why is text structure important in writing an essay

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The Importance of Structure

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Before you start to write any document, it is helpful to have a broad plan in mind setting out what information you intend to include, and in what order. This is known as the structure of your document or text.

Developing this structure or framework will save you time as you write. It will ensure that you include all the necessary information, without any unnecessary detail. It will also help to improve the flow of the writing.

This page describes the process of developing a suitable structure for any document. It also provides some examples, although many more exist online and in study guides.

Why Use a Structure?

Developing a structure or framework for your writing will ensure that the most important points are covered at the appropriate point in the writing.

A framework or structure will also allow you to break down the daunting task of writing a longer document into more manageable sections.

For example, being asked to write a 10,000-word report is an intimidating prospect. However, you can use a framework to decide that you will need 500 words in an introduction, 2,000 to explain the methods you used, 2,500 to set out your results, and so on. Writing a 500-word introduction is a much less daunting task than writing a 10,000-word report.

Adhering to your framework will also prevent you from writing too many words for one section and then having to delete these to make enough room for another section.

Developing a Structure

There is no one set structure or framework that covers all possible forms of written communication.

Check Before You Begin!

Your first step in developing a structure is to check whether one already exists.

For example, if you are writing a business document, or something at work, your employer may already have a template for that document. If you are a student, there may be a required structure for each kind of written assignment.

Checking first will save you considerable time developing your own structure, or putting your document into the correct structure later.

If there is no outline structure provided, you will need to develop one.

However, don’t panic, because there are many examples of structures for different forms of writing available on the web and within study guides. You really do not need to reinvent the wheel.

Start by searching for a suitable example using your keywords (for example, ‘factual news article’, or ‘business report’). You can then compare outline structures, and decide which one you think will work.

If you really cannot find a suitable outline, then you will have to develop one.

A Process for Structure Development

There are broadly two options for structuring documents.

‘Chronological’, or the order in which you have developed your thinking.

Academic writing generally takes this form. You start with background and previous research, then describe your methods, results, and conclusions, setting this into the context of previous research. Finally, you put forward proposals for future research.

Non-chronological, which follows the order in which the reader needs the information.

Business writing often takes this form, because executives tend to want to read the conclusions or recommendations first. If they don’t understand or support these, then they want more information about how the ideas were developed. They usually know the background, so that is often included in an appendix, rather than the main text.

Some Tips for Deciding Your Structure:

It is a good idea to start by thinking about your conclusion or recommendations , and decide whether you want those upfront, or at the end. This depends chiefly on your readers’ need.

Consider whether you need to include any background, and if so, how much . To decide this, again consider your reader. You can then decide if you want to include the background early on (because your audience needs this information), or if it can be included as an appendix for anyone who wants to read it later.

Decide when and where to include the arguments supporting your conclusion or recommendations.

This will probably give you enough clues to decide on a chronological or non-chronological structures. Beyond that, you will need to be flexible to decide what is most appropriate for your purposes.

It’s not set in stone!

When you are developing a suitable structure, remember that it is not set in stone. You do not have to use it rigidly. Even within an organisational outline, there will be some flexibility.

The structure is designed to help you and your reader, not to constrain you and make your life difficult.

You will probably have realised by now that perhaps the most important consideration is your audience. There is more about this process of understanding your readers’ needs in our page on Know Your Audience .

Once you have decided whether you are using a chronological or non-chronological structure, set out some possible headings and sub-headings for your document. These should allow you to set out all the necessary information, in a logical order.

Using Your Structure

The next step is to start to populate the structure with notes about what content to include.

Under each heading in the structure, make a note of the required information. You can then start to fill in the sections in more detail.

You will often be able to use the titles of the main sections in your structure as headings and subheadings within the text . These help the reader to navigate through the piece.

However, even if you are not expected to use the section titles in the finished document, they will still help you to structure your writing into the desired framework.

You don’t need to write in the final order

One of the most useful aspects of a structure is that you do not need to write your document in the final order. Instead, you can move about the document, writing different sections to follow your train of thought.

For example, some people find that it is helpful to start with their conclusion or recommendation. This means it is clear in their mind as they write their supporting arguments.

In academic writing, it is common to start with the methods, because this is often the easiest section. The introduction or background may be written early, but will often need much more work once you have developed your conclusions.

Whatever structure you choose to use, you should constantly check that you are adhering to it. If you find that your structure does not work, then revisit it to see whether another structure might be more appropriate.

You should also check the flow of your text as you write. Paragraphs and sections should flow logically from one to the next. Conclude one subject area before introducing another. Hopping from one topic to another with no clear structure confuses the reader and demonstrates a lack of clarity.

Examples of Structures for Written Work

Two examples of common structures for writing different types of communication are provided below . Remember that these are simply examples, and many variations on these frameworks exist.

A Written Report

See also: How to Write a Report

Reports are always presented in sections and subsections, because they contain a lot of information. This needs to be organised in a way that makes sense to the reader.

Sections are often numbered, and long reports generally include a title page and a table of contents.

Example Structure:

Contents Page (with headings, subheadings and page numbers)
List of Illustrations (optional)
Acknowledgements (optional)
Abstract/Summary/Executive Summary
Introduction which may be combined with the next section.
Background/Literature Review
Research Methods/Methodology
Findings/Analysis
Recommendations ( optional; in some business situations, this section may be included at the beginning of the report )
Further research
References/Bibliography

A Press Release

See also: How to Write a Press Release

A press release is a written statement to the media. They are used by organisations to try to generate a news story.

Journalists receive numerous press releases every day. The key aim is therefore to capture their interest quickly and show them that you have a good story for them, which will repay their attention.

In this example, the headings and subheadings provided below should not be included within the press release. They are only to help you structure the text.

Statement “For immediate release” or “Embargoed until (date and time)” as appropriate
Headline (a short, attention- grabbing summary of the story)
Photo opportunity (optional)

Paragraph 1 Lead Sentence : Summarise the story - who, what, where, when and why. All key information needs to be in this paragraph. It needs to keep the reader’s interest and follow on from the headline. Paragraph 2 : Include more details to flesh out the story that you outlined in the first paragraph Paragraph 3 : Quotes from someone relevant to the story. Each quote should make one point. If you wish to include more than one point here, use quotes from different people. Paragraph 4 : Any additional relevant information Contact Information Note for Editors (background information; whether you can offer interviews or additional pictures; any additional relevant information)

A final thought

A structure is chiefly useful in ordering your thoughts, and helping your reader to navigate your document.

As you develop your structure, and then use it to write your document, you therefore need to keep these aspects in mind.

Continue to: Common Mistakes in Writing Formal and Informal Writing Style

See also: Spelling | Grammar Top Tips for New Writers to Overcome Their Stress How to Write an Essay

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Understanding Text Structure: A Comprehensive Guide with 8 Examples

understanding text structure

Text structures are the architectural framework of written communication, shaping how information is organized and presented.

In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the fundamentals of text structures, answering crucial questions:

Text structures are the organizational blueprints that authors employ to arrange their ideas systematically. They are the underlying structure that gives coherence and order to written content.

why is text structure important in writing an essay

Understanding and using text structures is vital for effective communication. They transform chaotic content into a comprehensible narrative, making it accessible and engaging for readers.

1. Chronological Text Structure

Chronological text structure arranges information in sequential order, following a timeline. It is like telling a story from start to finish, ensuring that events or ideas unfold in the order they occurred.

First, historical accounts, biographies, and step-by-step guides often use chronological structure. These texts take readers on a journey through time, making it easy to track developments.

Choose this structure when you want to emphasize a clear progression of events or when you need to guide readers through a process in a logical, time-based sequence.

It’s a powerful tool for storytelling and explaining sequences of actions or historical events.

2. Compare and Contrast Text Structure

The compare and contrast text structure involves examining the similarities and differences between two or more subjects, ideas, or concepts.

It is a method of highlighting commonalities and distinctions, providing readers with a comprehensive understanding of the topics being compared.

Texts that compare and contrast often include essays, research papers, and product reviews. They present information side-by-side, allowing readers to discern relationships and disparities easily.

This structure is valuable when systematically analyzing multiple subjects or ideas, fostering a deeper understanding. It’s commonly used in academic, analytical, or evaluative contexts to facilitate informed comparisons.

3. Cause and Effect Text Structure

Cause and effect text structure elucidates the relationship between actions (causes) and their outcomes (effects). It unveils the underlying reasons behind events, helping readers grasp the connections and consequences.

Scientific research papers, historical analyses, and articles on social issues frequently employ this structure. It dissects the causal factors leading to particular outcomes or phenomena.

Choose this structure when you must elucidate the reasons behind specific events, explore the consequences of actions, or examine the ripple effects of decisions.

It is a valuable tool for comprehending and explaining the intricate web of causation in various contexts.

4. Problem-Solution Text Structure

The problem-solution text structure is a framework that identifies a specific problem or issue and then offers viable solutions or strategies to address it.

It presents a clear path from recognizing an obstacle to resolving it effectively.

Problem-solving essays, policy proposals, and self-help guides frequently utilize this structure. They pinpoint challenges and provide actionable solutions, offering readers practical guidance.

This structure is ideal for tackling real-world issues, proposing solutions, or guiding readers in resolving problems.

It is applicable in persuasive and informative writing, addressing diverse topics, from societal dilemmas to personal challenges.

5. Descriptive Text Structure

Descriptive text structure immerses readers in rich, vivid details, painting a clear and evocative picture of a subject, scene, or concept. It appeals to the senses and emotions, making content come alive.

