Chapter - 6 - Recognizing Patterns of Organization

Chapter Six:
Recognizing Patterns
of Organization
©2014 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning

Review
• Identify the implied main idea
Though women tend to have smaller brains than
men, they utilize more of their brain cells when
thinking and feeling.
Review
• On intelligence tests, women and men perform
more or less equally. However, the overall size of a
woman’s brain is 10 to 15 percent smaller. The
regions of their brains dedicated to higher cognitive
functions such as language are more densely
packed with neurons—and women use more of
them. When a man works, neurons turn on in
highly specific areas. When women set their minds
on similar tasks, cells light up all over the brain.
Female brains respond more broadly to emotion
too. According to neuro-imaging studies, the
genders respond differently to emotions, especially
sadness, which activates, or turns on, neurons in an
area eight times larger in women than in men.
I predict…
• There are several ways that you can get to
my house.
• From beginning to end, the life of Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. is interesting.
• The steps to make a peanut butter and
jelly sandwich are simple.
• There were several reasons why I excelled
on my reading quiz.
I predict…
• I can illustrate some difficulties faced by
students who also work fulltime.
• My boyfriend and I have many similarities
and differences.
• Hip-hop has various meanings.
• There are more types of television shows
today than ever before.
Examining Paragraph Patterns
• Paragraphs usually have a main idea and

supporting details.
• There are eight different patterns authors

use when writing about supporting details.

The Paragraph Patterns
• Description
• Narration
• Process
• Cause-and-effect
• Examples
• Comparison and contrast
• Definition
• Classification

The Patterns
DESCRIPTION

Description
About the Pattern
Description shows readers what

something looks, sounds, feels,
tastes, or smells like.

Description
About the Pattern
It answers the questions:
What does this look like?
What does it sound like?
What does it feel like?

Description
Reading Strategy
Mentally use your senses of sight, hearing,

feeling, smelling and your sense of
movement to re-create the scene the author
is describing.
A description is an account that

creates a vivid mental image.

Description
Spatial Arrangement
• Placement in space is often an important

method for organizing sensory details.
When you are reading, look for words that
signal how the elements of the scene are
arranged.
From head to toe, Latoya dressed to appear

professional and confident.
Description
Space Order Signal Words
• in the foreground, in the background

• on the left, in the middle, on the right
• in front of, behind, in back of
• north, south, east, west
• above, below, underneath, behind,
forward, in front of
– See page 282 in your book for more.

Determine the logical order of the following details taken from Maya Angelou’s
autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.
___And when they put their hands on their hips in a show of

jauntiness, the palms slipped the thighs as if the pants were
waxed.
___When they tried to smile to carry off their tiredness as if it

was nothing, the body did nothing to help the mind’s attempt
at disguise.
___In the store the men’s faces were the most painful to
watch, but I seemed to have no choice.
___Their shoulders drooped even as they laughed

In the store the men’s faces were the most painful to
watch, but I seemed to have no choice.
When they tried to smile to carry off their tiredness as if it

was nothing, the body did nothing to help the mind’s
attempt at disguise.
Their shoulders drooped even as they laughed.
And when they put their hands on their hips in a show of

jauntiness, the palms slipped the thighs as if the pants
were waxed.
What’s the point Maya Angelou makes with her

use of spatial details?
Description
Sensory Details
• Words that describe sensory details help

descriptive writing come alive.
• Combinations of sensory details create

word-pictures with emotional overtones.

In front of me on the table sat a beautiful pure
white bowl, simplistic in design, hiding a decadent
surprise inside. In the bowl was hidden something
that was not so pure, however, the irresistible
indulgence was worth every calorie that I knew it
contained. As I looked inside I saw on the bottom of
the bowl a hot, tender brownie loaded with
macadamia nuts. I knew from past experience that
the nuts had a creamy and smooth texture, almost
like white chocolate… The scoop was a rich vanilla,
flecked with dark specks of vanilla bean.
The scoops were just starting to melt tiny rivers of
melted cream down the sides of the hot brownie,
pooling on the bottom of the pure white bowl.
These scoops of ice cream were draped with a
sumptuous, rich, hot fudge sauce…What finally
completed this wonderful creation was a perfect
maraschino cherry, its red juice sending tiny
streams down the whole mountain of dessert
delight. The contrast of colors, textures and flavors
in this dessert appealed to every part of my
senses. I could not wait to eat it.
http://english120.pbworks.com/w/page/19006860/descriptive%20paragraphs
The Patterns
NARRATION

Narration
About the Pattern
• Narration tells readers how something

happened (or will happen).
• Narratives use time order.

Narration
About the Pattern
How did that happen?
How is that happening now?
How will that happen in the future?

Narration
Reading Strategy
Mentally place the events the author is

narrating on a timeline

Narration
Specific Time Words and Dates
Time is a crucial element in narration. When

you are reading, look for phrases that will
help you figure out when things have
occurred.

