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Analyzing text structure requires you to understand the purpose of the text. When authors write, they organize and develop ideas to support the purpose of the text. The author includes certain clue words or signals to help the reader understand the purpose. The structure of the text and words used to convey the author’s purpose are referred to as the organizational pattern. Review the common organizational patterns for structuring a text in the table below. As you read the chart, notice the key words that provide clues about the organization and purpose of a text.
| Organizational Pattern | Purpose of Structure | Signal words, phrases, transitions |
|---|---|---|
| Sequence/Chronological | The author presents information in order of time, sequence or process. | first second next finally |
| Description | The author provides details on a topic, idea, person, place or thing by listing characteristics, features and examples. | for example characteristics are such as |
| Compare/Contrast | The author explains how two or more things are alike and/or how they are different. |
different in contrast alike same as on the other hand even though although yet as opposed to instead of |
| Cause and Effect | The author identifies one or more causes or events and the resulting consequences or effects. |
reasons why if…then therefore because so since caused by result brought about by |
| Problem and Solution | The author states a problem and lists one or more solutions to the problem. |
issue reason problem is answer solution because possibility if…then so that thus one idea the result |
As you read closely to analyze a text, look for clues and signal words to determine the organizational pattern(s) that the author is using. Identifying the organizational pattern provides a framework for thinking about the text as you read. This framework helps you to analyze relationships among ideas and identify how ideas progress to reveal complex concepts. Science texts often include complex ideas that require you to slow down and pay attention to the relationship between key ideas, and details such as clue words and signals, to gain an understanding of the text.
Read the following text from the Science Wire article Dance of the Tides:
Surfers consult tide tables as often as they consult weather and wave predictions. While predicting tides may be more systematic than predicting wave heights, knowing the tide's effect on the waves is another matter. There are no rules, except one: You have to know something about your beach to know how it will be affected by the tides.
All good surfing beaches have what's called a break, a place where the beach drops off under the water. The break is where the waves crest, and therefore is where surfers catch their rides. The depth of the water over the break changes with the tides: The water is deeper when the tide is high, shallower when it's low. At some point in the tide cycle, the water will be at its best depth for making good surfing waves. Problem is, that depth and that time in the tide cycle depend on factors unique to your beach—where the break is, the slope of the beach, etc. The bottom line is that tide affects surf, but in order to make the most of it, you need to know your beach.
Now watch the video to learn how to analyze the structure of relationships among concepts in the text.
