Analyzing Text Structures
What is a text structure? And how can we analyze it while reading?
A text structure is a functionality of English; it's the way an author or writer organizes their writing, acting as a framework for their writing. Understanding text structures can be difficult, but once you know how to analyze the text structure, you will feel more comfortable reading the different types. Watch the video below, and answer the following questions:
| Type | Explanation | Common Phrases |
|---|---|---|
| Cause and Effect | The text shares information about an event and what caused it. | Cause, Effect, since, Then, Because, if, so, when |
| Compare and Contrast | The text expresses two or more ideas of thought and the author shares the similarities and differences. | Like, unlike, to, similarly to, different from |
| Description | The text describes a detailed description of the text. | To begin with, for example, features include, for instance |
| Sequence | The text is written in a chronological order of the text. | To begin with, next, before, after, finally, during, meanwhile |
| Problem and solution | The text presents a problem and then possible attempted solutions for the problem. | problem, solution, because, since, the issue is, the resolution or solution is |
What are the different types of text structures? And what do they mean? Give a short description, in your own words, for each of the text structures below:
- Description
- Problem/Solution
- Compare/Contrast
- Cause and Effect
- Sequence
How can understanding these text structures help us to be better readers?Ā