Organizational Patterns of Paragraphs
The basic unit of thought
Perhaps one of the best ways to improve your reading ability is to learn to read
paragraphs effectively. Many experts believe the paragraph, not the sentence, is
the basic unit of thought of a selection. If one can quickly grasp the meaning
of each of these though units while reading, then comprehension will be
heightened.
It is important to identify with the author's perspective by discovering the way
the message is being sent. Every writer has a purpose for writing and some plan
of action for getting a message across. This plan of action is the order in
which the material will be presented in the text. This order, often called a
pattern of organization, should be present in acceptable writing from the
smallest to the largest unit of writing: the paragraph, groups of paragraphs,
subchapters, chapters, groups of chapters, whole books, and even series of
books. Each of these, then, contains a certain pattern of organization.
Anticipating the order in which the material will be presented helps you put the
facts into perspective and to see how the parts fit into the whole. For example,
if the selection begins by indicating that there are four important components
of management, you are alert to look for four key phrases to mark and remember.
Likewise, if a comparison is suggested, you want to note the points that are
similar in nature. For material that shows cause and effect, you need to
anticipate the linkage and note the relationship.
The importance of these patterns is that they signal how the facts will be
presented. They are blueprints for you to use.
In textbook reading the number of details can be overwhelming. The mind responds
to logical patterns; relating the small parts to the whole simplifies
complexities of the material and makes remembering easier.
Although key signal words help in identifying the particular type of pattern, a
single paragraph can be a mixture of different patterns. Your aim is to
anticipate the overall pattern and then place the facts into a broad
perspective.
The following six examples are the patterns of organization that are most
frequently found in textbooks.
Simple Listing
Items are randomly listed in a series of supporting facts or details. These
supporting elements are of equal value, and the order in which they are
presented is of no importance. Changing the order of the items does not change
the meaning of the paragraph.
Signal words often used for simple listing are:
- in addition
- several
- also
- for example
- another
- a number of
Description
Description is like listing; the characters that make up a description are no
more than a simple listing of details.
Definition
Frequently in textbook reading an entire paragraph is devoted to defining a
complex term or idea. The concept is initially defined and then further expanded
with examples and restatements.
Signal words used for definition are:
- is defined as
- is called
- means
- refers to
- is described as
- term or concept
Chronological (Time) Order or Sequence
Items are listed in the order in which they occurred or in a specifically
planned order in which they must develop. In this case, the order is important
and changing it would change the meaning.
Signal words often used for chronological order or sequence are:
- first, second, third
- until etc.
- al last
- before, after
- next
- when
- later
Comparison - Contrast
Items are related by the comparisons (similarities) that are made or by the
contrasts (differences) that are presented. The author's purpose is to show
similarities and differences.
Signal words often used for comparison-contrast are:
- similar, different
- bigger than, smaller
- on the other hand
- than
- but
- in the same way
- however
- parallels
Cause and Effect
In this pattern, one item is showed as having produced another element. An event
(effect) is said to have happened because of some situation or circumstance
(cause). The cause (the action) stimulates the event, or effect (the outcome).
Signal words often used for cause and effect are:
- for this reason
- hence
- consequently
- because
- on that account
- made
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