Travelogues, creative narratives, and product reviews frequently employ this structure. They use descriptive language to provide readers with sensory experiences, fostering a deep understanding or appreciation.

Choose this structure to create a sensory and emotional connection with your audience, evoke vivid imagery, or convey a profound sense of place or experience. It’s particularly effective in storytelling, travel writing, and descriptive essays.

6. Sequential Text Structure

Sequential text structure, or chronological or procedural structure, arranges information in a step-by-step order, guiding readers through a series of actions or events logically. It’s akin to providing a roadmap for understanding processes.

Recipes, instructional manuals, and how-to guides often utilize this structure. They break down complex tasks or procedures into manageable, ordered steps, facilitating easy comprehension.

Choose this structure when explaining processes, procedures, or events in a systematic, time-based sequence. It’s invaluable for instructional content, technical documentation, and any context where clear, ordered guidance is essential.

7. Spatial Text Structure

Spatial text structure organizes information based on physical or spatial relationships, providing readers with a clear understanding of how elements are positioned or interconnected in space.

It leverages descriptive language to create mental images of a location or layout.

Travel guides, architectural blueprints, and geographical descriptions frequently employ this structure.

They use spatial cues to convey a sense of place, guiding readers through spaces or landscapes.

Choose this structure to emphasize the physical arrangement or layout of elements within a given space.

It effectively conveys spatial relationships, describes settings, and provides detailed, location-based information.

8. Compare and Contrast (Extended)

Extended compare and contrast delves deeper into the intricate nuances of two or more subjects, analyzing their similarities and differences exhaustively.

It requires a meticulous examination, often uncovering subtleties that standard comparisons might overlook.

Academic research papers, in-depth analyses of complex topics, and comprehensive product evaluations are indispensable for extended compare and contrast. It scrutinizes multifaceted aspects and intricate relationships between subjects.

To excel in extended comparison, employ robust research, consider multiple dimensions, and offer insightful insights. Diving into finer details and exploring various angles will yield a thorough comparative analysis.

How to Use Text Structures in Different Writing Styles

In fiction, authors use text structures to shape narratives through chronological storytelling, flashbacks, or descriptive passages.

These structures help create suspense, reveal character motivations, and engage readers emotionally.

Non-fiction relies on text structures to present factual information logically. Cause and effect, problem-solution, and compare and contrast structures are shared. They enhance clarity and reader comprehension, making complex topics accessible.

Academic writing often uses text structures to present research findings, arguments, and analyses. It demands a clear, organized approach, with structures like deductive reasoning or the scientific method ensuring rigor.

In business and technical writing, clarity is paramount. Sequential structures help explain processes, while descriptive designs can simplify complex concepts. These structures enhance communication in professional contexts, ensuring precision and understanding.

Tips for Mastering Text Structures

Mastering text structures is a valuable skill for writers across various genres. It enhances communication, readability, and the overall impact of your writing.

Here are six essential tips to help you become proficient in using text structures effectively:

Planning Your Writing with Text Structures in Mind

Begin your writing process by considering your content’s most suitable text structure.

Determine whether chronological, cause and effect, problem-solution, or another structure best aligns with your goals. A clear plan at the outset sets the stage for a well-organized piece.

Revision and Editing Techniques

Effective revision and editing are crucial for refining text structures. After completing your initial draft, review it with a critical eye.

Ensure that the chosen structure is consistently applied and smooth transitions between sections.

Eliminate redundancies and fine-tune your writing for clarity and coherence.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Be aware of common pitfalls associated with text structures. These may include veering off-topic, overusing a single structure, or neglecting to provide adequate context or support.

Stay vigilant to maintain a balanced and well-structured piece.

Engage Text Structure Exercises

Practice makes perfect. Engage in text structure exercises to hone your skills. Write short pieces using different structures to become comfortable with their nuances.

Experimentation will help you develop a strong sense of when to use each structure effectively.

Analyze Texts for Their Structures

Analyze texts across various genres to identify their underlying structures.

Please pay attention to how authors employ these structures to convey their messages. This analytical approach will deepen your understanding and enable you to adapt similar techniques to your writing.

Develop Your Text Structuring Skills

Text structuring is a skill that improves with time and effort. Seek feedback from peers or writing professionals to gain insights into your strengths and areas for improvement.

Attend writing workshops or courses focusing on text structures to refine your abilities further.

Real-World Examples

Study published works by renowned authors to observe how they employ text structures.

For instance, analyze how Charles Dickens uses descriptive structures in his novels to evoke vivid imagery or how scientific researchers employ cause-and-effect structures to present their findings precisely.

Read news articles critically, identifying the text structures used to convey information.

Observe how journalists employ chronological structures for reporting events, problem-solution structures when discussing societal issues, or compare and contrast structures when analyzing trends or policies.

Explore case studies that showcase the effective use of text structures in various contexts.

Investigate how businesses utilize problem-solving structures in marketing campaigns or how educators employ sequential structures for instructional materials.

These real-world examples offer valuable insights into the practical application of text structures.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ve embarked on a journey through the intricate world of text structures.

We explored the fundamental structures like chronological, cause and effect, problem-solution, and compare and contrast, each serving as a powerful tool in shaping written content.

Additionally, we ventured into extended comparisons and spatial and sequential structures and delved into using text structures across various writing styles.

Armed with these insights, writers can now confidently navigate the terrain of communication, crafting engaging, organized, and impactful content that captivates readers and conveys messages effectively.

Josh Jasen or JJ as we fondly call him, is a senior academic editor at Grade Bees in charge of the writing department. When not managing complex essays and academic writing tasks, Josh is busy advising students on how to pass assignments. In his spare time, he loves playing football or walking with his dog around the park.

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9.3 Organizing Your Writing

Learning objectives.

Understand how and why organizational techniques help writers and readers stay focused.
Assess how and when to use chronological order to organize an essay.
Recognize how and when to use order of importance to organize an essay.
Determine how and when to use spatial order to organize an essay.

The method of organization you choose for your essay is just as important as its content. Without a clear organizational pattern, your reader could become confused and lose interest. The way you structure your essay helps your readers draw connections between the body and the thesis, and the structure also keeps you focused as you plan and write the essay. Choosing your organizational pattern before you outline ensures that each body paragraph works to support and develop your thesis.

This section covers three ways to organize body paragraphs:

Chronological order
Order of importance
Spatial order

When you begin to draft your essay, your ideas may seem to flow from your mind in a seemingly random manner. Your readers, who bring to the table different backgrounds, viewpoints, and ideas, need you to clearly organize these ideas in order to help process and accept them.

A solid organizational pattern gives your ideas a path that you can follow as you develop your draft. Knowing how you will organize your paragraphs allows you to better express and analyze your thoughts. Planning the structure of your essay before you choose supporting evidence helps you conduct more effective and targeted research.

Chronological Order

In Chapter 8 “The Writing Process: How Do I Begin?” , you learned that chronological arrangement has the following purposes:

To explain the history of an event or a topic
To tell a story or relate an experience
To explain how to do or to make something
To explain the steps in a process

Chronological order is mostly used in expository writing , which is a form of writing that narrates, describes, informs, or explains a process. When using chronological order, arrange the events in the order that they actually happened, or will happen if you are giving instructions. This method requires you to use words such as first , second , then , after that , later , and finally . These transition words guide you and your reader through the paper as you expand your thesis.

For example, if you are writing an essay about the history of the airline industry, you would begin with its conception and detail the essential timeline events up until present day. You would follow the chain of events using words such as first , then , next , and so on.

Writing at Work

At some point in your career you may have to file a complaint with your human resources department. Using chronological order is a useful tool in describing the events that led up to your filing the grievance. You would logically lay out the events in the order that they occurred using the key transition words. The more logical your complaint, the more likely you will be well received and helped.

Choose an accomplishment you have achieved in your life. The important moment could be in sports, schooling, or extracurricular activities. On your own sheet of paper, list the steps you took to reach your goal. Try to be as specific as possible with the steps you took. Pay attention to using transition words to focus your writing.

Keep in mind that chronological order is most appropriate for the following purposes:

Writing essays containing heavy research
Writing essays with the aim of listing, explaining, or narrating
Writing essays that analyze literary works such as poems, plays, or books

When using chronological order, your introduction should indicate the information you will cover and in what order, and the introduction should also establish the relevance of the information. Your body paragraphs should then provide clear divisions or steps in chronology. You can divide your paragraphs by time (such as decades, wars, or other historical events) or by the same structure of the work you are examining (such as a line-by-line explication of a poem).

On a separate sheet of paper, write a paragraph that describes a process you are familiar with and can do well. Assume that your reader is unfamiliar with the procedure. Remember to use the chronological key words, such as first , second , then , and finally .

Order of Importance

Recall from Chapter 8 “The Writing Process: How Do I Begin?” that order of importance is best used for the following purposes:

Persuading and convincing
Ranking items by their importance, benefit, or significance
Illustrating a situation, problem, or solution

Most essays move from the least to the most important point, and the paragraphs are arranged in an effort to build the essay’s strength. Sometimes, however, it is necessary to begin with your most important supporting point, such as in an essay that contains a thesis that is highly debatable. When writing a persuasive essay, it is best to begin with the most important point because it immediately captivates your readers and compels them to continue reading.

For example, if you were supporting your thesis that homework is detrimental to the education of high school students, you would want to present your most convincing argument first, and then move on to the less important points for your case.

Some key transitional words you should use with this method of organization are most importantly , almost as importantly , just as importantly , and finally .

