What it looks like
An example from History.
The 1832 Reform Act gave the vote to more middle-class men but left most working men without it. The People’s Charter was drawn up in 1838. Its six points included votes for all men and a secret ballot.
The 1832 Reform Act gave the vote to more middle-class men but left most working men without it. That exclusion shaped what came next. Shut out by the 1832 settlement, working-class radicals set out their own demands in the People’s Charter of 1838, whose six points included votes for all men and a secret ballot.
Why markers write it
Markers follow your argument paragraph by paragraph. When a new paragraph starts as if the last one never happened, they have to guess how the two connect — and may guess wrong, or decide there’s no connection. Flow is the visible sign of a planned argument, which is why markers often mention it alongside structure.
How to fix it in your next essay
- 1Plan the links, not just the pointsWhen you outline, note how each point leads to the next: because, however, as a result.
- 2Bridge with the first sentenceStart each paragraph by picking up an idea from the end of the last one, then moving it on.
- 3Choose transitions that mean something“Furthermore” and “also” only add. Use words that show the link: “because of this”, “by contrast”, “even so”.
Phrases that help
How much it costs
Flow rarely changes a mark on its own, but in most UK schemes it feeds into structure and argument, and a disjointed essay can make solid analysis look weaker than it is.
Other ways markers say it
- “Lacks flow”
- “Disjointed”
- “Choppy”
- “Needs better transitions”
- “Ideas not connected”
Often written alongside
Common questions
- Is flow just about linking words?
- No. Linking words help, but flow comes from the order of your ideas. If two paragraphs don’t connect logically, no transition will fix it.
- How can I check the flow of my essay?
- Read only the first and last sentence of each paragraph, in order. If that reads like a summary of your argument, it flows.