the perspective of your readers and determine what details are the most important and relevant for them.
  • Then you should think about the aspects of the scene you want to include in your description and describe all the elements in a logical order, choosing a starting point. When utilizing this pattern in essays describing items, writers can start from the left and move gradually to the right or go from top to bottom, from inside to outside or from west to east.
  • It’s essential to use transition words and phrases to show logical relationships between the details.

Read this description of a room where all the details are described in the order of their location in space.

When you walk in the door of my bedroom, the first thing you notice is a large bed on the wall. In front of my bed, there is a grey carpet on the floor. Above the bed, there is a beautiful picture and an old clock. As you turn to the left, you will see a wardrobe and a big mirror.

This approach to the logical organization has some disadvantages as well. When a writer describes elements in such a way, all of them get equal weight.

But if you want to emphasize one specific aspect of a scene and draw particular attention to something, a spatial pattern makes it hard to achieve that goal so you’d better choose another organization method.

Without a clear organizational pattern, your readers could become confused.

A solid organizational pattern helps your audience see connections and allows them to stay focused. Spatial organization in writing a descriptive essay allows readers visualize something as the writer wants them to see it, by evoking a scene using five senses (sight, taste, smell, touch, and sound).

But you shouldn’t use spatial writing in long text because they may sound monotonous and your readers will be bored. Think about other methods of organizing your ideas.

Sometimes, it is better to use a chronological pattern or even just stream-of-consciousness method to communicate a specific idea in a clear, intelligible manner.

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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.

Spatial Order in Composition

  • An Introduction to Punctuation
  • Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
  • M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
  • B.A., English, State University of New York

In composition , spatial order is an organizational structure in which details are presented as they are (or were) located in space—from left to right, top to bottom, etc. Also known as order of place or space structure, spatial order describes things as they appear when observed. In  descriptions of places and objects, spatial order determines the perspective from which readers observe details.

David S. Hogsette points out in Writing That Makes Sense: Critical Thinking in College Composition that " technical writers may use spatial order to explain how a mechanism works ; architects use spatial order to describe a building design; [and] food critics reviewing a new restaurant use spatial order to describe and evaluate the dining area," (Hogsette 2009).

As opposed to chronological order  or other methods for data organization, spatial order ignores time and focuses primarily on location (or space, which makes this term easy to remember).

Transitions for Spatial Order

A spatial order comes with a set of transitive words and phrases that help writers and speakers navigate a spatially ordered paragraph and distinguish its parts. These include above, alongside, behind, beneath, beyond down, farther along, in back, in front, near or nearby, on top of, to the left or right of, under and up, and more.

Just as the words first, next and finally function in a chronological organization, these spatial transitions help guide a reader spatially through a paragraph, especially those used to describe scene and setting in prose and poetry. 

For instance, one might start by describing a field as a whole but then focus in on individual details as they relate to one another in the setting. "The well is next to the apple tree, which is behind the barn," or, "Further down the field is a stream, beyond which lies another lush meadow with three cows grazing near a perimeter fence."

Appropriate Use of Spatial Order

The best place to use spatial organization is in descriptions of scene and setting, but it can also be utilized when giving instructions or directions. In any case, the logical progression of one thing as it relates to another in a scene or setting provides an advantage to using this type of organization.

However, this also provides the disadvantage of making all items described within a scene carry the same intrinsic weight or importance. By using spatial order to organize a description, it becomes hard for the writer to ascribe more importance to, say, a dilapidated farmhouse in a full detailing of a farm scene.

As a result, using spatial order to organize all descriptions is not advised because sometimes it is important for the writer to only point out the most important details of a scene or setting, giving emphasis to things like the bullet hole in a glass window on the front of a house instead of describing every detail of the scene in order to convey the idea that the home is not in a safe neighborhood.

Writers should, therefore, determine their intention when setting a scene or occurrence before deciding which organization method to use for it. Although the use of spatial order is quite common with scene descriptions, sometimes chronological or even just stream-of-consciousness is a better method of organization to convey a certain point.

Hogsette, David. Writing That Makes Sense: Critical Thinking in College Composition. Resource Publications, 2009.

  • What Is Composition? Definition, Types, and Examples
  • Understanding Organization in Composition and Speech
  • How to Write a Descriptive Paragraph
  • Description in Rhetoric and Composition
  • Understanding General-to-Specific Order in Composition
  • 5 Examples of How to Write a Good Descriptive Paragraph
  • Structure of a Descriptive Essay
  • 40 Topics to Help With Descriptive Writing Assignments
  • Process Analysis in Composition
  • 6 Traits of Writing
  • Supporting Detail in Composition and Speech
  • 5 Key Ingredients for Great Feature Stories
  • How to Write Interesting and Effective Dialogue
  • What Is Expository Writing?
  • The 8 Elements of Composition in Art
  • Use Verbs and Adjectives to Brighten up Your News Stories

Table of Contents

Collaboration, information literacy, writing process, spatial order.

Spatial Order refers to the practice of organizing information (e.g., descriptions of places and objects, instructions and processes) according to their physical location.

It is commonplace in many genres (especially fiction genres but also nonfiction genres) for writers to describe a scene so that readers can imagine themselves in that setting.

  • At the beginning of a novel or movie, a fiction writer or screenwriter could begin with a tight focus on the central protagonist and then move out (e.g., left to right, top to bottom, circle view) to reveal that character’s setting.
  • A realtor uses a floorplan to organize a description of a house for sale
  • A geologist uses GPS coordinates to chart soil contamination around an old gas tank at a gas station.
  • An art critic writes a critique of a painting.
  • A police officer draws a map of an accident scene based on accident reports.

Sample Transitional Words for Spatial Order

Brevity - Say More with Less

Brevity - Say More with Less

Clarity (in Speech and Writing)

Clarity (in Speech and Writing)

Coherence - How to Achieve Coherence in Writing

Coherence - How to Achieve Coherence in Writing

Diction

Flow - How to Create Flow in Writing

Inclusivity - Inclusive Language

Inclusivity - Inclusive Language

Simplicity

The Elements of Style - The DNA of Powerful Writing

Unity

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Learn How to Use Spatial Order in Your Academic Writing

Spatial Order

Writing is all about how you organize information precisely. Whatever methods you use to project your arguments will decide the effectiveness of your writing. This is because the information is meaningless if you do not provide a proper sense or sentiments on it. Therefore, digging out more insights on spatial order is worthwhile to demonstrate a good example of your writing.

As a matter of fact, writing is not limited to one technique. Whether you are a student or a professional writer, you always try to project ideas differently. It makes writing more engaging and compelling. So, direct your thoughts in the right direction to seize the readers’ attention as writing is a dynamic field.

Table of Contents

What is Spatial Order?

Spatial order allows writers to arrange details as they were located. It is an imperative method to systemize thoughts or ideas according to their physical location. Furthermore, spatial signifies something that is related to or occupies space. Now, you can understand the verbal meaning of the term spatial ordering that describes things according to their arrangement in space.

When it comes to sharing your experience in words, it gets easy for writers to look around and describe things in spatial sequencing. It provides depth to their writing.  Spatial order in writing renders engagement, sequence, and logical progression that allow readers to interpret the directional signals easily.

Author David S. Hogsette evaluates the spatial order definition in his book “ Writing That Makes Sense: Critical Thinking in College Composition . ” According to his writing, he explains that everybody uses the spatial sequence to demonstrate the significance of their work whether they are architects or technical writers or food critics.

Possible Transition Words Used in Spatial Order Writing

Many ideas strike your mind when you jot down your experience in words. In academic writing, you cannot ignore the vitality of spatial order, especially when you work on statistics homework. This is because statistics compel you to collect, organize, interpret, and present information appropriately.

Being a statistics homework solver, you should know how to represent the details in the best manner.

How to Use Spatial Order in Writing?

Describing your experience in the best use of words reflects your proficiency in writing. Likewise, if you choose to write statistics homework or essays, your expressions have enough strength to attract readers’ attention. The traces of spatial order in writing will help to boost its desirability. So, let’s uncover the appeal of spatial sequence in writing in six crucial steps:

Select a compelling topic

Brainstorming ideas, visualize the experience, prepare an outline.

  • Use transition or signal words

Proof-read the complete work

Good writing starts from an engaging topic. Whether you are working for academic work or professional write-up, a topic can change the complete picture. So, if you are ready to infuse your ideas into your writing even using spatial logic, pick an interesting topic.  Ask a few stimulating questions to yourself before picking any topic

  • What makes you write about your experience?
  • Is it enough to get the attention of your readers?

Now, you have done half of your work by picking an interesting topic to share with your audience. The next step is to contemplate the thoughts and ideas in your mind. Every bit of information can change the complete scenario. So, utilize your time to understand the essence of data and evaluate it.

At this step, you clearly know what spatial order is. When you need to write logically in order to establish a relationship between particular experiences, you have to build a picture in your consciousness. Through proper visualization, it gets painless to present your perspectives in sequence.

