Organizational Patterns
To which organizational pattern do the words first, next, then, last, finally, and before belong?
Chronological/Sequential
What is the difference between a word's denotation and its connotation?
A word's denotation is its dictionary definition. Its connotation is the emotional meaning that it carries.
What will happen next?
Jarod leaned back on the inflatable raft. It was too hot to paddle and he needed to conserve his energy. He had been lost at sea for the last three days. He was out of food and water, and he only had one emergency flare left. Yesterday he saw a plane pass overhead. He lit two flares, hoping to attract the attention of the pilot. The plane did not turn around. Jarod used the map he had salvaged from the wreck as a makeshift visor. He knew that continued exposure to the sun would kill him sooner than anything else. Then he saw a small blob on the horizon. He could do nothing but wait. Twenty minutes later, the blob had grown to the shape of a yacht. It appeared to be a cruise ship of some sort. It was about five hundred yards away. While Jarod could see the yacht, it was unlikely that anyone on the cruse ship could see Jarod's tiny raft from that distance. Jarod knew he had to try anyway. He tied his sweater to his oar and began waving it in the air. He was exhausted, but he mustered the strength. As the yacht appeared to be sailing away, Jarod made one last-ditch effort and fired the emergency flare. The small flare shot up about twenty feet in the air and popped. Jarod lowered his head in dismay. Then he heard a loud toot. The ship appeared to be turning. He heard the ship toot its horn again as it continued turning toward Jarod. He jumped up and down in the life raft and continued waving the makeshift flag he had constructed...
The ship is probably going to save Jarod. We know this because the ship tooted its horn and turned around.
What's the main idea of this passage?
Hint: The topic is Halloween.
Before you put on that skeleton costume and rove door-to-door pandering for candy, take a minute to reflect on this tradition. Halloween is believed to have come from an ancient Celtic festival dating back some 2,000 years. November 1st was the Celtic New Year and marked the end of summer to the Celts. They celebrated on its eve by wearing costumes made of animal skins and dancing around bon fires. Over the next two millennia, this primitive celebration grew to be the candy fueled costume ball that we know today.
Halloween is believed to have come from an ancient Celtic festival dating back some 2,000 years.
The other sentences are supporting details that tie back to Halloween being an ancient Celtic festival.
In which organizational pattern is the following sentence written?
If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll miss out on important nutrients and vitamins.
Cause and Effect
Not eating veggies is the cause, and missing out on important nutrients is the effect.
In the sentence below, does the target word have a positive or negative connotation?
The childlike woman was thrilled and excited to see the huge fireworks display. She was having such a good time that others around her couldn't help but smile.
Positive.
The woman seems excited and happy, and there are lots of happy words in the sentence as well!
What will happen next?
"Remember to study for the test tomorrow!" Ms. Claire said before dismissing her class. Lisa wrote the assignment in her notebook but when she got home she just wanted a break from school, so she watched TV. A couple of hours later, Lisa knew that it was time to get to work, but first she would check her email. After another hour on the Internet, Lisa noticed that it was getting late. She opened up the textbook and began looking for the chapter. Then her friend Jenna called. Bobby and Suzy had broken up! Lisa couldn't believe it. She and Jenna talked about it for another hour. Now it was really late and Lisa was tired. She hung up with Jenna and turned to the chapter on rock formations in her science book. She began reading it. Her head felt a little woozy, wobbly and then…
Lisa will probably fall asleep. It's late, she's tired, and she hasn't taken studying super seriously.
What is the main idea?
Hint: The topic of this paragraph is candy.
It is estimated that over twenty million pounds of candy corn are sold in the US each year. Brach’s, the top manufacturer, sells enough candy corn to circle the earth 4.25 times if each piece were laid end to end. That’s a lot of candy corn, but that’s nothing compared to the production of Tootsie Rolls. Over 64 million Tootsie Rolls are produced every day! But even Tootsie Rolls have got nothing on the candy industry’s staple product: chocolate. Confectioners manufacture over twenty billion pounds of chocolate in the United States each year. Now that’s a mouthful!
Lots of popular candies are produced each year.
This is an inferred main idea. You have to figure out what the article is mostly about based on the details.
Which organizational pattern do the following headings suggest?
1. A Star is Born
2. Early Triumphs and Defeats
3. Troubles at School
4. Mid-Life Successes
5. Remembering a Legacy
Chronological or sequential
These headings seem to move through the subject's life.
Which word would best fill in the blank in this sentence?
