Text Structure — Answer Key
Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. Text A tells the story of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake from morning to evening. Its structure is chronological.
Chronological structure presents events in the order they took place, often using time-of-day or date markers.
2. Text B explains why the 1906 earthquake led to massive fires and homelessness. Its structure is cause and effect.
Cause-and-effect structure shows how a single event, like the earthquake, produced multiple consequences such as fires and homelessness.
3. Both texts share the same topic, the 1906 earthquake.
Two texts can cover the same topic yet organize information differently, which is why comparing structures is meaningful.
4. A reader who wants to learn the order of events that day should choose Text A.
Chronological organization in Text A makes it the better choice for tracking the order in which things happened.
5. A reader who wants to know why the disaster grew so severe should choose Text B.
Cause-and-effect organization in Text B explains the reasons behind outcomes, supporting questions that ask why.
6. The signal words 'at 5:12 a.m.' and 'later that morning' belong to a chronological structure.
Specific time stamps and ordering phrases are classic chronological signal words.
7. The signal words 'because,' 'led to,' and 'as a result' belong to a cause and effect structure.
Cause-effect signal words connect events as causes producing specific effects.
8. When two texts on the same topic use different structures, the author's purpose is often different.
Different structures serve different purposes; one author may want to inform about order, another may want to explain reasons.
9. Comparing the structures of two texts helps readers understand how organization shapes meaning.
Organization, or structure, shapes which details are emphasized and how readers connect the information they read.
Part B: Matching
Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.
1. Match each item to its correct answer.
Text A: 'At 5:12 a.m., the ground shook. By noon, fires spread across blocks.'
→ Chronological structure
Chronological structure
Text B: 'Because gas lines broke, fires erupted, leading to widespread destruction.'
→ Cause and effect structure
Cause and effect structure
Text C: 'Like the 1906 quake, the 1989 quake damaged the Bay Area, but it caused fewer fires.'
→ Compare and contrast structure
Compare and contrast structure
Text D: 'San Francisco faced overcrowded shelters; the city responded by building new housing camps.'
→ Problem and solution structure
Problem and solution structure
Sorting passages by their organizational pattern shows how the same topic can be presented in many ways depending on the author's purpose.