This document discusses different strategies for selecting and organizing information in writing. It identifies 7 main patterns of development that can be used: narration, definition, description, comparison and contrast, sequence, cause and effect, and problem and solution. Each pattern involves a different logical arrangement of ideas and relationship between elements, such as sequential telling of events, comparing similarities and differences, or explaining a problem and proposed solution. The purpose is to help writers choose the organizational structure best suited to their goal in writing a text or paragraph.

1. READING &
WRITING SKILLS
PREPARED BY:
ELLA MAE M. AGUILAR, T-I

4. BRIEF INTRODUCTION
DISCUSSION
As a writer, it is important to arrange your ideas in a
text according to your purpose in writing. Are you
narrating an event, showing cause and effect, defining a
term or comparing or contrasting items? Your purpose
suggests a method of organization or logical arrangement
known as the pattern of development. It could be a way
of logically organizing the whole text or a just an
individual paragraph.

5. STRATEGIES IN SELECTING AND
ORGANIZING INFORMATION
1. NARRATION 6. CAUSE & EFFECT
2. DEFINITION 7. PROBLEM & SOLUTION
3. DESCRIPTION
4. COMPARISON & CONTRAST
5. SEQUENCE

6. 1. Narration – refers to a
sequential telling of a story
or recounting of a series of
events

7. 2. Definition - explains an idea, term
or phrase using distinguishing
characteristics or synonyms. It is
used to set working generalizations
that help control the meaning and
scope of important terms or ideas
(Perelman, et al., n.d.)

8. 3. Description – similar with narration
for having many specific details,
description “emphasizes the senses by
painting a picture of how something
looks, sounds, smells, tastes, or feels.
Description is often used to establish
a mood or atmosphere” (Bedford,
Freeman and Worth, 2019, p.2).

9. 4. Comparison and contrast – compares two
things to highlight their subtle similarities
and differences. The author's intent is to
describe a connection between two things by
showing their distinguishing and shared
attributes (Bohaty, 2015).

10. 5. Sequence – describes steps,
events, processes, or procedures.
There are three types of Sequence:
steps, timeline, and cycle.
Regardless of the type, the author
is putting information in an order
(Bohaty, 2015, p. 40).

11. 6. Cause and effect – shows the linkage
of causation – how events are influenced
or caused by another. “The author's
intent is to tell us how an event always
leads to an outcome. The event is the
cause and the outcome is the result. The
relationship is between the cause and the
effect” (Bohaty, 2015, p. 40).

12. 7. Problem and solution - divides
information into two main sections, one
that describes a problem and one that
describes a solution. Here, the author’s
intent is to discuss or propose a solution
to a problem. The relationship between
the problem and the solution is explored
(Bohaty, 2015).