Structures of an

Informative Text
Informative text is a kind of text that offers
data, definitions, and descriptions of
phenomena or details about a fact. It
introduces a clearly stated topic and creates an
organizational structure in which related
information is grouped logically to support the
purpose of writing.
It develops evidence with relevant facts,
definitions, concrete details, quotations, and
examples with references. It also uses
appropriate linking ideas within and across
paragraphs to smoothly and purposefully
connect the controlling idea to evidence and
provides a satisfying conclusion related to the
topic.
Articles, textbook chapters, passages,
paragraphs or sentences have topics and
main ideas. Locating the topic, main idea,
and supporting details is important in
helping you understand what the writer is
attempting to express. Moreover, identifying
the relationship between these will also
increase your comprehension.
Here’s a sample paragraph and let’s
try your skill in finding the main idea.
Try to locate the topic first, and then
look for the main idea.
Most teenagers and young adults do not know what
they want to do for the rest of their lives. It is a big
decision. There are things you can do to narrow the
choices. For example you can take an interest test,
do some research on your own about a career, try
volunteer work in the field in which you are
interested, or “job shadow” in which you spend a
day with a person who is working in the field that
interests you. These are just a few helpful ideas as
you begin to choose a career.
The topic is
___________________________________
____________________.
The main idea is
___________________________________
_______________.
Look at the sample paragraph below then try
to identify how the information is organized.
Choose your answer from the box.
No one knows the true origin of ice-cream, but the
first published ice-cream recipe appears in “Mrs.
Mary Eales's Receipts,” a cookbook that was
printed in London in 1718. Sometime around 1832,
an African American confectioner named Augustus
Jackson created multiple ice cream recipes and
invented a superior technique to manufacture ice
cream. Ice cream soda was invented around 1874,
but the real breakthrough may have been at the
1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis, Missouri, when the
American ice-cream cone was unveiled!
I guess the structure of the text is
____________________________.
STRUCTURES OF AN INFORMATIVE TEXT
Text structures are organizational
patterns found within the text types. An
author often chooses main text
structure for a piece but may
incorporate several graphic organizers.
Directions: Identify the structure of each
paragraph if cause and effect, compare and
contrast, description, problem and solution,
or sequence, and then look for the signal word/s
used. Write your answers on a separate sheet of
paper.
1. Ice-cream is a delicious frozen treat that comes in
many different colors and flavors. Two of my favorite
flavors are strawberry and chocolate. Though both of
these flavors are delicious, strawberry may contain
pieces of fruit while chocolate usually will not. Even
though more chocolate ice-cream is sold than
strawberry, each flavor tastes great inside of a milk
shake.
Structure: ____________________________________________
Signal Words: ________________________________________
2. Making ice-cream is not easy. Cream and sugar
have to first be mixed in a frozen container.
Ingredients may be added at this point, if desired.
The mixture must be stirred and whipped until the
cream and sugar mixture is frozen. Depending on the
equipment, this may take as long as an hour. After
the ice-cream is prepared, it must be kept frozen
until it is ready to be enjoyed. Making ice-cream is
difficult, but most people would agree that it is worth
the trouble.
Structure: ____________________________________________
Signal Words: ________________________________________