Top-Down Exposition
Movement Pattern
Most Important→Important→Supporting Detail→Background
Definition
A structure borrowed from journalism that presents the most important information first, then progressively adds detail and context in descending order of importance.
Examples
Example 1
The FDA approved the first gene therapy for sickle cell disease on Friday, a landmark decision that could transform treatment for the roughly 100,000 Americans living with the condition. The therapy, developed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals and CRISPR Therapeutics, uses gene-editing technology to modify a patient's own blood stem cells. Clinical trials showed that 29 of 30 patients remained free of severe pain crises for at least a year after treatment. The one-time procedure is expected to cost approximately $2.2 million per patient.
Medical journalism — the inverted pyramid, most newsworthy fact leads
Example 2
"The FDA has approved the first gene therapy for sickle cell disease." The rest of the article fills in the clinical trial results, patient stories, cost, and broader implications — each paragraph less essential than the one before.
Medical journalism — the most newsworthy fact leads
Example 3
Recommendation: Adopt the hybrid work model effective Q3. Supporting analysis: Employee surveys show 74% prefer hybrid arrangements. Productivity data from the six-month pilot indicate no decline in output; team satisfaction increased 18%. Cost analysis: the reduction in office space would save $2.1 million annually. Implementation timeline and transition plan are detailed in Appendix C.
Business writing — structured so that the busiest reader gets what they need first
AI Detection Note
AI frequently defaults to inverted pyramid structure even when other structures would be more effective, because it mirrors the pattern of summarization in training data.
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