Note : Prepare a rough note and write the story as it happened before providing a final outlook to your essay .

By absorbing the depth of your experience or data, it will help you to draw an effective outline. By projecting information in a prescribed manner, you can boost the readability of your write-up. The best spatial order example you can get from statistics homework. It shares how data can be used to solve social as well as analytical problems. Therefore, it is highly desirable to prepare an outline of your essay.

Think deeply about how you will represent your data to make it more worthwhile for reading. So, it is wise to provide a proper structure to your essay before jumping to put down your thoughts on a piece of paper.

Use transition and signal words

How to make your write-up logical and meaningful? While pondering over this concern, you should acknowledge the use of transition and signal words. As discussed above, you can use the required words to create a transition in your thoughts. For more insights on the use of transition and signal words in your statistics homework, connect with a statistics homework solver.  The way you use each word in composing your academic papers will decide its effectiveness.

As said, “ Words are free. It’s how you use them that may cost you .”  ByKushandWizdom

The most vital step to provide closure to your writing is to review it.  Proofread your work carefully to pick out the mistakes or typo errors. It will help you to boost your marks. Here, you also need to check out the personification of your details. You should evaluate your work or information and examine if it signifies the proper sequence and spatial order in writing.

Also, Read: Know Everything About Modern Literature

How Spatial Order Is Effective in Writing a Descriptive Text?

Sometimes, it gets hard to evaluate the potency of spatial ordering. It makes your writing hard to interpret. It creates chaos in the readers’ minds and reduces the efficacy of your writing. However, being a student, you have to work on different kinds of academic projects like essays and assignments. While writing a descriptive text, the use of spatial ordering will provide meaning to your experience.

According to the article “the effectiveness of spatial order in writing a descriptive text,” spatial ordering reflects the order of arrangement by space. In this writing, you need to describe the object sequentially. It also helps students to organize their ideas properly.

This article shares the outcomes of questionnaires asked by many students to understand the effectiveness of spatial sequence in writing. The positive outcomes of including spatial ordering in writing follow:

  • It boosts students’ ability to write proper descriptions.
  • It helps in digging deeper knowledge of a text.
  • Through spatial ordering, it gets easy to comprehend the text.
  • The use of spatial sequencing allows scholars to present a story smartly.

Key Points to Keep in Mind While Using Spatial Order

Uncovering the facts through your assignments makes you conscious of losing the marks. Many scholars find it hard to describe the information logically. The use of spatial sequence makes writing more meaningful. To make the best use of this writing technique, pay attention to the following prompts:

  • Make sure to not use spatial logic in long essays or paragraphs.
  • It allows you to establish a flow between ideas.
  • Students can use spatial order to evoke emotions in writing.
  • It helps you to generalize the complete scenarios.
  • This technique will not be helpful in writing if you need to focus on a particular aspect of a scene.

What to Do Next? Start Unfolding Your Ideas in Writing With Us!

Projecting your ideas in papers may not be an easy task. But, once you are ready to unveil your experience in words, you need to infuse proper flow in your writing. It allows writers to use different writing techniques in their writing. For that, spatial order in writing is one of the valuable techniques to use in writing. Go through the article and interpret the significance of spatial sequence to write your experience. In case you are working on statistics homework, use transition and signal words to have the best spatial order examples.

Facing difficulties in writing papers is not a surprise for many students. Instead of lowering your capabilities, search for possible sources of assistance. You can access our platform to receive the exposure of our best experts. Grab our paper help and let us know your part of the concern. With us, you will find affluent opportunities to develop intellectual skills and writing capabilities. Backed with 360 degrees of assistance, our experts prepare outstanding academic projects to enhance students’ learning.

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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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Chapter 9 Writing Essays: From Start to Finish

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

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 .

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.

what is space order in an essay

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

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.
  • Successful Writing. Authored by : Anonymous. Provided by : Anonymous. Located at : http://2012books.lardbucket.org/books/successful-writing/ . License : CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike

what is space order in an essay

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 An organizational method that arranges events or steps in the order that they have occurred or will occur. is mostly used in expository writing Writing that conveys facts or descriptions. , 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 A method of organization that arranges ideas according to their significance. 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 A method of organization that arranges ideas according to physical characteristics or appearance. 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.

what is space order in an essay

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.

logo

How to Use Spatial Order in Essays and Assignments

  • Spatial order definition

Using the Spatial Order in Essay Writing

How do i use spatial order in an essay, the importance of spatial order in essay writing.

You could be struggling to understand the meaning of spatial order in writing. Let us, in this article, demystify the tenets of spatial order. Good command of English alone won't make a difference in writing the best quality essays. Instead, combining the command of English with good organization of your essay makes you an effective writer.

Regarding organization, a good essay has to have the best presentation and logical development of ideas.

Your tutors or professors do not tell you that these are some of the areas they asses when marking your essays.

Gradecrest.com through its R&D department has worked hard to ensure that our clients get the best.

That makes us the best fast essay writing service . When the writers set out on their writing journey, they usually observe the text structure as well as cohesive elements to ensure our clients get quality papers.

A good essay structure means the ideas are woven together in the best manner possible. However, apart from the structure, a cohesive organization glues the details together to make a good essay.

Spatial order is an example of a cohesive organization that writers can use for excellent essays.

Spatial Order Definition

A spatial order organizational style is also known as the order of place or space structure.

It helps in the presentation of ideas or things as is in their locations.

Compared to the chronological order that lists ideas from top to bottom based on their date of occurrence, spatial order focuses on the description of the locations of things.

Ordinarily, spatial ordering makes the use of phrases such as: o n top of, in front of, besides, alongside, beyond, further from, further along, behind, centric, elevated from, and under, just to mention a few.

Spatial ordering or spatial organization is used when writing descriptive essays.

The main agenda here is to invoke the senses of the reader and help them have a good grip on the concepts and facts presented in the essay.

There are different steps to follow when using the spatial order:

  • Decide on the scenarios that need to be described in the beginning : Always start with the most important ideas, especially when you have two or more scenarios, like when writing a descriptive essay . Space the ideas based on their relevance, weight, and importance in the essay and make up your mind on what, to begin with.
  • This sets the mood for your audience and keeps them glued to your paper. Should spatial order reflect in the first paragraph? Yes, this would be good as your thesis statement will lead the audience into the body and keep them glued to the end.
  • Want quality custom written essays by the experts? You should order it with us. Gradecrest.com has writers who are well versed in spatial ordering. Tutors from the world over like spatial ordering: it is a gateway to scoring high in your essays.
  • Details of the Scene : Once you have decided on the scenarios, proper planning is inevitable. While planning is quintessential in any form of writing assignment whether it be essays, research papers, speech, and coursework, spatial ordering means going further than the initial plan. It means setting every detail when describing a scene, to capture the finer details, the physical location of everything as you begin the writing process.
  • Have a logical flow when describing the elements : Spatial order is all about logic. When writing in a logical order, the elements flow seamlessly. As a rule of thumb, spatial order entails the description of events from top-bottom or the furthest right to the furthest left; the decision is purely on you as a writer. When ideas are closer to the rights of your readers, they interact with it first hand and do not struggle to get the gist of your writing. Forming logical relationships is a tough endeavor. However, the use of transitions and avoiding too many adjectives in your writing can spark the minds of the audience. You must also display high levels of critical thinking and creativity to maintain an audience to the end.

If you are writing a descriptive essay about a place or a narrative essay, spatial ordering can come in handy.

The spatial order has some benefits besides assuring you of the best grades.

  • It simplifies the complex processes and scenes and thus increasing the flow and understanding of ideas in the essay. A reader easily relates to ideas and facts in a spatially ordered essay.
  • It improves the originality of your essay as you express creativity and critical thinking more than using logical order or other ordering approaches.
  • It evokes the senses of the reader and makes it easy for them to visualize the gist of the essay. You would want to please that hard professor to get the best grades. Trust us, our team of experts can write you the best essay with flawless grammar, well researched, spatial order arrangement, and plagiarism free. Place an order and enjoy our special

Note that using too much spatial arrangement in your essay is discouraged as it might give some unimportant scenes importance.

Therefore we recommend only using spatial ordering when seeking to spice up an essay but be wise when using spatial order.

It is always best to get academic writing help if you do not understand how to.

List of Transitional Words to use in Spatial Order Essays

When writing descriptive essays using the spatial order approach, certain signal words can help you bring the best out of the paper. Use these signal words in your spatial order essays and wow your professor, lecturer, or teacher for the best grades.

  • To the left
  • Slightly below
  • Parallel to
  • Alternate to
  • Adjacent to
  • To the side
  • On the right hand
  • On the left hand
  • At the top of
  • At the bottom of
  • At a depth of

These transition words are like power words to incorporate in your essay when you decide to use a spatial order. They help give a positional placement of an object when describing its features.  For instance, when describing a character, the writer can describe the placement of the television on the scene. They will have to explain it in relation to where the character is seated or standing.

