The document discusses different patterns of text structure that authors use to organize information in their writing. It identifies six common patterns: chronological, cause and effect, compare and contrast, problem and solution, sequence/process, and spatial/descriptive. Each pattern is defined and examples are provided to illustrate how information is organized according to each structure.

1. English
for
Academic and
Professional Purposes

3. In the box below, draw your dream house.
Make sure that your house has a foundation and
a roof.

4. Text Structure
Patterns of
Organizatio
n

5. What is Text
Structure?
- Refers to the way an author
arranges information in his
writing.
- How information in a passage is
organized

6. What is Text Structure?
- Text structure enables authors to
organize their thoughts as they
write. It also helps the reader in
that it provides a structure in
which information can be found
and understood as it is read.

7. 6 Common
patterns of
Text Structure?
• Chronological
• Cause and Effect
• Compare and Contrast
• Problem and Solution
• Sequence / Process
• Spatial / Descriptive

8. 1.Chronol
ogical
Pattern

9. this pattern is found in most
narrative texts, where the plot
unfolds over time; more complex
texts use literary devices, such as
flashback and foreshadowing to
implicitly establish time order
Information is organized in order of time.
= time = order

10. Jack and Jill ran
up the hill to fetch
a pail of water.
Jack fell down
and broke his
crown.
Jill came
tumbling
after.
ALL stories are told chronologically.

11. This morning was crazy. My alarm clock was set for
PM instead of AM, so I woke up really late. I just threw
on some clothes and ran out the door. I rode my bike
as fast as I could and thought that I was going to be
late for sure, but when I got there everyone was
outside and there were firetrucks all lined up in front of
school. I guess somebody pulled the fire alarm before
class started. It worked out though, because nobody
really noticed or minded that I was tardy.
EXAMPLE:

13. 2.Cause
and
Effect

14. and
Effect
unlike the sequence pattern, this pattern
carries the implication that the effect is
produced by a specific cause or that the
consequences follow from the specified
antecedents; this might be found in a
discussion of science investigation results
or historical articles linking multiple causes
and effects.

15. Cause and
Effect
An action and its results are explained.
Students did not learn
the material.
They performed
poorly on the test.
Cause Effect
•Don’t confuse with chronological.
•Won’t have a beginning, middle, and end.
•Time won’t progress much.

16. Signal
Words
• as a result of,
• because of,
• thus, for
• theses
• reasons

17. The advancement in technology and economy has created
major changes in modern society. One of these changes is
globalization. As we know, globalization has affected the
world in many ways. First, it served as a catalyst to
worldwide trading, thus allowing countries to access foreign
products. Although this had positive effects, it also posed a
real threat to the merchandise of local traders.
Second, globalization affected the financial market. As a
result, different countries had more access to funds, and
the exchange in national currencies dramatically increased.
Finally, globalization also led to the privatization of various
facilities, such as public health institutions. These
institutions were being privatized due to the idea that the
private sector can better manage and provide health
services. In consequence, health policies become more and
more of a commodity on a global scale.

18. Compare
and
Contrast

19. this pattern shows similarities and
differences between objects, actions,
ideas, or processes; headings and
subheadings generally provide extra
support/signals to readers about this
structure; often one paragraph is
dedicated to similarities and another to
differences.

20. Tells how two things are similar and different.
Apples & Oranges
Similarities Differences
1. Both are
fruits.
2. Both have skin.
1. People don’t
eat
orange skins.
2. Oranges have
more juice.

21. Signal Words
• like, in
• contrast
• similar to
• while, as
• opposed to
• whereas

22. Example
Are you not sure yet which phone to buy? To help you decide, this review
will help you inspect the basic similarities and differences of the
flagship phones of two giant companies: Apple’s iPhone 6 and Samsung’s
Galaxy S5. Both brag to be the best smart phones in market to date.
While these state-of-the art phones have similarities in the form of
their sleek design, multi-touch screen, and multimedia features, they
have their distinctive features as well. First, Galaxy S5 has a larger
screen at 5.1 inches as compared to iPhone 6’s 4.7 inches. As for the
operating system, iPhone 6 uses iOS (8.x) while S5 uses Android (5.0,
4.4.2). In terms of the camera, S5 has a 2.1-megapixel front-facing
camera which is higher than iPhone’s 1.2 megapixels. Unlike S5, iPhone’s
battery is not user-replaceable and has a shorter talk time, but when it
comes to built-in storage, iPhone 6 outperforms S5. Now that you know
the basic differences of the two phones, you can decide!

