Navigation
Learning about different ways authors organize information, like chronology and cause/effect.
Have you ever tried to build a giant LEGO castle without the instruction manual? Non-fiction authors use 'secret blueprints' called text structures to make sure their information doesn't turn into a messy pile of bricks!
When an author wants to tell a story or explain how to do something, they use chronological order. This is also called time order. Imagine you are drawing a line from the past to the future. The author puts events in the exact order they happened. You can spot this structure by looking for signal words like first, next, then, finally, or specific dates like 1776 or 2024. If you can move the sentences around and the story stops making sense, it is likely chronological!
1. First, a tiny egg is laid on a leaf. 2. Next, a caterpillar hatches and begins to eat. 3. Then, it builds a hard shell called a chrysalis. 4. Finally, a beautiful butterfly emerges and flies away.
Quick Check
What are two 'signal words' that tell you a text is in chronological order?
Answer
Words like 'first,' 'next,' 'then,' 'finally,' or specific dates.
Have you ever pushed one domino and watched the whole row fall? That is cause and effect. In non-fiction, the cause is why something happens, and the effect is what happens as a result. Authors use this to explain things like why volcanoes erupt or why a sports team won a game. Look for signal words like because, since, as a result, and therefore. It helps to think of it as a math equation: .
Scenario: It rained for three days straight without stopping. 1. Cause: The heavy, continuous rainfall. 2. Action: The river water rose higher than the banks. 3. Effect: The local park was flooded and had to be closed.
Quick Check
In the sentence 'The ice cream melted because it was left in the sun,' what is the cause?
Answer
The cause is that the ice cream was left in the sun.
When an author wants to show how two things are the same and how they are different, they use compare and contrast. To compare means to find things that are alike. To contrast means to find things that are different. This structure is like looking at two different mirrors at once. Authors use signal words like both, alike, and similar to compare. They use however, but, and on the other hand to contrast.
1. Comparison: Both animals are reptiles and live near water. 2. Contrast (Shape): Alligators have a wide, U-shaped snout, however, crocodiles have a longer, V-shaped snout. 3. Contrast (Habitat): Alligators prefer freshwater, while crocodiles can live in salty water.
Which text structure would an author use to write a biography about George Washington's life from birth to death?
If a text uses the words 'on the other hand' and 'both,' which structure is it likely using?
In a cause and effect relationship, the 'effect' is the reason why something happened.
Review Tomorrow
In 24 hours, try to remember the three main text structures: The Timeline, The Domino, and The Double Mirror.
Practice Activity
Find a news article or a page in your science textbook. Can you find three signal words and name the text structure being used?