Patterns of

Organization
 Pattern of Description Signal Words
Organization (Transitions)
Description Show readers what above, behind,
something looks, below, closer,
sounds, feels, tastes,
farther away, here,
or smells like. Often
in front of, left, near,
arranged in space nearby, north, right,
order. south, there,
through, under
Narration Tell readers how after, as soon as,
something happened. before, during,
Use time order. first, meanwhile,
next, on (a day),
second, since,
subsequently, until,
when
 Pattern of Description Signal Words
Organization (Transitions)
Process Reveals to readers first (second, third,
what steps need to etc.) stage, first
occur for something to (second, third, etc)
happen and in what step, x number of
order. phases + all time
order words and
(ordering devices
such as letters or
numbers)
Cause and effect Lets readers know what causes, creates,
made something leads to; because, is
happen, or what an due to, reason is,
event leads to. consequences
are, makes, depends
on.
 Pattern of Description Signal Words
Organization (Transitions)
Examples Used to support for example, for
general ideas and instance, namely, to
make them come illustrate
alive for readers.
Sometime organized
in lists.
Comparison Describe how things agree, alike, both,
and are the same and/or identical, not
only…but also, share,
Contrast how they are although,
different. but contrasts with,
differs by, differs from,
however, on the one
hand, on the other
hand, rather,
while
 Pattern of Description Signal Words
Organization (Transitions)
Definition Tells readers what are called, can be
something understood as,
means. has come to mean,
is, means, that
is
Classification Tells readers what certain forms,
kinds of an event or different classes, a
thing exist. number of patterns,
several types,
some kinds,
classified by,
divided into, split up
 REVIEW
• Predicting Patterns of Organization
1. The whole thing started with an innocent
comment, and I’ve been regretting my lose
tongue ever since.

2. The North Shore Music Theater has a

number of features you shouldn’t miss when
you visit.
3. The doctor’s dead body bore the telltale
signs of a werewolf attack.

4. There are a number of symptoms of drug

abuse.

5. Before you start your new retail store, you

would do well to consider the type of
corporation your business will be.
6. Phenomenology is a philosophy that
regards objectivity as an illusion.

7. Raphael’s paintings bear a striking

resemblance to those of his teacher,
Leonardo da Vinci, but his style is
nevertheless his own.