Cause and effect essays typically follow one of two organizational patterns or some variation of them. The first pattern requires you to separate the causes and effects and list them one by one with relevant details. For example, you might discuss how smoking causes damage to your body and can result in disease, how smoking causes social alienation and can result in social discord, and how smoking causes you to spend a great deal of money on the habit and can result in financial difficulties. The second pattern asks you to discuss all of the causes, then all of the effects, and then the relationship between the two. For example, you would discuss how smoking causes damage to your body, social alienation, and unneeded spending, and then discuss how this can result in disease, social discord, and financial difficulties

Comparison and contrast essays typically follow one of two organization patterns or some variation on them. In a point by point pattern, you will list each point of comparison separately. You will include specific details for each point and cover it thoroughly before moving on to the next point of comparison. For example, using this method you would compare cats to dogs in three separate ways - ease of care, expense, and accommodations. In the block (or subject by subject) pattern, you will cover each item you are comparing separately. You will include all of the points of comparison for that item before moving on to the other item you are comparing and contrasting it to. For example, using this method you would discuss how you care for cats, the related expenses to owning a cat, and the accommodations necessary for a cat, and then you would do the same in a separate section for dogs. Thus one will have three more concise sections, while the other has two more detailed sections.

Persuasive essays typically follow an organizational pattern that presents one area at a time of support for your position on your topic. Your outline should consist of at least three main points, or three means of support for your position on your topic, in order to solidly back your thesis statement. Note that a good persuasive writer will try to anticipate opposing positions on his/her topic and provide effective counter arguments to them through thorough support. This support can be in the form of details, facts, and/or examples.