Organizational Patterns

Organizational patterns are the ways in which information is structured in a text to help readers understand the relationships between ideas.

Compare and contrast is an organizational pattern that examines the similarities and differences between two or more subjects.

Clue words include: similar, alike, in comparison to, on the other hand.

Cause and effect is an organizational pattern that explains what happened (the effect) and why it happened (the cause).

Clue words include: because, due to, leads to, as a result.

Sequence of events is an organizational pattern that presents information in the order it occurs.

Clue words include: first, next, finally, after.

Chronological order is a way of organizing information according to the time it occurs.

A recipe is typically written in a sequence of events organizational pattern.

Problem and solution is an organizational pattern that presents an issue and offers a way to fix it.