Chronological order
Timely arragement of expository writing

Chronological order is a way of arranging expository writing about events so that the information is presented in the same time order in which the events occurred.

Such exposition is chrono- (a prefix meaning time) logical.

It is also mucho-threatening to students. I prefer to use the term narrative string, which is less threatening and more descriptive for beginning writers.

Narration is based on time order

When we tell or narrate something that happened, we put the events in time order. If you've ever heard a third grader tell about what happened at school, you've heard why I say the chronological format is a narrative string. It sounds like this:

I was going to the art room and Mrs. Bromley stopped me in the hall and said where was I going and I said the art room and she said didn't I know art class is on Tuesday and I said yes but Miss Wales wanted me to get the papers she left on the desk and she said well I'd better not waste time and I think she's awful mean.

In narrative strings, as the example shows, all the information appears equally important, nothing is subordinate. The audience must analyze the narrative string to decide what is or is not important.

In conversation, listeners may be able to pick out the important points readily, thanks to the speaker's tone, facial expression and gestures. In writing, however, a narrative string turns an audience off. Readers expect the narrator to aim all the detail toward making one point.

However, once narrators decide what aspects of their narrative strings are important, they can use chronological order to arrange their material.

Often writers use narration in one paragraph or one section of a larger work that follows a different expository writing pattern. For example, an analysis of a literary work would follow the thesis + support (or "persuasive essay") format. However, the plot summary would be a narrative.

When you need time order

We use time order for:

• Giving directions.

• Describing procedures.

• Explaining processes.

In each of those activities, the chronological order of events is very important. Can you imagine trying to follow the directions "Take two rights and a left, not necessarily in that order"?

Limitations of narrative strings

Time order does not provide the connections between ideas necessary to convey a reasoned opinion. Since an essay must, by definition, support a thesis, chronological order cannot be used as the overall format for an essay.

For example, a true personal story cannot be passed off as an essay. That's where most students wipe out when asked to write a narrative essay. They write a narrative string rather than an essay.

Chronological order is one of four common types of nonfiction strings that can be used in nonfiction exposition. The others are alphabetical order, numerical order and spatial order.