Text Structure Identifier
Spot the five informational text structures by their signal words. Learn the patterns, practice with short passages, then test yourself in Challenge mode.
Each card explains a text structure. Click a yellow signal chip to highlight that word in the examples.
Cause and Effect
One event makes another event happen. The text explains why something occurred or what resulted from a specific action.
Because the river flooded its banks every spring, farmers built tall earthen walls along the shore. As a result, the fields stayed dry and crops survived through the wet season.
The bee population has dropped sharply due to pesticide use. Consequently, many fruit growers now rent honeybee hives during pollination season.
Compare and Contrast
The text shows how two or more things are alike, different, or both. Look for parallel descriptions of features.
Frogs and toads both belong to the same animal order, but their skin tells them apart. Frogs have smooth, moist skin, while toads have dry, bumpy skin that helps them survive far from water.
Like the violin, the cello is played with a bow and has four strings. However, the cello produces a much lower sound and is held upright between the player's knees rather than under the chin.
Problem and Solution
The text describes an issue or challenge, then explains one or more ways to fix or address it.
Many city sidewalks become dangerous in winter because melting snow refreezes into thick ice. To address this issue, some cities now use a brine spray that prevents ice from bonding to the concrete, making walkways safer for pedestrians.
Coral reefs face a serious challenge from warming oceans. Scientists propose growing heat-resistant coral in tanks and transplanting it onto damaged reefs to help restore the ecosystem.
Sequence
The text presents events, steps, or instructions in the order they happen. Look for time-order words.
First, the egg is laid on a leaf. Next, a tiny caterpillar hatches and begins to eat. After about two weeks, it forms a hard chrysalis. Finally, an adult butterfly emerges with new wings.
Before the launch, engineers ran a full systems check. During the countdown, the fuel valves opened and the engines ignited. Eventually, the rocket cleared the tower and began its climb.
Description
The text paints a picture of a person, place, object, or idea using sensory details, features, and characteristics. There is no clear time order or comparison.
The Sonoran Desert stretches across southern Arizona in waves of pale sand and rocky outcrops. Tall saguaro cacti rise like green pillars, their arms studded with sharp spines. The air smells faintly of dust and creosote, and the sun bleaches every stone a soft tan.
A blue whale has several remarkable features. Its tongue alone can weigh as much as an elephant, and its heart is roughly the size of a small car. Its mottled blue-gray skin appears smooth, though it is often dotted with small barnacles near the fins.
Text Structure Reference
Cause and Effect
One event makes another event happen. The writer explains why something occurred or what resulted from a specific action.
Common signal words.
because, since, as a result, therefore, consequently
Compare and Contrast
The writer shows how two or more things are alike, different, or both, often with parallel descriptions of features.
Common signal words.
similarly, in contrast, however, unlike, both, while
Problem and Solution
The text names a challenge or issue, then describes one or more ways to fix or address it.
Common signal words.
challenge, issue, dilemma, resolve, address, propose
Sequence
Events, steps, or instructions appear in the order they happen. Time-order words guide the reader through each stage.
Common signal words.
first, next, then, finally, before, after, eventually
Description
The writer paints a picture of a person, place, object, or idea using sensory details and features. There is no time order or comparison.
Common signal words.
for example, features, characteristics, such as, includes
How to use this tool
Learn. Read each card and click signal-word chips to see them highlighted in real examples.
Practice. Read a short passage and pick the structure. Turn hints on for yellow highlights.
Challenge. No hints. Optional 30-second timer per item. Earn one to three stars based on your score.
