Answer:
Put your steps in the right sequence. For example, scoring the points won on a turn
shouldn’t come before the steps you perform to play the turn that earns the points. Pay
close attention to the order of your directions to make sure that if your reader does them
in the order you’ve written that they will successfully complete the task.
• Include all of the steps you need to complete the process. This includes listing any
materials or tools your reader will need to perform the task. Many written instructions list
these items before listing the action steps. Often, reviewing your sequence will expose
important gaps in your directions. Fill in any gaps you find with new steps.
TIP: It is helpful to think about your reader as someone who is completely unfamiliar
with the kind of process you’re describing for them. For example, if you’re describing
how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, don’t assume that they know what “add
jelly to a piece of bread” means. How should they add it? With what tool? How much
jelly? Providing the necessary details is important for good directions.
• Explain each step clearly. Use simple, ordinary vocabulary and simple sentences. Be sure
to link, or carry over, information from an earlier step if it is needed to explain the next
step.
Suppose your directions describe how to build Assembly A in Step 3, and the reader
needs to glue it to Assembly B in Step 6. You can remind your reader in the description of
Step 6. For example, “6. Glue the top of Assembly A (Step 3) to the bottom of Assembly
B.” Use links and transitions that make sense for the process you’ve chosen.
• Format your list with numbered steps in outline form. If the description of a step gets too
long, you may need to break it down into smaller steps. You can use a multilevel list to
show sub-steps within a complex step. You can use the following template to help you
organize and compose your directions:
Explanation:
