Essay flow

“Flow” is a word often used by lecturers to describe the way that the essay holds together and moves from point to point. In an essay it is very easy to pile facts upon facts, and thus lose sight of the overall cohesion of the essay. Flow can apply within individual paragraphs and between different paragraphs.

Within paragraphs

Having researched your topic in preparation for writing an essay, you will probably have accumulated a wide range of facts, published research, and other information relevant to the topic. Many people simply throw these facts together in body paragraphs, without properly applying them to the topic or signalling to the reader the connections between them.

Firstly, you must ensure that all outside sources are integrated with your own writing. They should not appear randomly through the paragraph but should be given context, and interpreted for the reader. For more on this, see quoting and paraphrasing.

It is also important to link information together to create a kind of “narrative” in your essay. Consider this example paragraph:

There are a lot of facts, but the paragraph feels jumpy and disjointed. Simply adding a few connecting words – known as “signposts” – make it much more readable:

Signposts make your writing flow more smoothly and make it easier to follow.

They tell the reader

• what is going to be said
• what is being said
• what has already been said
• how the main ideas support the thesis statement
• how each group of ideas follow from the ones before

Some of the most common signposts are listed here, according to what they do in a paragraph.

Signpost words and phrases

Between paragraphs

“Flow” can also be applied to the connections between paragraphs.

As discussed in the page on body paragraphs, each paragraph should discuss only one major point. However, each body paragraph must also be different from the other paragraphs. Its major point should be unique.

The unique point of each paragraph should be identified before you begin writing: this is the most important part of the planning stage. You might be discussing several aspects of the answer, or analysing it from different perspectives. You might be following it chronologically, or presenting one side and then the other.

If a paragraph flows well from point to point, it should be obvious to the reader when you move from one point to another. The signpost words described above can also be used between paragraphs, to indicate the transitions from one sub-topic to another.

For example, if you are analysing one study and then comparing it to another in a later paragraph, a transition would use a word or phrase from the “changing direction or creating a comparison” list:

A paragraph that illustrates a point with a case study or example would use the “giving an example” list to create a transition:

Transitions show the reader the “movement” between paragraphs: they show that they follow a logical order and build on each other. They can also show the reader how the paragraphs reconnect with the overall topic of the essay as described in the thesis statement.

If you cannot identify the movement from one paragraph to another, you may need to return to the plan to see if they are actually unique. If your paragraphs jump over important points, repeat themselves, or leave gaps in the explanation, this will also undermine the flow of the essay.

Page authorised by Director, CTL
Last updated on 25 October, 2012