During your career, you may be required to work on a team that devises a strategy for a specific goal of your company, such as increasing profits. When planning your strategy you should organize your steps in order of importance. This demonstrates the ability to prioritize and plan. Using the order of importance technique also shows that you can create a resolution with logical steps for accomplishing a common goal.

On a separate sheet of paper, write a paragraph that discusses a passion of yours. Your passion could be music, a particular sport, filmmaking, and so on. Your paragraph should be built upon the reasons why you feel so strongly. Briefly discuss your reasons in the order of least to greatest importance.

Spatial Order

As stated in Chapter 8 “The Writing Process: How Do I Begin?” , spatial order is best used for the following purposes:

Helping readers visualize something as you want them to see it
Evoking a scene using the senses (sight, touch, taste, smell, and sound)
Writing a descriptive essay

Spatial order means that you explain or describe objects as they are arranged around you in your space, for example in a bedroom. As the writer, you create a picture for your reader, and their perspective is the viewpoint from which you describe what is around you.

The view must move in an orderly, logical progression, giving the reader clear directional signals to follow from place to place. The key to using this method is to choose a specific starting point and then guide the reader to follow your eye as it moves in an orderly trajectory from your starting point.

Pay attention to the following student’s description of her bedroom and how she guides the reader through the viewing process, foot by foot.

Attached to my bedroom wall is a small wooden rack dangling with red and turquoise necklaces that shimmer as you enter. Just to the right of the rack is my window, framed by billowy white curtains. The peace of such an image is a stark contrast to my desk, which sits to the right of the window, layered in textbooks, crumpled papers, coffee cups, and an overflowing ashtray. Turning my head to the right, I see a set of two bare windows that frame the trees outside the glass like a 3D painting. Below the windows is an oak chest from which blankets and scarves are protruding. Against the wall opposite the billowy curtains is an antique dresser, on top of which sits a jewelry box and a few picture frames. A tall mirror attached to the dresser takes up most of the wall, which is the color of lavender.

The paragraph incorporates two objectives you have learned in this chapter: using an implied topic sentence and applying spatial order. Often in a descriptive essay, the two work together.

The following are possible transition words to include when using spatial order:

Just to the left or just to the right
On the left or on the right
Across from
A little further down
To the south, to the east, and so on
A few yards away
Turning left or turning right

On a separate sheet of paper, write a paragraph using spatial order that describes your commute to work, school, or another location you visit often.

Collaboration

Please share with a classmate and compare your answers.

Key Takeaways

The way you organize your body paragraphs ensures you and your readers stay focused on and draw connections to, your thesis statement.
A strong organizational pattern allows you to articulate, analyze, and clarify your thoughts.
Planning the organizational structure for your essay before you begin to search for supporting evidence helps you conduct more effective and directed research.
Chronological order is most commonly used in expository writing. It is useful for explaining the history of your subject, for telling a story, or for explaining a process.
Order of importance is most appropriate in a persuasion paper as well as for essays in which you rank things, people, or events by their significance.
Spatial order describes things as they are arranged in space and is best for helping readers visualize something as you want them to see it; it creates a dominant impression.

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Structuring the text

Text structure has to do with perspective: you need to structure your thoughts and your writing in order for the text to make sense to the reader. A well-structured text communicates the writer's intentions and results to the reader, and in such a text, the structure acts like a framework, in that it enables the material to be presented in a coherent and logical manner.

A text without structure, on the other hand, is difficult to read as it leaves the reader unprepared for what will come next, and the ideas that the writer wishes to convey to his or her reader risk being lost or misunderstood.

Text structure depends on text type

Depending on discipline, there are different traditions, conventions and demands on text structure and text types. What follows below is general information regarding the structure of texts. Students usually receive departmental guidelines regarding preferred format and structure for essays and other text types. For an overview of different text formats for student writing, see

Student writing genres

Some scholarly journals provide information on required text structure; if not, prospective authors can find out by studying a recent issue or two of the specific journal.

Text structure on different levels

An academic text, such as an essay or an article, usually consists of different sections (and sometimes sub-sections). Each section, in turn, is divided into a number of paragraphs. For the text to be coherent and easy to follow, all levels of the text must be well-structured.

Starting with an overall picture and progressing down to the paragraph level, the following pages provide advice on how to work with text structure on different levels. Note that although the focus here is on the traditional essay format, most of the advice can be applied to other texts formats too:

Apart from the running text, essays and articles also contain two framing elements: title and reference list. Read about their internal structure here:

In order to increase the readability of their texts, writers can highlight text structure through signposting:

Structure is, of course, important at the sentence level too, as the way in which a sentence is structured will have an impact on how its focus is perceived by the reader. Read more about sentence structure:

Trying to devise a structure for your essay can be one of the most difficult parts of the writing process. Making a detailed outline before you begin writing is a good way to make sure your ideas come across in a clear and logical order. A good outline will also save you time in the revision process, reducing the possibility that your ideas will need to be rearranged once you've written them.

The First Steps

Before you can begin outlining, you need to have a sense of what you will argue in the essay. From your analysis and close readings of primary and/or secondary sources you should have notes, ideas, and possible quotes to cite as evidence. Let's say you are writing about the 1999 Republican Primary and you want to prove that each candidate's financial resources were the most important element in the race. At this point, your notes probably lack much coherent order. Most likely, your ideas are still in the order in which they occurred to you; your notes and possible quotes probably still adhere to the chronology of the sources you've examined. Your goal is to rearrange your ideas, notes, and quotes—the raw material of your essay—into an order that best supports your argument, not the arguments you've read in other people's works. To do this, you have to group your notes into categories and then arrange these categories in a logical order.

Generalizing

The first step is to look over each individual piece of information that you've written and assign it to a general category. Ask yourself, "If I were to file this in a database, what would I file it under?" If, using the example of the Republican Primary, you wrote down an observation about John McCain's views on health care, you might list it under the general category of "Health care policy." As you go through your notes, try to reuse categories whenever possible. Your goal is to reduce your notes to no more than a page of category listings.

Now examine your category headings. Do any seem repetitive? Do any go together? "McCain's expenditure on ads" and "Bush's expenditure on ads," while not exactly repetitive, could easily combine into a more general category like "Candidates' expenditures on ads." Also, keep an eye out for categories that no longer seem to relate to your argument. Individual pieces of information that at first seemed important can begin to appear irrelevant when grouped into a general category.

Now it's time to generalize again. Examine all your categories and look for common themes. Go through each category and ask yourself, "If I were to place this piece of information in a file cabinet, what would I label that cabinet?" Again, try to reuse labels as often as possible: "Health Care," "Foreign Policy," and "Immigration" can all be contained under "Policy Initiatives." Make these larger categories as general as possible so that there are no more than three or four for a 7-10 page paper.

With your notes grouped into generalized categories, the process of ordering them should be easier. To begin, look at your most general categories. With your thesis in mind, try to find a way that the labels might be arranged in a sentence or two that supports your argument. Let's say your thesis is that financial resources played the most important role in the 1999 Republican Primary. Your four most general categories are "Policy Initiatives," "Financial Resources," "Voters' Concerns," and "Voters' Loyalty." You might come up with the following sentence: ÒAlthough McCain's policy initiatives were closest to the voters' concerns, Bush's financial resources won the voters' loyalty.Ó This sentence should reveal the order of your most general categories. You will begin with an examination of McCain's and Bush's views on important issues and compare them to the voters' top concerns. Then you'll look at both candidates' financial resources and show how Bush could win voters' loyalty through effective use of his resources, despite his less popular policy ideas.

With your most general categories in order, you now must order the smaller categories. To do so, arrange each smaller category into a sentence or two that will support the more general sentence you've just devised. Under the category of "Financial Resources," for instance, you might have the smaller categories of "Ad Expenditure," "Campaign Contributions" and "Fundraising." A sentence that supports your general argument might read: "Bush's early emphasis on fundraising led to greater campaign contributions, allowing him to have a greater ad expenditure than McCain."

The final step of the outlining process is to repeat this procedure on the smallest level, with the original notes that you took for your essay. To order what probably was an unwieldy and disorganized set of information at the beginning of this process, you need now only think of a sentence or two to support your general argument. Under the category "Fundraising," for example, you might have quotes about each candidate's estimation of its importance, statistics about the amount of time each candidate spent fundraising, and an idea about how the importance of fundraising never can be overestimated. Sentences to support your general argument might read: "No candidate has ever raised too much money [your idea]. While both McCain and Bush acknowledged the importance of fundraising [your quotes], the numbers clearly point to Bush as the superior fundraiser [your statistics]." The arrangement of your ideas, quotes, and statistics now should come naturally.

Putting It All Together

With these sentences, you have essentially constructed an outline for your essay. The most general ideas, which you organized in your first sentence, constitute the essay's sections. They follow the order in which you placed them in your sentence. The order of the smaller categories within each larger category (determined by your secondary sentences) indicates the order of the paragraphs within each section. Finally, your last set of sentences about your specific notes should show the order of the sentences within each paragraph. An outline for the essay about the 1999 Republican Primary (showing only the sections worked out here) would look something like this:

I. POLICY INITIATIVES

II. VOTERS' CONCERNS

III. FINANCIAL RESOURCES

A. Fundraising

a. Original Idea

b. McCain Quote/Bush Quote

c. McCain Statistics/Bush Statistics

B. Campaign Contributions

C. Ad Expenditure

IV. VOTERS' LOYALTY

The Structure of Academic Texts

Structure is an important feature of academic writing. A well-structured text enables the reader to follow the argument and navigate the text. In academic writing a clear structure and a logical flow are imperative to a cohesive text. Furthermore, in many university assignments the correct use of structure is part of the final assessment.