Gregg _____ tore open the big package on the porch. He was pretty sure it contained the new game he had ordered!
a. nervously
b. excitedly
c. carelessly
b. excitedly
Gregg is looking forward to getting a new game, so we assume that he *must* be excited!
Turner almost wished that he hadn’t listened to the radio. He went to the closet and grabbed his umbrella. He would feel silly carrying it to the bus stop on such a sunny morning.
What does the radio have to do with anything?
We can infer that the radio probably broadcast that they'd have rain later.
We know this because he's carrying an umbrella on a sunny day.
Which question is answered in the paragraph?
Screech! When a driver pushes on the brake pedal, it initiates a process that causes the vehicle to stop in motion. We literally trust braking systems with our lives every time we get into a vehicle or cross at a busy intersection. How does this life-critical process work? It begins when the pedal is pushed. At this moment brake fluid is released into the braking mechanisms. As the fluid collects, this creates a leverage, which causes a friction to be applied. This friction will create a force that will cause the wheels to stop and allow you to reach your destination safely. Beep! Beep!
a. How many accidents are caused by brake failures each year?
b. What is the force that causes the wheels to stop?
c. Who invented disc brakes?
d. Why do we press the brakes?
b. What is the force that causes the wheels to stop?
The force that causes the wheels to stop is friction, or the pressure that happens when two things rub against each other.
In which organizational pattern is the following sentence written?
Even though Jeremy usually liked green apple the best, he thought that blue raspberry was the superior Jolly Rancher.
Compare/Contrast
The word superior is a comparison word.
In the sentence below, what tone does the language establish?
Jennifer rolled her eyes and slammed her bedroom door. She cranked up her favorite band, The Whatever, Moms, and dragged out her diary. She had to tell all about how nobody could ever understand her.
Frustrated or annoyed.
The eye rolling, slamming, and dragging all contribute to the author's tone.
Blood cholesterol used to be thought of as a problem only for adults.
What can you infer about blood cholesterol?
What is the main idea of the passage?
Hint: the topic is the platypus
There are many types of lethal venom in the animal kingdom, but perhaps no stranger carrier than the platypus. The platypus is one of few venomous mammals. Male platypus carry a venom cocktail in their ankle spurs. This venom incapacitates victims with excruciating pain. Stranger still, the platypus is the only mammal that uses electroreception. That means that the platypus uses its bill to sense the electricity produced by the muscular movements of its prey. Electroreception is a sixth sense different from seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, or feeling. Perhaps most odd, the platypus is the only mammal that lays eggs rather than giving birth to live young. What an odd creature indeed.
There are many types of lethal venom in the animal kingdom, but perhaps no stranger carrier than the platypus.
The entire rest of the paragraph talks about ways that the platypus is a true mammalian weirdo.
In which organizational pattern is the following sentence written?
Baked apples are a tasty, healthy dessert that everybody will enjoy at your next dinner party.
Generalization
Saying everybody is a good indicator that you've got a general statement.
In the sentence below, does the target word have a positive or negative connotation?
By the end of the first semester, most teachers are tired of some of the immature behavior that students bring from elementary school.
Negative.
The clues in the sentence are that teachers are tired of it, and that it comes from elementary school.
Jake is Amanda’s older brother. One day they are walking home from school when a cold front rolls in and the temperature drops 20 degrees. Jake is dressed more appropriately for the weather than Amanda. He takes off his hooded sweatshirt and offers it to her. She gratefully accepts. Jake is now colder, but he is happier.
What character trait does Jake demonstrate?
Athleticism
Kindheartedness
Gratitude
Thoughtlessness
Kindheartedness
He was happier to see his sister warm and comfortable than he was to actually be warm and comfortable himself.
Which question is NOT answered in the following paragraph?
Yellowstone National Park is mainly located in Wyoming, although three percent is located in the state of Montana. The Continental Divide of North America runs diagonally through the southwestern part of the park. The park sits on the Yellowstone Plateau, which is an average elevation of 8,000 feet above sea level. This plateau is bounded on nearly all sides by mountain ranges. There are 290 waterfalls that are at least fifteen feet in the park, the highest being the Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River, which falls 308 feet.
a. What is a plateau?
b. Where is the continental divide in relation to Yellowstone?
c. How many waterfalls are there in Yellowstone?
d. Which is the highest waterfall in Yellowstone?
a. What is a plateau?
The article mentions a plateau, but it does NOT tell us what a plateau actually is.