Analyzing Text Structures

Analyzing Text Structure in Non-Fiction

10th Grade English

Introduction

Text structure refers to how information is organized and presented in a piece of non-fiction writing. Understanding text structure helps readers comprehend and analyze the content more effectively.

Chronological / Sequence

* Definition: Information is presented in the order in which events occur.

* Signal words: First, next, then, finally, before, after, meanwhile

* Example: A biography of Marie Curie might describe her life events from birth to death, or a science article might explain the steps of photosynthesis in order.

Cause and Effect

* Definition: The text explains why something happened (cause) and what happened as a result (effect).

* Signal words: Because, as a result, consequently, therefore, since, so

* Example: An article about climate change might discuss how increased greenhouse gas emissions (cause) lead to rising global temperatures (effect).

Compare and Contrast

* Definition: The text highlights similarities and differences between two or more subjects.

* Signal words: Similarly, in contrast, however, on the other hand, whereas

* Example: A history text might compare and contrast the American and French Revolutions, examining their causes, key figures, and outcomes.

Problem and Solution

* Definition: The text presents a problem and then describes one or more solutions.

* Signal words: Problem, solution, issue, challenge, resolve, overcome

* Example: An environmental science article might discuss the problem of plastic pollution in oceans and then present various solutions, such as recycling initiatives and biodegradable alternatives.

Description

* Definition: The text provides details about a topic, often using sensory language.

* Signal words: For example, characteristics, features, such as, including

* Example: A travel guide might use descriptive text structure to paint a vivid picture of a destination, detailing its sights, sounds, and cultural experiences.

  * Chronological order (events presented in time sequence)

  * Cause and effect (how one event leads to another)

  * Compare and contrast (differences between past and present scientific understanding)

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Structures in Alexis Carrel excerpt

Developing the Central Idea

Carrel's groundbreaking "immortal chicken heart" experiment

  * Chronological order: Presents Carrel's background, then the experiment, then its impact

  * Cause and effect: Shows how the experiment led to public fascination and scientific implications

  * Compare and contrast: Highlights the difference between past beliefs about cell immortality and Carrel's findings

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Read and annotate the last paragraph of the excerpt for various text structures. Be prepared to answer questions and compete with your classmates! You will have three minutes to work independently.

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​Your Turn!

​The real chicken-heart cells didn't fare so well. In fact, it turned out that the original cells had probably never survived long at all. Years after Carrel died awaiting trial for collaborating with the Nazis, scientist Leonard Hayflick grew suspicious of the chicken heart. No one had ever been able to replicate Carrel's work, and the cells seemed to defy a basic rule of biology: that normal cells can only divide a finite number of times before dying. Hayflick investigated them and concluded that the original chicken-heart cells had actually died soon after Carrel put them in culture, and that, intentionally or not, Carrel had been putting new cells in the culture dishes each time he "fed" them using an " embryo juice" he made from ground tissues. At least

one of Carrel's former lab assistants verified Hayflick's suspicion. But no one could test the theory, because two years after Carrel's death, his assistant unceremoniously threw the famous chicken-heart cells in the trash.

Multiple Choice

Which text structure is primarily used in the first two sentences of the paragraph?

• Comparison/Contrast
• Chronological Order
• Problem and Solution
• Cause and Effect

Multiple Choice

The phrase "Years after Carrel died awaiting trial for collaborating with the Nazis" is an example of which text structure?

• Comparative text structure
• Descriptive text structure
• Problem-solution text structure
• Chronological text structure

Multiple Choice

Which text structure is employed when discussing Hayflick's investigation and conclusions?

• Problem and solution
• Compare and contrast
• Chronological order
• Cause and effect

Multiple Choice

The sentence "No one had ever been able to replicate Carrel's work, and the cells seemed to defy a basic rule of biology" uses which text structure?

• Compare and contrast

• Descriptive text structure
• Cause-effect text structure
• Chronological text structure

Multiple Choice

 The final sentence of the paragraph, discussing the disposal of the chicken-heart cells, primarily exemplifies which text structure?

• Comparison
• Chronological

• Problem and Solution
• Cause and Effect