Text Structure — Answer Key
Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. When a Grade 4 author shows how two things are alike, the text structure is called compare.
Compare means to show how things are alike, a key part of Grade 4 compare-and-contrast text structure.
2. When a Grade 4 author shows how two things are different, the text structure is called contrast.
Contrast means to show how things are different, the second half of Grade 4 compare-and-contrast structure.
3. The signal word similarly shows that two things share a similarity.
Similarly signals a comparison, helping Grade 4 readers identify compare-and-contrast text structure.
4. The signal word however shows that two things are different.
However signals contrast, a Grade 4 RI.4.5 cue that two ideas differ.
5. The word both is used to show that two things share a feature, as in both dogs and cats are pets.
Both is a Grade 4 compare signal that points to shared traits in two items.
6. The word unlike is used to show one item is not like another, as in unlike apples, lemons are sour.
Unlike is a Grade 4 contrast signal that highlights differences between two items.
7. The phrase in contrast means the same as however and shows a difference.
In contrast is a Grade 4 signal phrase that introduces a difference between two ideas.
8. The phrase on the other hand shows a different point of view in compare-and-contrast text.
On the other hand is a Grade 4 contrast phrase that introduces a different idea.
9. A Venn diagram is a Grade 4 tool that helps readers organize compare and contrast ideas.
A Venn diagram helps Grade 4 readers visually compare and contrast information from a passage.
Part B: Matching
Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.
1. Match each item to its correct answer.
similarly
→ shows a similarity between two ideas
shows a similarity between two ideas
however
→ signals a difference between two ideas
signals a difference between two ideas
both
→ points out a feature shared by two things
points out a feature shared by two things
unlike
→ shows that one item is not like the other
shows that one item is not like the other
Knowing what each Grade 4 signal word does helps readers identify compare-and-contrast text structure under RI.4.5.