Line of reasoning, organization and transitions

Learning objectives

Define a line of reasoning as the sequence of claims that leads a reader from the opening position to the conclusion, and plan that sequence before writing

Arrange paragraphs in an order that a reader can follow, choosing the method of development — narration, cause and effect, comparison, definition, exemplification, problem and solution — that fits the argument

Open a paragraph with a claim of its own that advances the thesis, and close it in a way that carries the reader into the next claim

Use transitions that name the logical relationship between ideas — therefore, however, because, in contrast, more importantly — rather than merely signaling sequence

Write an introduction that supplies the context the argument needs and reaches a thesis, and a conclusion that extends the argument instead of restating the opening

Analyze the line of reasoning in a text you are reading, identifying where a writer's argument turns and why that structure suits the audience