Spatial Essay Order Outline Example

To reiterate, spatial order is mostly used in compositions to present the details of a given subject depending on the location it is in. It is an approach used mostly in constructive writing. Majorly, it helps frame the object relative to its place and create an ideal mental image to the reader. When writing a spatial order essay or composition, like for instance, a profile essay of a person or place, you must first begin by drafting an outline.

Mostly, spatial order essays are five-paragraph essays. They can be anything between 500 words or 1000 words, depending on the essay prompt.

 Below are some of the components of the outline:

Spatial Order Essay Introduction

  • Essay hook or grabber to lure the attention of the readers
  • Background of the essay, covering the reasons for the topic of object choice
  • Thesis statement, which outlines what the spatial order essay is all about.

The Body of the Spatial Order Essay

  • Description of the first object (topic sentence, supporting ideas and facts (in-text citations and signal words), and concluding sentence).
  • Description of the second object (topic sentence, supporting ideas and facts (in-text citations and signal words), and concluding sentence)
  • Description of the third object (topic sentence, supporting ideas and facts (in-text citations and signal words), and concluding sentence)
  • Description of the nth object (topic sentence, supporting ideas and facts (in-text citations and signal words), and concluding sentence)

Note that every single body paragraph should contain only one idea or object description.

Conclusion of a Spatial Order Essay

  • Concluding transitions and sentence
  • Summary of the entire essay
  • Restated thesis statement
  • Final words or concluding remarks

We hope that our advice helps. 

what is space order in an essay

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Spatial Order Organization: What Is It and How to Use it in Essay Writing

Adela B.

Table of contents

According to Merriam-Webster , spatial order organization is the process of relating to space and the objects in it. In writing, it refers to a method in which ideas and elements are laid down logically according to the sequence of their location or their relationship.

Spatial order organization is like putting a disarray of elements into one specific order. It's like fitting pieces of a puzzle together to create a compelling story.

Yes, something like that.

In this article, you will learn more about what spatial order organization is and how you can use it while writing essays for high school and college.

What is Spatial Order Organization

For any kind of essay assignment, grammar, choice of words, information, and also research findings are the main characteristics that students focus on. Similarly, laying down the information in a logical order is also equally indispensable and shouldn’t be sidelined.

Unlike chronological order and other methods of writing, spatial order does not rely on time but is instead solely dependent on the location of the objects. To implement spatial order in your essays and other writing assignments, your information needs to be in an organized format and should showcase the ideas of the writer in a logical flow. It should convey the exact situation as it was observed the first time. This writing format is mostly used for descriptive essays.

Let’s take a look at a few advantages and disadvantages of spatial order organization.

Advantages of Spatial Order Organization in Writing

  • There might be times when you would have to describe and involve a lot of objects in your scene setting. In the absence of spatial order, this could lead to confusion for you and your professors, who would not be able to follow the sequence of your description. Spatial order results in clear writing.
  • A scene can be completely described using logical order. Through this logic, your professors will understand the content of your essay, no matter how complex the event or scene is.
  • The use of transition and signal words in spatial order essays is highly necessary as they connect all the ideas and details of the essay and enhance the readability of your paper.

Disadvantages of Spatial Order Organization in Writing

  • Due to the usage of sequence and order in the writing pattern of your essays, reading it can become monotonous. Hence, using it for long texts and essays should be avoided.
  • When the writer showcases all the elements of the spatial order essay in a particular arrangement, equal weight is distributed to all these elements. So, if the writer wants to emphasize on a specific aspect of the scene, or draw attention to a particular subject in the essay, they would not be able to frame that essay easily.

How to Effectively Use Spatial Order Organization in Writing?

‘Spatial order organization’ sounds fancy, but how do you use it appropriately while writing your essays? Here are six essential tips to help you use them correctly to enhance your writing.

1. Select an interesting topic

To write an attention-grabbing paragraph, you need to write on a subject that converges with the spatial organization. Brainstorming is an excellent method to come up with various topic ideas and figure out a basic content structure.

When you write your ideas down, you visually explore the concepts before making a final decision. Ask yourself a few questions:

  • What do you want to write about?
  • How will this be relevant to whoever reads it?
  • Will this topic be of interest to your readers?

2. Structure an outline

Creating an outline should be your next step, as this will make your content flow, give it direction and make it look more organized.

Don't digress from your chosen topic. Digressing will make you lose focus on your spatial structure and content, which will end up creating a negative impression of your effort.

3. Share references and examples

If you’re finding it difficult to write the content for your chosen topic, use references from the internet that will assist in forming your spatial essay.

In these types of essays, visual cues are extremely important. Since these are descriptive in nature, you would majorly be describing an event, a place, a thing, or a situation. Giving examples and references within the body will guide your readers in understanding and literally visualizing what you want to say.

Ensure that you pick a starting point and an ending point so that you can arrange all the details properly for your body paragraph.

Here’s a useful video by IELTS Liz on how to use examples in your essay

4. Construct the body paragraphs

Structuring your body paragraphs is vital. In spatial-order essays, writers have the freedom to choose any sequence, side, or process.

They can choose not to write the essay from the main character’s point of view as well as start the essay from the ending. But remember that the body paragraphs should provide clear divisions or chronological steps.

To make it easier for your readers to understand the sequence of the essay, transitional words in the body paragraphs are used to create a relationship between the full-blown information present and the concepts that are to be expanded. That gives you a high-scoring essay .

5. Use transition and signal words

The usage of transition words and signal words in spatial-order essays is very crucial. They are necessary to link the ideas of the writer and make the paragraph more coherent.

Transition words and spatial order essays go hand in hand, as they make it easier to interpret the entire scenario that the writers are trying to describe to their readers. They also help in assisting the readers in reading the essay in a spatial, logical order.

Here are some examples of transition words:

  • In spite of
  • In contrast to
  • At the same time

Signal words, on the other hand, are prepositions that denote the location, place, and position of the subject in view. Here are a few examples of spatial order signal words:

  • Across from
  • On the left
  • On the right
  • Attached to
  • At the top of
  • At that point

6. Personalize and make it self-explanatory

As you craft your spatial order essay, add a note of personalization to your paragraphs. Since these kinds of essays are laid down in a particular order and can get predictable, including personal tones and phrases can help your essay become relatable and more enjoyable.

For example, if you are writing about your college dorm room, you need to add a bit of your personality in your writing. Through this, the readers will latch on to your emotions and that personal touch, making it possible for them to visualize every detail from the writer’s point of view.

Thus, they could conjure up a visual description of your dorm room.

Now that you know the methods to keep in mind while creating a spatial order organization essay, here is an example of the same to get a clearer idea:

“ When you walk into my room, the first thing you’ll see is a queen-sized bed with its back against the wall. As you go further, you will notice an indigo carpet on the floor, right at the foot of the bed.

On the right-hand side of the bed, on the wall, you will see eight photographs of my family and friends and a large wall hanging beside it. When you look over to the left side of the bed, you will see a beautiful antique clock and my guitar placed right underneath it.

Facing the exit, there are two brown cupboards on your right and a full-body mirror leaning next to it. ”

In this passage, the reader can clearly visualize where all the items in the room are placed as they have been enlisted in the order of their location. Spatial order essays thus give structure to the description and paint a picture for the readers, making it easier to comprehend.

Spatial order organization is a primal factor for writing descriptive, logically sequenced essays.

There are many who don't focus on the sequence of their essay, and there are many who have never heard of spatial order.

These essential tips will help you use spatial order organization in your essay writing, giving you an edge over other students in class. The logical sequencing will enhance the quality of your essay and is sure to leave your teachers impressed.

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what is space order in an essay

Spatial Order

what is space order in an essay

As stated in " 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.

