There is no one organizational structure reserved for expository text. Writers may employ one or a variety of organizational structures in any one piece of writing. Some of these structures include the following:
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Organizational Structure |
Description |
Graphic Organizer and Sample Text |
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Cause/Effect |
The writer analyzes then explains the causal relationship between things |
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Chronological |
The writer presents ideas in the order in which they occurred. |
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Circumlocution |
The writer discusses a topic, which then launches a discussion of a related topic. |
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Compare/ Contrast |
The writer analyzes traits of two or more things or ideas then presents an explanation or description of their similarities and/or differences. |
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Narrative Interspersion |
The writer integrates a narrative within his expository text in order to elaborate upon, personalize, or clarify a statement made. |
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Pro/Con |
The writer discusses the positive and negative aspects of a topic. These can be handled with much the same structure as cause and effect and compare and contrast structures. |
Is life in towns better than in villages? Deer Hunt: Good or bad? |
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Problem/ Solution |
The writer presents a problem then expounds upon possible solutions for that problem. |
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Recursion |
The writer emphasizes or drives home his point by first discussing a topic then restating it either through rephrasing it or explaining it using symbolism. |
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Sequential |
Like chronological, the events are told in a prescribed order. |
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