Numerical order is easy to grasp
But has limited use in expository writing

Number order as an expository writing pattern is easy for students to understand. You won't have to teach a unit on it so your eighth graders get it.

Unfortunately, there aren't many times when most writers need to arrange information by the numbers.

Numbers may be ID tags

In some cases, the 1, 2, 3... is just a way to identify items and those numbers don't tell anything about the relationships between the items.

For example, an article on "14 Great Valentine Get-Aways" probably won't attempt to evaluate and rank the items. The "number" of an individual item just helps readers keep their place.

Often such strings are not even dignified by numbering the items. The items may be a bulleted list or 14 paragraphs, each on a different destination.

Or numbers may be the story

Often, however, the numbers do reveal something about the relationships between individual entries.

A true numerical list that high school seniors may be familiar with is the annual rankings published by US News and World Report of the 100 best American colleges and universities. Colleges and universities vie for a listing because even making the list is a draw for students.

However, the relative rankings are supposed to reveal the relative value of the schools. The numbers are thought to quantify the desirability of attending that particular school: schools that rank 1-20 are more desirable than those that rank 80 through 100.

If a magazine runs a story on "The Top 10 Towns for Tuba Tooters," you can guess that No. 1 ranks as the best place to live and work if you are a tuba player. That's a true numerical list.

Business reports and technical publications often use numerical order lists. For example, a company might rank its products in terms of their profitability.

As you may guess, readers of true numerical lists are expected to use the rankings in making decisions.

Number order limitations

Numerical order does not lend itself to organizing entire documents. When writers use numbered lists, they are usually one paragraph or section of a paper or report.

There are three other types of expository strings besides number order strings. They are alphabetical strings, spatial strings, and chronological strings. A more detailed graphic is on page about logical order.