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
  • Exercise 9.5
  • 17143 reads
  •  Front Matter
  • Components of a Sentence
  • Compound Subjects
  • Exercise 2.1
  • Action Verbs
  • Linking Verbs
  • Helping Verbs
  • Exercise 2.2
  • Sentence Patterns
  • Exercise 2.3
  • Common Sentence Errors
  • Run-on Sentences
  • Punctuation
  • Coordinating Conjunctions Tip
  • Exercise 2.4
  • Key Takeaways KEY TAKEAWAYS
  • Writing Application
  • Exercise 2.5
  • Exercise 2.6
  • Compound Subjects Tip
  • Separation of Subjects and Verbs
  • Collective Nouns
  • The Subject Follows the Verb
  • Questions Tip
  • Exercise 2.7
  • Exercise 2.1 Writing at Work
  • Exercise1 Exercise 2.1
  • Exercise 2.8
  • Exercise 2.9
  • Exercise 2.2 Writing at Work
  • Exercise 2.10 Tip
  • Exercise 2.11
  • Exercise 2.12 Writing at Work
  • Exercise 2.13
  • Indefinite Pronouns and Agreement
  • Exercise 2.14
  • Exercise 2.15
  • Exercise 2.16
  • Exercise 2.17
  • Exercise 2.18
  • Good versus Well
  • Bad versus Badly
  • Better and Worse
  • Exercise 2.19
  • Exercise 2.20 Writing at Work
  • Exercise 2.21
  • Exercise 2.22
  • Exercise 2.23
  • Key Takeaways
  • Exercise 2.24
  • Exercise 3.1
  • Commas in a List of Items
  • Exercise 3.2
  • Exercise 3.3
  • Exercise 3.4
  • Exercise 3.5
  • Exercise 3.6
  • Semicolons to Join Two Independent Clauses
  • Exercise 3.7
  • Colons to Introduce a List
  • Colons to Introduce a Quote Tip
  • Exercise 3.8
  • Direct Quotations Writing at Work
  • Punctuating Direct Quotations
  • Quotations within Quotations
  • Exercise 3.9
  • Exercise 3.10
  • Exercise 3.1 KEY TAKEAWAYS
  • Exercise 3.11
  • Hyphens between Two Adjectives That Work as One
  • Hyphens When a Word Breaks at the End of a Line
  • Exercise 3.12
  • Commonly Confused Words
  • Exercise 4.1
  • Exercise 4.2
  • Exercise 4.1 Tip Tip
  • Exercise 4.3
  • Exercise 4.2 Writing at Work
  • Using a Dictionary and Thesaurus
  • Exercise 4.4
  • Exercise 4.5
  • Exercise 4.6
  • Exercise 4.7
  • Exercise 4.8
  • Exercise 4.9
  • Exercise 4.10
  • Exercise 4.11
  • Exercise 4.12
  • Brief Definition or Restatement
  • Exercise 4.13
  • Exercise 4.4 Tip Writing at Work
  • Working with Words: End-of-Chapter Exercises Learning Objectives
  • Exercise 5.1 Tip Tip
  • Exercise 5.2
  • Exercise 5.3
  • Exercise 5.4
  • Exercise 5.5
  • Exercise 5.6
  • Exercise 5.1 Tip
  • Exercise 5.7
  • Exercise 5.8
  • Exercise 5.9
  • Exercise 5.10
  • Exercise 5.11
  • Exercise 5.12
  • Exercise 5.13
  • Exercise 5.14
  • Exercise 5.15
  • Exercise 5.16
  • Exercise 5.17
  • Exercise 5.18
  • Perfect Verb Tenses
  • Exercise 5.19
  • Exercise 5.20
  • Exercise 5.21
  • Exercise 5.22
  • Exercise 5.23
  • Exercise 5.3 Tip
  • Exercise 5.24
  • Help for English Language Learners: End-of-Chapter Exercises Learning Objectives
  • Identifying Common Academic Purposes
  • Summary Paragraphs
  • Analysis Paragraphs
  • Synthesis Paragraphs
  • Exercise 6.1 Writing at Work
  • Exercise 6.1
  • Exercise 6.2
  • Exercise 6.3
  • Developing a Topic Sentence Tip
  • Exercise 6.4
  • Exercise 6.5
  • Exercise 6.4 Writing at Work
  • Developing Paragraphs That Use Topic Sentences, Supporting Ideas, and Transitions Effectively
  • Identifying Parts of a Paragraph
  • Exercise 6.6
  • Supporting Sentences Tip
  • Exercise 6.7
  • Exercise 6.5 Writing at Work KEY TAKEAWAYS
  • Exercise 6.8
  • Exercise 7.1
  • Using Sentence Variety at the Beginning of Sentences
  • Exercise 7.2
  • Starting a Sentence with a Prepositional Phrase Writing at Work
  • Exercise 7.3
  • Connecting Ideas to Increase Sentence Variety
  • Joining Ideas Using an -ing Modifier
  • Dangling Modifiers
  • Joining Ideas Using an -Modifier
  • Joining Ideas Using a Relative Clause Tip
  • Exercise 7.1 Writing at Work
  • Coordination
  • Exercise 7.2 Writing at Work
  • Subordination Tip
  • Exercise 7.4
  • Exercise 7.5
  • Using Parallelism Tip
  • Exercise 7.6
  • Exercise 7.7
  • Exercise 7.8
  • Exercise 7.9
  • Exercise 7.10
  • Choosing a Topic
  • Using Experience and Observations Tip
  • Reading Tip
  • Exercise 8.1
  • Exercise 8.2 Tip
  • More Prewriting Techniques
  • Narrowing the Focus
  • Brainstorming Writing at Work
  • Idea Mapping
  • Exercise 8.2
  • Topic Checklist
  • Organizing Ideas
  • Methods of Organizing Writing
  • Exercise 8.3 Tip
  • Writing an Outline Tip Tip Tip
  • Constructing Topic Outlines
  • Exercise 8.4
  • Exercise 8.5
  • Getting Started: Strategies For Drafting
  • Exercise 8.3
  • Setting Goals for Your First Draft Writing at Work Tip
  • Discovering the Basic Elements of a First Draft
  • The Role of Topic Sentences Tip Tip
  • Exercise 8.6
  • Writing a Title
  • Writing Your Own First Draft
  • Understanding the Purpose of Revising and Editing Tip
  • Creating Unity and Coherence Tip
  • Exercise 8.6 Tip Writing at Work
  • Exercise 8.7
  • Being Clear and Concise
  • Exercise 8.8
  • Exercise 8.9
  • Exercise 8.10
  • Using Feedback Objectively
  • Editing Your Draft Tip
  • Checklist Tip Tip
  • Exercise 8.11
  • Exercise 8.12
  • Elements of a Thesis Statement
  • Exercise 9.1
  • Examples of Appropriate Thesis Statements Tip
  • Exercise 9.1 Writing at Work
  • Thesis Statement Revision Tip
  • Exercise 9.2 Writing at Work
  • Select Primary Support for Your Thesis Tip
  • Identify the Characteristics of Good Primary Support
  • Exercise 9.2
  • Exercise 9.3 Writing at Work Tip
  • Exercise 9.4
  • Exercise 9.5 Tip Tip
  • Exercise 9.6 Tip
  • Exercise 9.3
  • Exercise 9.7 Tip Tip Writing at Work
  • Exercise 9.6
  • Writing a Conclusion
  • Exercise 9.8 Tip Writing at Work
  • Writing Essays: End-of-Chapter Exercises
  • Constructive Criticism and Targeted Practice
  • Critical Thinking
  • Exercise 10.2
  • More Qualities of Good Writing
  • Rhetorical Elements and Cognate Strategies
  • Exercise 10.3
  • Exercise 10.4
  • Words Are Inherently Abstract
  • Words Are Governed by Rules
  • Words Shape Our Reality
  • Words and Your Legal Responsibility
  • Exercise 10.5
  • Do Sweat the Small Stuff
  • Get the Target Meaning
  • Consider the Nonverbal Aspects of Your Message
  • Review, Reflect, and Revise
  • Exercise 10.6
  • Additional Resources
  • Thinking Critically
  • Overcoming Fear of Writing
  • Exercise 11.1
  • Determining Your Purpose
  • Credibility, Timing, and Audience
  • Communication Channels
  • Exercise 11.2
  • Narrowing Your Topic
  • Focus on Key Points
  • Planning Your Investigation for Information
  • Staying Organized
  • Exercise 11.3
  • Business Ethics
  • Giving Credit to Your Sources
  • Challenges of Online Research
  • Evaluating Your Sources
  • Exercise 11.4
  • Managing Your Time
  • Compiling Your Information
  • Exercise 11.5
  • Exercise 11.6
  • General Purpose and Thesis Statements
  • Organizing Principles
  • Effective Sentences
  • Transitions
  • Exercise 12.1
  • Formal versus Informal
  • Introductions: Direct and Indirect
  • Adding Emphasis
  • Active versus Passive Voice
  • Making Errors at the Speed of Light
  • Exercise 12.2
  • Effective Argumentation Strategies: GASCAP/T
  • Appealing to Emotions
  • Recognizing Fallacies
  • Ethical Considerations in Persuasion
  • Exercise 12.3
  • Exercise 12.4
  • Evaluate Content
  • Evaluate Organization
  • Evaluate Style
  • Evaluate Readability
  • Apostrophes
  • Subject-Verb Agreement
  • Split Infinitive
  • Double Negative
  • Irregular Verbs
  • Commas in a Series
  • Faulty Comparisons
  • Misplaced Modifiers
  • Exercise 13.1
  • Break Up Long Sentences
  • Revise Big Words and Long Phrases
  • Evaluate Long Prepositional Phrases
  • Delete Repetitious Words
  • Eliminate Archaic Expressions or References
  • Avoid Fillers
  • Eliminate Slang
  • Evaluate Clichés
  • Emphasize Precise Words
  • Evaluate Parallel Construction
  • Obscured Verbs
  • The “Is It Professional?” Test
  • Five Steps in Evalution
  • Delivering the Evaluation
  • Exercise 13.2
  • Proofreading
  • Design Evaluation
  • Visual Aids
  • Designing Interactive Documents
  • Exercise 13.3
  • Tips for Effective Business Texting
  • Tips for Effective Business E-mails
  • Virginia Shea’s Rules of Netiquette
  • Exercises 14.1
  • Memo Purpose
  • Memo Format
  • Audience Orientation
  • Professional, Formal Tone
  • Subject Emphasis
  • Direct Format
  • Objectivity
  • Strategies for Effective Letters
  • Exercise 14.1
  • Traditional Categories
  • Ethos, Pathos, and Logos
  • Professional
  • Unsolicited
  • Sample Business Proposal
  • Exercise 14.2
  • What Is a Report?
  • Types of Reports
  • Informational or Analytical Report?
  • How Are Reports Organized?
  • Exercise 14.3
  • Main Parts of a Résumé
  • Contact Information
  • Work Experience
  • Use Key Words
  • Follow Directions
  • Insert a Key Word Section
  • Make It Easy to Read
  • Printing, Packaging and Delivery
  • Exercise 14.4
  • Format for a Common Sales Message
  • Getting Attention
  • Sales Message Strategies for Success
  • Exercise 14.5
  • General Formatting Guidelines
  • Exercise 15.1 Tip
  • Exercise 15.1
  • Exercise 15.2
  • In-Text Citations Writing at Work
  • References List Tip
  • Formatting Cited Material: The Basics
  • Formatting Brief Quotations
  • Formatting Paraphrased and Summarized Material Tip
  • Exercise 15.3 Tip
  • Exercise 15.4 Writing at Work
  • Formatting In-Text Citations for Other Source Types
  • A Work by One Author
  • Two or More Works by the Same Author Tip
  • Works by Authors with the Same Last Name
  • A Work by Two Authors
  • A Work by Three to Five Authors
  • A Work by Six or More Authors
  • A Work with No Listed Author
  • A Work Cited within Another Work
  • Two or More Works Cited in One Reference
  • A Famous Text Published in Multiple Editions
  • An Introduction, Foreword, Preface, or Afterword
  • Electronic Sources
  • Online Sources without Page Numbers
  • Exercise 15.5
  • Formatting the References Section: The Basics
  • Formatting the References Section
  • Exercise 15.3
  • Formatting Reference Entries for Different Source Types
  • A Book by Two or More Authors
  • An Edited Book with No Author
  • An Edited Book with an Author Tip
  • A Translated Book
  • A Book Published in Multiple Editions
  • A Chapter in an Edited Book
  • A Work That Appears in an Anthology
  • An Article in a Reference Book
  • Two or More Books by the Same Author
  • Books by Different Authors with the Same Last Name
  • A Book Authored by an Organization
  • A Book-Length Report
  • Exercise 15.6
  • An Article in a Scholarly Journal
  • An Article in a Journal Paginated by Volume
  • An Abstract of a Scholarly Article
  • A Journal Article with Two to Seven Authors
  • A Journal Article with More Than Seven Authors Writing at Work
  • A Magazine Article
  • A Newspaper Article
  • Exercise 15.7
  • Citing Articles from Online Periodicals: URLs and Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs)
  • An Article from an Online Periodical with a DOI
  • An Article from an Online Periodical with No DOI
  • An Article Accessed through a Database Tip
  • An Abstract of an Article
  • A Nonperiodical Web Document
  • Graphic Data
  • An Online Interview (Audio File or Transcript)
  • An Electronic Book
  • A Chapter from an Online Book or a Chapter or Section of a Web Document
  • A Dissertation or Thesis from a Database
  • Computer Software
  • A Post on a Blog or Video Blog Writing at Work
  • A Television or Radio Broadcast
  • A Television or Radio Series or Episode
  • A Motion Picture
  • A Recording
  • Exercise 15.8
  • Title Block Format
  • Paragraphs and Indentation
  • Tables and Illustrations
  • Parenthetical Citations
  • Exercise 15.4
  • Useful Sources of Examples of MLA Style
  •  Back Matter

