Text Structure Definitions
When the author explains a topic, person, place, or thing by listing characteristics, examples, or features.
What is description
Pizza is a favorite food in the United States. Pizza is from Italy in the late 1800s. It became popular in the United States after World War II. People like to add toppings. Some toppings are pepperoni, sausage, and vegetables. These toppings give pizza more flavor. Pepperoni is America’s favorite topping.
What is the main idea of this paragraph?
a. Pizza is made from flour.
b. Pizza was first made in Italy.
c. You should eat the delicious pizza.
d. Pizza is a popular meal in the United States.
What is d. Pizza is a popular meal in the United States.
What is the R stand for in CER?
What is Reasoning, explaining how your evidence justifies your answer
Ice-cream is a delicious frozen treat that comes in a many different colors and flavors. Two of my favorite flavors are strawberry and chocolate. Though both of these flavors are delicious, strawberry may contain pieces of fruit while chocolate usually will not. Even though more chocolate ice-cream is sold across the country annually than strawberry, each flavor tastes great inside of a milk shake.
What is the text structure used in this passage?
a. cause and effect
b. compare and contrast
c. chronological
d. description
e. sequence
What is b. Compare and Contrast
People often refer to taxes in terms of their being much too high. In reality, they are probably even higher than you think, because in addition to the federal income tax we are now studying, there are many other Federal, State, and local taxes, including sales taxes, inheritance taxes, state income taxes, personal property taxes, real estate taxes, and others. These are just some of the most obvious ones.
What is the main idea of this passage?
a. Taxes are much too high.
b. We pay more taxes than we may realize.
c. Inheritance taxes and real estate taxes are unfair.
d. Some taxes are hidden.
What is a. Taxes are much too high.
When the author states a problem and possible solutions.
Have you ever seen a giraffe at the zoo? Giraffes are the tallest animals in the world. The average height of a giraffe is 16-18 feet tall. This animal has a very long neck and legs. Giraffes eat the leaves from tall trees. Other animals cannot reach that high. Male giraffes are even taller than female giraffes.
What is the main idea of this passage?
a. Giraffes are extremely tall animals.
b. Giraffes don’t sleep very much.
c. Giraffes are unique animals.
d. Giraffes eat leaves.
What is a. Giraffes are extremely tall animals.
Every day after work Paul took his muddy boots off on the steps of the front porch. Alice would have a fit if the boots made it so far as the welcome mat. He then took off his dusty overalls and threw them into a plastic garbage bag; Alice left a new garbage bag tied to the porch railing for him every morning. On his way in the house, he dropped the garbage bag off at the washing machine and went straight up the stairs to the shower as he was instructed. He would eat dinner with her after he was "presentable," as Alice had often said.
Based on the text, how do you know Paul works in construction?
a. He has tools
b. He goes straight up the stairs to shower
c. His boots are muddy and his overalls are dusty
d. He wears a hat
What is c. His boots are muddy and his overalls are dusty.
The ice-cream shop around the corner from my house has the best ice-cream in the city. When you first walk inside, there is a long chrome counter with matching stools extending to alongside the far wall. Right where the counter stops, the booth seating begins. There are lots of old-timey knickknacks on the walls and chrome napkin holders on all the tables. My favorite part of the shop is behind the counter glass, where they keep all of the ice-cream flavors. A rainbow of delicious sugary flavors is kept cool and delicious behind the counter glass.
a. problem and solution
b. compare and contrast
c. chronological
d. description
e. sequence
What is d. Description
A paragraph gives the dates in order of when a tornado hit Kansas. Which text structure would this be?
a. Chronological/ Sequence
b. Compare and Contrast
c. Cause and Effect
d. Problem Solution
What is a. Chronological/Sequence
When the text is written in order of events or chronological order.
What is sequence
Hurricanes are large storms. They begin over the ocean. They gather heat and energy from the water. Hurricanes move slowly to land as they grow stronger. Hurricanes are dangerous because of their size. They are also dangerous because of high winds and big waves. Hurricanes can bring flooding, power outages, and tornadoes.
What is the main idea of this passage?
a. Hurricanes are summer storms.
b. Hurricanes are one type of storm.
c. Hurricanes are large, dangerous storms.
d. Hurricanes are just like tornadoes and floods.
What is c. Hurricanes are large, dangerous storms.
Crack! Thunder struck and rain poured. Max stared blankly out the window, trying to contain his emotions that raged like the weather. He was beginning to lose it. Dropping the kite from his hand, Max broke out into full sob. His mother comforted him, "There, there, Max. We'll just find something else to do." She began to unpack the picnic basket that was on the counter and offered him a sandwich. Max snapped, "I don't wanna sand-mich!" A flash from the sky lit up the living room. Boom! Mom sighed.
Why is Max upset?
a. It is raining and he cannot go outside
b. He is hungry
c. He is scared of thunderstorms
d. He is bored
Freezer burn may have wasted more ice-cream than sidewalks. If you don’t know, freezer burn is when ice crystals form on the surface of ice-cream. These ice crystals can ruin the texture and flavor of the ice cream. But you can prevent freezer burn. Since freezer burn is caused when melted ice-cream is refrozen, rather than eating your ice-cream from the container as it melts, scoop your ice-cream into a bowl and put the container back in the fridge immediately. Doing this ought to help you solve your issues with freezer burn.
