5.3 Text Structures & Informational Texts
Key Takeaways
- The five primary text structures are chronological/sequential, compare-contrast, cause-effect, problem-solution, and description.
- Text features such as headings, captions, diagrams, and glossaries help readers navigate non-fiction material and locate facts quickly.
- An index provides an alphabetical list of topics with page numbers at the end of a book, whereas a glossary provides word definitions.
- The author's primary purpose can be categorised using P.I.E.: Persuade, Inform, or Entertain.
- Instructional and procedural texts use sequential numbering and imperative verbs to direct step-by-step actions.
5.3 Text Structures & Informational Texts
Informational texts provide factual information about the real world, including history, science, current events, and practical instructions. To effectively comprehend informational texts in the CPEA exam, students must analyse text structures (how ideas are organised), utilise text features (visual and structural aids), and determine the author's purpose (why the text was written).
1. Five Common Organisational Text Structures
Authors structure their ideas logically depending on what they intend to explain. Recognising these structures helps readers anticipate information and summarise key points.
| Text Structure | Purpose / Definition | Signal Words | Visual Organiser |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chronological / Sequential | Explains events in order of time or steps in a process. | First, next, then, finally, dates (1995, 2024), initially, step 1. | Timeline / Sequence Flowchart |
| Compare & Contrast | Highlights how two or more topics are similar and different. | Similarly, both, likewise, however, on the other hand, in contrast, unlike. | Venn Diagram |
| Cause & Effect | Shows why an event happened (cause) and what resulted (effect). | Because, since, consequently, as a result, led to, therefore, due to. | Cause-and-Effect Chain |
| Problem & Solution | Presents a difficulty or dilemma and outlines one or more ways to resolve it. | Problem, issue, difficulty, challenge, resolve, solved, solution, answer. | Problem-Solution Map |
| Description | Provides details, characteristics, and sensory traits of a topic. | For example, such as, characteristics include, looks like, specifically. | Concept Web |
2. Analysing Different Types of Informational Texts
CPEA reading passages feature diverse forms of non-fiction media:
Non-Fiction Articles & Essays
- Educational reports covering historical, scientific, or cultural topics.
- Focus on facts, clear topic sentences, evidence, and objective tone.
News Reports
- Feature an inverted pyramid structure (most critical details in the opening headline and lead paragraph).
- Address the 5 Ws and H: Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How.
Instructional Texts (Procedural Texts)
- Guides, recipes, assembly manuals, and safety protocols.
- Organised sequentially using numbered steps, bullet points, and imperative verbs (e.g., "Pour the liquid", "Secure the fastener").
Advertisements & Persuasive Brochures
- Designed to convince readers to buy a product, visit a location, or support a cause.
- Use persuasive language, catchy slogans, special offers, and bold visual design.
3. Interpreting Text Features
Text features assist readers in navigating informational material quickly and comprehending complex data.
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Informational Text Features │
└────────────────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────────────┘
│
┌───────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────┐
▼ ▼ ▼
┌─────────────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────────────┐
│ Organisational │ │ Visual & Graphical │ │ Reference & Nav │
├─────────────────────────┤ ├─────────────────────────┤ ├─────────────────────────┤
│ • Headings & Subheadings│ │ • Diagrams & Flowcharts │ │ • Table of Contents │
│ • Bold & Italic Print │ │ • Graphs (Bar, Pie) │ │ • Index & Glossary │
│ • Bulleted Lists │ │ • Captions & Photographs│ │ • Sidebars & Callouts │
└─────────────────────────┘ └─────────────────────────┘ └─────────────────────────┘
- Headings & Subheadings: Divide text into sections and summarise upcoming subtopics.
- Captions: Text under a photo or illustration explaining what is pictured.
- Diagrams & Graphs: Visual representations of data, processes, or relationships (e.g., pie charts for proportions, bar graphs for comparisons).
- Glossary: Alphabetical list of specialised vocabulary words with definitions, typically at the back of a book.
- Index: Alphabetical list of topics, names, and key terms with exact page numbers where they can be found.
4. Determining Author's Purpose & Perspective
An author's reason for writing can be summarised using the P.I.E. framework:
┌──────────────────────────────┐
│ AUTHOR'S PURPOSE (P.I.E.) │
└──────────────┬───────────────┘
│
┌────────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────┐
▼ ▼ ▼
┌───────────────────┐ ┌───────────────────┐ ┌───────────────────┐
│ P - PERSUADE │ │ I - INFORM │ │ E - ENTERTAIN │
├───────────────────┤ ├───────────────────┤ ├───────────────────┤
│ Convince reader │ │ Provide facts, │ │ Tell an enjoyable │
│ to take action or │ │ explain concepts, │ │ story, amuse, or │
│ adopt a opinion │ │ or give steps │ │ evoke emotion │
└───────────────────┘ └───────────────────┘ └───────────────────┘
- Persuade (P): To convince the reader to agree with a point of view, purchase a product, or take action (e.g., campaign speeches, editorials, advertisements).
- Inform (I): To provide facts, explain ideas, or teach how to perform a task (e.g., textbooks, news articles, science manuals).
- Entertain (E): To hold the reader's interest through enjoyment, humour, suspense, or emotional storytelling (e.g., fiction stories, poems, comic strips).
Worked Example: Informational Text Analysis
Read the snippet below from a community health newsletter:
Combating Dengue: Protect Your Home Today
Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne tropical virus that causes severe fever, headaches, and joint pain. The Aedes aegypti mosquito breeds rapidly in stagnant water stored in open buckets, discarded tyres, and blocked rain gutters.Three Easy Steps to Eliminate Mosquito Breeding Sites:
- Empty and scrub all open water containers weekly.
- Dispose of old tyres and clear fallen leaves from roof gutters.
- Cover water storage drums tightly with mosquito-proof netting.
By taking action now, you safeguard your family and community from preventable illness!
Analysis:
- Text Structure: Combination of Cause and Effect (explaining how stagnant water breeds mosquitoes causing dengue) and Problem and Solution (presenting 3 steps to eliminate breeding sites).
- Text Features Used: Subheading ("Combating Dengue..."), Bold Print for emphasis, and Numbered List for sequential steps.
- Author's Purpose: Inform and Persuade (Informs about dengue transmission while persuading readers to clean up breeding sites).
An article comparing solar energy to wind energy uses signal words such as 'similarly,' 'however,' and 'on the other hand.' Which text structure is being utilised?
Where in a non-fiction textbook would a student look to quickly find the definition of a bolded technical term?
A poster displays photos of polluted oceans alongside the message: 'Stop plastic pollution now! Join our beach cleanup this Saturday to save marine life.' What is the author's primary purpose?
What information does a caption under a photograph in a news report provide?