The table below shows the organization of a basic 350 word Giving Instructions essay.  Note, first, the essay is five paragraphs containing three main parts, an introduction, body, and conclusion.  The function of the introduction within this organization is to get the reader's attention and to state the organization of the paper using parallel structure (ideally).  The function of the conclusion within this organization is to summarize the main points, also using parallel structure (ideally), and to leave the reader with a good impression.  Beyond that, the body contains three parts, each part an organizing principle of the main idea.

Note the function of each paragraph as it is stated in the right column.  The first paragraph is where you "tell your readers what you are going to tell them."  The second, third, and fourth paragraphs are where you "tell them."  Finally, the last paragraph is where you "tell your readers what you have told them."

Additional "Tips" for Five-Paragraph Giving Instructions Essays

1.  Use chronological order.  Many Giving Instructions essays must be written in chronological order.  If you are explaining how to patch a tube to fix a flat tire on a bicycle, for example, all the necessary steps must be in chronological order, or the reader will not succeed in fixing the flat tire.  Or, if you are explaining how to drive to Teotihuacan from Querétaro, for example, the directions must be in chronological order, or the reader may end up in Pachuca. 

(Chronological order often requires effective use of time transitions as follows:  first, second, then, after that, later, and finally, for example.  While not a giving instructions essay, Bobby Julich uses many time transitions in the report to his fans in describing the bicycle crash that eliminated him from the 1999 Tour de France.)

2.  Know your audience, and write for your audience.  If you are explaining how to send an attachment with an e-mail message  (or how to download an MP3 and convert it to WAV) to someone who has limited computer experience, it is necessary to explain it simply so it can be easily understood.  If you are explaining an intricate or specific procedure related to your career (whether architecture, business, or agronomy), and it cannot be understood by a general academic audience, then do not write it.  The audience for whom you write your first formal Giving Instructions essay should be a general academic audience.  It is helpful when you finish writing your essay to try to read it from the perspective of your audience.  Then ask yourself how your Giving Instructions essay would look from their perspective.

3.  Stick to the point.  When explaining how to change a tire on a car, for example, don't discuss where to buy cheap tires or how long new ones should last.  Such details may interest the reader, but they won't help in changing the tire.

4.  State your organization.  This point simply cannot be overemphasized!  Even if you know how your paper is organized, your readers do not, so tell them explicitly!  Do not leave it to your readers to figure out.  While this may sound childish or even simplistic to the non-native English speaker, it is not simplistic.  On the contrary, it is the exactly the organizational pattern that readers of English expect.  You will never go wrong if you err on the side of clarity, so state your organization clearly.

5.  Use a straight line of development.  It was stated earlier that the US academic audience expects a straight line of development.  "Tell your readers what you are going to tell them."  Then "tell them."  Then "tell them what you told them."

Where Now?

These Giving Instructions essays show the organization you have just read about, essays that would work in almost any university classroom.  The three essays at the top are short and simple and include links to worksheets for peer-review.  The essays that follow are well-organized following the structure presented above. 

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