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MRS. MARIA CECILIA V. LORISTO
TEXT STRUCTURE
Text Structure is the organizational
structure used within paragraphs
or longer texts, appropriate to
genre and purpose.
What are the benefits of understanding this in developing one’s
comprehension skill?
Text structure is one specific type of prior (or background) knowledge that skilled
readers possess. Good readers can identify important information in a text and are
aware of how other textual information relates to the important propositions. They
can do this even when, as often happens, the text is not well organized. These
readers are applying cognitive patterns—rhetorical structures—that they have
already acquired, first via their oral language experience and later via their reading.
These patterns guide them to the recognition that (for example) a given text
compares two entities, or that it presents a problem and a solution to that problem.
Readers who can identify the structure of a text are better able to locate the
information they need for successful comprehension.
***Adapted from
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psyched/201703/teaching-text-structure-
improves- reading-comprehension )
What are the types of Text Structures?

1. Sequence (Process) Structure—in this pattern, steps or phases of a

process or project are specified without cause-effect relationships being
implied; a recipe or procedure for a science investigating would be
examples of differing complexity. ꜜ [4]
Examples:
During flooding, one thing that may probably save your life is an
improvised flotation device. You can make one using your pants. First,
knot off the leg holes of your pants. Then, hold the open waist and
swing the pants around to fill the legs with air. Promptly knot the waist
to trap the air and hold the pants underwater so that the air would not
escape. ꜜ [1]
What are the types of Text Structures?
2. Time order/Chronology—this pattern is found in most
narrative texts, where the plot unfolds over time; more complex
texts use literary devices, such as flashback and foreshadowing
to implicitly establish time order. ꜜ [4]
Example:
Ondoy began to develop from an active low-pressure area to a tropical cyclone on
September 24, 2009. The following day, PAGASA raised storm signals all over the
Philippine archipelago. At that point, signal no. 2 was raised in Catanduanes and
other parts of Luzon. By Saturday morning, reports of flooding started to pour in.
Meanwhile, President Arroyo declared a state of calamity in Metro Manila.
Immediately after President Arroyo’s declaration, various government agencies
began the rescue and relief operations. As soon as Typhoon Ondoy exited the
Philippines, more and more relief and rescue operations were conducted. ꜜ [1]
What are the types of Text Structures?
3. Events/Enumeration/Description Structure—this pattern usually covers a
larger piece of writing rather than a single paragraph. An introductory paragraph
is provided which states the topic and facilitates the listing or elaboration of
important descriptions, characteristics, or attributes. ꜜ [4]
Example:
A laptop is one of the greatest inventions of the modern era. It is a lightweight device that can save
a vast amount of information. The screen, touchpad, speakers, keyboard, battery, and AC adapter
are the basic parts of a laptop. The most noticeable part of a laptop is its screen, which is
responsible for displaying information. Another major component is the keyboard. On it are the
keys needed to enter data into the computer. Near the keyboard you will find a smooth, rectangular
surface which acts like a desktop computer mouse—this is the touchpad. At the bottom part of this
rectangular surface, you will see buttons that operate like a mouse button. Below the keyboard and
touchpad, built into the laptop itself are the speakers which allow you to hear sounds and music.
Found at the back of the keyboard is the battery; it serves as the lifeline of the computer. Finally, a
laptop also comes with an AC adapter which charges the battery and serves as the source of electric
power when it is plugged in. ꜜ [1]
What are the types of Text Structures?