Most academic texts follow established structures. This page describes some common structures in academic writing: the three-part essay structure and the IMRaD structure. Structure should be considered on all levels of text so you will also find information on structuring paragraphs.

Common structures

The structure of your writing depends on the type of assignment, but two common structures used in academic writing are the three-part essay structure and the IMRaD structure. Even shorter essays that are not divided into titled sections follow such a structure. Longer texts may be further divided into subsections. Different disciplines or departments may prefer that students use a certain structure, so make sure to check with your instructor if you are not sure what is expected of you.

The three-part essay structure

The three-part essay structure is a basic structure that consists of introduction, body and conclusion. The introduction and the conclusion should be shorter than the body of the text. For shorter essays, one or two paragraphs for each of these sections can be appropriate. For longer texts or theses, they may be several pages long.

See example essay

More on the three-part essay structure

Introduction.

Your introduction should include the following points (be aware that not all points may be relevant for your project):

Introduce your topic
Place your topic in a context
Provide background information
Point out the aim of the text
Describe how you will fulfill the aim
Provide a thesis statement or research question
Suggest what your findings are
Explain why your topic is interesting, necessary or important
Give the reader a guide to the text
Catch your reader’s interest

The statements you make in the introduction are to be developed in the body of the text and returned to in the conclusion.

You may write the introduction at the beginning or at the end of the writing process. If you write it early in the process it can serve as a guide to your own writing, but be aware that you most likely will have to go back to it and edit it as the writing progresses.

More advice about introductions

This is the main section of your text and it should also be the longest. Depending on the length of the text, the body may be divided into subsections. If your text is divided into subsections, remember to briefly introduce each section. For longer works you may also need to conclude sections.

The body of the text is where you as a writer and researcher are the most active. It is the most substantial part of the text; this is where the research or findings are presented, discussed and analyzed. This is also where you present your arguments that support your thesis or answer your question. The structure and contents of this main part may differ depending on your discipline.

In the conclusion you should return to the thesis or problem that you presented in the introduction. But be careful to not merely repeat what you wrote in the introduction; instead, show your reader how what you have written sheds new light on the problem presented at the beginning. For longer works a brief summary of your findings may be in place, but this should not be necessary for shorter texts. Be careful that your conclusion is not just a repetition of what you have already written. In your conclusion, you may also evaluate and explain whether or not you have reached the aim or solved the problem presented in the introduction, and how. No new material should be introduced in the conclusion, but it is quite common to suggest topics for further studies.

More tips and examples of conclusions

The IMRaD structure

The sections of the IMRaD structure are Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion. Watch this short film about the IMRaD structure:

More on the IMRaD structure

See the description of the introduction in the above section about the three-part essay structure.

In this section you describe how you have conducted your study. This is where you present your material and your research as well as any previous research and background material. You describe what method or methods you have used and how you have come up with your results. You may also explain why you have chosen a particular method.

Read here for more tips on how to write the method section . However, you should be aware that there can be differences between disciplines in the contents and structure of this section.

In this section you report the results of your research. Usually the results are not discussed or analyzed in this section but you may have to explain some of your findings to avoid misunderstandings.

The discussion is the section where you as a writer are the most active and it should be the most substantial section of the entire paper. You should interpret, analyze and discuss your results as well as compare and contrast them to previous research.

Sometimes papers that use the IMRaD structure will have a separate conclusion and sometimes the conclusion will be merged with the discussion. Be sure to check with your instructor what is expected of you.

More tips on how to write a discussion

Other parts of academic papers

Apart from the parts that are treated in the above sections about the three-part structure and the IMRaD structure, academic papers also consist of other often quite formalized parts.

The title should catch the reader’s attention and interest and also indicate what to expect of the paper.

Many academic titles consist of two parts where the first part catches the reader’s attention and the second part is explanatory. Look at the titles of other academic papers and articles within your discipline for inspiration on how to construct titles.

Most often you are required to use a certain format or template for your title page. Make sure to check the instructions or ask your course teacher to find out what is expected of you.

Tips, inspiration and some examples

An abstract summarizes the main contents of your thesis and should give the reader a well-defined idea of what the thesis is about. Readers often use the abstract to determine whether or not the text is relevant for them to read.

It is recommended that you read abstracts that are written within your own discipline to learn what is expected of you, since what is included in an abstract may differ in each field of study. Make sure that your abstract has the length that is required in the assignment and keep in mind that shorter assignments do not usually require an abstract.

Learn more about writing abstracts

Longer works usually have a table of contents. You will most likely be expected to use a certain format according to the template you are using. Otherwise most word processors will have formatting tools you can use to create a table of contents. Make sure to structure your table of contents in a way that makes the relationship between sections and subsections apparent to the reader.

Reference list

The reference list is placed after the text. Any appendices should however be placed after the reference list. The list should include all sources you have used in your work. How to construct the list and how to cite sources differ between disciplines and reference systems.

More information about referencing

A paragraph is a collection of sentences that deal with one topic or idea. When a new paragraph begins it signals to the reader that the focus shifts to a new idea or thought. At the same time, all paragraphs should connect to the main topic.

Topic sentence and supporting sentences

Paragraphs consist of sentences. Each paragraph should have a topic sentence that presents the main point or theme of the paragraph. This sentence is most often near the beginning of the paragraph. All other sentences in the paragraph are supporting sentences that connect back to the topic sentence. These sentences develop the idea that is expressed in the topic sentence. This development may for example be a deeper analysis, a contrast or an illustrative example. The last sentence of the paragraph is the concluding sentence or transitional sentence. It sums up the contents of the paragraph and leads the reader to the following paragraph. It is important to transition smoothly from one paragraph to the next. Otherwise the impression will be that the paragraphs are piled onto each other rather than constitute one coherent text.

The length of each paragraph depends on its contents. This means that the length of paragraphs may vary. That is, you should not begin a new paragraph simply because you feel that now it is long enough. However, if a paragraph is very short it could be an indication that something needs to be developed. If it is very long it could be an indication that it contains more than one central idea.

Further information about paragraphs

When you use language that guides the reader through the text it is called signposting. Read more about signposting

Paragraph development

Paragraphs can be structured in different ways. The internal structure of each paragraph often depends on the idea that is treated in that specific paragraph and its relationship to the surrounding paragraphs as well as to the text as a whole.

Your topic and the purpose of the paragraph should determine its organization. For example, if your purpose is to illustrate the differences between two theories, your topic sentence should tell the reader that you are about to contrast two theories. You may then describe first one theory, then the other, and finally contrast the two.

More on paragraph development and examples of different kinds of paragraphs

Understanding Text Structures: Exploring Examples and Strategies

Understanding text structures is vital to improving reading comprehension and writing abilities. Text structures refer to how a piece of writing is organized, helping the reader understand the flow of ideas, the connections between concepts, the main ideas, and the author’s purpose. Several common text structures are used in literature, nonfiction writing, and other types of writing. This blog post will provide examples of these and nonfiction text structures and discuss strategies for teaching students to identify and use them in reading and writing.

Descriptive Text Structure

Descriptive text structure is one of the most commonly used structures, especially in literature. In a descriptive text structure, the author uses vivid words and detailed descriptions to create a picture in the reader’s mind. For instance, a paragraph describing a person’s life, appearance, habits, or character traits would be an example of descriptive text structure. The paragraph or main idea is often stated in topic sentences, and the following sentences provide supporting details and main ideas.

Sequence/Chronological Order

Sequence or chronological order is a common text structure, particularly in historical texts or any writing detailing a sequence of events or a process. As the name suggests, information in this type of text is organized according to the order in which events happen. It could be a sequence of steps in a recipe or events in a person’s life. Signal words like “first,” “then,” “next,” “finally,” etc., help the reader identify this very effective text structure.

Compare and Contrast

The text structure is used when the author wants to highlight the similarities and differences between two or more things. It’s commonly seen in essays where two topics are being examined side by side. This structure encourages critical thinking as it requires the reader to understand the unique characteristics of each item and how they relate to each other. Words and phrases like “similar,” compare, contrast, “in contrast,” “both,” and “on the other hand” signal the main idea behind this structure.

Problem and Solution

In the problem and problem solution text structure, the author presents a problem and then provides one or more possible solutions. The text structure is often used in persuasive writing or nonfiction passages addressing real-world issues. The main idea usually centers on the one problem solution, and the supporting details discuss potential solutions and their implications.

Cause and Effect

Cause and effect text structure explore why things happen (causes) and what happens as a result (effects). This text’s structure is commonly found in scientific and historical texts. The author’s purpose might present an event (cause) and discuss its impacts (effect). Signal words for this structure include “because,” “as a result,” “therefore,” and “thus.” These example paragraphs are only a few examples of text structures. Recognizing these structures when students read, and using them when they write, can significantly improve their understanding and communication of ideas. The following section explores teaching strategies to help students master these text structures.

Strategies for Teaching Text Structures

Explicit instruction and graphic organizers.

One effective strategy for teaching text structure is through explicit instruction. This involves:

Clearly explaining the various structures.
Pointing out signal words and phrases.
Providing text structure examples for students to examine.

Nonfiction passages can be especially useful, as they often have clear structures that students can identify and discuss.