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V. Process and Organization

5.1 Methods of Organizing Your Writing

Kathryn Crowther; Lauren Curtright; Nancy Gilbert; Barbara Hall; Tracienne Ravita; and Terri Pantuso

Now that you’ve identified your topic, it’s time to focus on how to best organize the information. Keep in mind that the method of organization for essays and paragraphs is just as important as content. When you begin to draft an essay or paragraph, your ideas may seem to flow from your mind in a seemingly random manner. However, your readers, who bring to the table different backgrounds, viewpoints, and ideas, need you to clearly organize these ideas to help them draw connections between the body and the thesis . A solid organizational pattern not only helps readers to process and accept your ideas, but also gives your ideas a path that you can follow as you develop your essay (or paragraph). Knowing how you will organize your paragraphs allows you to better express and analyze your thoughts. In addition, planning the structure of your essay before you choose supporting evidence helps you conduct more effective and targeted research. This section covers three ways to organize both essays and paragraphs: chronological order, order of importance, and spatial order.

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 used mostly 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 transitional 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.

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).

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.

Spatial Order

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 readers, 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 to 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.

Example of Spatial Order Organization

Attached to my back bedroom wall is a small wooden rack dangling with red and turquoise necklaces that shimmer as I enter. Just to the right of the rack, billowy white curtains frame a large window with a sill that ends just six inches from the floor. The peace of such an image is a stark contrast to my desk, sitting 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 three-dimensional 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 much of the lavender wall.

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

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

Table 5.1.1: Spatial Order Transition Words

This section contains material from:

Crowther, Kathryn, Lauren Curtright, Nancy Gilbert, Barbara Hall, Tracienne Ravita, and Kirk Swenson. Successful College Composition . 2nd edition. Book 8. Georgia: English Open Textbooks, 2016. http://oer.galileo.usg.edu/english-textbooks/8 . Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License .

A statement, usually one sentence, that summarizes an argument that will later be explained, expanded upon, and developed in a longer essay or research paper. In undergraduate writing, a thesis statement is often found in the introductory paragraph of an essay. The plural of thesis is theses .

5.1 Methods of Organizing Your Writing Copyright © 2022 by Kathryn Crowther; Lauren Curtright; Nancy Gilbert; Barbara Hall; Tracienne Ravita; and Terri Pantuso is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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What is a spatial order in speech and in writing?

Speech spatial order is a type of logical organization pattern that describes things according to their actual location in space. Definition: this order is also called the order of place and spatial structure. And in speech, it means that the narrator describes objects using an ordered logical sequence, describing things as they look when actually observed. An example is the following model: the narrator sets himself the task of describing the room, and in the description, he uses the spatial order, so his story will begin with the entrance to the room and with a description of those objects that first catches his eye. This will be followed by a description of the middle part of the room and only at the end – its distant elements. In this way, the narrator can observe the principle of spatial order and helps the listeners create a clear and vivid idea in their minds about the object of the story.

For what type of writing is spatial order usually best?

As a rule, the principle of spatial order is best suited for descriptive writing . For example:

  • In fiction or non-fiction, when a description is required to evoke certain feelings in the reader or to tell in great detail about the location of certain objects and places. And also, in order to describe physical or social phenomena.
  • In technical and scientific literature, when a specific explanation of the operation of various mechanisms, systems and devices is required. Or if you need to make it clear to readers what the structure consists of and how its various elements interact with each other.
  • In the case of interior descriptions by designers or critics. Here, they are faced with the task of conjuring up in the imagination of readers an idea of the arrangement of furniture, decor, and everything that fills the room. Spatial order will help a lot to achieve the best result.
  • Architects and designers also often resort to using this principle.
  • Of course, spatial order is also used when writing an essay.

types of writing in spatial order

How to write a spatial order essay?

To write an essay corresponding to the spatial order, it is necessary to describe objects in accordance with their actual position relative to you. Or, if you want to describe what this or that person looks like, then your description should begin with the legs and further up, ending with the head. In addition, before you start writing such an essay, you need to have an accurate idea of what is the main purpose of this description? You must decide what result you need to achieve so as not to deviate too much from the given topic in the process of writing an essay. And in order not to miss anything while writing, you can create a structured plan that will help you stay on course, because organization is the most important element of spatial order essay.

Of course, if you are a first-time writer, then it will be quite useful for you to have the help of a specialist or professional writer who will teach you and tell you what to look for when working with spatial order. You can find such an assistant on our site Writingstatement.com , and the Internet also is a great source of inspiration and filling ideas for writing an essay. On educational portals, you can read examples of written essays in spatial order to get an idea of how to do it right. And, finally, be sure to check the finished text for semantic and logical mistakes.

Define spatial order signal words

signal words in spatial order essay

Many of these words and phrases are prepositions and are at the beginning of a sentence, and they often act as connecting conjunctions, combining the previous sentence with the new one. The main role of signal words is to create a brighter and more understandable picture for the reader, which the author is trying to convey through words and sentences, in addition, they serve to clarify and create greater order in the entire text as a whole. When writing an essay in spatial order, the use of signal words should never be neglected.