4. Definition Structure—Typically this pattern includes a “definition”

and examples of class membership/type, attributes, and functions; It
may also include the parts and the relationship between the parts or
structure and function; in some instances, it will include ways
something is similar to or different from other things. ꜜ [4]
Example:
Social engineering is defined as any method which tricks people to share
personal information through the use of technology. The “social”
component in this scheme means that there is reliance on various
psychological tricks and on the gullibility of users rather than technical
hacking. Social engineering also refers to various malicious acts online,
such as phishing, spamming, and pretexting. ꜜ [1]
What are the types of Text Structures?
5. Compare-Contrast Structure—this pattern shows similarities and
dissimilarities between objects, actions, ideas, or processes; headings and
subheadings generally provide extra support/signals to readers about this
structure; often one paragraph is dedicated to similarities and another to
differences.
Example: ¹
Are you not sure yet which phone to buy? To help you decide, this review will help you inspect the
basic similarities and differences of the flagship phones of two giant companies: Apple’s iPhone 6 and
Samsung’s Galaxy S5. Both brag to be the best smart phones in market to date. While these state-of-the
art phones have similarities in the form of their sleek design, multi-touch screen, and multimedia
features, they have their distinctive features as well. First, Galaxy S5 has a larger screen at 5.1 inches as
compared to iPhone 6’s 4.7 inches. As for the operating system, iPhone 6 uses iOS (8.x) while S5 uses
Android (5.0, 4.4.2). In terms of the camera, S5 has a 2.1-megapixel front-facing camera which is higher
than iPhone’s
1.2 megapixels. Unlike S5, iPhone’s battery is not user-replaceable and has a shorter talk time, but when
it comes to built-in storage, iPhone 6 outperforms S5. Now that you know the basic differences of the
two phones, you can decide! ꜜ [1]
What are the types of Text Structures?
6. Cause-Effect (Antecedent-Consequence) Structure—unlike the sequence
pattern, this pattern carries the implication that the effect is produced by a specific
cause or that the consequences follow from the specified antecedents; this might
be found in a discussion of science investigation results or historical articles
linking multiple causes and effects. ꜜ [4]
Examples:
The advancement in technology and economy has created major changes in modern society.
One of these changes is globalization. As we know, globalization has affected the world in
many ways. First, it served as a catalyst to worldwide trading, thus allowing countries to access
foreign products. Although this had positive effects, it also posed a real threat to the
merchandise of local traders. Second, globalization affected the financial market. As a result,
different countries had more access to funds, and the exchange in national currencies
dramatically increased. Finally, globalization also led to the privatization of various facilities,
such as public health institutions. These institutions were being privatized due to the idea that
the private sector can better manage and provide health services. In consequence, health
policies become more and more of a commodity on a global scale. ꜜ [1]
What are the types of Text Structures?
7. Problem Solution (Hypothetical) Structure—this pattern may follow a
number of different forms; at one extreme, the problem and solution are labelled
as such; at the other extreme, the pattern is a series of questions and answers that
may or may not lead to a resolution of the problem or issue. ꜜ [4]
Examples:
Today, most of the energy resources we have are generated from coal, oil, and natural gas. However,
these resources are limited. If continuously consumed at an alarming rate, fossil fuels necessary for
generating power to operate vehicles and factories will run out before long. Nonetheless, this problem
can be resolved through the use of alternative sources of energy and conservation efforts. First, using
alternative sources of energy such as solar energy and fusion energy would lessen pollution. These
alternatives are actually more accessible and cost-efficient. Although there are some potential risks in
using fusion energy, these risks can be mitigated by implementing strict safety measures. The second
solution that governments can adopt is the enhancement of conservation efforts. To do this, governments
need to make the public more aware of the benefits of conservation, as well as ways of conserving
energy, such as recycling. Laws can also be passed to mandate the public and all stakeholders to recycle
energy. ꜜ [1]
What are the types of Text Structures?
8. Proposition-Support (Persuasion)—this is similar to problem/solution,
although arguments and counter arguments are both presented in support of a
thesis statement. ꜜ [4]
Example:
Euthanasia or mercy killing has been a widely debated issue. It is an act to end a
person’s life to alleviate the suffering brought about by a terminal or grave illness.
While it may be supported by some, mercy killing is not only an unethical medical
practice, it is also a crime. After all, on the most basic level, euthanasia still takes
a life. In fact, majority of the countries in the world, including those that have
legalized it, consider it as homicide. Aside from being a crime, euthanasia is
unethical in the medical context because it violates the principle of “primum non
nocore” which means “first, do no harm.” In their code of ethics, doctors have the
responsibility of saving lives, not destroying them, which is why euthanasia can
never be acceptable. ꜜ [1]
What are the types of Text Structures?
9. Judgmental/Critique Structure—this pattern uses a set of criteria to evaluate
information or ideas that have been presented; often discourse style (e.g., humor, satire)
affects the complexity and understanding of this type of text. ꜜ [4]
Example:
"The objective of this review was to view the trends in composition studies within the past
fifty years and see how commentary on student writing has transformed and is still
transforming. It's clear from the research reviewed that evaluative commentary is widely
practiced all through composition programs in universities today. Together with this, it's
also evident that the field of composition studies in regards to the kinds of commentary that
students get on their writing is varied and continues to be examined and analyzed to benefit
both composition students and the society at large. Moreover, corrective vs. evaluative
commentary is still being discussed, and continues to be problematic in the discourse
community of college composition and also high school writing as viewed in Bardine et
al.'s research." Assisting students to become better writers is important in our current
society with reducing school budgets." ꜜ [5]
What are the types of Text Structures?

10. Inductive/Deductive Structure—there are subtle

differences between these two structures, which apply elements
of enumeration and definition structures:
A deductive structure first presents a
generalization/definition and then follows it with specific
examples; conversely, an inductive structure presents
illustrations and examples and then moves the reader to
draw conclusion from the examples; these structures are
often embedded within cause/effect, proposition/support,
and judgment/critique structures. ꜜ [4]
What are the types of Text Structures?
Example:
While the Internet offers so many benefits to man, it also has its downsides. One
of these is phishing, which refers to the act of obtaining personal information,
such as passwords and credit card details, through online means. In other words,
phishing is a form of cybercrime. As an example, let us consider the case pf Mr.
X. He received an email stating that his Gmail account has been compromised
and that he needed to click a link to update personal information. If Mr. X clicks
on the link, his personal information will be illegally acquired by cybercriminals.
ꜜ [1]
The explicitness of ideas presented, structural and semantic cues in text, length
of text, vocabulary “load”, level of reasoning required to understand ideas
presented, and the reader’s “knowledge of the world” influence overall
comprehension of text.