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Six Examples: Transitional Devices

Six common organizational patterns found in textbooks are described: 1) Simple listing presents items in a random series without importance in order. 2) Description lists details about characters without importance in order. 3) Definition devotes paragraphs to defining complex terms and expanding with examples. 4) Chronological order lists items in the specific order they occurred or must develop. 5) Comparison-contrast relates items by similarities or differences shown. 6) Cause and effect shows one item producing another as an outcome from a situation.

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Cristine Joy Gardoce
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35 views1 page

Six Examples: Transitional Devices

Six common organizational patterns found in textbooks are described: 1) Simple listing presents items in a random series without importance in order. 2) Description lists details about characters without importance in order. 3) Definition devotes paragraphs to defining complex terms and expanding with examples. 4) Chronological order lists items in the specific order they occurred or must develop. 5) Comparison-contrast relates items by similarities or differences shown. 6) Cause and effect shows one item producing another as an outcome from a situation.

Uploaded by

Cristine Joy Gardoce
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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TRANSITIONAL DEVICES.

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Organizational Patterns of Paragraphs
The following six examples are the patterns of organization that are most frequently found in
textbooks.

Simple Listing
Items are randomly listed in a series of supporting facts or details. These supporting elements are
of equal value, and the order in which they are presented is of no importance. Changing the order
of the items does not change the meaning of the paragraph.
Signal words often used for simple listing are: in addition, several, also, for example, another, a
number of

Description
Description is like listing; the characters that make up a description are no more than a simple
listing of details.

Definition
Frequently in textbook reading an entire paragraph is devoted to defining a complex term or idea.
The concept is initially defined and then further expanded with examples and restatements.
Signal words used for definition are: is defined as, is called, means, refers to, is described as,
term or concept

Chronological (Time) Order or Sequence


Items are listed in the order in which they occurred or in a specifically planned order in which
they must develop. In this case, the order is important and changing it would change the
meaning.

Signal words often used for chronological order or sequence are:first, second, third, until etc., at
last, before, after, next, when, later

Comparison - Contrast
Items are related by the comparisons (similarities) that are made or by the contrasts (differences)
that are presented. The author's purpose is to show similarities and differences.
Signal words often used for comparison-contrast are: similar, different, bigger than, smaller, on
the other hand, than, but, in the same way, however, parallels

Cause and Effect


In this pattern, one item is showed as having produced another element. An event (effect) is said
to have happened because of some situation or circumstance (cause). The cause (the action)
stimulates the event, or effect (the outcome). Signal words often used for cause and effect are:
for this reason, hence, consequently, because, on that account

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