“The details of a paragraph, paragraphs within anessay, events within a short story, or sectionswithin a textbook often fit a pattern. If you can recognize the pattern, you will find it easier to remember the content.”

Patterns of Organization

• Relationships that involve addition

• Relationships that involve time

• Relationships that involve a definition and examples

• Relationships that involve comparison and/or contrast

• Relationships that involve cause and effect

•

Relationships:Relationships:Patterns of OrganizationPatterns of Organization

Patterns of OrganizationPatterns of OrganizationAddition or List of ItemsAddition or List of Items

Arrange the sentences below into a logical paragraph._4_A Third reaction to danger used by opossums is to bluff their way out of a tight spot by hissing and baring their teeth._1_The opossum reacts to danger in one of several ways.2__First, some varieties of opossum spray unpleasant odors._3_Opossums are very likely to run away from danger._5_Finally, the best-known opossum defense is to “play dead” by entering into a coma-like state brought on by fear.

Even before he meets the three witches, Macbeth dreams of becoming King of Scotland. Then the three witches predict he will be king. Finally the queen convinces him to murder King Duncan and take over the country.

Usually, events are presented in the order in which they happen. Arrange the following group of sentences into an order that makes sense.

____By 1960 the number of TV sets in the country had risen above 50 million.

____After eight years, there were a million TV sets in the United States.

____Interest in television grew rapidly when broad-casting began in 1941.

____By 1994 there were over 211 million TV sets in American homes.

Patterns of Organization: Patterns of Organization: Definition and ExampleDefinition and Example

Arrange the following group of sentences into an order that makes sense.

___You might, for instance, sit calmly through a friend’s criticism and act as if it didn’t bother you.___Apathy is an avoidance response in which a person acknowledges unpleasant information but pretends he or she doesn’t care.___Another example is responding to the loss of a job by acting indifferent: “Who cares? It was a dumb job anyway.”

Patterns of Organization:Patterns of Organization: Comparison and/or Contrast Comparison and/or ContrastArrange the sentences below into a logical paragraph.__In contrast, the original Italian story is the gruesome tale of the Princess Talia, who falls into a magical sleep in the woods, where she is raped by a nobleman and, later on, gives birth to twins, whom the nobleman’s wife tries to have killed and cooked for dinner.__It is often said that fairy tales, with their heavy doses of violence, are too scary for young children.__Consider the story of Sleeping Beauty that today’s children know, which involves a princess who is put to sleep by a wicked witch and then awakened by the kiss of her true love.__But today’s versions of fairy tales are actually less frightening than the original stories.

Patterns of Organization:Patterns of Organization: Cause & EffectCause & EffectArrange the scrambled sentences below into a logical paragraph.__Also, high tuitions affect the amount of time available for studying; because loans and scholarships are hard to get, many students have to put in numerous hours before school.__For one thing, it undoubtedly prevents some students from attending college in the first place.__Finally those who do manage to get loans know that they must begin their careers with large debt.The high cost of college today causes problems for many students in more ways than one.__It is difficult to manage money and schooling.

Class Exercise• For each of the following statements, identify the pattern that is

suggested and write its name. Choose from among the following patterns:

• a) Addition or Items in a List; b) Comparison/Contrast; • c) Cause and Effect; d) Definition and Example e)Time/Order

1. Many drivers take to the roads in July and August when families traditionally go on a vacation. As a result, oil companies raise gas prices in the summer.

2. I’ve become very absent-minded. Last week, for instance I went to work on my day off.

3. A good study space is well-lighted. In addition, it is free from distractions such as television or stereo.

4. While some birds meet only to mate, others stay together to share child-rearing.

*Definition A boycott is an organized refusal by a group

of people to deal with another person or group in

order to achieve a specific goal. An illustration is the famous boycott that began in 1955 when Mrs. Rosa Parks refused to obey local laws requiring African-American people to sit in the back of the bus.

Mrs. Parks was arrested, and that sparked a boycott

of the Montgomery bus systems by African-Americans. The boycott was organized by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Rather than continue to lose money, the city repealed the law.

Class Exercise• For each of the following statements, identify the pattern that is

evident and write its name.. Choose from among the following patterns: a) Enumeration; b) Classification;

c) Comparison/Contrast; d) Cause and Effect.

1. Many drivers take to the roads in July and August when families traditionally go on a vacation. As a result, oil companies raise gas prices in the summer.

• “Human muscles can be divided into three groups according to their structure and nerves that activate them.” (Wallace, Biology: The World of Life.)

• A good study space is well-lighted. In addition, it is free from distractions such as television or stereo.

4. While some birds meet only to mate, others stay together to share child-rearing.

Transitions are words or phrases that show the relationships between ideas. Two major types of transitions are words that show addition and wordsthat show time. Pgs. 149-150

Mixed Patterns

“Many texts contain sections and passages that combine one or more of the organizational patterns. For instance, in listing characteristics of a newly developed computer program, an author may explain it by comparing it to similar existing Programs.”

“When reading mixed patterns, focus on one of thePatterns and use it to guide your reading. Choosethe most obvious or predominant pattern.” pgs.218-219

Authors use two common methods to show relationships and make their ideas clear. Thetwo methods are: * transitions and * patterns of organization.

Common Organizational Patterns

• Chronological Order (time order or sequence of events)

• Definition

• Classification

• Comparison/Contrast

• Cause-Effect

• Enumeration

Patterns: Relationships Among IdeasIn this chapter you will learn:1. To recognize common organizational

patterns.2. To use patterns to increase your reading

efficiency.3. To use directional words to understand

relationships.

“The details of a paragraph, paragraphs within an essay, events within a short story or sections within a textbook often fit a pattern. If you can recognize the pattern, you will find it easier to remember the content.”

pgs.196-198

Items are listed in the time order in which they occurred or in a specifically planned order in which they must develop. In both cases, order is important, and changing it would change the meaning.—see pgs. 199-200.

Signal words often used for chronological order: first, second, third, before, after,until, next, at last, later, etc.—see p. 201.

Even before he meets the three witches, Macbeth dreams of becoming King of Scotland. Then the witches predict he will be king; finally, his wife convinces him to murder King Duncan and take over the county.

Usually, events are presented in the order in whichthey happen. Arrange the following group of sentences into an orderthat makes sense.____By 1960 the number of TV sets in the country had risen above 50 million.____After eight years, there were a million TV sets in the United States.____Interest in television grew rapidly when broad- casting began in 1941.____By 1994 there were over 211 million TV sets American homes.