Nonfiction writers choose a structure that suits their purpose. A chronological structure organises information in time order (useful for biographies or historical accounts). A cause-and-effect structure explains why something happened and what resulted. A compare-and-contrast structure examines similarities and differences between two or more things. A problem-solution structure presents an issue and then a proposed fix. Recognising which structure an author has chosen — and why it suits their purpose — helps you follow their argument and predict where the text is heading.
Example
An article about climate change might use a problem-solution structure (describing rising temperatures, then proposing renewable energy solutions), while a biography would more naturally use a chronological structure, following a person's life from birth onward.
Key terms
Text structure:
The overall way information is organised in a piece of writing.
Chronological:
Organised in the order events happened over time.
Questions
1. A chronological structure organises information:
In time order
By opposite meaning only
Randomly with no order
Only by length
2. A cause-and-effect structure explains:
Why something happened and what resulted
Only unrelated random facts
A story with no explanation
A list with no connections
3. A compare-and-contrast structure examines:
Similarities and differences between things
Only one single topic with nothing else
A random list of facts
A story's ending only
4. A problem-solution structure presents:
An issue and then a proposed fix
Only a problem with no resolution ever discussed
A biography's birth date only
A list of unrelated facts
5. A biography would most naturally use which structure?
Chronological
Compare-and-contrast only
Problem-solution only
None of these
6. Recognising a text's structure helps a reader to:
Follow the argument and predict where the text is heading
Ignore the text's organisation entirely
Understand nothing about the text
Only focus on spelling
7. An article about climate change proposing renewable energy is likely using a:
Problem-solution structure
Purely chronological structure
A structure with no organisation
A rhyme scheme
8. Why might an author choose a cause-and-effect structure for an article about a natural disaster?
To clearly explain what led to the disaster and what happened as a result
Cause-and-effect has no relevance to natural disasters
This structure is only used in fiction
It removes the need to explain anything
9. A text comparing two historical leaders' approaches is most likely using a:
Compare-and-contrast structure
Purely chronological structure with no comparison
A problem-solution structure only
No structure at all
10. Why might recognising a text's structure help you predict what comes next while reading?
Understanding the pattern (e.g. problem then solution) helps anticipate the next part
Structure has no connection to what comes next in a text
Predicting the next section is always impossible
Only chronological texts can ever be predicted
11. A report examining "advantages and disadvantages" of two options is using:
A compare-and-contrast structure
A purely chronological structure
No identifiable structure
A narrative structure only
12. Why might a writer choose chronological structure for a "how-to" instructional text?
Steps need to be followed in the correct time order to work
Chronological order has no relevance to instructions
Instructions are always randomly ordered
Cause-and-effect is the only valid structure for instructions
13. A text structure choice is mainly driven by:
The author's purpose and the type of information being organised
Random chance with no reasoning
The font used in printing
The number of pages only
14. An article that explains "why bee populations are declining" and "what this means for crops" is using:
Cause-and-effect structure
A purely descriptive structure with no explanation
A compare-and-contrast structure only
A random, unstructured list
15. Why might mixing structures within a single nonfiction text (e.g. starting chronologically, then shifting to problem-solution) sometimes be an effective choice?
Different sections may serve different purposes, and structure can adapt to suit each part
Mixing structures is always confusing and should never be done
Only one structure can ever appear in a single text
Structure has no connection to purpose
16. Why might recognising a problem-solution structure help a reader evaluate an article's persuasive strength?
It highlights whether the proposed solution is actually well-supported by the problem described
Structure has no connection to how persuasive a text is
Problem-solution structures are always automatically persuasive regardless of content
Evaluating structure is irrelevant to persuasion
17. A historical account that skips around in time rather than staying strictly chronological might be organised instead by:
Theme or topic, deliberately grouping related events together
No possible alternative structure exists
Random chance with no organisation
Only alphabetical order
18. Why might a compare-and-contrast structure be especially useful for helping a reader make a decision?
Directly laying out similarities and differences supports evaluating options against each other
Comparison structures never help with decision-making
This structure only works for fictional choices
Decisions are unrelated to how information is organised
19. Why is understanding text structure considered a comprehension strategy, not just a writing skill?
Recognising structure while reading helps a reader anticipate and organise information as they go
Structure only matters for writers, never readers
Comprehension has no connection to how a text is organised
This skill only applies when writing your own texts
20. A writer restructuring a chronological account into a cause-and-effect structure for a persuasive purpose is:
Deliberately choosing structure to suit a different communicative goal
Making an arbitrary, meaningless choice
Breaking an unbreakable rule of nonfiction writing
Removing all meaning from the text
21. Understanding how authors organise nonfiction texts mainly helps a reader and writer to:
Recognise and use structure deliberately to suit purpose and audience
Ignore structure entirely when reading or writing
Assume every nonfiction text uses an identical structure
Focus only on individual sentences, never overall organisation
Answer key (parent copy)
1. In time order
2. Why something happened and what resulted
3. Similarities and differences between things
4. An issue and then a proposed fix
5. Chronological
6. Follow the argument and predict where the text is heading
7. Problem-solution structure
8. To clearly explain what led to the disaster and what happened as a result
9. Compare-and-contrast structure
10. Understanding the pattern (e.g. problem then solution) helps anticipate the next part
11. A compare-and-contrast structure
12. Steps need to be followed in the correct time order to work
13. The author's purpose and the type of information being organised
14. Cause-and-effect structure
15. Different sections may serve different purposes, and structure can adapt to suit each part
16. It highlights whether the proposed solution is actually well-supported by the problem described
17. Theme or topic, deliberately grouping related events together
18. Directly laying out similarities and differences supports evaluating options against each other
19. Recognising structure while reading helps a reader anticipate and organise information as they go
20. Deliberately choosing structure to suit a different communicative goal
21. Recognise and use structure deliberately to suit purpose and audience