Text Structures

Text structure is how information is organized in writing. Text structures, or patterns of

organization, not only vary from writing to writing, but text structures may also change frequently
from paragraph to paragraph within a single piece of writing.

Chronological ‫ﺣﺴﺐ اﻟﺘﺮﺗﯿﺐ اﻟﺰﻣﻨﻰ‬

When information in a passage is organized by the
time in which each event occurred, it is organized
chronologically. Nonfiction passages that are
organized chronologically often contains dates. Fiction
passages or narratives are more subtle and are
organized chronologically but usually have no dates. A
narratives or story is a journey through time, and all of
the events are arranged in order of time; therefore,
every story has a beginning, middle, and end. Even if
an author uses flashbacks, flash-forwards, or
otherwise manipulates the time in his or her text, the
events still occur along a timeline. Stories require the
passage of time; therefore, all stories are organized
chronologically. Sometimes time will stop in a narrative. Certain passages in a story may focus on
describing scenary or spaces, and use a descriptive or spatail method of organization. The conflict
of a story may be discussed in terms of problem and solution or cause and effect, but the text in a
story is still mainly organized chronologically.
Remember:
Chrono = Time
Logic = Order
Stories are told chronologically or in order of time.
Example: This morning was crazy. My alarm clock was set for PM instead of AM, so I woke up
really late. I just threw on some clothes and ran out the door. I rode my bike as fast as I could and
thought that I was going to be late for sure, but when I got there everyone was outside and there
were firetrucks all lined up in front of school. I guess somebody pulled the fire alarm before class
started. It worked out though, because nobody really noticed or minded that I was tardy.

Compare and Contrast

Compare and Contrast is a text structure or pattern
of organization where the similarities and differences
of two or more things are explored. It is important to
remember that with the compare and contrast text
structure the text should be discussing
similarities and differences. If the text only discusses
similarities, it is only comparing. Likewise, if it only
discusses ways that the things are different, it is only
contrasting. The text must do both to be considered
compare and contrast.
Example: Apples and oranges are both fruits, which
means that they have seeds inside of them. Each has
a skin, but orange skins are thick and easy to peel.
Apple skins are thinner and do not peel easily. Oranges also contain more acid than apples, but
both fruits are delicious.
Identifying when the writer is comparing and contrasting is usually not difficult because the

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speaker will bounce back and forth between two subjects and this pattern is generally pretty easy
to recognize. However, here are some signal words that may indicate that the text is written
using the compare and contrast organizational pattern: like, unlike, both, neither,
similar, and different.

Cause and Effect

Cause and effect is a common way to organize
information in a text. Paragraphs structured
as cause and effect explain reasons why something
happened or the effects of something. These
paragraphs can be ordered as causes and effects or
as effects and then causes. The cause and effect text
structure is generally used in expository and
persuasive writing modes.
To put it another way: when an author gives reasons
why something happened, he or she is explaining
what caused an effect (reasons are causes and the
thing that happens is the effect). Also, when a writer
explains the results of an action, he or she is
explaining the effects of acause (results are effects and the thing that occurs is the cause). The
cause and effect text structure is used so commonly that you have probably written a paragraph
using it and not noticed.
Example: Many people think that they can get sick by going into cold weather improperly
dressed; however, illnesses are not caused by temperature- they are caused by germs. So while
shivering outside in the cold probably won’t strengthen your immune system, you’re more likely to
contract an illness indoors because you will have a greater exposure to germs.
In the above example, the paragraph explains how germs cause illnesses. The germs are the
cause in the paragraph and the illness is the effect.
Here is another example of a paragraph that is written using the cause and effect text structure:
Another Example: Students are not allowed to chew
gum in my class. While some students think that I am
just being mean, there are many good reasons for this
rule. First, some irresponsible students make messes
with their gum. They may leave it on the bottoms of
desks, drop it on the floor, or put it on other people’s
property. Another reason why I don’t allow students to
chew gum is because it is a distraction. When they are
allowed to chew gum, students are more worried
about having it, popping it, chewing it, and snapping it
then they are in listening, writing, reading, and
learning. This is why I don’t allow students to chew
gum in my class.
Identifying a text written using the cause and effect pattern of organization can be tricky. In most
stories, events in the plot occur for various reasons, This can be mistaken for the cause and effect
text structure; however, stories are organized chronologically, and the information in each passage
is more likely to be organized by the time in which each event occurred. Contrarily, cause and
effect passages usually focus on explaining the reason why something occurs or occurred, and
time will usually not pass in these paragraphs.
Here are some signal words that may indicate that information in a paragraph is organized as
cause and effect: because, as a result, resulted, caused, affected, since, due to, effect.

