United States
Hong KongText structure and organization
Skill 3 reads "Analyze how the author uses organization and text structure(s) to convey meaning".
- Six patterns cover almost every passage: chronological, cause and effect, compare and contrast, problem and solution, order of importance, and general to specific.
- The transitions give the pattern away.
On this page8 sections
Structure questions are the easiest marks in this competency, because a passage tells you its shape in its transition words and most candidates read straight past them.
Six patterns
| Pattern | Signal words | What it is used for |
|---|---|---|
| Chronological | First, then, by, after, in the following year | Narrative and process |
| Cause and effect | Because, therefore, as a result, led to | Explaining why something happened |
| Compare and contrast | However, whereas, similarly, unlike | Weighing two things |
| Problem and solution | The difficulty, one approach, this addresses | Arguing for a course of action |
| Order of importance | Most significantly, above all, finally | Ranking, usually persuasive |
| General to specific | For example, in particular, one case | Grounding a claim in a case |
The right-hand column is the part worth learning. Structure is a choice about meaning, and skill 3 says so: the question is how the organization conveys the meaning, not what the organization is called.
The paragraph-function question
A common item asks what a particular paragraph does. The options are functions rather than contents.
- Introduces a counterargument the author will answer
- Provides an example of the claim made in the previous paragraph
- Shifts the discussion from causes to consequences
- Qualifies the claim made at the start of the passage
Answer these by reading the first sentence of the paragraph before and the first sentence of the paragraph after. The function is the relationship between them, and you rarely need the paragraph's own detail at all.
A passage argues for later school start times. Paragraph four begins: Critics point out that later starts complicate bus scheduling and after-school activities. Paragraph five begins: Both objections are real, and both have been solved elsewhere. What is the function of paragraph four?
- It provides evidence for the author's claim.
- It introduces objections the author will address.
- It shifts the passage from causes to effects.
- It restates the main idea in different terms.
Structure at the sentence level
The skill says "text structure(s)", with the plural in brackets, which leaves room for structure below the level of the whole passage. A single paragraph can be organized by contrast inside a passage organized chronologically.
So read the scope of the question. "The passage is organized primarily by" wants the whole shape. "The third paragraph is organized by" wants that paragraph, and the two answers can legitimately differ.
Overlap with subtest 826
Skill 4 of Competency 1 on English Language Skills is "Determine patterns of organization in a written passage (i.e., modes of rhetoric)". That is close to the same skill on a different paper, and both subtests are registered and passed separately at USD 32.50 each.
One difference in emphasis. The English Language Skills version says determine patterns, which sounds like naming. The Reading version says analyze how the author uses structure to convey meaning, which is about effect. Prepare the naming for one and the effect for the other.
How much this is worth
One of five skills in a competency we estimate at about nine of the 30 questions, and that estimate is our arithmetic rather than a published weighting. Call it one or two items. The reason to prepare it anyway is that structure awareness makes the main-idea and summary questions faster, and those live in the largest competency on the subtest.
Identify the pattern that organizes the ideas
Text structure is the way a passage arranges information to develop its purpose. Common patterns include sequence, comparison, cause and effect, problem and solution, and description or classification. A passage can combine structures: it may explain a problem, compare two responses, and then recommend one. Identify the relationship between the major ideas rather than relying on one transition word alone.
A chronological structure follows events or steps in time: first, later, eventually. A cause-and-effect structure explains why something happened or what resulted. A comparison structure emphasizes similarities or differences, often with both, unlike, whereas, or similarly. Problem-solution organization describes an issue and proposes a response, although some passages present several possible solutions before choosing one.
Use structure to understand the author’s purpose
Organization shapes what the reader notices. A passage that describes a problem and then evaluates solutions may be designed to persuade. A step-by-step procedure may primarily instruct. A comparison may clarify distinctions, while a sequence of events may explain how a result developed. Purpose should be inferred from the full passage, not from structure alone; a comparison can inform, evaluate, or argue.
Paragraph roles help reveal structure. A paragraph may introduce a claim, provide evidence, explain an exception, respond to an objection, or transition to a consequence. Summarize each paragraph in a few words and examine the sequence. If the paragraph summaries form a logical progression, that progression is often the passage’s organizing structure.
Do not confuse a signal word with the whole pattern
A single however signals contrast locally, but it does not prove that the whole passage is organized as a comparison. Likewise, because can introduce a cause without making cause-and-effect the passage’s overall structure. Track how the major sections relate and which relationship carries the central development. A passage may shift structure midway.
When answering a structure question, support the label with the passage’s sequence of ideas. “It uses problem-solution organization because it presents a shortage, evaluates two responses, and recommends expanding service” is stronger than naming a transition word. Avoid choosing a pattern that describes only one sentence when the question asks about the passage as a whole.
- Summarize each paragraph’s role, then look at the sequence.
- Distinguish chronology, comparison, cause-effect, and problem-solution.
- Use signal words as clues rather than proof of overall structure.
- Allow for passages that combine or shift patterns.
- Connect the structure to how the author develops the central idea.
Common questions
What text structures appear on the FTCE Reading subtest?
Six cover almost everything: chronological, cause and effect, compare and contrast, problem and solution, order of importance, and general to specific. Each has its own transition words, and the transitions are the fastest way to identify the pattern.
How do I answer a question about a paragraph's function?
Read the first sentence of the paragraph before it and the first sentence of the one after. The function is the relationship between them, so you can usually settle the item without reading the paragraph in question at all.
Can a passage use more than one structure?
Yes, and the rule allows for it by writing "text structure(s)". A paragraph organized by contrast can sit inside a passage organized chronologically, so check whether the question asks about the whole passage or one part of it.
Is text structure tested on the English Language Skills subtest too?
Yes, as skill 4 of Competency 1 there: determining patterns of organization, described in the rule as modes of rhetoric. The Reading version asks how structure conveys meaning, so the emphasis differs even though the underlying material overlaps.