Text structures
- 1. Text Structures By Keyon Payton-Kilgore
- 2. Chronology The sequence in a story or nonfiction text.
- 3. Clues Time-line of events Steps in a process(“how to”) Autobiography/biography
- 4. Key/Signal words First, Afterward, Then, Before, Finally, Next, Later, Then…
- 5. Does the text give a picture of the multiple events in someone’s life? How does the sequence in the story help you understand the text? Can you retell what happened in the text in order? Why is the sequence important to understand the steps in the procedure? How would a different structure change the author’s purpose? QUESTIONS
- 6. Compare-Contrast The author stresses or highlights the similarities And differences of two or more people, places, objects, events, things, or ideas
- 7. Clues Separate sections connected by an introductory paragraph. Charts or diagrams that show facts about two or more things side by side (e.g. Venn diagram May also have a question and answer text structure
- 8. Key/signal words Both, same, alike, also, similar, different, however, unlike, although, whereas, different from, instead, but, even though
- 9. Questions What is being compared? What is being contrasted? Why is the author comparing and/or contrasting__________? What are the advantages of…? What are the disadvantages of …? How would a different structure change the author's purpose?
- 10. Question answer The author asks a question and then provides the answer
- 11. Clues Ask a question An interview
- 12. Key/signal words Who, what, when, why, how, true or false, yes or no
- 13. Question How did the author answer____________? Why did the author use this structure in this passage? How would a different structure change the author's purpose?
- 14. Problem solution The author describes a problem and tells what is being done to solve it
- 15. Clues Not very common as a structure of an entire text although it is embedded within many text Some text use a question/answer structure to establish the problem and solution
- 16. Key/signal words The problem is, the solution is, the question is, solved question, reason for
- 17. question What was the problem introduced in the text? How is the problem solved? Does the author provide a solution for________? Why did the author use this structure in the passage? How would a different structure change the author’s purpose?
- 18. Cause and Effect The event that happens first is the cause. The one that follows is the effect. A single cause may have more than one effect. Cause is you read effect you get all a+
- 19. Clues Not very common as a structure of an entire text, although it is embedded within many texts.
- 20. Key/signal words Because, since, as a result of, therefore, consequently, caused by, effects were
- 21. Question What is the cause/effect the author is explaining? What causes___________to happen? What is the effect of_______________? Why did the author use this structure in the passage? How would a different structure change the author's purpose?
- 22. Description The author gives information about a topic: person, or animal, or thing, or objects
- 23. Clues Most common type of information text structure.
- 24. Key/signal words
- 25. Questions Who/what is being described? Why is the author giving us information about__________? Does the author’s description help you create an image?