23. Problem
and
Solution

24. Problem and
Solution
this pattern may follow a number of
different forms; at one extreme, the
problem and solution are labelled as
such; at the other extreme, the
pattern is a series of questions and
answers that may or may not lead to
a resolution of the problem or issue

25. Require a license
to buy spray paint.
Problem and
Solution
A problem and answer are suggested.
Problem Solution
Property is being
spray painted.
•Don’t confuse with cause and effect.
•It is presented as a PROBLEM.

26. Signal
Words
• the problem
• is, the
• solution is
• the difficulty
• is

27. Today, most of the energy resources we have are generated from
coal, oil, and natural gas. However, these resources are limited.
If continuously consumed at an alarming rate, fossil fuels
necessary for generating power to operate vehicles and factories
will run out before long. Nonetheless, this problem can be
resolved through the use of alternative sources of energy and
conservation efforts. First, using alternative sources of energy
such as solar energy and fusion energy would lessen pollution.
These alternatives are actually more accessible and cost-
efficient.
Although there are some potential risks in using fusion energy,
these risks can be mitigated by implementing strict safety
measures. The second solution that governments can adopt is the
enhancement of conservation efforts. To do this, governments
need to make the public more aware of the benefits of
conservation, as well as ways of conserving energy, such as
recycling. Laws can also be passed to mandate the public and all
stakeholders to recycle energy.

28. Proposition-
Support
(Persuasion)

29. Proposition-Support
(Persuasion)—
• this is similar to problem/solution, although
arguments and counter arguments are both
presented in support of a thesis statement.

30. Euthanasia or mercy killing has been a widely debated
issue. It is an act to end a person’s life to alleviate the
suffering brought about by a terminal or grave illness. While
it may be supported by some, mercy killing is not only an
unethical medical practice, it is also a crime. After all, on
the most basic level, euthanasia still takes a life. In fact,
majority of the countries in the world, including those that
have legalized it, consider it as homicide. Aside from being
a crime, euthanasia is unethical in the medical context
because it violates the principle of “primum non nocore”
which means “first, do no harm.” In their code of ethics,
doctors have the responsibility of saving lives, not
destroying them, which is why euthanasia can never be
acceptable

31. Judgmental/
Critique
Structure

32. Judgmental/Critique Structure
• this pattern uses a set of criteria to
evaluate
• information or ideas that have been
presented; often discourse style (e.g.,
humor,
• satire) affects the complexity and
understanding of this type of text. ꜜ

33. "The objective of this review was to view the trends in composition
studies within the past fifty years and see how commentary on student
writing has transformed and is still transforming. It's clear from the
research reviewed that evaluative commentary is widely practiced all
through composition programs in universities today. Together with this,
it's also evident that the field of composition studies in regards to the
kinds of commentary that students get on their writing is varied and
continues to be examined and analyzed to benefit both composition
students and the society at large. Moreover, corrective vs. evaluative
commentary is still being discussed, and continues to be problematic in
the discourse community of college composition and also high school
writing as viewed in Bardine et al.'s research.“ Assisting students to
become better writers is important in our current society with reducing
school budgets."

34. Inductive/
Deductive
Structure

35. Inductive/Deductive Structure
• there are subtle differences between
these two structures, which apply
elements of enumeration and
definition structures

36. While the Internet offers so many benefits to man,
it also has its downsides. One of these is phishing,
which refers to the act of obtaining personal
information, such as passwords and credit card
details, through online means. In other words,
phishing is a form of cybercrime. As an example,
let us consider the case pf Mr. X. He received an
email stating that his Gmail account has been
compromised and that he needed to click a link to
update personal information. If Mr. X clicks on the
link, his personal information will be illegally
acquired by cybercriminals.

37. Sequence /
Process Writing

38. Sequence / Process Writing
• in this pattern, steps or phases of a
process or
• project are specified without cause-effect
relationships being implied; a recipe or
• procedure for a science investigating
would be examples of differing complexity

39. 4. Flip omelet.
3. Cook on
one side.
2. Add cheese.
Sequence / Process Writing
1. Crack a
few eggs.
Don’t confuse with
chronological!
Does not occur at
a specific time.