The Power Of Visuals

To help students visualize the organization of each structure, using graphic organizers can be extremely beneficial in your writing process. For instance, a sequence structure might be represented with a timeline. In contrast, a compare-and-contrast structure could use a graphic organizer or a Venn diagram. For the problem and solution structure, a graphic organizer or a flowchart can help map out the main problem, possible solutions, and their outcomes. Graphic organizers not only assist in understanding text structures but also help students organize their writing.

Practice with Varied Texts

To have students learn and reinforce the concepts:

Provide students with various texts to practice identifying text structures.
Use a mix of literature, nonfiction passages, essays, and other written materials, so students can see the different types of text structures in various contexts.
Encourage students to explain why they think a text is written in a particular structure.

This helps them articulate their understanding and apply it in real-world contexts.

Writing Practice

Give students opportunities to write using different text structures. They could write a short descriptive text about their favorite place, compare two topics they’re interested in, or write an essay explaining a problem in their community and suggesting possible solutions. Writing practice five text structures helps students understand the various structures from the author’s perspective, enhancing their ability to read and comprehend texts written in those structures.

Review and Assessment

Using and familiarizing descriptive texts.

Consistent review and assessment of descriptive texts are essential for students to master text structures. This could be through reading worksheets focusing on identifying text structures, short answer tests, or essay writing assignments where students must use a specific text structure often. Feedback on these assessments can guide further teaching and learning. Understanding and effectively using text structures to describe or create them is a fundamental literacy skill. As students learn to identify text structures in what they read and apply them in their own writing, they build a strong foundation for advanced reading comprehension and effective communication.

Hands-On Examples and Activities

Nonfiction passages and the use of graphic organizers.

Nonfiction passages are ideal for teaching students about various text structures as they explain why they commonly use them. Assign passages that clearly explain and exemplify specific text structures. After a close reading of these passages, students can fill in a graphic organizer corresponding to the text structure used in the passage. This hands-on activity solidifies the students’ understanding of text structures and enhances their reading comprehension skills.

Use of Literature and Other Text Types

Students can also learn text structures from literature. Although some text structures like problem and solution or cause and effect are more common in nonfiction, other text structures, like sequence and description, are widely used in literature. Students can identify how authors use these structures to weave narratives and engage readers by teaching text structures by reading short stories and novels. Other text types, like advertisements, opinion pieces, and biographies, can also provide diverse text structure examples.

Encouraging Students to Write Using Different Text Structures

Providing students with opportunities to use various text structures in their own writing will enhance their understanding and mastery of these structures. Assign writing tasks that require the use of a specific text structure. For instance, students could write a biography or history of a famous person’s life using chronological order or an essay comparing and contrasting two historical events. Teachers can use these techniques to help students grasp the idea of different types and elements of text structures, improving their reading comprehension and writing skills.

Understanding common text structures is crucial for students, enhancing their reading comprehension and nonfiction writing capabilities. Educators can significantly support and boost students’ literacy skills by teaching students to identify common text structures, use graphic organizers for visualization, and apply these structures in their own writing.

What is an example of text structure?

The “compare, describe, and contrast” is an example of a text structure. In paragraphs using this, an author discusses the similarities and differences between two or more things. For instance, an essay comparing two novels, discussing their similar themes but contrasting writing styles, would use this structure.

What are the 5 structures of text?

The five main text structures are:

Description: The author provides detailed information about a topic.
Sequence/Chronological Order: The author lists items or events numerically or chronologically.
Compare and Contrast: The author discusses similarities and differences between two or more things.
Cause and Effect: The author presents reasons (or causes) for something and the results (or effects).
Problem and Solution: The author offers a problem and potential solutions.

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Teaching with Jennifer Findley

Upper Elementary Teaching Blog

Teaching Text Structure (And What To Do When Students Struggle)

Text structure is a very powerful reading skill that can really help students make sense of and analyze informational text. This post shares tips for teaching text structure, including pre-requisite skills, all the different text structure skills, and strategies for when students struggle.

Text structure is such an important skill that can really help our readers comprehend nonfiction text. Read this post for tips for teaching text structure, including pre-requisite skills and strategies for when students struggle.

What is Text Structure?

Text structure refers to how the details and information in a text are organized. There are five common types of text structure:

Description
Chronological Order/Sequence
Compare and Contrast
Problem and Solution
Cause and Effect

When introducing text structures, I introduce them all at once and then we dive deep into specific text structures in the following days. The order above is how I traditionally sequence my teaching.

Why is Text Structure Important?

When readers identify and recognize the text structure of a text, this can significantly improve their comprehension and retention of information.

Understanding the text structure can help students:

Organize information and details they are learning in their minds while reading
Make connections between the details being presented in a text
Summarize the important details shared in a text

Pre-Requisite Standards Before Teaching Text Structure

To teach text structure, make sure that you have taught or the students have a working knowledge of:

That texts and authors have specific purposes
That a text or section of text has a main idea that the author wants the reader to understand (The students may not be able to adequately generate or select a main idea but they need to understand that texts have these).
That topics or events can be related in different ways (cause and effect, compare and contrast relationships, etc.). Students should have a working knowledge of how to identify these relationships at the sentence level.

Text Structure Skills Students Need to Master

Text structure skills vary from 4th to 5th grade. In 5th grade, the students are really expected to go much further than simple identification. Increasing the rigor for 4th grade students (who are ready) will plant those seeds and help them succeed in 5th grade.

5th grade teachers, on the other hand, may have to teach all of the text structure skills to get our students to the necessary rigor required (even the ones required by 4th because we know that retention is not always something that goes in our favor.)

Identify the relationships between details (Are they describing the topic? Are they comparing and contrasting the topics?)
Understand the key words used to show common relationships between details
Understand text structures and their purposes (to convey information in an organized way that helps present the main idea)
Identify the text structure used in a paragraph
Prove the text structure by connecting it back to the main idea and details presented in the text
Prove the text structure by identifying key words or clue words used
Identify the overall text structure used by a text with multiple paragraphs
Use the text structure of a text to help summarize the text
Identify if a text includes multiple types of text structures and understand why
Summarize key details presented in a text using a graphic organizer specific to the text structure
Understand that texts on the same overall topic can be written using different text structures
Compare and contrast text structures used by multiple texts on the same topic and understand why the text structures differ
Explain why a particular text structure was used in a text (particularly when analyzing texts on the same topic with differing text structures)

Keep this list in mind when planning your whole group mini-lessons as well as your small group reading lessons. I spend two weeks teaching text structure in 5th grade (read more about my reading pacing here) . If you don’t have the time to do this, I recommend teaching these skills as part of your small group reading lessons.

Tips for Students Who Struggle with Text Structure

If students struggle with text structure, reteach these skills or check these for understanding:

1. Take it back to a sentence level. Can the students identify a cause and effect relationship in one sentence? Repeat this for the other text structures. If students struggle at the sentence level, provide the necessary instruction.

2. Provide additional instruction with key words/clue words with sorting and identification activities (identifying them in texts).

3. A lot of students confuse text structures with description because all text structures are basically describing. However, they are describing in specific ways. For example, cats and dogs can be described by comparing and contrasting the two animals. I specifically discuss this with my students to help with confusion. I use this language, “Is the text describing the topic using a specific relationship (compare and contrast, cause and effect, etc.)?”

4. Highlight, point out, or underline the sentences that clearly show relationships in a text. Focus on those sentences, and ask the students what the details are showing you or how the details are related.

5. Connect the details with how they would be organized in a visual graphic organizer. If students can visualize the best way to organize details in a text, they will be able to identify the text structure with greater success. This can be modeled through direct instruction by completing graphic organizers together or by matching them to specific texts.

6. The connection between reading and writing is very strong with text structures. One way I help my students understand text structure is by connecting it to their writing by having them write using specific text structures.

Note: Basic reading comprehension of a text is required for students to understand the details and how they are related/connected. If your students cannot do this, they will likely struggle with identifying and writing about the text structure of grade level (or even approaching grade level) texts. One way to help with skill instruction is by using a lower lexile. Click here to see passages and texts written for 4th and 5th grade skills but at a 2nd/3rd grade lexile level.

Download a Printable Version

Want a one-page printable version of the tips and information for teaching text structure shared on this post? Click here on the image below to grab it!

Recommended Text Structure Resources

If you are tired of searching for activities, resources, and passages to teach text structure to your students, I highly recommend checking out my Text Structures Resource . It includes so many resources for teaching and practicing text structure that you likely won’t even be able to use them all (which is not a bad problem to have!) There are teaching posters, graphic organizers, so many texts to use (individual and paired), and small group activities. It is truly a one-stop shop for text structure activities!

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Text Structures Resources & Activities

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Read Alouds for Teaching Text Structure

Reading Sorts – Grab a free text structure reading sort in this free set of reading sorts. They make a perfect re-teaching activity or reading center to review basic identification of text structures.

Free Text Structure Activities and Resources – Grab some free printable resources to help your students understand text structure and apply it to their own books on this post.

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I’m Jennifer Findley: a teacher, mother, and avid reader. I believe that with the right resources, mindset, and strategies, all students can achieve at high levels and learn to love learning. My goal is to provide resources and strategies to inspire you and help make this belief a reality for your students.

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An Introduction to Analytical Text Structures

Many students are used to writing narratives — stories, description, even poetry, but have little experience with analytical writing. This article is an introduction to six analytical text structures, useful across content areas. See also Analytical Writing in the Content Areas .

