• Logical Order
• Cause and Effect
When writers want to inform readers, they think about their purpose and choose a logical organization—that is, an organization that makes sense.
As you read, look for clues to the organization of the text. Knowing how a text is organized will help you find and remember important information.
Logical Order A logical way to organize expository nonfiction is by main idea and supporting details. Writers might state a main idea and then provide details that explain it. If you don’t see the main idea right away, look at how the details fit together. The details should all point to one main idea. Study this example that shows a logical order of ideas.
Cause and Effect Writers may organize ideas in a cause-and-effect structure to explain the reasons something happens. They may give a cause and then show the effects, or they may first state a result, and then explain its causes. Study this passage to learn about cause-and-effect structure.
The following signal words help show a cause-and-effect text structure.
| because | due to |
| since | therefore |
| so | as a result |
| thus | consequently |