Sequencing
What is sequencing?
Writers organize facts and details to form paragraphs. The order the
facts appear is called the sequence. Recognizing these different patterns
allows you to predict what will happen next and to visualize the events
and details.
Sequences and patterns can be found by listing the facts in the order
they appear. Sequence and patterns can also be found by looking for transition
words. The table gives examples of transition words for different types
of patterns or sequences.
| Sequence |
Transition words |
Spatial order
(near to far) |
on, in, above, below, beside,
near |
Chronological
order
(first to last) |
before, next, after, meanwhile,
until |
Logical order
(first step to last step) |
first, second, third, next,
lastly, finally |
Importance order
(least important to most important) |
the main, the central, the
basic |
Cause and effect order
(alternating cause and effect) |
because, since, consequently
|
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