• By Cause and Effect
• By Chronological Order
Writers organize their ideas in different ways. Understanding the organization will help you follow the writer’s ideas and remember important details.
Before you read, preview the text to figure out the topic and see what type of writing it is. Look for clues to help you see the organization.
Cause and Effect A writer may want to tell why something happened. If so, the writer might state a cause, then tell the effect of that cause. Study this example and find causes and effects. Look for signal words that help show causes and effects.
Chronological Order Sometimes a writer will organize ideas in chronological order. Watch for time words to understand the order of events.