1. Guide to College Reading, 8/e Kathleen T. McWhorter
Chapter 8
Following the Author’s Thought Patterns
PowerPoint by Gretchen Starks-Martin
St. Cloud State University, MN
Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing by Longman Publishers

2. THIS CHAPTER WILL SHOW YOU HOW TO:
Improve your understanding and recall by recognizing thought patterns
Identify commonly used thought patterns
Learn transitional words and phrases that signal thought patterns
Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing by Longman Publishers

3. Six Common Thought Patterns
Recognizing the author’s thought pattern will improve comprehension and recall. Six common thought patterns are:
Illustration/Example
Definition
Comparison/Contrast
Cause/Effect
Classification
Chronological Order/Process
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4. Illustration/Example
An idea is explained by providing specific instances or experiences that show it.
KEY IDEA
Example
Example
Example
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5. Illustration/Example
STATIC ELECTRICITY
lightning
nylon rug
cat’s fur
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6. Distinguishing feature Distinguishing feature Distinguishing feature
Definition
An object or ideas is explained by describing the general class or group to which it belongs and how the item differs from others in the same group.
TERM
General class or group
Distinguishing feature
Distinguishing feature
Distinguishing feature
Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing by Longman Publishers

7. Plays dead when trapped
Definition
Example:
OPOSSUM
Animal
Ratlike tail
Lives in trees
Plays dead when trapped
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8. Comparison/Contrast
A new or unfamiliar idea is explained by showing how it is similar to or different from a more familiar idea.
ITEM A
Item B
Similarities
Differences
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9. Cause/Effect
Connections between events are explained by showing what caused an event or what happened as a result of a particular event.
EVENT A
EVENT B
Shorter work week
More leisure time
Missed the bus
Late for class
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10. Single Cause/Multiple Effects
Event B
Event A
Event C
Event D
Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing by Longman Publishers

11. Single Cause/Multiple Effects
Example:
Traffic Problems
SNOWSTORM
School closings
Accidents
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12. Multiple Cause/Single Effect
Event A
Event B
Event D
Event C
Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing by Longman Publishers

13. Multiple Cause/Single Effect
Example:
ATTEND CLASS
TAKE NOTES
Good exam
grade
STUDY TEXTBOOK
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14. Multiple Causes/ Multiple Effects
Multiple Cases
Event A
Event C
Event B
Event D
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15. Multiple Causes/ Multiple Effects
Example:
MISSING CLASSES
Low exam grades
LOSING NOTES
Failing the course
Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing by Longman Publishers

16. Classification
An object or idea is explained by dividing it into parts and describing or explaining each.
TOPIC
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
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17. Ornamental/landscape
Classification
Example:
HORTICULTURE
Pomology
Floriculture
Ornamental/landscape
Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing by Longman Publishers

18. Chronological Order/Process
Events or procedures are described in the order in which they occur in time.
EVENT or PROCESS
1. Action or step
2. Action or step
3. Action or step
Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing by Longman Publishers

19. OTHER USEFUL PATTERNS OF ORGANIZATION
Statement and Clarification
A statement of fact and then clarification or an explanation of the fact.
Transitional words are in Table 8-2.
Summary
A condensed statement that provides the key points of a larger idea or piece of writing.
Summaries of textbook chapters are examples.
Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing by Longman Publishers

20. OTHER USEFUL PATTERNS OF ORGANIZATION
Addition
Introduction of an idea and then additional information about that idea or statement.
Transitional words are in Table 8-2.
Spatial Order
Statements about the physical location or position in space will be described.
Example: description of parts of a camera.
Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing by Longman Publishers

21. Using Transitional Words
Transitional words (clue words, directional words) help you identify organizational patterns.
They also help discover or clarify relationships between and among ideas.
Example: If you see “in conclusion,” you know that the writer will present a summary.
See Table 8-1 for a list of transitional words that fit into certain organizational patterns.
Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing by Longman Publishers

22. LEARNING STYLE TIPS
Spatial Learner: drawing a diagram of the ideas in the passage.
Verbal Learner: outlining a passage.
Are you a spatial learner or a verbal learner?
Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing by Longman Publishers

23. SELF-TEST SUMMARY
How can you better comprehend and recall paragraphs you read?
What is a thought pattern?
What are the six common thought patterns?
What other thought patterns are used in academic writing?
How can transitional words and phrases help you understand thought patterns?
Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing by Longman Publishers

24. Visit the Companion Website
For additional readings, exercises, and Internet activities, visit this book’s Companion Website at:
If you need a user name or password, see your instructor.
Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing by Longman Publishers

25. My Reading Lab
For more practice on thought patterns, visit MyReadingLab, click on the Reading Skills tab, and then click on Active Reading Strategies---New York Harbor.
Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing by Longman Publishers

26. TEST-TAKING TIPS: Answering Questions About Thought Patterns
Study the transitions. They suggest a pattern.
Ask: “How does the author explain his or her main idea?”
A question may ask: “The writer supports her ideas by….” This is asking for a pattern.
The topic sentence of a paragraph often reveals or suggests the pattern to be used.
Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing by Longman Publishers