Cause and Effect
A common text structure for nonfiction is cause and effect. A cause is the reason something happens. An effect is what happens as a result of the cause. Effects often become causes of something else that happens. Writers use cause and effect to explain why things happen.
Before reading, preview the text to figure out how the writer arranged the information and ideas. This will help you follow the text and understand it better.
Clue words can help you determine if a writer used cause and effect as a text structure. Read this example.