Understanding Paragraphs & Patterns of Organization
Perhaps one
of the best ways to improve your reading ability is to learn to read paragraphs
effectively. Many experts believe the paragraph, not the sentence, is the
basic unit of thought of a selection. If one can quickly grasp the
meaning of each of these though units while reading, then comprehension will be
heightened.
It is
important to identify with the author's perspective by discovering the way the
message is being sent. Every writer has a purpose for writing and some
plan of action for getting a message across. This plan of action is the
order in which the material will be presented in the text. This order,
often called a pattern of organization, should be present in acceptable writing
from the smallest to the largest unit of writing: the paragraph, groups of
paragraphs, sub-chapters, chapters, groups of chapters, whole books, and even
series of books. Each of these, then, contains a certain pattern of
organization.
Anticipating
the order in which the material will be presented helps you put the facts into
perspective and to see how the parts fit into the whole. For example, if
the selection begins by indicating that there are four important components of
management, you are alert to look for four key phrases to mark and
remember. Likewise, if a comparison is suggested, you want to note the
points that are similar in nature. For material that shows cause and
effect, you need to anticipate the linkage and note the relationship.
The
importance of these patterns is that they signal how the facts will be
presented. They are blueprints for you to use.
In textbook
reading the number of details can be overwhelming. The mind responds to
logical patterns; relating the small parts to the whole simplifies complexities
of the material and makes remembering easier.
Although key
signal words help in identifying the particular type of pattern, a
single paragraph can be a mixture of different patterns. Your aim is to
anticipate the overall pattern and then place the facts into a broad
perspective.
The
following six examples are the patterns of organization that are most
frequently found in textbooks.
Items are
randomly listed in a series of supporting facts or details. These
supporting elements are of equal value, and the order in which they are
presented is of no importance. Changing the order of the items does not
change the meaning of the paragraph.
Signal
words often
used for simple listing are:
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Description
Description
is like listing; the characters that make up a description are no more than a
simple listing of details.
Frequently
in textbook reading, an entire paragraph is devoted to defining a complex term
or idea. The concept is initially defined and then further expanded with
examples and restatements.
Signal
words often
used for definition are:
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Chronological (Time) Order or
Sequence
Items are
listed in the order in which they occurred or in a specifically planned order
in which they must develop. In this case, the order is important and
changing it would change the meaning.
Signal
words often
used for chronological order or sequence are:
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Comparison - Contrast
Items are
related by the comparisons (similarities) that are made or by the contrasts
(differences) that are presented. The author's purpose is to show
similarities and differences.
Signal
words often
used for comparison-contrast are:
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Cause and Effect
In this
pattern, one item is showed as having produced another element. An event (effect)
is said to have happened because of some situation or circumstance
(cause). The cause (the action) stimulates the event or effect (the
outcome).
Signal words often used for cause and effect
are:
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