Text Structure in Informational Texts

Informational Text Structures

Understanding text structure...

• ...can help you better understand what you are reading.

• ...can help you organize the information from a text.

• ...can help you write about what you read.

Text structure is the organizational pattern that an author uses to present ideas in a text.

• How does the author present the information?

• What order is the information in?

Text Structure:

• Authors of informational texts arrange and connect events and ideas in their writing.

• Sometimes two or more text structures are present in one text, although one usually dominates. 

Some of the most common text structures include: 

• sequential

• problem and solution

• cause and effect

• comparison and contrast

Poll

I know what sequential means.

• Yes

• No

• Sort of

Sequential

• Authors present information about events or steps in a process, in the order in which they take or have taken place.

• Look for words that indicate time order.

• The use of dates and words such as then and finally indicate a sequential text structure. 

• Ask yourself: What events are listed and discussed?  Do the events have to happen in this precise order? 

Multiple Choice

Sequential text structure:

• gives a problem and then a solution to the problem

• presents events in the order the took place

Multiple Select

Things that signal sequential order are:

(Select all that apply)

• words like then and finally

• paragraphs

• dates

• effect

Problem and Solution:

• A writer presents a problem or a series of problems, and offers solutions on how to solve them.

• Ask yourself: Does this part of the text revolve around a problem that must be solved? 

• 
  

Multiple Choice

To help identify problem and solution text structure, ask yourself:

• Do the events have to happen in this precise order?

• How many paragraphs are there?

• Does the text revolve around a problem that must be solved?

Cause and Effect:

• Authors who specialize in history or science topics often use this structure to explain how or why something happened.

• Words and phrases such as therefore, because, and for this reason point to a cause-and-effect structure. 

Multiple Select

Cause and effect text structure will:

(Choose two)

• explain reasons why something happened

• explain the effects of something

• solve a problem

Comparison and Contrast:

• Authors use this structure to present information about things that are different but have something in common, such as two points of view on a subject.

• Ask yourself: Are two or more things being compared? 

Multiple Select

Comparison and contrast structure will tell you:

(Choose two)

• how things are the same

• why something happened

• an important date

• how things are different

Example from the text:

In paragraph 3, the authors move away from the scene in Seattle and break the sequential structure of events, to describe the arrival of a group of miners on another ship in San Francisco. The miners in San Francisco had also found gold in the Klondike region of northern Canada. This event came three days earlier and helped cause the “gold fever” in Seattle. Briefly breaking away from the sequential structure to use a cause-and-effect text structure helps the authors show how the San Francisco event led to the crowd waiting in Seattle, eager to learn about the miners’ fabulous discovery of gold. 

Open Ended

What did you learn about informational text structure? Use complete sentences.