40. Signal Words
• first, second,
• last, next,
• then, before,
• another

41. Examples:
During flooding, one thing that may probably save
your life is an improvised flotation device. You can
make one using your pants. First, knot off the leg
holes of your pants. Then, hold the open waist and
swing the pants around to fill the legs with air.
Promptly knot the waist to trap the air and hold the
pants underwater so that the air
would not escape.

42. A television across
from the bed.
Two windows on
the west Wall
Spatial / Descriptive Writing
Racial is to race as spatial is to space.
Describes something in order of space.
Describes how something looks.
My bedroom

43. Signal Words
• characteristics
• are, to
• illustrate, also,
• one example,
• in
• addition

44. Tips to Identify
1. Ask, “what is the author doing in this
paragraph?” Put it in your own words.
2. Have a hunch? Use the graphic
organizer to see if the info fits.
3. Look for signal words.

45. Practice
1. Read each passage.
2. Determine how the text is organized:
cause and effect, compare and contrast,
chronological order, sequence / process
writing, problem and solution, or spatial /
descriptive.
3. Write your answer.

46. Popular Sports
Football and baseball are two of the
most popular sports in the country. They
have many things in common. For one,
they are both team sports, and they both
require players to advance to an end or
“home” point on the playing field.
However, football requires players to carry
the ball to the end zone, whereas in
baseball, it is the defending team that
controls the ball while it is in play.

47. The Magic Blanket
One day while walking home from school,
he found a magic blanket. When he covered
himself with it, he turned invisible. At first he
used his power to play all kinds of tricks on
people. He’d turn invisible and hide things, or
move a cup when someone was pouring juice
to make a mess. He had a lot of fun. But
then one day, he found that he couldn’t take
the blanket off. He was just stuck invisible.
He quit playing tricks on people, hoping that
he’d be able to take the blanket off and rejoin
society, but it didn’t work. He is still invisible
somewhere right now, and he is very lonely.

48. Studying for a Test
Believe it or not, as important as it is,
many students do not know how to study
for a test. Well, studying for a test is easy.
The first thing that you must do is take out
your notes. Open your notes up to the
section that you are supposed to review.
Read what you wrote in your notebook.
When you are done, close your notebook
and see if you remember the ideas that
you were studying. Still don’t remember?
Open your notebook back up a try again.

49. Low Test Scores
Many students have been getting low
scores on tests and this is upsetting to
parents, teachers, and students. Low test
scores show that teachers aren’t teaching
effectively or that students aren’t learning.
Either way it’s an issue with which we are
concerned. I propose the following: any
teacher who is giving a test should open up
their classroom for study groups the night
and morning before the test. Maybe by
giving students extra opportunities to study,
we can improve students’ test scores.

50. Peanut Butter and Jelly
After a long day at school, I came
home and watched “Cops,” my favorite
show. During the commercial breaks, I got
up and made a peanut butter and jelly
sandwich. I took the bread out of the
cabinet, spread the jelly and peanut butter
on the bread, and stuck the two pieces
together. I enjoyed that sandwich as I
watched the rest of “Cops.”

51. The Gym Room
The gym room at the high school down the
street from me is huge. Along the North and
South walls are bleachers that fold up during
gym. Coach pulls the bleachers out for big
games. At the end of the East and West walls
are basketball hoops. The ceilings are very
high and at the top of the gym are many large
windows. The windows go all the way around
the gym. There are also ropes that are either
tucked away or hang from the ceilings in the
middle of the gym. The ropes intimidate
some students. That gym is my favorite place.

52. Eligibility
Being involved in after school sports and
clubs is not a right. It is a privilege.
Therefore, students have to meet eligibility
requirements. If students have any “D”s or
“F”s, they are not allowed to play. Also, if
students have behavior issues in class, they
cannot be on the team or in the club. Lastly,
students need to keep good attendance. If
students miss school, they most certainly
cannot come to practice. Being on a team is
a lot of responsibility. If students are not
proving to be responsible, they will not be
permitted to be in clubs or teams.

53. Teenage Pregnancy
It seems like there has been a surge in
teen pregnancies these days. Teen
pregnancies make it very difficult for young
mothers to pursue their dreams and meet
the demands of an infant. Fortunately, most
teen pregnancies can be easily prevented
by using birth control; however, even birth
control is not 100% effective. The most
effective way to prevent teen pregnancies is
abstinence, which is 100% effective.

54. Answers
1. Compare and contrast
2. Chronological
3. Sequence or process writing
4. Problem and solution
5. Chronological
6. Spatial / descriptive writing
7. Cause and effect