English II Text Structures IIB

Author’s Purpose: a writer’s reason for writing. The author ALWAYS has a reason for writing. Examples of Author’s Purpose  To entertain  To inform  To persuade  To explain  To instruct  To inspire  To complain  To encourage

Text Structure: the way information is presented or organized.  Description  Comparing or contrasting  Chronological order  Cause and effect  Process  Problem and solution Each text structure helps an author to achieve his or her purpose for writing. Examples of Text Structures

Description: Using details or imagery to present information. Purple book pages  Sometimes the author may use a description “to emphasize” something.  This means he/she maybe be trying to stress or call attention to something in the passage.

Compare (Similarities) and Contrast (Differences): To show how things are alike or different.  However  On the other hand  As opposed  But  Different  Although  Yet  In the same way  Like  Similarly Clues Purple book pages

Sequential Order or Chronological Order : giving events in the order that they occurred in time.  Used for narrating a story or writing a biography.  Clues would be words like first, then, next, after, before, and last.  Dates may also be used.  Purpose is usually to build on events as they occurred, which in some cases also builds suspense.

Process or Procedural Order : giving the steps of a process in the order they should be performed.  Similar to sequential order but instead of giving events in the order that they occurred, a writer explains the steps of a process in the order they should be performed.

 Either from most important to least important or from least important to most important.  Often seen in persuasive writing. Order of Importance: organizing details, reasons, etc. in the order of their importance.

Spatial Order : organizing the description of items according to their position or closeness to each other.  Could be used to describe a room that acts as a setting in a narrative. Purple book pages

Cause & Effect: a relationship that explains how one thing makes something else happen. Can be stated or implied. The cause answers the question “Why did this happen?”  because  (the) cause is  Due to  First  For  Since Keywords for causes

The effect answers the question “What happened as a result?” Cause & Effect: (continued) Keywords for effects  As a result  Consequently  Resulted in  (the) result is  Therefore  Thus

Problem & Solution: Giving a conflict or issue (the problem) and its answer (the solution). The problem can be a conflict or some other kind of issue. The solution can be an answer or a resolution to the problem. Purple book page 101.

Reading 2 passages:  Sometimes an author may choose one type of organization over another for a specific purpose.  And sometimes the 2 passages are not related.

Purple book page Reading 2 passages: (tip)  Read the first passage. Identify the text structure. Look at your answer choices and cross off any choices that do not match the passage.  Then read the second passage and identify its text structure. Look at your remaining answer choices.  The correct answer SHOULD be obvious.

Possible test questions  How does the organizational structure of this paragraph support the author’s purpose?  How does the organizational structure of this paragraph relate to the author’s purpose?  How does the organizational structure of this passage help convey the author’s purpose?  How does the descriptive information in lines 1-42 support the author’s purpose in the passage?

Possible test questions (continued)  Which statement below accurately evaluates the organizational structures of the excerpts?  How do the organizational structures of the excerpts support the author’s purpose?  In comparing the two paragraphs above, how does structure support the meaning of the texts?

Terms  Vulnerable  Reveals  Visualize  Justifies  Persuasive tone  Appreciate  Chronology  Classify  Objective  Sincere  Emphasize  Demonstrate facets  Regarding  Commonalities  Conveys  Intimidate  Isolation  Illuminate  Highlights  Consequences  Clarifies

Mississippi SATP English II Revised: Multiple Choice Student Review Guide for Vocabulary/Reading