Signposting in essays

What is signposting in writing? Using signposting in your essays means adding “signposting words” or phrases to indicate which part of your overall structure you’re in at the moment, making your writing clearer, and easier to understand.

However, it is not enough to simply outline the intended structure in the introduction – you need signposts throughout to remind the reader where they have come from and tell them where you plan to take them next. Signposts can also tell us how to interpret information presented in the assignment.

Large scale signposting 1tells the reader specifics about what is to come, or what has gone before. Example: ‘Having discussed the arguments in favour of the Third Way, it is also necessary to consider its limitations.’ 2 Small scale signposts are individual words or short phrases which help to signal direction, such as:

Signposting Much as road signs show you where you are going on a street or highway, you can use certain words or phrases to create 'signposts' to guide your reader through your writing. Signposts show your reader the route your writing will take, remind them of key points along the way, and point out changes in direction.