Pattern of Organization

Common Types
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Listing
Sequence
Comparison / Contrast
Cause / Effect
Problem / Solution
Extended Definition

1. Listing
-

Give details or examples.

Key words in main ideas: many,
several, a number of, a few, kinds of.
Signal words : for example, for
instance, first, second, another, also,
besides, in addition, most important.

2. Sequence
-

A series of events or steps

Key words in main ideas : began,
account, story, process, history,
sequence.
Signal words : first, second, then ,
next, after, while, since, then, soon,
finally, at last, in (year), later, the next
step.

3. Comparison/Contrast
-

Explain how two things are

similar/different.
Key words in main ideas: similarities,
differences, both, in common, compare.
Signal words : similarly, also, in the same
way, as, like, both, however, but, on the
other hand, although, yet, while, in
contrast, unlike.

4. Cause / Effect
One event/action leads to another
- Key words & signal words : causes,
leads to, is the cause of, results in,
results from, comes from, follows, is
caused by, creates, makes, brings
about, give rise to, contributes to, is
due to.
-

5. Problem / Solution
State a problem & explain how to
solve it
- Key words : situation, trouble, crisis,
dilemma, issue.
- Signal words: solve, solution,
resolved.
-

6. Extended Definition
-

definition of a concept /process.

Key words & signal words :
consists of, is, seems to be, are.

Exercise

Instruction:
Find the topic, main idea,
key words, and signal words
of the texts.
Find synonym of the
highlighted words in the text.

Text 1
Close-up study of the planet Mars began when rockets
were developed that could send scientific instruments
into space. In 1965, the first observations of Mars were
done by the American spacecraft Mariner 4, which flew
near the planet to collect data and take photographs.
Four years later, more data and photographs were
collected by Mariners 6 and 7 as they flew past the planet.
Then, in 1971, Mariner 9 actually went into orbit around
Mars, and during the following eleven months, sent back
more than 7,000 images before contact with the
spacecraft was lost. The next major step, in 1976, was the
landing of two Viking crafts on two different areas of Mars'
surface. These landers were able to send back important
data about the atmosphere 2 of the planet.

Text 2
There are several different theories about the
origin of the Moon. One theory, called the fission
theory, states that early in the life of Earth, a piece
broke off, and that piece became the Moon. A
second, closely related theory is that the Moon is
composed of several pieces of Earth that broke
away from our planet. Yet another theory is that
the Moon formed elsewhere in the solar system
and was captured by Earth's gravity. The final
theory states that a huge piece of planetary rock
struck Earth and broke up into pieces. One of the
pieces became the Moon.

Text 3
Astronomy and astrology are similar in some
ways, but they differ in a very important way. In both
fields, the experts study planetary motion and
constellations (groups of stars), and they use
telescopes, tables, and charts to do their work.
However, astronomers study the heavenly bodies
as a science, and over the years people have used
astronomy to discover more about the universe.
Astrologers, on the other hand,use their knowledge
of the heavenly bodies to advise people about their
life situations. This is not science, but a belief that
what happens in our lives is affected by the
positions of the moon, sun, and planets.

Text 4
In 1948, Earl Tupper had invented a new type of airtight
plastic food containers, but they were not selling well in the
stores. He was convinced that housewives would love these
containers if they had a chance to try them. The problem
was how to get the containers out of the stores and into their
homes. So he invented the Tupperware Party. At these
parties, women invited their friends and neighbors to their
home for a cup of coffee. Then they showed the containers
and offered them for sale. Since women usually liked the
containers and they did not cost much, sales were usually
brisk. This happy combination of a good product with the
"home party" led to the enormous success of the
Tupperware brand and the invention of a new kind of
containers.

Complete the sentences with the

correct form of the given words.
Earth ____ greatly from its two closest
neighboring planets, Venus and Mars.
2. The close examination of Mars was the
______ of a new technology.
3. A star ____ life inside a nebula, a huge
cloud and dust in outer space.
4. ___ a total eclipse, the Sun, the Moon,
and the Earth are all in a straight line.
1.

5. The availability of water would make an

enormous ____ for humans working on the
Moon for any length of time.
6. The Apollo moon landings may not have led
to any new___, but they had a significant
impact on science and technology.
7. Scientists are ____ the relationship between
air quality and cancer.

8. In American supermarkets the ___of

certain fruits and vegetables no longer
depends on the weather or the season.
9. The company designed a plan to _____
employees to work more efficiently.
10. The study was ___ by a well-known
company with long experience in political
matters.

Available
Motivate
Conduct
Investigate
Differ

differ
result of
begins
discover
during