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Problem/Solution
Problem and Solution is a pattern of organization
where information in a passage is expressed as a
dilemma or concerning issue (a problem) and
something that was, can be, or should be done to
remedy this issue (solution or attempted solution).
The problem and solution text structure may seem like
it would be easy to recognize, but it can be
moderately difficult to identify because it is frequently
confused with the cause and effect pattern of
organization, as they both have relational structures;
however, if you read the passage and look specifically
for both a problem and a solution to the problem, you
should find it pretty easy to distinguish from cause
and effect, as cause and effect passages do not propose solutions to any negative occurrences
within the passage but rather just explain why or how they happen.
Example: It seems like there has been a surge in teen pregnancies these days. Teen pregnancies
make it very difficult for young mothers to pursue their dreams and meet the demands of an
infant. Fortunately, most teen pregnancies can be easily prevented by using birth control;
however, even birth control is not 100% effective. The most effective way to prevent teen
pregnancies is abstinence, which is 100% effective.
There are also a few signal words which may indicate that information in a passage is ordered in
the problem and solution pattern of organization: propose, solution, answer, issue, problem,
problematic, remedy, prevention, and fix.

Sequence/Process
Sequential order, or process writing as it is sometimes
called, is when information in a passage is organized
by the order in which it occurs. This method of
organizing text is generally used for instructions or
directions, but it can also be used to explain processes
in nature or society, such as how a president is
elected. Sequential organization is frequently
confused with chronological order. To further confound
the issue, sometimes people refer to chronological ‫ﻋﺠﯿﻦ‬
order as chronological sequence. But there is a key
difference that distinguishes the two patterns: texts
organized chronologically occur at a specific time and
setting, whereas texts describing processes or
sequences do not occur at any specific time and place. To elaborate, if I tell the story of how I
came home and made cookies, that information is organized chronologically. The story took place
in my kitchen sometime in the past. Alternately, consider instructions on how to make cookies.
When did that occur? That could happen at anytime or no time at all. This is because a recipe
describes a process or sequence, one which is not attached to any specific chronology.
Unlike chronologically ordered texts, information organized sequentially does not occur at any
specific time but, rather, anytime.
Signal Words: First, next, before, lastly, then
Example: How to Make Cookies. First, get your materials. Then, make your dough. Lastly, cook
your dough at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.

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Spacial ‫ ﻣﺘﻌﻠﻖ ﺑﺎﻟﺤﯿﺰ‬- ‫ﻣﻜﺎﻧﻰ‬
Spatial organization is when information in a
passage is organized in order of space or
location. If you were to describe the room in which
you were sitting right now, you would be using spatial
organization. Spatial organization may also be called
descriptive writing and it is most frequently used
when the narrator describes how something looks.
Spatial organization is generally pretty easy to
identify, but be aware that spatial organization is used
in both fiction and nonfiction texts. Most fictional
passages are organized chronologically, but in
paragraphs where the narrator is describing a setting
or the appearance of a character, the information may
be organized spatially.
Example: Volcanoes are a feared and destructive force for good reason. A volcano is like a
pressure valve for the inner earth, but they can also be very beautiful. One part of the volcano
that people rarely see is the magma chamber. The magma chamber is way beneath the Earth’s
bed rock. It is tremendously hot. Running from the magma chamber to the crater of the volcano is
the conduit. The conduit connects the magma chamber to the outer world. At the top of the
volcano is the the crater. This is where the magma exits. Volcanoes are a beautiful yet dangerous
natural phenomenon.
There are many different graphic organizers you can use to represent the information in a spatially
ordered passage. You could draw whatever information is described in the passage.
Some signal words that might indicate that the writer or speaker is following the spatial pattern
of organization include a wide sweeping array of prepositions, some of which I will now list: next
to, behind, across from, below that, above that, to the right of and so forth.

Order of Importance ‫ﺣﺴﺐ أوﻟﻮﯾﺔ اﻷھﻤﯿﺔ‬

Ideas or steps are prioritized by the writer or speaker
according to a hierarchy of value. When using the
order of importance pattern of organization,
information can be structured from most important to
least important or least important to most important.
Both structures would be considered as the order of
importance text structure.
Example: The company has a clearly laid out
hierarchy. All major decisions go through the
president, who controls the entire operation, but most
daily decisions go to the board. Beneath the board
members are the regional managers, who oversee the
branch managers, who run each local branch.
The Order of Importance organizational pattern can be difficult to identify alongside cause and
effect and sequence text structures. In fact, in some cases one could use the same graphic
organizer to represent information from an order of importance and sequence passage. The
difference is subtle and must be inferred at times, but generally a sequential passage explains the
steps that occur in a process.

Source: http://www.ereadingworksheets.com/text-structure/patterns-of-organization/

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