Signal Words
Description
a text structure in which an author explains causes, things that make other things happen, and effects, the things that happen as a result of causes.
cause and effect
a distinguishing quality or feature that someone or something has.
characteristic
In a text with a sequence text structure, the author
describes a topic and its characteristics.
tells about events in the order they happened.
explains how things are similar and different.
describes a problem and then explains how someone solved it.
tells about events in the order they happened.
Many students in the US say that they've been bullied at school. Natalie Hampton is a high school student who was bullied a lot in middle school. She often had no one to sit with at lunch. So she created a phone app called "Sit With Us." This app lets students sign up and post when there are free seats at their lunch tables. These students have promised to be kind to those who come sit with them. Hampton hopes her app will help students find people to sit with without fear of being bullied.
description
problem and solution
compare and contrast
sequence
problem and solution
a word or phrase that is placed at the top of a piece of writing and gives it a title.
heading
Sequence / Chronological order
a text structure in which an author explains how topics are similar and different.
compare and contrast
writing that describes facts and real events; not fiction.
nonfiction
In a text with a compare and contrast text structure, the author
explains something that happened and the reasons why.
tells about events in the order they happened.
explains how things are similar and different.
describes a problem and then explains how someone solved it.
explains how things are similar and different.
A river is a large natural stream of flowing water. The source of a river is the place where the river starts. This is usually the highest point in the river. Many rivers begin in springs, places where underground water flows to the Earth’s surface. Some rivers begin in melting glaciers high up in the mountains or in lakes.
sequence
description
cause and effect
problem and solution
B - Description
an alphabetical list of specific information that can be found in a book and the page number to find it. It is usually found at the end of a book
Index
Cause & Effect
a text structure in which an author tells about a topic and its characteristics with details and adjectives.
description
a type of nonfiction that teaches the reader about a topic related to the natural world or society.
informational text
In a text with a cause and effect text structure, the author
explains something that happened and the reasons why.
tells about events in the order they happened.
describes a topic and its characteristics.
describes a problem and then explains how someone solved it.
A
explains something that happened and the reasons why.
Robots that look like humans are called androids. But not all robots are androids. The industrial robots used in manufacturing and production look like machines and not at all like human beings. So what does an android have in common with an industrial robot? They both have computers. And they both have sensors to gather information and ways to interact with their environments, too.
sequence
cause and effect
problem and solution
compare and contrast
compare and contrast
writing that describes facts and real events; not fiction.
non fiction
Problem, issue, solution, question, answer, since, as a result, so, leads to
Problem & Solution
a text structure in which an author explains a problem and how it was solved.
problem and solution
the way an author organizes information in a text.
text structure
a list of all the big topics or chapters in a book in the order they’ll be presented.
table of contents
Identify the main text structure used in the passage below.
A current is a steady flow of water in the ocean. In the Pacific Ocean, garbage from the shore and ships gets trapped by ocean currents. The currents move the trash into a large area in the middle of the ocean. This has created a swirling mass of plastics and seawater called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
cause and effect
compare and contrast
problem and solution
description
D
description
a picture made by a camera.
photograph
Similar, same, alike, in contrast, unlike, both, on the other hand, however
Compare & Contrast
a text structure in which authors tell about events in the order they happened. It's also called "time order" or "chronology."
sequence
a list of technical or special words and with their definitions in a book, usually found at the end of the book.
glossary
a drawing or diagram that visually shows how two or more pieces of information are related.
Graph
The Greenland shark can grow to be around 16 feet long. It’s an apex predator, an animal that is at the top of the food chain. No other creatures prey on apex predators. The Greenland shark can live to be about 400 years old, making it the the longest-living vertebrate animal.
sequence
compare and contrast
description
cause and effect
C
description
a title for a subdivision of text.
subheading