Text Structure and Organization in Writing

Tacos are an extremely popular food, but their origins are unclear. Many historians have a theory that tacos did not make an appearance in America until 1905, when migrant workers from Mexico began working on railroads and mines in America. In the years to come, as Mexican immigrants became acclimated to the food served in America, they began to incorporate American toppings into this traditionally Mexican dish. For example, they started including cheddar cheese and iceberg lettuce as taco toppings. In the 1940’s, Mexican chefs created the hard taco shell that is commonly used today, and in the 1960’s, Taco Bell was created. Tacos became a fast food staple soon afterwards. 

A chronological order is used in this paragraph to —

• Illustrate how tacos have changed over time

• Show that historians do not know when the taco was created

• Explain the history of the taco

• Tell when Taco Bell was created

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If given the choice, would you choose to eat a popsicle or an ice cream sandwich? Both are delicious desserts that are perfect for warm days. However, they taste very different. Popsicles are more likely to be fruit-flavored, while ice cream sandwiches are normally just chocolate or vanilla. There is also a difference in how you eat each sweet. Popsicles are formed around a wooden stick, so if you don’t eat the popsicle fast enough, the popsicle will begin to melt onto your hand. An ice cream sandwich can melt too, but it comes in a wrapper that can protect your hand from getting messy. 

The author organizes this paragraph in a compare and contrast pattern to —

• Describe how popsicles taste

• Describe how popsicles and ice cream sandwiches are similar and different

• Describe how popular ice cream sandwich flavors

• Describe how popsicles and ice cream sandwiches are packaged

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Anyone who has ever eaten several Cheetos knows that these tasty chips will leave your fingers coated in a bright orange powder if you eat more than a few. This coating can be a dead giveaway to your parents or teachers that you’ve been snacking when you’re not supposed to. Thankfully, there are several ways to avoid this issue. First, try eating the Cheetos one at a time, picking each chip up with a napkin. The cloth will protect your digits from the colorful Cheeto dust. You can also try eating Cheetos while wearing gloves, or use a spoon to bring the chips to your mouth. Any of these strategies will help you snack more stealthily!

A problem-and-solution pattern is used in this paragraph to —

• Offer a solution to a common Cheeto problem

• Describe a common problem related to eating Cheetos

• Explain why Cheetos turn your fingers orange

• Persuade the reader to use a napkin while snacking

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Have you ever wanted to throw the perfect movie night for your friends? Many people love to eat snacks while they enjoy a film, so if you’re hosting a movie night, you need to be sure to set up a snack area for your guests. First, think about what kind of snacks you want to include. Young movie-watchers will want different kinds of snacks than older guests. Second, make sure you have an equal split between sweet snacks, salty snacks, and sour snacks. This way, everyone can find something they like! Finally, place your snacks in individual bowls and give guests plates to put their snacks on. This set-up will create a movie night that everyone is sure to enjoy!

The author uses a sequential pattern to explain —

• Why including different snacks is important

• How to host a successful movie night

• That different guests enjoy different types of snacks

• What snacks are most popular with movie guests

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If you have ever eaten pizza off a paper plate or a napkin, you may have noticed your slice leaves behind a grease stain after you pick it up. The cause of this grease is the different oils that come out when the pizza is cooked. The different ingredients in pizza, such as cheese and meats, release oil that you can see when you pick up a slice. If a pizza has a lot of cheese, you will see more oil on the pizza. Some people are bothered by this grease and choose to dab it off with a napkin, while others do not care if there’s a little extra oil. 

By organizing this paragraph in a cause-and-effect pattern, the author —

• Describes what pizza grease looks like

• Argues that pizza should be less greasy

• Provides a solution for greasy pizza

• Explains what causes pizza to be greasy

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Tacos are an extremely popular food, but their origins are unclear. Many historians have a theory that tacos did not make an appearance in America until 1905, when migrant workers from Mexico began working on railroads and mines in America. In the years to come, as Mexican immigrants became acclimated to the food served in America, they began to incorporate American toppings into this traditionally Mexican dish. For example, they started including cheddar cheese and iceberg lettuce as taco toppings. In the 1940’s, Mexican chefs created the hard taco shell that is commonly used today, and in the 1960’s, Taco Bell was created. Tacos became a fast food staple soon afterwards. 

What clues did the author give you to help you identify this as chronological order?

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Cause and effect organization answer the question ______.

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Which text structure would you use to tell someone how to make a sandwich?

• Problem and Solution

• Cause and Effect

• Sequence

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Which text structure provides solutions to a problem?

• Cause and Effect

• Sequence

• Problem and Solution

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Which text structure was the most difficult to identify? Put them in order of easiest to most difficult. 

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