Informational Text Structure

Texts are written for three primary purposes

1. ​To make an argument

2. ​To inform

3. To tell a story ​

Some text here about the topic of discussion

To accomplish their purpose, authors use five different types of text structures

1. ​Description

2. ​Sequence

3. ​Cause/Effect

4. ​Compare/Contrast

5. Problem/​Solution

Some text here about the topic of discussion

• A text that describes something ​

• ​Might tell you why something is being described and why it's important

• May provide examples of the topic

• Example: "A book may tell all about whales or describe what the geography is like in a particular region"

Some text here about the topic of discussion

• Might give you sequential instructions (step 1, step 2, step 3)

• ​Chronological events (this happened, then this happened, then this happened)

• ​Arguments that make a claim (from least convincing to most convincing)

• Example: ​"A book about the American Revolution might list the events leading to the war"

Some text here about the topic of discussion

• Explain cause and effects of ​an event

• Seen a lot in historical writing and textbooks

• Some words used in cause and effect might be: ​because, cause, led to, reason, accordingly, effect, result, consequence

• Example: "​Weather patterns could be described that explain why a big snowstorm occurred."

Some text here about the topic of discussion

• Comparison of multiple things, revealing how they are different and how they are similar

• Some words used in compare/contrast might be: ​alike, also, both, comparable, even, in common, just as, similar, although, but, despite, difference, however, instead, otherwise, unlike

• Example: ​"A book about ancient Greece may explain how the Spartan women were different from the Athenian women."

Some text here about the topic of discussion

• There are two parts to problem/solution

  • The presentation of the problem

  • ​The identification of a solution

Some text here about the topic of discussion