What is a chronology? Why is it used in literature?

By itself, the concept of chronology means a list of events in their time sequence. In writing, authors usually tell a story, describing successive events from beginning to the end, so that a certain structured picture is formed in the imagination of readers, which helps them better understand the essence of what they are reading about. This order in literature is called chronological order, and is the most popular among writers. However, one can often find a work in which the chronological order is not observed at all, on the contrary, it is completely turned upside down, that is, the author begins his story from the end and gradually moves towards the beginning. In this order, understanding the big picture can be a little difficult, but often this style makes the work unique and unusual.

3 types of chronology in writing

Distinguishing the chronological type of writing from the rest is quite simple, since it basically includes very specific time periods in a logical sequence. The most popular types of chronology are the following three types:

  • Linear chronology . If the author uses this type of chronology, then all the events he describes occur according to an increasing time scale. For example: “Mr. Gray woke up at 9 o’clock in the morning, at 10 am he left for work, at 3 pm he had lunch in a restaurant, and by 6 pm he returned home.” This is a typical chronological linear sequence model.
  • Reverse chronology . This is a way of storytelling in which the plot of the story is revealed in reverse order, that is, the first scene described is actually the end of the plot, and the last scene is the first in chronological order. An example is the following plot: the main character of the novel goes to bed and falls asleep, the next event described will be what preceded her falling asleep and then right up to the moment when she woke up in the morning of the day described.
  • Nonlinear chronology . This type of chronology is not similar to either the first or the second; there is no clear  sequence and order in it. There are many digressions and disparate events in this way of writing, which sometimes helps the author to create a lively, interesting and extraordinary work. However, when choosing a non-linear chronology as a writing style, it is necessary to understand that it is quite easy to lose the thread of the narrative here or go astray, therefore this style is quite difficult.

Thus, we see that each type of chronology has its own nuances and its own individual structure, which must be followed from the beginning to the very end of the work. It makes no sense to mix and intertwine types of chronology with each other, since the narrative will lose its basis and become too vague and difficult to understand.

3 rules for writing a spatial order essay

So, having dealt with the three types of chronology, signal words and the concept of spatial order, we can derive three basic rules that must be followed when writing an essay in spatial order.

Choosing the right topic

The first thing you need to do before you start working on an essay is to choose a topic and create a structured plan that answers in detail all the questions related to your topic. These questions may sound like this: What is the main goal I pursue when writing this essay? What chronological structure do I want to use? How would it be better to formulate the topic of my essay so that it clearly reflects the intention of my work? There can be a huge number of such questions, however, the clearer your idea of ​​​​the topic is, the better and richer your essay will turn out.

Arrangement of information

A very important role is played by how correctly and logically you arrange the information blocks in your essay. The narration should be consistent and coherent, and thoughts should be clearly and understandably formulated in such a way that it is convenient for the reader to receive and remember the information that you present. Map out for yourself a visual diagram of what is your starting point (the beginning of the description), and which is the end point (the end of the description).

Transitional words

The third point, which is also one of the most important. The use of transitional words is an essential attribute when writing almost any descriptive essay of a spatial order, here are some of them:

  • nevertheless
  • in the same way
  • in spite of
  • in contrast
  • at the same time
  • while this might be true
  • on the other hand
  • for example
  • for instance
  • specifically
  • to illustrate, etc.

But it is important to note one more thing, transitional words should be appropriate, they should not be too much in sentences, they should not interfere with the general understanding of the text, otherwise your work will have too much water, which will make it difficult to read.

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Spatial Order: What It Is and How to Use It While Writing an Essay

by Robert Pattinson | Apr 8, 2023 | Student Guide | 0 comments

Spatial Order: What It Is and How to Use It While Writing an Essay

Initially, the meaning of spatial order in writing could be challenging to understand. Spatial order is how we organize information in space (e.g., a house or an event as a space), from top to bottom, from left to right, chronologically, etc. We also call it space structure or order of place. So, spatial order is the way we observe them appearing in space. It is one of the organizational methods that aid your writing while describing specific arrangements in space.

We regard it as being entirely rational and aids the reader in better analyzing a scene or circumstance. There is more to completing an essay than merely conducting research, which is drafting an outline and developing a perfect thesis statement.

You will discover every detail you need to know about spatial order in this article, from the definition of spatial order and how to use spatial order writing .

Table of Contents

What is the Meaning of Spatial Order?

What is the Meaning of Spatial Order?

It becomes simple for authors to glance around and convey information in spatial sequencing when presenting their experience in words. Also, this technique enables readers to visualize explanations logically.

What is Spatial Organization in Writing?

What is Spatial Organization in Writing?

While writing descriptive essays, spatial organization or spatial order is employed. The primary goal is to stimulate the reader’s senses and give them a solid understanding of the essay’s ideas and information.

Writing with spatial order organization opens up possibilities, sequencing, and logical progression, making it simple for readers to understand the directional cues. 

In descriptive writing, a writer can use various writing styles. These include:

  • Detailed descriptions
  • categorizations
  • evaluations
  • expository writing

All styles involve a logical order of spatial organization.

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What is the Spatial Order of Signal Words or Transition Words?

What is the Spatial Order of Signal Words or Transition Words?

In a spatial-order essay, the use of transition words or signal words is essential. They are necessary to connect the writer’s thoughts and improve the paragraph’s flow. Several spatial order transition words serve as prepositions, which link sentences to the concepts represented in the ones before them.

A speaker or writer describes a spatial organization pattern if they use any of the terms on this list of spatial order signal words.

At the top of

In front of

To the side of

Attached to

On the left hand

On the right hand

How to Write a Spatial Order Paragraph?

How to Write a Spatial Order Paragraph?

One of the most searched queries nowadays is How to get WebAssign Answers . If you need help with the answers, let us assist you.

What is Spatial Order in Speech?

What is Spatial Order in Speech?

The spatial speech pattern arranges data based on how objects fit together in space. This style works well when your primary points are directed to several places that may exist independently. The fundamental indication of spatial order demonstrates that the crucial issues are located in prominent places, just like you can explore more information on Nodal Analysis in this post.

The speech is organized using spatial patterns considering the subject’s physical location. A speaker could discuss the first level of a building and then proceed to the second and third floors.

How to Write a Spatial-Order Essay?

How to Write a Spatial-Order Essay?

Choose an Interesting Subject

Choose an Interesting Subject

An interesting subject is where good writing begins. A topic might alter the overall impression, whether you are writing for academic purposes or a professional audience. To begin, generate ideas for your subject. Writing down your thoughts allows you to visually examine them before deciding on a course of action. Think about the following questions.

  • What are you planning to write?
  • Will the reader find it helpful?
  • Will your readers be interested in this subject?

Create an Outline

Create an Outline

Provide Instances and References

Provide Instances and References

Build Your Body Paragraphs in The Right Way

Build Your Body Paragraphs in The Right Way

Use Transition and Signal Words

Use Transition and Signal Words

Concluding Each Paragraph

Concluding Each Paragraph

Make It Unique and Self-Explanatory

Make It Unique and Self-Explanatory

Ensure you include some of your personality in each paragraph while planning the spatial order essays. Using personal touch may assist in making your essay more engaging and fascinating, given that such essays are formatted in a specific aspect and may quickly become predictable.

Things to Remember while Writing a Spatial Order Essay

  • You may express, evaluate, and make sense of your thoughts with the help of a solid organizational structure.
  • Your body paragraph structure helps you and your audience stay on topic.
  • Preparing your essay’s organizational structure enables more efficient and targeted research.
  • Order of significance works best in persuasive essays and essays where you rank events and individuals or describe objects according to their importance.
  • The chronological sequence is helpful, whether narrating a story, outlining a method, or expressing your concern’s records.

The Benefits of Ordering Spatial Order Essays from Gotakemyonlineclass

Many students do not notice their essays’ logical order and have never heard of spatial order. You may employ spatial order structure in your essay writing with the assistance of these crucial ideas, giving you an advantage over all other students in the classroom.

Students will receive the Take my online class assistance and essay writing services from gotakemyonlineclass.com. If you have questions about producing an essay about spatial order, you can get them from our expert essay writing services.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is spatial order structure.

In spatial order structure, each central point is organized in a directed structure that links each main point to the overall structure. This structure is employed for informative speeches and written essays when the subject is arranged by place, geography, or going through an area.

What Are The Types Of Spatial Data?

Geometric and geographic data are the two major categories of spatial data. Anything capable of being projected to a sphere is considered geographic data. Anything capable of being translated into a flat, two-dimensional surface is known as geometric data.

What Is Spatial And Temporal Order?

The spatial order of objects explains how they look under observation. Temporal order is the inherent order of the cosmos, as seen by the way forces like gravity are ideal for supporting life.

What Is Spatial Vs Topical Order?

