Five Major Text StructuresBasic question to answer first:

What is a structure?

Imagine your story as a building.

Text Structures = the way that the details of the story are “arranged” or

“built”

1. Sequencing• Definition: details told as a sequential chain

of chronological events. One event does not directly cause a second event to occur.

• Key words: sequence words such as “first,” “second,” “third,” “next,” “then,” “finally…”

• Example in words:– The sequence of brushing your teeth:

• First you get the brush • Next you add some toothpaste• Then you put water on the brush…

First you take the peanuts and you smoosh ‘em, you

smoosh ‘em…

Then you get the bread and you cut it, you cut it…

Then you get the jelly and you spread it, you spread it…

Then you get the peanuts and you spread ‘em, you spread ‘em…

Peanut, Peanut Butter and Jelly!

• Example in Pictures…

• Example in graphic organizer:

1

2

3

2. Description• Definition: the details of the story are arranged

to depict something – to create a mental picture.

• Key words: for example, looks/tastes/feels like, any vivid adjectives

• Example in words:– “Its trunk was but a wizened arm, its branches

bony fingers grasping vainly at the winter sky.”– “… a quivery head, rabid eyes, a dragon's stare,

distended belly, hands like talons ready to tear… what else does it all present but a monster?”

• Example in Pictures…

• Example in graphic organizer

item to describe

What it sounds like

What color is it

How big it is

What it tastes likeWhat it feels like

How long it lasts/ lives

Where it comes from

Where you can find it

3. Compare-Contrast

• Definition: two or more things are being compared to show how they are similar and contrasted to show how they are different.

• Key Words: similarities, differences, put side by side, distinction, like, unlike

• Example in words:– Baseball is different from soccer in that players may

touch the ball with their hands while in soccer they cannot.

– Basketball is similar to soccer in that the objective is to move a single ball into a goal.

• Examples in pictures

one eyebrowtwo eyebrows

very tall

very small

• Examples in graphic organizers:

Pros Cons

Venn DiagramT-Chart

4. Cause-Effect• Definition: when one event causes another

to happen. The result of the first is the effect.

• Key Words: so then, led to happen, began, because

• Example in words:– Because Herbert asked his parents for a new

xBox, he received one for his birthday. – Since Missy didn’t study for her algebra test,

she completely failed. Because she completely failed, her mother grounded her forever and ever.

Because Mrs. Scott slipped on a banana peel…

…she then had a broken leg and had to wear a cast…

… which led to her having to quit the swim team.

• Example in Pictures:

• Example in graphic organizers

caused…so then…

THIS THATTHIS

5. Problem-Solution

• Definition: a story which begins with a problem and ends with a solution. The solution is not necessarily happy.

• Key Words: conflict, resolution• Example in words:

– A man contracts a strange Nile River disease and in the end, he takes antibiotics and survives.

– A girl sees a painting being stolen, and by the end of the story, has figured out whodunnit.

Problem: flat tire

• Example in pictures:

Solution: pump it up

• Example in graphic organizers: