Non-Fiction

Text Structures

Types of Text Structure

• Description
• Sequence & Order
• Compare & Contrast
• Cause & Effect

Text Structure FAQ:

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• How the text is organized
• Text can be organized in many different ways
• May vary from paragraph to paragraph

Features a detailed description of something to give the reader a mental picture

• Ex: A book may tell all about whales or describe what the geography is like in a particular region
• Ex: “The sunset filled the entire sky with the deep color of rubies, setting the clouds ablaze”
• Ex: “The waves crashed and danced along the shore, moving up and down in a graceful and gentle rhythm like they were dancing”

1. Description

Lists the order of steps in a process or event.

• Similar concept: Chronological - In time order
• Signaled by use of words like first, next, before, and after

Sequence & Order

A cause–effect structure connects events that happen (effects) with why they happen (causes)

• Example:
• I ate tons of junk food, so now I feel sick. I feel sick because I ate tons of junk food.
• Signaled by words like:�because, as a result, therefore, and if

3. Cause & Effect

(Grammar tip: The difference between affect & effect is that affect is a verb and effect is a noun)

Used to describe how two or more things are similar and different.

• Signal words:�both, unlike, similarly, and in 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.

4. Compare & Contrast

Presents problems and solutions in a structured and easily identifiable way

-> Example problem:

Students in Mrs. Lee’s class sleep too often.

-> Example solution:

Students need to get more sleep at night, stand in the back of the class, or drink more caffeine to stay awake

Problem & Solution