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COMPREHENSION LAB
https://owl.excelsior.edu/orc

How to Identify Writing Patterns

Analyze: break something down into its Writing Pattern:
parts and examine them
A specific way of organizing ideas to convey a
certain type of argument
Writing Patterns Help You: Also known as
• Focus your attention on a text and • Patterns of organization
anticipate where it is going • Rhetorical modes
• Remember what you read • Rhetorical styles
• Develop your own writing

The 8 Most Common Writing Patterns

Type Description Signal Words
Explain the meaning of a word or is, refers to, means, is defined as, is called, is
Definition
phrase characterized by, entails

Divide a topic into parts based on classified as, comprises, is comprised of, consists
Classification
specific characteristics of, elements, kinds, types, stages, groups

Provide a general statement

Generalization
followed by specific examples to for example, for instance, to illustrate, such as
and Example
prove the statement

Show how things are related by causes, effects, is caused by, is produced by, is the
Cause and
explaining how one thing causes result of, results from, because, consequently, as a
Effect
another result

Similarity: like, similarly, likewise, resembles,

Compare and contrast two or more same, in comparison, in the same way, both, share
Comparison /
things to show how they are Difference: unlike, in contrast, differently,
Contrast
similar and/or different however, despite, whereas, on the other hand, on
the contrary, differs from, rather than

also, in addition, another, additionally, furthermore,

List Present lists of information
moreover, next, finally, first, second, third, etc.
Describe a process, series of first, second, before, after, next, then, last, finally,
Sequence events, spatial order, or order of steps, phases, stages, dates, times, numbers,
importance letters

The contents of this work were developed under grant #P116F150077 from the U.S. Department of Education.
However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and you
should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.