Structure

Reading Strategies ~ ~ ~Structure~ ~ ~

**How is the text organized? ** Text Structure The term “text structure” refers to how information is organized in a passage. The structure of a text can change multiple times in a work and even within a paragraph. There are seven commonly used patterns of organization.

 Chronological organization: exposition at the beginning, progression towards climax and denouement; information in the passage is organized in order of time.

Example: Jack and Jill ran up the hill to fetch a pail of water. Jack fell down and broke his crown and Jill came tumbling after.

Unchronological organization: a story is presented to us in pieces like parts in a puzzle, and the reader has to put it together to get a sense of chronology.T here are seven commonly used patterns of organization.




 * *In media res: **action is going on at the beginning of the novel; we are given flashbacks to what happened in the past.

***Cause and Effect:** The results of something are explained.  <span style="color: #008080; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 35px; text-align: left;">Example: The dodo bird used to roam in large flocks across America. Interestingly, the dodo wasn’t startled by gun shot. Because of this, frontiersmen would kill entire flocks in one sitting. Unable to sustain these attacks, the dodo was hunted to extinction. <span style="color: #008080; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 35px; text-align: left;"> <span style="color: #008080; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 35px; text-align: left;">

<span style="color: #008080; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 35px; text-align: left;">***Compare and Contrast:** two or more things are described. There similarities and differences are discussed.

<span style="color: #008080; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 35px; text-align: left;">Example: Linux and Windows are both operating systems. Computers use them to run programs. Linux is totally free and open source, so users can improve or otherwise modify the source code. Windows is proprietary, so it costs money to use and users are prohibited from altering the source code.

<span style="color: #008080; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 35px; text-align: left;">***Order of Importance:** information is expressed as a hierarchy or in priority.

<span style="color: #008080; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 35px; text-align: left;">Example: Here are the three worst things that you can do on a date. First, you could tell jokes that aren’t funny and laugh really hard to yourself. This will make you look bad. Worse though, you could offend your date. One bad “joke” may cause your date to lash out at you, hence ruining the engagement. But the worst thing that you can do is to appear slovenly. By not showering and properly grooming, you may repulse your date, and this is the worst thing that you can do.

<span style="color: #008080; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 35px; text-align: left;">***Problem and Solution:** a problem is described and a response or solution is proposed or explained.

<span style="color: #008080; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 35px; text-align: left;">Example: Thousands of people die each year in car accidents involving drugs or alcohol. Lives could be saved if our town adopts a free public taxi service. By providing such a service, we could prevent intoxicated drivers from endangering themselves or others.

<span style="color: #008080; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 35px; text-align: left;">***Sequence / Process Writing:** information is organized in steps or a process is explained in the order in which it occurs.

<span style="color: #008080; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 35px; text-align: left;">Example: Eating cereal is easy. First, get out your materials. Next, pour your cereal in the bowl, add milk, and enjoy.

<span style="color: #008080; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 35px; text-align: left;">***Spatial / Descriptive Writing:** information is organized in order of space (top to bottom, left to right).

<span style="color: #008080; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 35px; text-align: left;">Example: when you walk into my bedroom there is a window facing you. To the right of that is a dresser and television and on the other side of the window is my bed.