When writing academic essays, the arrangement of information in paragraphs and essays is referred to as spatial order. What exactly is spatial order, then? In summary, spatial order in essays is a method of classifying data based on items’ locations. Put differently, authors employ spatial order to depict objects about one another in space.
When employed properly, spatial order in essays can aid readers in following a piece of writing and help them picture the location or thing being described. It can also be utilised to produce a more structured and coherent essay by assisting in the logical arrangement of information.
Provide details in descending order
Start with the most crucial aspects and work down to the least crucial ones when describing a scene or object. This will assist readers in staying focused on the most crucial information.
If you were describing the campus of a college, you should begin with the larger structures before moving on to the more minute features like the benches and trees.
Using diverse perspectives to describe objects or scenes is another technique to use spatial order in essays. This can help readers visualise the location being described more clearly and give them a more three-dimensional sense of it.
One way to depict the college campus might be from the viewpoint of a student traversing it, then from the viewpoint of a person positioned in the centre of it, and lastly, from an aerial perspective.
Start with the introductory events following the happenings
When describing a series of events using spatial order, begin with the earliest event and proceed to the last. This will make it easier for readers to follow the plot.
If you are writing an essay about the Black Lives Matter movement, for instance, you might want to begin with the movement’s founding before moving on to the many demonstrations and events that have occurred.
Use concrete language while describing the details
When providing a detailed description, ensure your terminology is clear and precise. This will make it easier for readers to picture what you are describing.
For instance, you may state that the oak tree was 24 feet tall and had a trunk diameter of 3.5 feet rather than only stating that the tree was large.
Use transitional words more often
When transferring from one location to another, make sure you employ transitions. This will make your essay easier for readers to follow and help it flow more logically.
Saying “first,” “next,” “then,” or “finally,” for instance, might be used to describe a series of occurrences. When expressing the location of something, you may also use “in front of,” “behind,” “to the left of,” or “to the right of.”
Transitional words and phrases can be very useful when writing about complicated subjects or a lot of information.
Discuss how a new point relates to the previous points made when presenting it. This will make it easier for readers to follow your reasoning and see how the two ideas are related.
If you are writing an essay about the Cherokee-American wars, you should begin by outlining the history of the struggle before discussing the many battles.
Make sure that you use spatial order in essays in a way that is both clear to readers and effective by paying attention to these pointers. Thus, feel free to try different kinds of organisation in your writing. It might hold the secret to improving readers’ engagement and recall of your writing.
