Organizational Patterns Reading Professor Charlene Koonin
What are Organizational Patterns? • Parts fitting together to create a whole
Why Do Writers Use Organizational Patterns? • Creates cohesiveness • Connects Main Ideas and Details • Helps readers understand • Maintains audience interest • Avoids digressions
How Do Patterns Benefit Readers? • Follow an author’s ideas • Focus on the main idea • See relationship between details • Make predictions about the next details • Remember information
What Else About Patterns? • Used in expository and informative writing • Determined by the author’s purpose • Can have single or multiple patterns within a single paragraph • Contain Signal Words
Organizational Patterns SIMPLE LISTING DEFINITION/EXPLANATION CAUSE -- EFFECT COMPARISON/CONTRAST STATEMENT & CLARIFICATION CLASSIFICATION Generalization- Illustration /example Summary
What is a Simple Listing Pattern ? • Details given in list order CHRONOLOGICAL--TIME ORDER- SEQUENCE ENUMERATION—ADDITION- SIMPLE LIST SPATIAL/PLACE ORDER OF IMPORTANCE
CHRONOLOGICAL TIME ORDER 11:10 AM 3:10 PM 7:00 PM Chronological Time Order. The major supporting details occur in a very specific sequence. The order of the details can NOT be interchanged.
First, second, and so on; next, then, today, yesterday, finally, 1991,1992, after, before previously once, meanwhile • Chronological Signal Words
ADDITION, ENUMERATION SIMPLE LIST Addition, Enumeration, Simple List. The major supporting details occur in ANY sequence. The order of the details CAN be interchanged.
Enumeration Signal Words • Also, in addition further, another furthermore, moreover, besides,a number of
Spatial Simple List Spatial Simple List is when the major supporting details list how places or objects are related to each other in a given area or space. The passage gives details about the location of geographical areas or the relationship of objects to each other.
Spatial Signal Words • To the right, to the left, on top, above, under, below, inside, next to • North, South, East, West
Order of Importance Signal Words • Most important • Less important • Least important
What is a Cause and Effect Organizational Pattern? • Cause • What makes something happen • What leads to the event • What causes the event • Effect • Results of the action • Consequences
Cause results in effect Cause and Effect Signal Words • Cause • Because, since, as, the reason for this, a cause • Effect • As a result, thus, consequently, so, hence, therefore, one outcome, an effect • Combined • If (cause), then (effect)
What is a Clarification Pattern? • Saying the same thing a number of ways • Examining its meaning a second, third, or fourth time in attempt to make clear • Referred to asstatement and clarification/EXAMLPE or generalization and clarification/EXAMPLE
Clearly In other words As a matter of fact Evidently Indeed In fact Obviously Of course Too • Clarification Signal Words
Webster What is a Definition And Explanation Pattern? • Explains or describes a topic, idea, or process that the author thinks unclear • Sounds like a dictionary entry • Includes classification sometimes • Elaborates on an explanation
Definition and Explanation Signal Words is, in other words, refers to, means
What is the Comparison and Contrast Pattern? • Shows similarities (comparisons) • Shows differences (contrasts)
Comparison In the same way, similarly, likewise, both, in comparison Contrast Although, on the other hand, however, on the contrary, but, instead, conversely, in contrast, yet, unlike Comparison and Contrast Signals Words
What is aClassification Pattern? • Groups or categorizes individual members according to shared characteristics that exist or the writer creates
Classification Signal Words • Kinds • Types • Categories • Groups • Sorts
Summary • A summary is a series of brief, concise statements. These statements should include the authors main idea and major supporting details. Minor supporting details should not be included in a summary. • To summarize this presentation we will revisit the main points in the next slide.
Simple Listing Cause and Effect Statement & Clarification Generalization- Illustration/ Example Definition/ Explanation Comparison/ Contrast Classification Summary The Writer’s Organizational Patterns Revisited
