Informational Writing — Answer Key
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. Which organizational pattern lists events in the order they happened?
A) Cause and effect
B) Chronological order
C) Compare and contrast
D) Problem and solution
Chronological order arranges events by the time they happened, from earliest to latest, which makes it easy for readers to follow a sequence.
2. A student writes three sentences about butterflies, then one sentence about basketball. What should the student do?
A) Add more basketball sentences
B) Remove the basketball sentence
C) Change the topic sentence to basketball
D) Move the basketball sentence to the beginning
The paragraph is about butterflies, so a sentence about basketball does not belong and should be removed to keep the writing focused on one topic.
3. Which transition phrase best shows a cause-and-effect relationship?
A) On the other hand
B) As a result
C) For example
D) In addition
"As a result" tells the reader that what comes next was caused by what came before, making it a clear cause-and-effect transition.
4. What does "coherence" mean in informational writing?
A) The paragraph has a title
B) All sentences connect and flow in a logical order
C) The paragraph uses big vocabulary words
D) The writing is very long
Coherence means every sentence connects to the next in a logical order, so the reader can follow the writer's ideas without getting confused.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. Putting ideas in a clear order helps readers follow the writer's thinking.
A clear order guides readers through the writer's thinking step by step, preventing confusion about how the ideas connect.
2. A paragraph that jumps between unrelated ideas lacks coherence .
When a paragraph jumps between unrelated ideas, it lacks coherence, which means the sentences do not flow together in a way that makes sense.
3. The words "first," "next," and "finally" show chronological order.
Words like "first," "next," and "finally" are time-order signals that show chronological order, telling the reader what happened step by step.
4. Grouping related details together is called logical organization.
Logical organization groups related details together so readers can see how the facts connect and build on each other.
5. A writer can use an outline to arrange ideas before writing the paragraph.
An outline lets a writer arrange ideas in order before drafting, so the paragraph has a clear structure from the start.