Common Text Structures
Text structures (WDPI, 2012) refer to the way authors organize information
in text. Recognizing the underlying structure of texts can help students focus
attention on key concepts and relationships, anticipate what is to come, and
monitor their comprehension as they read.
Text Structure Definition Graphic Transitions/ Questions
Organizer Signal Words
Narrative Narrates an Descriptive - Who is
event/story language the narrative
with characters, (adjectives, about?
setting, conflict, adverbs, - Where is
point of view, similes, and it set?
and plot metaphors) - What is
the conflict? -
Who is telling
the narrative? -
What is
happening?
Chronological, Present ideas - First, second, - What
Process, or or events in third… items, events,
- Later or steps are
Sequence the order in
- Next listed? - Do
which they they have to/
- Before
happen always happen
- Then
in this order?
- Finally
- What
- After
sequence of
- When
events is being
- Since
described? -
- Now/
What are the
previously
major
- Actual use of
incidents that
dates
occur? - How is
this structure
revealed in the
text?
Cause and Provide - If/then - What
Effect explanations - reasons why happened? -
or - as a result Why did it
reasons for - therefore happen? -
phenomena - because
What caused
- consequently
it to happen?
- since
- so that
- for
- due to
Problem/ Identify - problem is - What is
Solution problems and - dilemma is the problem?
pose solutions - if/then - Why is
- because this a problem?
- so that - - Is
question/ answer anything being
- puzzle is done to try to
solved solve the
problem? - What
can be done to
solve the
problem?
Compare and Discuss two - However/yet - What
Contrast ideas, events, - Nevertheless items are
or Difference Difference - on the other hand being
Similarities
- but/ compared?
phenomena, whereas – similarly
showing how - In what
- although
they are ways are they
- also/likewise
different and - in contrast/ similar?
how they are comparison Different? -
similar - different What
- either/or - in conclusion
the same way/ just does the
as
author reach
about these
items? - What
conclusion
does the
author reach
about these
items?
Definition or Describes a - for example - What are the
Description topic by listing - characteristics most important
characteristics, - for instance characteristics?
features, - such as - how is it
attributes, and - including
being
examples - to illustrate
described
(what does it
look like, how
does it work,
etc.)? - What is
important to
remember
about it?
Techniques in Summarizing Academic Texts
Summarizing is how we take larger selections of text and reduce them to their
bare essentials: the gist, the key ideas, the main points that are worth noting and
remembering. Webster's calls a summary the "general idea in brief form"; it's the
distillation, condensation, or reduction of a larger work into its primary notions.
(“Reading Quest Strategies | Summarizing”)
Basic Rules:
A. Erase things that don’t matter. Delete trivial material that is unnecessary to
understanding.
B. Erase things that repeat. Delete redundant material. In note taking, time and
space is precious. If a word or phrase says basically the same thing you have
already written down, then don’t write it again!
C. Trade, general terms for specific names. Substitute superordinate terms for
lists (e.g., flowers for daisies, tulips for roses). Focus on the big picture. Long,
technical lists are hard to remember. If one word will give you the meaning,
then less is more.
D. Use your own words to write the summary. Write the summary using your
own words but make sure to retain the main points.
Techniques:
1. Somebody Wanted But So. The strategy helps students generalize, recognize
cause and effect relationships, and find main ideas.
Somebody Wanted But So Then
(Who is the (What did the (What was the (How was the (Tell how
text about?) main character problem problem solved?) the story
want?) encountered?) ends.)
Little Red She wanted to She encountered She ran away, crying A
Riding Hood take cookies to a wolf for help. woodsman
her sick pretending to be heard her
grandmother. her and saved
grandmother. her from
the wolf.
Kris Bales, “5 Easy SUMMARIZING Strategies for Students,” ThoughtCo, accessed August
4, 2021, https://www.thoughtco.com/summarizing-strategies-for-students-
After answering the questions, combine the answers to form a summary:
Little Red Riding Hood wanted to take cookies to her sick grandmother, but she
encountered a wolf. He got to her grandmother’s house first and pretended to
be the old woman. He was going to eat Little Red Riding Hood, but she realized
what he was doing and ran away, crying for help. A woodsman heard the girl’s
cries and saved her from the wolf.
2. SAAC Method. This method is particularly helpful in summarizing any kind of
text. SAAC is an acronym for “State, Assign, Action, Complete.” Each word in
the acronym refers to a specific element that should be included
in the summary.
State Assign Action Complete
(the name of (the name of the (what the author (complete the
the article, author) is doing sentence or
book, or story) (example: summary with
tells, explains)) keywords and
important
details)
“The Boy Who Aesop (a Greek tells what happens
Cried Wolf” storyteller) when a
shepherd boy
repeatedly lies to
the villagers
about seeing a
wolf
Use the four SAAC cues to write out a summary of "The Boy Who
Cried Wolf" in complete sentences:
"The Boy Who Cried Wolf," by Aesop (a Greek storyteller), tells
what happens when a shepherd boy repeatedly lies to the
villagers about seeing a wolf. After a while, they ignore his
false cries. Then, when a wolf really does attack, they don’t
come to help him.
3. 5 W's, 1 H. This technique relies on six crucial questions: who, what, when
where, why, and how. These questions make it easy to identify the main
character, important details, and main idea.
Kris Bales, “5 Easy SUMMARIZING Strategies for Students,” ThoughtCo, accessed August 4, 2021,
https://www.thoughtco.com/summarizing-strategies-for-students-
Try this technique with a familiar fable such as "The Tortoise and
the Hare."
Who is the What did When did Where did Why did the How did
story they do? the action the story main the main
about? take place? happen? character do character
what s/he do what
did? s/he did?
The He raced When isn’t An old The The
tortoise a quick, specified country tortoise tortoise
boastful in this road was tired kept up
hare and story, so of hearing his slow
won. it’s not the hare but
important boast steady
in this about pace.
case. his
speed.
4. First Then Finally. This technique helps students summarize events
in chronological order.
First: What happened first? Include the main character and main
event/action.
Then: What key details took place during the event/action?
Finally: What were the results of the event/action?
Here is an example using "Goldilocks and the Three Bears."
First, Goldilocks entered the bears' home while they were gone. Then, she
ate their food, sat in their chairs, and slept in their beds. Finally, she woke
up to find the bears watching her, so she jumped up and ran away.
5. Give Me the Gist. This type of techniques is like giving a friend the gist of a
story. In other words, they want a summary – not a retelling of every detail.