What is the text structure used in this passage?
a. problem and solution
b. compare and contrast
c. cause and effect
d. description
e. sequence
What is a. Problem and Solution
Joey lost his science book. He knew he would be in big trouble if he was unable to study for the final. What should he do? He thought for a few worried moments, and then decided to retrace his steps. He remembered putting the book in his backpack that morning. He had taken it out at school when his friend Kim asked to look something up. Now he remembered - Kim still had his book! The MAIN text structure used in this paragraph is . . .
a. description
b. cause and effect
c. problem and solution
d. compare and contrast
What is c. problem and solution
When the author describes an event and what caused it to occur.
What is cause & effect
One way to stay healthy is to exercise. Exercise helps you feel better, lose weight, and grow stronger. Taking a walk is a form of exercise. It helps you go outside and get fresh air. Playing a sport is another form of exercise. This is a fun way to be active. Taking classes at a gym is a way to be healthy and fit. There are many types of exercise you can do to improve your health.
What is the main idea of this passage?
a. Choose a fun way to exercise.
b. There are many types of exercise.
c. If you are not happy, exercise will fix it.
d. There are many ways to make yourself feel better.
Crack! Thunder struck and rain poured. Max stared blankly out the window, trying to contain his emotions that raged like the weather. He was beginning to lose it. Dropping the kite from his hand, Max broke out into full sob. His mother comforted him, "There, there, Max. We'll just find something else to do." She began to unpack the picnic basket that was on the counter and offered him a sandwich. Max snapped, "I don't wanna sand-mich!" A flash from the sky lit up the living room. Boom! Mom sighed.
What line in the text tell you that Max is upset it is raining?
a. He says, "I don't wanna sandwich?"
b. Dropping his kite from his hand, Max broke out into a full sob
c. Thunder struck and rain poured
d. Mom sighed
No one knows the true origin of ice-cream, but the first published ice-cream recipe appears in “Mrs. Mary Eales's Receipts,” a cook book that was printed in London in 1718. Sometime around 1832, an African American confectioner named Augustus Jackson created multiple ice cream recipes and invented a superior technique to manufacture ice cream. Ice cream soda was invented around 1874, but the real breakthrough may have been at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis, Missouri, when the American ice-cream cone was unveiled!
What is the text structure used in this passage?
a. problem and solution
b. cause and effect
c. cause and effect
d. description
e. sequence
What is e. sequence.
The Statue of Liberty is visited by thousands of people every year. It is located on an island in New York Harbor. The Statue of Liberty is a 151 foot statue of a woman holding a book and a torch. It was a gift of friendship from the people of France. It has become a universal symbol of freedom. What is the main idea of the paragraph?
a. It was a gift of friendship from the people of France
b. It has become a universal symbol of freedom.
c. The Statue of Liberty is visited by thousands of people every year.
d. It is located on an island in New York Harbor.
What is c. The Statue of Liberty is visited by thousands of people every year.
When the author describes two or more ideas or characteristics and lists their similarities and differences.
What is compare & contrast
Birds are a special type of animal that you may see either walking or flying in the air. Birds have two legs, which are often covered with scales. A bird's body is covered with feathers, and they have wings. The feathers help birds fly and control their body temperature. Birds have bones that are light so they can fly easily. A beak is a special word to describe the bird's nose. The beak is used for eating. Beaks can be different in size, shape, and color. Birds are a type of animal with very unique features.
What evidence from the passage supports the main idea of the passage (Birds have unique features)?
a. Birds are a special type of animal...
b. Light bones help birds fly.
c. ...you may see by either walking or flying in the air
d. Birds have feathers and two legs.
What is b. Birds have bones that are light so they can fly easily.
Crack! Thunder struck and rain poured. Max stared blankly out the window, trying to contain his emotions that raged like the weather. He was beginning to lose it. Dropping the kite from his hand, Max broke out into full sob. His mother comforted him, "There, there, Max. We'll just find something else to do." She began to unpack the picnic basket that was on the counter and offered him a sandwich. Max snapped, "I don't wanna sand-mich!" A flash from the sky lit up the living room. Boom! Mom sighed.
What lines from the text support the idea that Mom and Max were going to go on a picnic?
a. She began to unpack the picnic basket
b. Max stares blankly out the window
c. Mom offers Max a sandwich
d. His mother comforted him
What is a. She began to unpack the picnic basket.
Have you ever had an ice-cream headache? That’s when a painful sensation resonates in your head after eating something cold (usually ice-cream) on a hot day. This pain is produced by the dilation of a nerve center in the roof of your mouth. The nerve center is overreacting to the cold by trying to heat your brain. Ice-cream headaches have turned many smiles to frowns.
What is the text structure used in this passage?
a. problem and solution
b. compare and contrast
c. sequence
d. description
e. cause and effect
What is e. Cause and Effect
Niagara Falls is one of the most beautiful sights in North America. It is on the Niagara River about halfway between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. Niagara Falls is on the American and Canadian border. The American Falls is 167 feet high. On the Canadian side, the Horseshoe Falls is 161 feet high.
Which sentence best justifies the evidence to support the main idea of the paragraph?
Main Idea: Niagara Falls is one of the most beautiful sights in North America.
Evidence: The American Falls is 167 feet high.
a. Niagara Falls is on the border between the United States and Canada.
b. The height of the falls shows the impressive scale of Niagara Falls, which contributes to its beauty.
c. Knowing the height of the falls is important to help readers understand its features.
d. The American Falls is 167 feet high.
What is b. The height of the falls shows the impressive scale of Niagara Falls, which contributes to its beauty.