Students in middle and high school need help structuring their analytical thinking and writing as they are often expected to write about, explain, and analyze fact-based concepts — concepts they can’t make up. Analytical writing in all content areas falls into the following six categories. In a longer non-fiction work, such as a book, the author will mix things up, using text structures within text structures:

Compare-Contrast: A compare-contrast essay focuses on the similarities and differences between at least two objects or ideas. The purpose is to develop the relationship between them and, in the process, explain both in detail.
Cause-Effect: A cause-effect essay first presents a reason or motive for an event, situation, or trend and then explains its result or consequence.
Problem-Solution: A problem-solution essay informs readers about a complex, real-world, philosophical problem (or related problems), followed by actions that could be taken to remedy the problem.
Concept-Definition (descriptive writing): A concept-definition essay provides a personal, but still factually complete and correct, understanding of a particular concept or term. The essay conveys what research and experience have taught the writer (what the concept is not is often also part of the definition).
Goal-Action-Outcome (process or procedural writing): A goal-action-outcome essay either tells the reader how to do something or describes how something is done. Math explanations and science lab reports are good examples of goal-action-outcome writing.
Proposition-Support (persuasive writing): A proposition-support essay uses logic, reason, and supporting data to argue that one idea is more legitimate than another. The argument must include sound reasoning and reliable external evidence, stating facts, giving logical reasons, using examples, and quoting reliable experts and original sources.

The Compare-Contrast Essay

A compare-contrast essay focuses on the similarities and differences between and among situations, processes, objects, or ideas. The purpose is to develop and explain the relationship between two or more items in order to better understand both.

When choosing similarities and differences, mention those that are the most important, the most descriptive, or the most informative. For example, when comparing-contrasting cars, focus on those elements that truly differentiate them based on their purpose. If a car’s purpose is to move people and things from one place to another safely, car color is not that important. However, the difference in the power of the engines would be. Elaborate in such a way that similarities and differences are clear and distinct.

The Cause-Effect Essay

A cause-effect essay first presents a reason or motive for a particular event, situation or trend and then explains the results or consequences of that situation. The study of science and history most often use the cause-effect structure.

When selecting causes and effects, choose those that are the most important, the most descriptive, or the most informative. For example, all ships on the North Atlantic the evening the Titanic sank had to contend with the same weather, ice, and light conditions. Not all ships ran into an iceberg and sank. So, while the weather conditions contributed to the sinking of the Titanic, they were not a primary cause. Similarly, when looking at the effects of an event or situation, we focus on the long-term effects, not the immediate effects. Although 1500 people died the night the Titanic sank, we want to focus on the actions taken after the sinking that contributed the safety of life at sea.

The Problem-Solution Essay

A problem-solution essay addresses a complex philosophical dilemma with no clear right answer, develops criteria for addressing the problem, and informs readers about possible actions that might be taken to remedy the situation. No matter what sort of complex problem is encountered, the chances of solving it improve if it is approached analytically, conscious of the steps one can take and escape routes available if the steps become too rigid.

After describing the problem, the essay should outline a realistic solution. Begin by choosing one possibility. Assess any difficulties involved. Perhaps there are rules and regulations that need to be followed. Perhaps the solution will be prohibitively expensive. Where will the money come from? Discuss the solution in detail. Move onto other possibilities, if required, only after the first solution has been explained in full.

The Concept-Definition Essay

A concept-definition essay provides a personal (but still factually accurate understanding of a particular concept or term. The essay conveys what research, understanding, and experience have taught the writer about the concept or term. What a concept “is not” is often part of the definition.

As the name suggests, the purpose of a concept-definition essay is to define a concept. However, a definition can be developed in a number of ways, some of which mimic other text structures. That is OK. If a definition requires an explanation of cause-effect, so be it. The introduction and conclusion will focus the reader on the concept-definition purpose of the essay.

Here are some rhetorical points about definitions:

Avoid using the phrases “is where” and “is when”: A professional sport is when gifted athletes are paid to play a sport as a job. Or A computer virus is where
Avoid circular definitions (repeating the defined term within the definition itself). A computer virus is a virus that destroys or disrupts software.
Avoid using a too narrow definition, one that would unduly limit the scope of the essay. Reggae music is sung on the Caribbean island of Jamaica. In fact, reggae music is sung all over the world, although it was born in Jamaica.

The Goal-Action-Outcome (Process) Essay

A goal-action-outcome essay, or process essay, either tells the reader how to do something or describes how something is done. There are two types of process essays: those that instruct and those that explain or analyze. The goal-action-outcome pattern of organization is especially important in scientific and mathematical writing. For example, it is used to describe biological processes like T-cell lymphocyte production, chemical processes like drug interactions, and technical processes like a colonoscopy. In mathematics it is used to explain how to solve complex, real-world, multi-step math problems.

Clarity is critical. When writing a goal-action-outcome essay, the reader should be able to replicate the process or visualize it well enough to explain it to someone else.

The Proposition-Support Essay

“Proposition” is a fancy word for argument. The purpose of a proposition-support essay is to be as convincing as possible, and to convince readers to accept the proposition as true. A proposition-support essay uses logic, reason, and evidence to show that one idea is more legitimate than another. The argument must always use sound reasoning and solid evidence by stating facts, giving logical reasons, using examples, and quoting reliable experts.

Though the goal is to convince others that a thesis statement is valid, it is important to remember that reasonable people can disagree. The act of writing the essay should help both the writer and the reader to examine their own and others’ assumptions and ideas more carefully. Writing a proposition-support essay helps students to weigh evidence, clearly state ideas, fairly consider the claims of the opposition, and justify the position taken.

It is critically important that the tone of a proposition-support essay be reasonable, and that the presentation be factual and believable. Additionally, although this type of essay reflects the writer’s opinion, the first-person point of view is not appropriate in analytical essays. The goal is to convince the opposition. In order to write an effective proposition-support essay, the writer must anticipate and overcome objections that an adversary might raise.

A writer, thinker, learner should be able to effectively argue both sides on an argument — no matter his personal opinion or beliefs. In fact, it is good practice to write the opposing argument; it strengthens the writer’s understanding of the issue and helps her to intelligently, rather than emotionally, rebut opposition arguments.

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Digital SAT Reading and Writing

Course: digital sat reading and writing > unit 2, text structure and purpose | lesson.

Part-to-whole relationships | Lesson
Text Structure and Purpose — Worked example
Text Structure and Purpose — Quick example
Text structure and purpose: foundations

What are "text structure and purpose" questions?

(Choice A) The speaker provides examples of an admirable way of approaching nature and then challenges that approach. A The speaker provides examples of an admirable way of approaching nature and then challenges that approach.
(Choice B) The speaker describes attempts to control nature and then offers a reminder that not all nature is controllable. B The speaker describes attempts to control nature and then offers a reminder that not all nature is controllable.
(Choice C) The speaker argues against interfering with nature and then gives evidence supporting this interference. C The speaker argues against interfering with nature and then gives evidence supporting this interference.
(Choice D) The speaker presents an account of efforts to dominate nature and then cautions that such efforts are only temporary. D The speaker presents an account of efforts to dominate nature and then cautions that such efforts are only temporary.

Despite the fact that we can control and shape the land...

We can't control the sea.

Despite the fact that we can control and shape the land, we can't control the sea.

Choice A says the speaker is focused on whether an approach to nature is "admirable", but the poem doesn't focus on good or bad. Instead, it focuses on possible or impossible. We can eliminate this choice.

Choice C says the speaker argues against interfering with nature, but the poem doesn't say that it's bad to interfere with nature. Also, notice that the second half of the poem doesn't "[give] evidence supporting" interference with nature; the second half of the poem argues that interfering with the sea is impossible. We can eliminate this choice.

Choice D is tempting. The first half of the poem does indeed "[present] an account of efforts to dominate nature". However, the second half of the poem doesn't say those efforts are "temporary". Instead, it argues that in some cases it's simply impossible to dominate nature. We can eliminate this choice.

While some nature can be controlled, some nature can't.

How should we think about text structure and purpose questions?

to explain ______
to illustrate ______
to criticize ______
to argue ______
to introduce ______

How to approach text structure and purpose questions

Step 1: Identify the task

Step 2: Summarize the text

Step 3: Test the choices

Stay specific

Choice A introduces the word "admirable", which makes a judgment about whether these attempts to control nature are good or bad. But the poem doesn't discuss whether things are good or bad. We can eliminate this choice.
Choice D describes the first part of the text pretty well. The first four lines of the poem do discuss "efforts to dominate nature". However, the second half of choice D disqualifies the whole choice; the poem never claims that anything is "temporary". We can eliminate this choice.

Lean on transitions

The text uses the subordinating conjunction "no matter" to link the first half of the poem to the second half. "No matter" is very similar to "despite" or "regardless", and it very clearly signals that there will be a contrast between the first half of the poem and the second half. This contrast is reflected in the correct answer.

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CIPPET Study Support: Structuring your work and paragraphing

University jargon-buster
2. Library resources
3. Literature searching
University policy and penalties
How to avoid plagiarism
Using EndNote
Developing your ideas and argument
Structuring your work and paragraphing
Writing at level 7
Writing at level 6
Reflective models and language
8. Understanding feedback
9. Preparing for exams and OSCEs
10. Presentations

Introduction

Structure is important in academic writing becuase it helps to make your ideas clear, guides the reader's comprehension and can strengthen your arguments. Some academic writing, such as scientific reports, have a given structure or template. In this case, you should find out what is required under each heading and adhere to this; it is most likely mapped to the marking criteria so you will lose marks for not following a stated structure.

