Review It
Knowing the organizational structure an author uses is like having road signs that prepare you as you embark on your reading journey. By looking for signal words, you know in advance the direction the author is taking to emphasize his or her point(s). In this Review It activity, new signal words are introduced.
Download the Five Basic Types of Organizational Text Structures PDF to review the different types of organizational text structures and the signal words associated with each type.
Review the chart about the five basic types of organizational text structures, their use and their signal words. Note the addition of new signal words for each organizational structure. Familiarize yourself with all of these words as they will be used in the final activity.
Term |
Signal words |
New Signal Words |
---|---|---|
Description Writers use description to convey how something looks, acts, feels, tastes, sounds and so on. |
for example |
to begin with to illustrate an example |
Term |
Signal words |
New Signal Words |
---|---|---|
Sequence or Timeline Writers use sequence to explain how events or steps in a process take place. |
first |
soon |
Term |
Signal words |
New Signal Words |
---|---|---|
Compare and Contrast Writers use compare and contrast to explain similarities and differences. |
similar |
alike as well as not only …but also same as either …or as opposed to |
Term |
Signal words |
New Signal Words |
---|---|---|
Cause and Effect Writers use cause and effect to explain how an event caused another to occur. |
causes |
reason why may be due to |
Term |
Signal words |
New Signal Words |
---|---|---|
Problem and Solution Writers use problem and solution to describe a problem and the steps taken to solve it. |
because |
the problem is… the puzzle is… to solve this… dilemma is one answer is… one reason for the problem is… |