Narration
Signal Words (Transitions) for Time Order
• Monday through Friday

• during that time
• before, during, after
• first, second, third
• since [a date]: since 1976
• on Wednesday; on March 17, 2007
See page 284 in your book for more.

Narration
Verbs and Verb Phrases
• Verbs can indicate when things happened

in relation to other events.
• Verbs can express the present, the past,

the future, and continuing actions.

In 1999, Ken Burns made a documentary film, Not for
Ourselves Alone, on the women’s rights movement.
Part One tells the story from about 1840 through the Civil
War.
When we arrived, the film had started.

(first the film started, then later we arrived)
In 1848, after a visit with her friend and fellow activist

Lucretia Mott, Stanton helped organize the first Women’s
Rights Convention in Seneca Falls
Vote With Your Hand
• The next slides will display a sentence.
• You will be asked to hand based on what

pattern the sentence is describing.

Vote with Your Hand
A paragraph that describes what something

looks like.
Narration
Description

Vote with Your Hand
Put events on a timeline while reading this

type of paragraph.
Narration
Description

Vote with Your Hand
A paragraph that uses the words before,

during, and after.
Narration
Description

Vote with Your Hand
A paragraph that uses space order.
Narration
Description

Vote with Your Feet
A paragraph that tells how something

happened.
Narration
Description

Vote with Your Hand
A paragraph that uses time order.
Narration
Description

Vote with Your Hand
Use your imagination to recreate a scene

while reading this paragraph.
Narration
Description

The Patterns
PROCESS
Process
About the Pattern
• Process reveals to readers what steps need

to occur for something to happen, and in
what order.
• Frequently found in science courses and
technical contexts.
• Relies on time order (To be sure that readers
understand a process thoroughly, a writer makes
it plain what has to happen first, second, and
third.)
Process
About the Pattern
• The point of process writing is to tell readers

what steps to follow to achieve a certain result or
to describe the stages that lead to a certain
event or result.

Process
Reading Strategy
Mentally fill in the events on a generalized

timeline.

Process
Signal Words (Transitions) for Processes
• first step, second step, third step

• first stage, second stage, third stage
• phases
• that (that, these, those) stages or steps
• first, then, eventually, last
• start, continue, end
Plus any of the words from the narration list
on page 284 in your book.
The Patterns
CAUSE AND EFFECT

Process
Cause-and-Effect
About the Pattern
• Cause-and-effect lets readers know what

made something happen (causes), or what
an event leads to (effects).
• May describe how a single cause leads to
multiple effects, or how multiple causes
create a single effect.
• A causal chain is where one cause leads to
an effect, which then becomes the cause of
yet another effect, and so on.
Process
About the Pattern
What made this happen?

What’s the reason this occurred?
What does this lead to?

What is the result of this action?

Process
Cause-and-Effect
Reading Strategy
As you read, visualize that the causes and

effects are linked by arrows.

Process
Cause-and-Effect
Signal Words (Transitions) for Causes and Effects
For CAUSES For EFFECTS

_______ causes __________ depends on
_________ creates causes ____________
______allows for ____ where the effects
_____leads to _________ is the result
because ________ leads to _________
are due to _________ makes (or made) _____
reason is __________ consequences are _____
Is/are shaped by a number of
factors . . .
Process
Cause-and-Effect
Words that Express Degrees of Uncertainty
• It’s often hard to be perfectly sure what causes

what.
• Authors often express this uncertainty by using

words like
– may [cause, effect]
– might, could be a reason, lead to, be an effect]
– tends to
– possibly
– to a degree, to some degree
Global climate change resulting from the accumulation of
greenhouse gases, for example is likely to have significant
health effects, both direct and indirect. An average global
temperature rise of 3-4°C, predicted for the year 2100 by the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change will greatly
increase the number of days in the United States with
temperatures over 38°C(100°F), with a resulting sharp rise
in heat-related mortality. Deaths would occur primarily from
heat strokes, heart attacks, and cerebral strokes. The very
young, poor, and elderly, as well as those with chronic
cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, are most at risk.
During the two-week heat wave of July 1993 in the eastern
United States, 84 people died in Philadelphia alone as a
result of the higher temperatures. (E. Chivan, "The Ultimate
Preventive Medicine," Technology Review)

Do Interaction 6-6 on page 290.
The Patterns
EXAMPLES
Process
Cause-and-Effect
Examples
About the Pattern
Examples give specific, down-to-earth details

that help readers understand the general
statements a writer is making. Sometimes
examples are organized in lists.

Process
Cause-and-Effect
Examples
About the Pattern
• are used to illustrate general ideas and

make them come alive for readers. They
may be
• preceded by the words “for example.”

Process
Cause-and-Effect
Examples
Reading Strategy
As you read, create a mental list of examples

the author provides.

Process
Cause-and-Effect
Examples
Signal Words (Transitions) for Examples
• For Examples
– for instance,
– to illustrate,
– namely,
– for example
• For Lists
– in addition, also, add to this
– first, second, third
– first, and then

The Patterns
COMPARE AND CONTRAST

Compare and Contrast
About the Pattern
• Comparisons show how two things are

similar.
• Contrasts show how they are different.