Significant points are arranged in a spatial order based on their physical and geographic ties. As opposed to Topical Order, when a topic is dissected into its component pieces and then organized in a specific order that the speaker specifies for a particular reason.

What Is Spatial Vs Chronological Order?

A chronologically ordered speech pattern arranges its critical points following a timeline of events or happenings. For an introduction and informational talks, this approach is highly effective. In contrast to how each primary point is arranged in a spatial pattern of organization , a directional structure connects each main point to the entire.

What Is An Example Of Spatial Order Speech?

The home was in good condition. High hills rose behind and not far on either side; some were open outages, while others were farmed and wooded. The view in front was more expansive. In this example of spatial order speech , the facts are organized using specific starting and ending points. The reader may better visualize the area in this explanation around the cottage with the help of these spatial order examples .

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Spatial Order

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Students have to scratch their heads for making their writing better than their fellows. Several attempts can go in vain if writing is not done systematically. A logical line-up of sentences and good vocabulary, along with sound research, is required to do top-notch writings. A writer must have a good storyline and a vast ocean of knowledge to express their thoughts beautifully.

As it is said that one shoe doesn't fit them all, there is no strict rule to follow for writing order or patterns. however, choosing a particular way can be helpful for impressive results.

In academic essay writing, various patterns are used to represent the event logically. Some are listed below:

  • Cause and effect pattern
  • Problem solution method
  • Spatial order
  • The pattern of advantage and disadvantage
  • Order of importance
  • A pattern of chronological order

The writer or student should first analyze all the patterns carefully and choose the best one to deliver their thoughts to connect with the audience.

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What Is Spatial Order?

Like any other writing pattern, the spatial order pattern is written to deliver a story's plot to showcase the crucial elements of a scene by describing the events in a systematic order. The content in the pattern can be arranged in any order, either from left to right or from top to bottom.

This form of pattern can be considered descriptive writing. Through this order, the visual description of the actual scenario can be done effectively and efficiently.

Persuasive Speech Topics

How do you structure an essay using spatial order.

To kick start your writings, the first thing you need to do is brainstorm. You should have a clear picture of significant points at the backend of your mind before writing. Once your thoughts are organized and crisp, you can pen down them beautifully.

  • Know the purpose of your writing first. Keep note of the thoughts that you gathered before writing.
  • Writing is not a cakewalk for many, so it is advisable to first look at the references and have a clear understanding and idea through magazines, other published articles or sources, and write-ups.
  • To make your writing sounds interesting, the first outline your ideas. For a proper direction outlining plays a crucial role. With the help of the outline of your essay, you can come to know the order of your write-up. The writer can create some suspense or narrate the story in an orderly manner.
  • Put all the inputs in one place for an outstanding output. After doing the above steps, your writing will automatically improve to the next level.

How To Use Spatial Orders Effectively?

This pattern is widely used for writing descriptive essays. That is to describe a situation in the best possible way so that readers can visualize the actual scenario. The case is made real by using different senses like smell, touch, sound, and taste to understand better and visualize.

The technique of spatial order can be used in different ways. By following the same techniques, spatial order speech can also be delivered. While in speech, the speaker has to put the details of the place. For instance, if the speaker talks about The Taj mahal, they need to describe the story behind, architect, feel, and many other related things.

Best College Essay Topics

Meaning of chronology in writing.

Chronology is necessary to apply almost everywhere while studying or writing something to organize things in a sequence. With the help of the chronology writing style, the users understand the scene in a systematic way with minimum effort. In this form of writing, the series of events is mentioned according to the time of their occurrence.

Different Types Of Chronology

There are no such types of chronology. However, they can be delivered in the following styles:

  • Simple or linear chronology - The writer puts the incidences as they occur in this style.
  • Non-linear chronology - A series of sequential events of a story without particular order.
  • Chronology done in reverse order- This is similar to the normal one but puts scenarios in reverse order as they occur.

  Tips And Tricks Of Impromptu Speeches

What is spatial order composition and the role of chronology.

To make someone understand your thoughts is not an easy exercise. You have to take care of each aspect carefully. That's why the writers are advised to use the best combination of writing styles to engage the readers. Both the spatial order and chronology writing style have their advantages. Chronological order helps put the storyline in an appropriate order, and on the other hand, spatial order is to do for adequate visualization of the incidences. The audience can understand well when the writing is done by following both techniques.

Things to Remember While Writing Spatial Descriptive Writings

It's always better to do things appropriately. Here are some things to remember while writing:

  • Select the scene you want to showcase to your audience. Don't forget they must relate to your story, then only they will read the whole content.
  • Put them in a proper order in which you want to deliver either from top to bottom or from right to left.
  • To connect all the dots, use spatial order transition words in sentences like further, however, at the same time, etc.

Types Of Reference Letters

What are spatial order signal words.

The words used at the starting of the sentences to clearly explain the details of the place are known as spatial order signal words. By using such words in the essay writings, the readers can easily create images of the scenes in their minds, giving excellent results. Some words like beneath, behind, above, next to, between, and others like this are suitable examples of spatial order signal words.

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Space Order in Descriptive Text (Sample Questions and Answers)

what is space order in an essay

Definition of Spatial Order in Descriptive Essay – Description essay is a genre of essay that gives an idea of something, objects, people, etc. If you want to be able to write a good description essay, then there are numerous things you should pay attention to, and one of them is Spatial Order.

What is the Spatial Order? And how do you use it in the descriptive essay? Without any further, here’s the complete explanation of spatial order in descriptive essay.

Table of Contents

Definition of Spatial Order in Descriptive Essay

Imagine if you were standing at the door of your class. How would you describe your classroom to someone who has never seen it? Here are some possibilities:

  • You might start describing your classroom starting from the left side of the classroom door and explaining further clockwise to the right and ending at the class door again.
  • You might start describing at the front of the class first, starting from describing the blackboard, the teacher’s desk, and the area around the teacher’s desk. Then you will describe the student desk and chair in the middle of the room, then finally you will describe the wall / window on the back or side of the room.

The two examples above are Spatial Order. Below are kinds of spatial orders or signal words that you can use to write a good descriptive essay:

  • Top to bottom
  • Bottom to top
  • Far to near
  • Near to far
  • Right to left
  • Left to right
  • Outside to inside
  • Inside to outside

Topic, Controlling Idea, and Concluding Sentence in Descriptive Essay

The sentence topic usually describes the name of a person, place, or object. While controlling idea usually provides general information, such as messy , interesting , beautiful , busy , crowded , noisy , and so on.

Take a look at these sentences below :

That was an example about topic and controlling idea , whereas the concluding sentence contains an idea that is repeated in the main sentence.

For example:

  • To sum up, everyone doubts the old house in this village will survive one more winter.
  • The little children and their teacher were very relieved when they got out of the cave.

Sample Question About Spatial Order

Read the following description of a person. Then answer the questions about the organization of the paragraph that follow.

My Tall Nephew

My nephew is extremely tall-six feet, six inches tall, to be exact. He has short, light brown, and curly hair, and blue eyes. He has straight nose, and his mouth curls into a smile easily. He usually wears casual clothes, the same as typical of young people everywhere: a T-shirt and jeans. You can read the name of his school in red and blue letters on the front of his shirt. You notice that his jeans are a little too short as your eyes move down his long legs. Perhaps he can’t buy pants to fit his long legs and narrow waist, or perhaps he doesn’t care much about clothes. On his feet, he wears sneakers. His sneakers that were used to be white when they were new, now are gray with age. My nephew is not a casual person despite his casual clothes. He stands tall and straight, and you think to yourself, “This is a strong and confident young man.”

1. Analyze the topic sentence. Underline the topic with one line and the controlling idea with double line.

2. What is the nephew’s most noticeable physical feature?

__________________________________________________________________

3. Which sentence is the concluding sentence?

4. What word in the topic sentence is repeated in the concluding sentence?

5. What kind of spatial order does the writer of this paragraph use?

  • My nephew is extremely tall-six feet, six inches tall, to be exact.
  • His tall figure.
  • The concluding sentence is: He stands tall and straight, and you think to yourself, “This is a strong and confident young man.”
  • The word  tall is repeated in both topic and concluding sentence.
  • The writer use  top to bottom  as the spatial order.

That was our explanation about spatial order in descriptive essay, along with sample questions and answers. We hope this article is helpful and thanks for reading!

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Annie Jacobsen: 'What if we had a nuclear war?’

The author and Pulitzer prize finalist, who has written the latest pick for the New Scientist Book Club, Nuclear War: A scenario, on the "shocking truths" about a nuclear attack

By Annie Jacobsen

12 April 2024

New Scientist Default Image

The Titan nuclear missile in the silo in Arizona, US

Michael Dunning/Getty Images

Not long after the last world war, the historian William L. Shirer had this to say about the next world war. It “will be launched by suicidal little madmen pressing an electronic button. Such a war will not last long and none will ever follow it. There will be no conquers and no conquests, but only the charred bones of the dead on an uninhabited planet.”