Other writing might require you to select and organise the material you are writing yourself and so develop a structure from scratch. Usually, in the introduction you should set out the structure so that the reader knows what to expect and the order in which it will be presented. The order in which information is presented should be logical so that the reader can follow your ideas and research, ideally write your structure with just one point/argument/idea per paragraph. In addition, the ideas should flow or be linked so that the reader is drawn through an explanation or argument, rather than stopping and starting at each new point. The conclusion to the piece should draw together all the points or ideas and come to a conclusion.

Whether you are following a template or devising your own structure, paragraphs in academic writing can be thought of like a ‘mini-essay’ with an introduction, main body and conclusion. The first line introduces the point being made, the main body presents and discusses the evidence to support the point and the final line concludes the point and links it back to the assignment title.

Model of a paragraph

When presenting a point of view, such as a line of argument for an essay, decide on the main points that you want to communicate. A paragraph can be planned (like a mini-essay) using the PEEL format:

Like any model, not all your paragraphs will fit neatly into this framework, but it is a useful guide to check the balance of your paragraphs: Do you have a clear point? Does the end of the paragraph link to the beginning? Have you interpreted your evidence not just left it there to ‘speak for itself’?

Also it is helpful to think of the length of your paragraphs. If they are only a few lines long, it is unlikely you are interpreting your evidence fully. If they are over a page in length, it is likely you have more than one main point and need to separate them out.

Skip to 5 minutes in on this video tutorial for an explanation and example of the model paragraph or feel free to watch the whole video for more on Targeted Reading and Use of Evidence.

If you are unable to view this video on YouTube it is also available on YuJa - view the Targeted reading and use of evidence video on YuJa (University username and password required)

Write concisely and with precision

Do not be tempted to use complex language or expressions that are not your own, just to make your writing appear "academic". Use straightforward language. Your reader needs to understand the information or ideas that you are conveying.

Communicate succinctly without losing vital information or meaning. It is often easier to write fluently and then to edit out unnecessary words and phrases.

Some academic writing, such as scientific informatoin, needs to be especially precise. A reader may need to have all the information required to understand exact conditions of a scientific study and to replicate it. Using simple sentences can be helpful.

Avoid using non-quantifiable descriptions, such as:

The company's production rate was high <--replace with--> The company produced 16,00 units per week.

The wind was strong <--replace with--> The wind measured 6 on the Beaufort scale.

Integrating evidence into your paragraphs

You do not have to refer to each piece of evidence in the same depth. Sometimes you need to show that you understand the wider context of the issue, and a short summary of the key issues and key researchers is all that is needed. For example:

A significant amount of reading and in-depth understanding of the field is demonstrated in those sentences above even though the individual mentions of the evidence are quite short. The summary maps out the state of current research and the positions taken by the key researchers, and despite being short it has taken careful reading, grouping, identification, and understanding of the issues.

Sometimes you need to go into greater depth and refer to some sources in more detail in order to interrogate the methods and standpoints expressed by these researchers. For example:

Even in this more analytical piece of writing, only the relevant points of the study and the theory are mentioned briefly - but you need a confident and thorough understanding to refer to them so concisely.

If you find it challenging to integrate evidence into your paragraphs, have a look at:

Academic Phrasebank Use this site for examples of linking phrases and ways to refer to sources.

If you are unable to view this video on YouTube it is also available on YuJa - view the Effective paraphrasing for postgraduates video on YuJa (University username and password required)

Other useful guides

You may find some of the following guides useful in developing your writing:

Grammar Supporting information on grammar, including nouns and sentences
Punctuation Supporting informaton on punctuation including commas, semi-colons, colons and apostrophes.
Effective proof reading guidance from Study Advice Tips on how to proof read your work and be confident with your submissions.
<< Previous: Developing your ideas and argument
Next: Writing at level 7 >>
Last Updated: Apr 3, 2024 1:47 PM
URL: https://libguides.reading.ac.uk/cippet

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Organization and Structure

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

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Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

There is no single organizational pattern that works well for all writing across all disciplines; rather, organization depends on what you’re writing, who you’re writing it for, and where your writing will be read. In order to communicate your ideas, you’ll need to use a logical and consistent organizational structure in all of your writing. We can think about organization at the global level (your entire paper or project) as well as at the local level (a chapter, section, or paragraph). For an American academic situation, this means that at all times, the goal of revising for organization and structure is to consciously design your writing projects to make them easy for readers to understand. In this context, you as the writer are always responsible for the reader's ability to understand your work; in other words, American academic writing is writer-responsible. A good goal is to make your writing accessible and comprehensible to someone who just reads sections of your writing rather than the entire piece. This handout provides strategies for revising your writing to help meet this goal.

Note that this resource focuses on writing for an American academic setting, specifically for graduate students. American academic writing is of course not the only standard for academic writing, and researchers around the globe will have different expectations for organization and structure. The OWL has some more resources about writing for American and international audiences here .

Whole-Essay Structure

While organization varies across and within disciplines, usually based on the genre, publication venue, and other rhetorical considerations of the writing, a great deal of academic writing can be described by the acronym IMRAD (or IMRaD): Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion. This structure is common across most of the sciences and is often used in the humanities for empirical research. This structure doesn't serve every purpose (for instance, it may be difficult to follow IMRAD in a proposal for a future study or in more exploratory writing in the humanities), and it is often tweaked or changed to fit a particular situation. Still, its wide use as a base for a great deal of scholarly writing makes it worthwhile to break down here.

Introduction : What is the purpose of the study? What were the research questions? What necessary background information should the reader understand to help contextualize the study? (Some disciplines include their literature review section as part of the introduction; some give the literature review its own heading on the same level as the other sections, i.e., ILMRAD.) Some writers use the CARS model to help craft their introductions more effectively.
Methods: What methods did the researchers use? How was the study conducted? If the study included participants, who were they, and how were they selected?
Results : This section lists the data. What did the researchers find as a result of their experiments (or, if the research is not experimental, what did the researchers learn from the study)? How were the research questions answered?
Discussion : This section places the data within the larger conversation of the field. What might the results mean? Do these results agree or disagree with other literature cited? What should researchers do in the future?

Depending on your discipline, this may be exactly the structure you should use in your writing; or, it may be a base that you can see under the surface of published pieces in your field, which then diverge from the IMRAD structure to meet the expectations of other scholars in the field. However, you should always check to see what's expected of you in a given situation; this might mean talking to the professor for your class, looking at a journal's submission guidelines, reading your field's style manual, examining published examples, or asking a trusted mentor. Every field is a little different.

Outlining & Reverse Outlining

One of the most effective ways to get your ideas organized is to write an outline. A traditional outline comes as the pre-writing or drafting stage of the writing process. As you make your outline, think about all of the concepts, topics, and ideas you will need to include in order to accomplish your goal for the piece of writing. This may also include important citations and key terms. Write down each of these, and then consider what information readers will need to know in order for each point to make sense. Try to arrange your ideas in a way that logically progresses, building from one key idea or point to the next.

Questions for Writing Outlines

What are the main points I am trying to make in this piece of writing?
What background information will my readers need to understand each point? What will novice readers vs. experienced readers need to know?
In what order do I want to present my ideas? Most important to least important, or least important to most important? Chronologically? Most complex to least complex? According to categories? Another order?

Reverse outlining comes at the drafting or revision stage of the writing process. After you have a complete draft of your project (or a section of your project), work alone or with a partner to read your project with the goal of understanding the main points you have made and the relationship of these points to one another. The OWL has another resource about reverse outlining here.

Questions for Writing Reverse Outlines

What topics are covered in this piece of writing?
In what order are the ideas presented? Is this order logical for both novice and experienced readers?
Is adequate background information provided for each point, making it easy to understand how one idea leads to the next?
What other points might the author include to further develop the writing project?

Organizing at the sentence and paragraph level

Signposting.

Signposting is the practice of using language specifically designed to help orient readers of your text. We call it signposting because this practice is like leaving road signs for a driver — it tells your reader where to go and what to expect up ahead. Signposting includes the use of transitional words and phrasing, and they may be explicit or more subtle. For example, an explicit signpost might say:

This section will cover Topic A and Topic B.

A more subtle signpost might look like this:

It's important to consider the impact of Topic A and Topic B.

The style of signpost you use will depend on the genre of your paper, the discipline in which you are writing, and your or your readers’ personal preferences. Regardless of the style of signpost you select, it’s important to include signposts regularly. They occur most frequently at the beginnings and endings of sections of your paper. It is often helpful to include signposts at mid-points in your project in order to remind readers of where you are in your argument.

Questions for Identifying and Evaluating Signposts

How and where does the author include a phrase, sentence, or short group of sentences that explains the purpose and contents of the paper?
How does each section of the paper provide a brief summary of what was covered earlier in the paper?
How does each section of the paper explain what will be covered in that section?
How does the author use transitional words and phrases to guide readers through ideas (e.g. however, in addition, similarly, nevertheless, another, while, because, first, second, next, then etc.)?

WORKS CONSULTED

Clark, I. (2006). Writing the successful thesis and dissertation: Entering the conversation . Prentice Hall Press.

Davis, M., Davis, K. J., & Dunagan, M. (2012). Scientific papers and presentations . Academic press.

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Knowledge Base
How to write an expository essay

How to Write an Expository Essay | Structure, Tips & Examples

Published on July 14, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on July 23, 2023.