Reading Strategy
Mentally or on paper, form two lists, one for each

item being compared or contrasted. Place
information on each item appropriate list.

Signal Words (Transitions) for Comparisons
Transitions for comparisons indicate

sameness.
– the same, identical
– similar, similarly, a similarity
– alike, like, likewise
– both
– share
– agree
– not only . . . but also
Similar Phrasing
At times, similar ideas are stated in

sentences that have similar patterns
– Both of these singers
– These singers each
– The two singers
– Similarity of the singer’s voices

Minor Differences
• Two things are never exactly the same.
• Paragraphs on similarity may include

differences between items to help readers
keep track of which item is which.

Signal Words (Transitions) for Contrast
Contrast emphasizes differences, so you will

often see words like these in writing that
contrasts:
– differs from, differs by, a difference
– contrasts with, in contrast, to the contrary
– on one hand . . . on the other hand
– however, although, but, while
– instead, rather

Vote With Your Feet
• The next slides will display a sentence.
• You will be asked to move to one side of the

room or the other based on what pattern
the sentence is describing.

Vote With Your Feet
A paragraph that can be re-written as a list.
Compare/Contrast
Examples

Vote With Your Feet
Signal words include “on one hand . . . on the

other hand”
Compare/Contrast
Examples

Vote With Your Feet
A paragraph that describes how things are the

same.
Compare/Contrast
Examples

Vote With Your Feet
A paragraph that includes real-world

situations to make the information come alive.
Compare/Contrast
Examples

Vote With Your Feet
Signal words include “to illustrate” and “for

instance.”
Compare/Contrast
Examples

Vote With Your Feet
Signal words include “alike”, “identical”, and

“share.”
Compare/Contrast
Examples

The Patterns
DEFINITION
About the Pattern
• Definitions answer the question: “What

does this mean?”
• Definitions include the term being taught

and a description of its meaning.

Reading Strategy
As you read a definition, mentally slot the various

parts of the definition into these categories:

Signal Words (Transitions) for Definitions
• is
• that is
• are called
• means, has come to mean
• can be understood as

Examples Readers Can Relate To
Writers usually try to help readers understand new

ideas by showing how they relate to familiar ideas.
The following phrases are used to indicate that the
writer is providing examples in support of a
definition:
– for example, for instance
– to illustrate, to exemplify
– as an illustration, as an example

The Patterns
CLASSIFICATION

Classification
About the Pattern
• Classification tells readers what kinds of an

event or thing exist.
• This pattern answers the question “What

kinds are there?”

Classification
Reading Strategy
As you read, mentally slot the details into the

following categories:

Classification
Signal Words (Transitions) for Classification
Division into kinds:

– several kinds
– certain forms
– three patterns
– four types
– different groups
Verbs that show the action of dividing up:

– divided into
– classified by
– split up
If you see a whole thing - it
seems that it's always
beautiful. Planets, lives... But
up close a world's all dirt and
rocks. And day to day, life's a
hard job, you get tired, you
lose the pattern.
- Ursula K. LeGuin

Chapter - 6 - Recognizing Patterns of Organization

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Chapter Six:

©2014 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning

• Paragraphs usually have a main idea and

• There are eight different patterns authors

©2014 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning

©2014 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning

©2014 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning

Description shows readers what

©2014 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning

It answers the questions:

What does this look like?

What does it sound like?

What does it feel like?

©2014 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning

Mentally use your senses of sight, hearing,

A description is an account that

©2014 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning

• Placement in space is often an important

From head to toe, Latoya dressed to appear

• in the foreground, in the background

– See page 282 in your book for more.

___And when they put their hands on their hips in a show of

___When they tried to smile to carry off their tiredness as if it

___Their shoulders drooped even as they laughed

When they tried to smile to carry off their tiredness as if it

Their shoulders drooped even as they laughed.

And when they put their hands on their hips in a show of

What’s the point Maya Angelou makes with her

• Words that describe sensory details help

• Combinations of sensory details create

©2014 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning

©2014 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning

• Narration tells readers how something

• Narratives use time order.

©2014 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning

It answers the questions:

How did that happen?

How is that happening now?

How will that happen in the future?

©2014 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning

Mentally place the events the author is

©2014 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning

Time is a crucial element in narration. When

©2014 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning

• Monday through Friday

See page 284 in your book for more.

• Verbs can indicate when things happened

• Verbs can express the present, the past,

©2014 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning

When we arrived, the film had started.

In 1848, after a visit with her friend and fellow activist

• The next slides will display a sentence.

• You will be asked to hand based on what

©2014 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning

A paragraph that describes what something

©2014 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning

Put events on a timeline while reading this

©2014 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning

A paragraph that uses the words before,

©2014 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning

A paragraph that uses space order.

©2014 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning

A paragraph that tells how something