As an investigative journalist, I write about war, weapons, national security and government secrets. I’ve previously written six books about US military and intelligence programmes – at the CIA, The Pentagon, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency– all designed to prevent, or deter, nuclear world war III . In the course of my work, countless people in the upper echelons of US government have told me, proudly, that they’ve dedicated their lives to making sure the US never has a nuclear war. But what if it did?

“Every capability in the [Department of Defense] is underpinned by the fact that strategic deterrence will hold,” US Strategic Command (STRATCOM), which is responsible for nuclear deterrence, insists publicly. Until the autumn of 2022, this promise was pinned on STRATCOM’s public Twitter feed. But to a private audience at Sandia National Laboratories later that same year, STRATCOM’s Thomas Bussiere admitted the existential danger inherent to deterrence. “Everything unravels itself if those things are not true.”

If deterrence fails – what exactly would that unravelling look like? To write Nuclear War: A scenario , I put this question to scores of former nuclear command and control authorities. To the military and civilian experts who’ve built the weapon systems, been privy to the response plans and been responsible for advising the US president on nuclear counterstrike decisions should they have to be made. What I learned terrified me. Here are just a few of the shocking truths about nuclear war.

The US maintains a nuclear launch policy called Launch on Warning. This means that if a military satellite indicates the nation is under nuclear attack and a second early-warning radar confirms that information, the president launches nuclear missiles in response. Former secretary of defense William Perry told me: “Once we are warned of a nuclear attack, we prepare to launch. This is policy. We do not wait.”

The US president has sole authority to launch nuclear weapons. He asks permission of no one. Not the secretary of defense, not the chairman of the joint chief of staff, not the US Congress. “The authority is inherent in his role as commander in chief,” the Congressional Research Service confirms. The president “does not need the concurrence of either his [or her] military advisors or the US Congress to order the launch of nuclear weapons”.

When the president learns he must respond to a nuclear attack, he has just 6 minutes to do so. Six minutes is an irrational amount of time to “decide whether to release Armageddon”, President Ronald Reagan lamented in his memoirs. “Six minutes to decide how to respond to a blip on a radar scope… How could anyone apply reason at a time like that?” And yet, the president must respond. This is because it takes roughly just 30 minutes for an intercontinental ballistic missile to get from a launch pad in Russia, North Korea or China to any city in the US, and vice versa. Nuclear-armed submarines can cut that launch-to-target time to 10 minutes, or less.

Today, there are nine nuclear powers, with a combined total of more than 12,500 nuclear weapons ready to be used. The US and Russia each have some 1700 nuclear weapons deployed – weapons that can be launched in seconds or minutes after their respective president gives the command. This is what Shirer meant when he said: “Such a war will not last long and none will ever follow it.”

Nuclear war is the only scenario other than an asteroid strike that could end civilisation in a matter of hours. The soot from burning cities and forests will blot out the sun and cause nuclear winter. Agriculture will fail. Some 5 billion people will die. In the words of former Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, “the survivors will envy the dead”.

I wrote Nuclear War: A scenario to demonstrate – in appalling, minute-by-minute detail – just how horrifying a nuclear war would be. “Humanity is one misunderstanding, one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation,” UN secretary-general António Guterres warned the world in 2022. “This is madness. We must reverse course.”

Nuclear War: A Scenario   by Annie Jacobsen, published by Torva (£20.00), is available now. It is the latest pick for the New Scientist Book Club: sign up  here  to read along with our members

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IMAGES

  1. Spatial order composition and the role of chronology in a piece of writing

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  3. What is Spatial Organization in Writing? (Spatial Order Explained)

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  4. What is Spatial Organization in Writing? (Spatial Order Explained)

    what is space order in an essay

  5. What is Spatial Order & How to Use It In Essay?

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COMMENTS

  1. Spatial Order

    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.

  2. What Is Spatial Order And How To Use It In Essay?

    Spatial organization in writing a descriptive essay allows readers visualize something as the writer wants them to see it, by evoking a scene using five senses (sight, taste, smell, touch, and sound). But you shouldn't use spatial writing in long text because they may sound monotonous and your readers will be bored.

  3. 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.

  4. Spatial Order in Composition

    In composition, spatial order is an organizational structure in which details are presented as they are (or were) located in space—from left to right, top to bottom, etc. Also known as order of place or space structure, spatial order describes things as they appear when observed. In descriptions of places and objects, spatial order determines the perspective from which readers observe details.

  5. Spatial Order

    Spatial Order refers to the practice of organizing information (e.g., descriptions of places and objects, instructions and processes) according to their physical location. It is commonplace in many genres (especially fiction genres but also nonfiction genres) for writers to describe a scene so that readers can imagine themselves in that setting ...

  6. Learn How to Use Spatial Order in Your Academic Writing

    To make the best use of this writing technique, pay attention to the following prompts: Make sure to not use spatial logic in long essays or paragraphs. It allows you to establish a flow between ideas. Students can use spatial order to evoke emotions in writing. It helps you to generalize the complete scenarios.

  7. 4.3 Organizing Your Writing

    , 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 ...

  8. 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.

  9. What is Spatial Organization in Writing? (Spatial Order Explained)

    Spatial order organization in writing is where an author looks at all the important elements of a given scenario and then orders information based on how people or objects fit together in a given physical space. In spatial organization, you order the information in a particular order, and this can be either from top to bottom or from left to right.

  10. Organizing Your Writing

    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.

  11. Spatial Order and How to Use It in Your Essay

    However, apart from the structure, a cohesive organization glues the details together to make a good essay. Spatial order is an example of a cohesive organization that writers can use for excellent essays. Spatial Order Definition. A spatial order organizational style is also known as the order of place or space structure.

  12. Spatial Order Organization: What Is It and How to Use it in Essay Writing

    According to Merriam-Webster, spatial order organization is the process of relating to space and the objects in it. In writing, it refers to a method in which ideas and elements are laid down logically according to the sequence of their location or their relationship. Spatial order organization is like putting a disarray of elements into one ...

  13. Spatial Order

    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 ...

  14. 5.1 Methods of Organizing Your Writing

    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 ...

  15. Spatial Order And Chronology In Writing, Speech And Essay

    Speech spatial order is a type of logical organization pattern that describes things according to their actual location in space. Definition: this order is also called the order of place and spatial structure. And in speech, it means that the narrator describes objects using an ordered logical sequence, describing things as they look when ...

  16. Organizing Body Paragraphs

    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 ...

  17. PDF TCC Writing Center: Organizing Paragraphs and Essays

    Order of Importance (Emphatic or Climatic Order): This structure may be used for an entire paragraph or essay or it may be used for portions of an essay. For example, one section of an essay may require sequential organization while another section requires order of importance. Or the similarities in a comparison may need to be arranged ...

  18. Spatial Order: Best Guide on How To Use It In Essay Writing

    Spatial order is how we organize information in space (e.g., a house or an event as a space), from top to bottom, from left to right, chronologically, etc. We also call it space structure or order of place. So, spatial order is the way we observe them appearing in space. It is one of the organizational methods that aid your writing while ...

  19. A Guide To Understanding The Role Of Spatial Order & Chronology In Essays

    Spatial order and chronology are two commonly used organisational structures in essay writing. Spatial order refers to organising ideas based on their physical location or relationship to each other in space. This approach can be beneficial for describing physical objects, places, or scenes.

  20. 6.2 Organizing Ideas

    Emphatic order is common in persuasive essays because it allows the writer to increasingly strengthen her argument. Spatial order means explaining or describing objects as they are arranged in space. Spatial order is less common in college writing and best used for the following purposes: helping readers visualize something as you want them to ...

  21. Essay Structure: The 3 Main Parts of an Essay

    Basic essay structure: the 3 main parts of an essay. Almost every single essay that's ever been written follows the same basic structure: Introduction. Body paragraphs. Conclusion. This structure has stood the test of time for one simple reason: It works. It clearly presents the writer's position, supports that position with relevant ...

  22. Spatial Order: Spatial Descriptive Writing & Spatial Order Pattern

    This pattern is widely used for writing descriptive essays. That is to describe a situation in the best possible way so that readers can visualize the actual scenario. The case is made real by using different senses like smell, touch, sound, and taste to understand better and visualize. The technique of spatial order can be used in different ways.

  23. Space Order in Descriptive Text (Sample Questions and Answers)

    Definition of Spatial Order in Descriptive Essay- Description essay is a genre of essay that gives an idea of something, objects, people, etc.If you want to be able to write a good description essay, then there are numerous things you should pay attention to, and one of them is Spatial Order.

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    Dr. Chapa is a U.S. Air Force officer and the author of "Is Remote Warfare Moral?" The window to apply to be a NASA astronaut — a window that opens only about every four years — closes ...

  25. Annie Jacobsen: 'What if we had a nuclear war?'

    Not long after the last world war, the historian William L. Shirer had this to say about the next world war. It "will be launched by suicidal little madmen pressing an electronic button. Such a ...

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