Identifying Patterns of Organization Five Patterns of Organization in English “EXERCISE 217 List of related ideas or examples In this pattern, the writer states the main idea in the form of a generalization and gives a list of details to support that general statement. Sequence In this pattern, the writer explains the main idea with a series of events or steps that follow one after the other in time order. Comparison/Contrast In this pattern, the writer's main idea is a general statement about two things that are similar and/or different. Specific details about similarities and/or differences are given. Cause/Effect In this pattern, the writer's main idea is that one event or action caused another event or action. Problem/Solution In this pattern, the writer's main idea is a statement of a problem and how it was solved. Each paragraph below has a different pattern and a missing sentence. Thé missing sentences are listed at the end of the exercise, with an extra sentence. Working with another student, decide which pattern Is used for each paragraph and which sentence fits best. Then write the letter of the iissing sentence and the namo of the pattern below each paragraph. Use these abbreviations: L-tisting $—Soquence —PS—Problem/Solution C—Comparison/Contrast CE—Cause/Etfect 1. Archaeologists believe that the first people to eat com lived in central Mexico 5,000 years ago. They gathered a kind of com that grew wild in much of Central ‘America. Throughout the following centuries, the cultivation of com made possible the great Indian civilizations, from the Aztec to the Zuni, By the time Columbus and other Europeans arrived in the late fifteenth century, corn was cultivated all over North and South America. Curious about this new grain, Columbus brought some seeds back to Europe. Within a century, people were growing corn in many parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, . Sentence: ____ Pattern: __ Mikulecky, Beatrice & L. Jeffries More Reading Power Pearson Education; White Plains, NY; 2004 10: Comprehension Skillsaha 2. ‘The cultivation of com in the United States has changed dramatically in the past, century. Farmers used to grow corn in small fields of a few acres, but now corn farms may be as large as 6,000 acres. Before the age of machines, farmers had to pick each ear of com by hand. Now, however, huge harvesting machines can pick hundreds of acres. of com in a day. While com growing used to be a way of life for many families, now it 1s big business. Sentence: ___ Pattern: _ In modern life, com has many uses. Corn is also hidden in many other foods: ‘cookies, bread, or beef. A large part of the com production in the United States, in fact, ‘goes to feed beef cattle. But com Is not just a food. It is also used in the production of all kinds of things, from glue to hand lotion and paint. Recently, manufacturers have ‘begun to use corn to make a new type of plastic for garbage bags. In many places, cars are now powered by a mixture that contains ethanol, a fuel made from corn. Sentence: ___ Pattern: _ Genetic engineering has brought about some important changes in the production of ‘com. It has allowed scientists to develop plants that produce larger and more numerous ears of com. This makes it possible for farmers to harvest far more com per acre of land. ‘Through genetic engineering, scientists have also developed types of com that resist certain diseases. Scientists are also working on kinds of corn that can be cultivated in very dry or hot areas. All these changes mean that com will be able to feed more people. Sentence: ___ Patter B.t. com is a new kind of com that has been developed through genetic engineering. This com contains B.t,, a natural insecticide that is found in the soil, This insecticide protects it against harmful insects, The United States government permitted several large farm companies in the United States to plant B.t. com, but only for animal food. However, when the B.t. com was picked, it was mixed in with the corn that is used by companies that make corn meal and tortillas for supermarkets and fast- food restaurants. Faced with this predicament, the government took quick action. Soon the locations of the B.t. com were discovered, and the corn meal and tortillas ‘were taken from the supermarket shelves. The farms that had mixed up the com were fined, and stronger controls were put in place so that this would not happen again. Sentence: __ Patter Missing sentences: a. Consequently, farmers will save millions of tons of com that are lost to disease every year. b. For example, we eat corn in many forms, from popcom to corn oil, com flour, and com syrup. c. No one knew if this genetically engineered corn was safe for people, so it had to be kept separate from other com. 4. For the Hopi Indians, com is a symbol of life. @. It took a family several long days of hot, hard work to harvest a few actes of com. £, Before a thousand years had passed, they had learned to cultivate com. Comprehension Skills,