Patterns of Development


Patterns of Development

Patterns of development or
patterns of organization are
specific ways writers organize
their writing for a specific
purpose. Patterns of organization
are also called text structures.
Types of Organizational
Patterns

 1. Cause-effect
organization

It is a pattern of organization that shows causal
relationships between events, ideas, and trends.
It may be directly stated or merely implied by
the order in which the information is presented.
Writers often use this pattern in historical and
scientific writing. Cause effect relationships may
have several forms: a) one cause with one effect
b) one cause with multiple effects c) multiple
causes with single effect d) a chain of causes and
effects.
Examples of Cause-
effect organization

One cause with one
effect

One cause with multiple
effects

Multiple causes with
single effect

Chain of causes and
effects

 2. Compare and
Contrast Organization

It is a pattern of organization that provides a
way to look at similarities and differences in two
or more subjects. A writer may use this pattern
of organization to compare the important points
or characteristics of two or more subjects. These
points or characteristics are called points of
comparison. The compare-and-contrast pattern
may be developed in either of two ways: a)
Point-by-point organization and b) Subject-by-
subject organization.

Point-by-point
organization

Subject-by-subject
organization

 3.Problem-Solution
Order

It is a pattern of organization in
which a problem is stated and
analyzed and then one or more
solutions are proposed and examined.
This pattern of organization is often
used in persuasive writing such as
editorials or proposals.

 4.Sequence

It can be in terms of chronological
order, the order in which events
take place, spatial order, the order
of things in space, and order of
importance, that is going from the
most important to the least
important or the other way
around.

 
Tying your shoe Making your food trip bread
 5. Main idea and details

It is a pattern of organization in which a central idea
about a topic is supported by details. The main idea
is the most important idea about a topic that a
particular text or paragraph conveys. Supporting
details are words, phrases, or sentences that tell more
about the main idea in the form of examples, facts,
statistics, or quotes. The main idea may be explicit
stated or simply implied. This patters of organization
can also be called illustration especially if it makes
use of example to support the main idea.

 Assignment

Bring a book you use in any of your school subjects.
Identify the text features of that book.
Be ready to present your findings orally in class. Tell
how each feature has helped or can help you
understand the text better.
Look for any organizational pattern used in the book
that you will examine for text features. Copy the part
where you find any of those types and tell what type
of organizational pattern was used by the author. (1/2
crosswise)