“Expository” means “intended to explain or describe something.” An expository essay provides a clear, focused explanation of a particular topic, process, or set of ideas. It doesn’t set out to prove a point, just to give a balanced view of its subject matter.

Expository essays are usually short assignments intended to test your composition skills or your understanding of a subject. They tend to involve less research and original arguments than argumentative essays .

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When should you write an expository essay, how to approach an expository essay, introducing your essay, writing the body paragraphs, concluding your essay, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about expository essays.

In school and university, you might have to write expository essays as in-class exercises, exam questions, or coursework assignments.

Sometimes it won’t be directly stated that the assignment is an expository essay, but there are certain keywords that imply expository writing is required. Consider the prompts below.

The word “explain” here is the clue: An essay responding to this prompt should provide an explanation of this historical process—not necessarily an original argument about it.

Sometimes you’ll be asked to define a particular term or concept. This means more than just copying down the dictionary definition; you’ll be expected to explore different ideas surrounding the term, as this prompt emphasizes.

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An expository essay should take an objective approach: It isn’t about your personal opinions or experiences. Instead, your goal is to provide an informative and balanced explanation of your topic. Avoid using the first or second person (“I” or “you”).

The structure of your expository essay will vary according to the scope of your assignment and the demands of your topic. It’s worthwhile to plan out your structure before you start, using an essay outline .

A common structure for a short expository essay consists of five paragraphs: An introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Like all essays, an expository essay begins with an introduction . This serves to hook the reader’s interest, briefly introduce your topic, and provide a thesis statement summarizing what you’re going to say about it.

Hover over different parts of the example below to see how a typical introduction works.

In many ways, the invention of the printing press marked the end of the Middle Ages. The medieval period in Europe is often remembered as a time of intellectual and political stagnation. Prior to the Renaissance, the average person had very limited access to books and was unlikely to be literate. The invention of the printing press in the 15th century allowed for much less restricted circulation of information in Europe, paving the way for the Reformation.

The body of your essay is where you cover your topic in depth. It often consists of three paragraphs, but may be more for a longer essay. This is where you present the details of the process, idea or topic you’re explaining.

It’s important to make sure each paragraph covers its own clearly defined topic, introduced with a topic sentence . Different topics (all related to the overall subject matter of the essay) should be presented in a logical order, with clear transitions between paragraphs.

Hover over different parts of the example paragraph below to see how a body paragraph is constructed.

The invention of the printing press in 1440 changed this situation dramatically. Johannes Gutenberg, who had worked as a goldsmith, used his knowledge of metals in the design of the press. He made his type from an alloy of lead, tin, and antimony, whose durability allowed for the reliable production of high-quality books. This new technology allowed texts to be reproduced and disseminated on a much larger scale than was previously possible. The Gutenberg Bible appeared in the 1450s, and a large number of printing presses sprang up across the continent in the following decades. Gutenberg’s invention rapidly transformed cultural production in Europe; among other things, it would lead to the Protestant Reformation.

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The conclusion of an expository essay serves to summarize the topic under discussion. It should not present any new information or evidence, but should instead focus on reinforcing the points made so far. Essentially, your conclusion is there to round off the essay in an engaging way.

Hover over different parts of the example below to see how a conclusion works.

The invention of the printing press was important not only in terms of its immediate cultural and economic effects, but also in terms of its major impact on politics and religion across Europe. In the century following the invention of the printing press, the relatively stationary intellectual atmosphere of the Middle Ages gave way to the social upheavals of the Reformation and the Renaissance. A single technological innovation had contributed to the total reshaping of the continent.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

Ad hominem fallacy
Post hoc fallacy
Appeal to authority fallacy
False cause fallacy
Sunk cost fallacy

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An expository essay is a broad form that varies in length according to the scope of the assignment.

Expository essays are often assigned as a writing exercise or as part of an exam, in which case a five-paragraph essay of around 800 words may be appropriate.

You’ll usually be given guidelines regarding length; if you’re not sure, ask.

An expository essay is a common assignment in high-school and university composition classes. It might be assigned as coursework, in class, or as part of an exam.

Sometimes you might not be told explicitly to write an expository essay. Look out for prompts containing keywords like “explain” and “define.” An expository essay is usually the right response to these prompts.

An argumentative essay tends to be a longer essay involving independent research, and aims to make an original argument about a topic. Its thesis statement makes a contentious claim that must be supported in an objective, evidence-based way.

An expository essay also aims to be objective, but it doesn’t have to make an original argument. Rather, it aims to explain something (e.g., a process or idea) in a clear, concise way. Expository essays are often shorter assignments and rely less on research.

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Caulfield, J. (2023, July 23). How to Write an Expository Essay | Structure, Tips & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved April 4, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/academic-essay/expository-essay/

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COMMENTS

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They are the underlying structure that gives coherence and order to written content. Understanding and using text structures is vital for effective communication. They transform chaotic content into a comprehensible narrative, making it accessible and engaging for readers. 1. Chronological Text Structure.
9.3 Organizing Your Writing
Exercise 3. On a separate sheet of paper, write a paragraph that discusses a passion of yours. Your passion could be music, a particular sport, filmmaking, and so on. Your paragraph should be built upon the reasons why you feel so strongly. Briefly discuss your reasons in the order of least to greatest importance.
Structuring the text
An academic text, such as an essay or an article, usually consists of different sections (and sometimes sub-sections). Each section, in turn, is divided into a number of paragraphs. For the text to be coherent and easy to follow, all levels of the text must be well-structured. Starting with an overall picture and progressing down to the ...
Outlining
The final step of the outlining process is to repeat this procedure on the smallest level, with the original notes that you took for your essay. To order what probably was an unwieldy and disorganized set of information at the beginning of this process, you need now only think of a sentence or two to support your general argument.
Example of a Great Essay
This essay begins by discussing the situation of blind people in nineteenth-century Europe. It then describes the invention of Braille and the gradual process of its acceptance within blind education. Subsequently, it explores the wide-ranging effects of this invention on blind people's social and cultural lives.
The Structure of Academic Texts
Structure is an important feature of academic writing. A well-structured text enables the reader to follow the argument and navigate the text. In academic writing a clear structure and a logical flow are imperative to a cohesive text. Furthermore, in many university assignments the correct use of structure is part of the final assessment.
Understanding Text Structures: Exploring Examples and Strategies
This text's structure is commonly found in scientific and historical texts. The author's purpose might present an event (cause) and discuss its impacts (effect). Signal words for this structure include "because," "as a result," "therefore," and "thus.". These example paragraphs are only a few examples of text structures.
Teaching Text Structure (And What To Do When Students Struggle)
Compare and contrast text structures used by multiple texts on the same topic and understand why the text structures differ; Explain why a particular text structure was used in a text (particularly when analyzing texts on the same topic with differing text structures) Keep this list in mind when planning your whole group mini-lessons as well as ...
Why is structure important in an essay?
An essay isn't just a loose collection of facts and ideas. Instead, it should be centered on an overarching argument (summarised in your thesis statement) that every part of the essay relates to. The way you structure your essay is crucial to presenting your argument coherently. A well-structured essay helps your reader follow the logic of ...
An Introduction to Analytical Text Structures
Analytical writing in all content areas falls into the following six categories. In a longer non-fiction work, such as a book, the author will mix things up, using text structures within text structures: Compare-Contrast: A compare-contrast essay focuses on the similarities and differences between at least two objects or ideas. The purpose is ...
PDF ACADEMIC WRITING
"Writing" is usually understood as the expression of thought. This book redefines "writing" as the thought process itself. Writing is not what you do with thought. Writing is thinking. Better living through interpretation: that's the promise of academic writing, which is a foundational course in most schools because it's a
Text structure and purpose
While structure and purpose are closely linked, you may find it helpful to read the passage while focusing on just the one the question asks about. Step 2: Summarize the text. Read the passage closely and summarize the ideas you encounter. Try to boil the whole text down to one or two simple points.
CIPPET Study Support: Structuring your work and paragraphing
Structure is important in academic writing becuase it helps to make your ideas clear, guides the reader's comprehension and can strengthen your arguments. Some academic writing, such as scientific reports, have a given structure or template. In this case, you should find out what is required under each heading and adhere to this; it is most ...
The Writing Process
The outline doesn't have to be final—it's okay if your structure changes throughout the writing process. Use bullet points or numbering to make your structure clear at a glance. Even for a short text that won't use headings, it's useful to summarize what you'll discuss in each paragraph. An outline for a literary analysis essay ...
Organization and Structure
In order to communicate your ideas, you'll need to use a logical and consistent organizational structure in all of your writing. We can think about organization at the global level (your entire paper or project) as well as at the local level (a chapter, section, or paragraph). For an American academic situation, this means that at all times ...
Implementing the Text Structure Strategy in Your Classroom
Therefore, TSS applications use the text structures to guide selecting important ideas, writing a main idea, generating inferences, monitoring comprehension, and writing. That means the text structure can be introduced early in every lesson as the reading materials are initially previewed and throughout the lesson at every turn.
How to Write an Expository Essay
An expository essay should take an objective approach: It isn't about your personal opinions or experiences. Instead, your goal is to provide an informative and balanced explanation of your topic. Avoid using the first or second person ("I" or "you"). The structure of your expository essay will vary according to the scope of your ...
Text Structure Strategies for Improving Expository Reading
Expository text can also be challenging because its structure is different from the typical story structure familiar to students. Structure refers to the way information is organized in a text. Meyer was the first to describe different types of expository text structures.Five text structures that show up the most consistently in the literature are description, compare and contrast, sequence ...