Discerning Nonfiction Text Structures

The video tutorial explains the importance of understanding text structures for reading comprehension. It highlights the predictable nature of narrative texts and contrasts it with the varied structures of informational texts. The tutorial outlines five key text structures for non-fiction: procedural, descriptive, compare-contrast, cause-effect, and problem-solution. It emphasizes the need to analyze text sections to discern the author's purpose and improve comprehension. By understanding these structures, readers can better organize information and enhance their reading skills.

Why is it important to understand text structures when reading informational texts?

• To better organize and comprehend the information

• To write better essays

• To memorize facts easily

• To enjoy the story more

What is a common pattern found in narrative texts?

• A list of facts

• A character facing and resolving a conflict

• A series of questions and answers

• A comparison of two ideas

What are the three broad reasons to write?

• To narrate, to explain, to argue

• To inform, to persuade, to entertain

• To list, to categorize, to sequence

• To describe, to compare, to contrast

Which text structure is used to explain how something works?

• Cause-effect

• Descriptive

• Compare-contrast

• Procedural

If an author wants to explain all about a concept, which text structure should they use?

• Descriptive

• Compare-contrast

• Procedural

• Problem-solution

Which text structure is used to study two things in one text?

• Compare-contrast

• Problem-solution

• Descriptive

• Cause-effect

What should students analyze to discern the text structure used by an author?

• The font style used

• The type of information in the text

• The length of the text

• The number of paragraphs

What indicates a procedural text structure in the body paragraphs?

• Each paragraph compares two ideas

• Each paragraph explains a different concept

• Each paragraph reveals a step or phase

• Each paragraph describes a different event

How can understanding text structures improve comprehension?

• By making the text shorter

• By breaking information into manageable chunks

• By simplifying the vocabulary

• By adding more pictures

What is the benefit of following the author's ideas from beginning to end?

• It helps in memorizing the text

• It significantly improves comprehension

• It makes the text shorter

• It makes the text more entertaining