Grade 6 · Writing · Lesson 21

Explain cause-effect and compare-contrast relationships

Informational writers organize their ideas using text structures that signal relationships between ideas. Two of the most powerful structures are cause-effect and compare-contrast. Knowing how to use both — and when to choose each — makes your informational writing clearer, more logical, and more persuasive.

What this lesson teaches

1Identify cause-effect and compare-contrast text structures in informational writing
2Use signal words to show cause-effect and compare-contrast relationships
3Write a paragraph using cause-effect structure with appropriate signal words
4Write a paragraph using compare-contrast structure to highlight similarities and differences

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