Name: ___________ Date: __________
Class (circle): Beegle Ferrigno Grassel
Text Structure Test
Multiple Choice
For each question, you have three text structure options. Circle the option
that you think goes best with each example. Circle at least 2 clues or clue words
in each passage. If they are not circled, you WILL have points taken off.
1. Basketball Incident
I love to play sports. My favorite sport to play is basketball, but sometimes
things do not go as well as I expect. One day at practice, I fell onto the ground. My
glasses fell off my face, and another person could not stop moving in time.
CRUNCH! My glasses got stepped on. I was unable to wear them for the rest of
practice. I now had a BIG problem. I could not see very well. The next day, my dad
pulled me out of school and took me to the optometrist (eye doctor). My problem
was solved! My glasses were fixed, and my dad ordered a special pair that I could
use for basketball so that they did not fall off my face again. Thanks, Dad!
a. Compare and contrast b. Problem and solution
c. Cause and effect
2. Pandas and Bears
Animals are amazing creatures. They roam the earth with us and have their
own things to do. Two cool animals to think about are pandas and black bears.
These animals have similar characteristics, but they also have many differences.
Both animals are large and may seem huggable. This is not the case though.
They both have sharp teeth and claws. There is a high chance of both animals
having fleas and ticks as well. Their diets are also similar. Honey, fish, and eggs are
three common things. They both love to eat fruit as well.
One big difference between these two animals is the coloration of their fur.
Pandas are usually black and white while black bears are typically black. There is a
slight difference in their height as well. Black bears are usually around 3 feet on all
fours while a panda is between 2-3 feet. Black bears weigh anywhere (next page)
from 90 to 660 pounds, depending on the gender. Panda bears weight between
150 and 280 pounds.
a. Description b. order and sequence
c. Compare and contrast
3. Christmas and Birthdays
Some occasions are very similar to each other, such as a birthday and
Christmas. There are also some differences between these two occasions. Both of
these are exciting for people to go to though.
One similarity is that there are presents. However, the presents are just for
the birthday person during a birthday instead of presents for everybody during
Christmas. Both times allow people to gather in one location. Some families have
multiple gatherings for both occasions so that they can celebrate with more than
one group of people.
Some other differences between these two occasions is that the person
having a birthday does not need to get anything for anyone. During Christmas,
everyone gets gifts for everyone else. There is usually cake and ice cream at a
birthday party, whereas during Christmas, there is so much more than that. These
are just a few of the differences between Christmas and someone’s birthday.
a. Order and sequence b. Problem and solution
c. Compare and contrast
4. Elephants
Elephants are large creatures with an amazing brain. They are one of the
smartest animals in the world. They can also hear at a lower frequency than
humans because of their large ears. Elephants are very large creatures and can
weigh up to 13,000 pounds and be as tall as 10 feet. These massive creatures love
to eat hay, and will eat other produce and leaves as well. Their trunks are
powerful enough to break off tree branches and then eat the leaves. Elephants
have large legs, which help carry their massive body.
a. Cause and effect b. Compare and contrast
c. Description
5. A Visit
Sometimes, people visit other people. When this happens, the house needs
to be cleaned, especially if they will be staying for a while. “Why does the house
need to be cleaned?” you may ask. When people visit, your parents want the
house to be presentable. They do not want it to look like a mess. If it did look like
a mess, then that person may not want to visit your family home again.
a. Cause and effect b. compare and contrast
c. Order and sequence
Short Response
Below are lines for you to use. First, write the name of the text structure
that you are going to write about in the top blank. Then, write two sentences that
you think would be in a non-fiction text of the text structure you chose. Make
sure to use proper capitalization and punctuation in your sentences.
Text structure: _____________
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