Page 142 - Wordsmith A Guide to College Writing

Topic sentence 3 (most important idea)

Reverse Emphatic Order

Thesis

Topic sentence 1 (most important idea)

Topic sentence 2 (second most important idea)

Topic sentence 3 (least important idea)

Sandwich Order

The points you develop within an essay are not always equally strong.

When one of your points is weaker than the others, try sandwich
order, placing your weaker point between the two stronger ones. This

method employs the same psychology that is at work when you use

emphatic order. If ideas are presented in a sequence, people

remember the first and last ideas more strongly than those presented

in the middle. Thus, the first and last body paragraphs become the
“showcase positions” in the essay, the positions where you place the

material that you want your readers to remember.

Example of Sandwich Order

Thesis: Children benefit from attending day-care centers.