Comparing Texts — Answer Key
Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. The way an author arranges ideas in a text is called the text structure.
Text structure is the organizational pattern an author uses to arrange information.
2. A text that explains events in time order uses chronological structure.
Chronological structure presents events in the order they occurred.
3. A text that shows how things are alike and different uses compare and contrast structure.
Compare and contrast structure examines similarities and differences between two or more things.
4. Two texts on the same topic may use different structures to organize their information.
Authors choose text structures based on how they want to organize and present information.
5. A text that explains why something happened and what resulted uses cause and effect structure.
Cause and effect structure explains why events occurred and what their consequences were.
6. Signal words like first, next, and finally indicate a sequential text structure.
Sequential (chronological) text structure uses signal words like first, next, and finally.
7. The problem and solution structure presents an issue and then explains how it is resolved.
Problem and solution structure identifies a problem and describes how it was or can be solved.
8. Comparing text structures helps you understand how authors present information differently.
Different text structures reflect different ways of organizing and presenting the same information.
9. A text that groups related ideas together uses a topic and description structure.
Topic and description structure groups related ideas under a central topic.
Part B: Matching
Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.
1. Match each item to its correct answer.
"First settlers arrived, then built homes, finally formed a town"
→ chronological order
cause and effect
"Pollution caused fish to die; cleaning the river brought them back"
→ cause and effect
problem and solution
"City life is fast-paced while country life is relaxed and quiet"
→ compare and contrast
chronological order
"Traffic was terrible, so the town added a new bus route"
→ problem and solution
compare and contrast
First = chronological (first, then, finally); second = cause and effect (pollution → death); third = compare and contrast (city vs. country); fourth = problem and solution (traffic → bus route).