Text Structure — Answer Key
Part A: Fix the Sentence
Each sentence has an error. Rewrite it correctly on the line.
1. Fix the sentence:
A passage that lists events using 'first,' 'next,' and 'finally' uses a compare and contrast structure.
Corrected: A passage that lists events using 'first,' 'next,' and 'finally' uses a chronological (sequence) structure.
Words like first, next, then, and finally are sequence cues that mark a chronological structure, not a comparison.
2. Fix the sentence:
Signal words 'because,' 'as a result,' and 'therefore' indicate a description structure.
Corrected: Signal words 'because,' 'as a result,' and 'therefore' indicate a cause and effect structure.
Cause-and-effect signal words show how one event leads to another, while description simply lists features or details.
3. Fix the sentence:
When an author presents an issue and then offers a way to fix it, the structure is chronological.
Corrected: When an author presents an issue and then offers a way to fix it, the structure is problem and solution.
Problem-solution texts state a difficulty and propose answers, while chronological texts simply order events in time.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. The signal words 'similarly,' 'however,' and 'in contrast' usually mark a compare and contrast structure.
Compare-and-contrast transitions like similarly and in contrast tell readers the author is showing how two things are alike or different.
2. A passage that explains the features of a coral reef using sensory details and examples uses a description structure.
Description texts use details, examples, and sensory language to help readers picture or understand a topic clearly.
3. An article that explains how pollution causes coral bleaching uses a cause and effect structure.
Cause-and-effect structures show how an action or condition produces a result, here pollution producing bleaching.
4. A biography that tells the events of a scientist's life from birth to retirement uses a chronological structure.
Chronological structure presents information in the order it happened, which is common in biographies and historical accounts.
Part C: Short Answer
Answer each question in one or two complete sentences.
1. Name three signal words for cause and effect, and explain what each tells the reader.
Sample answer: 'Because' tells the reader the next idea is the reason something happens. 'As a result' shows that a result is coming after an action. 'Therefore' signals a logical effect that follows from earlier information. All three help readers connect causes to their effects in the text.
Identifying signal words helps Grade 5 readers recognize cause-effect structure quickly and follow the author's reasoning.
2. How is problem and solution structure different from cause and effect structure?
Sample answer: Problem and solution structure presents an issue and then offers one or more ways to solve it, often suggesting actions readers can take. Cause and effect structure focuses on showing how one event or condition leads to another result, without necessarily proposing a fix. Problem-solution looks ahead to a resolution, while cause-effect explains why something happened.
Telling these structures apart helps readers identify the author's purpose and predict what information will come next.