Text Structures & Organisation
Understanding how texts are organised — their overall structure, paragraph arrangement, and use of cohesive devices — enables students to read critically and write with greater sophistication.
What You Need to Know
Key Concept Diagram
Text structure refers to the overall organisation of a text: narrative, descriptive, expository, persuasive, or procedural
Paragraphs have internal structure: topic sentence, supporting details, and linking sentence to the next paragraph
Cohesive devices (connectives, pronoun reference, lexical chains) create flow and link ideas across sentences and paragraphs
Recognising structure helps readers predict content and identify the writer's purpose and argument
Key Vocabulary
Text structure
The way a text is organised at the whole-text level to achieve its purpose
Cohesive device
A language feature that connects parts of a text, such as connectives, pronouns, or repeated vocabulary
Topic sentence
The opening sentence of a paragraph that states the main idea of that paragraph
Discourse marker
A word or phrase that signals the relationship between ideas (e.g., "however", "furthermore", "as a result")
Knowledge Check
Select the correct answer for each question. Click "Check Answer" to see if you are right.
Question 1
Which text type typically begins with a thesis statement and presents arguments to support a point of view?
Question 2
What is the primary purpose of a topic sentence?
Question 3
The word "furthermore" in a paragraph is an example of which type of cohesive device?
Key Concepts Summary
- ●Text structure refers to the overall organisation of a text: narrative, descriptive, expository, persuasive, or procedural
- ●Paragraphs have internal structure: topic sentence, supporting details, and linking sentence to the next paragraph
- ●Cohesive devices (connectives, pronoun reference, lexical chains) create flow and link ideas across sentences and paragraphs
- ●Recognising structure helps readers predict content and identify the writer's purpose and argument