Which text structure is most associated with explaining causes and effects?

• A. Problem/solution
• B. Chronological order
• C. Description
• D. Cause/effect

Answer: (D)

Cause/effect text structure focuses on explaining why something happens and what results follow. When a passage centers on the reasons behind an event and the outcomes that occur because of it, it uses this structure. That makes it the best fit for explaining causes and effects.

Think of how this differs from other ways to organize writing: problem/solution presents a problem and possible fixes rather than the reasons something happens; chronological order lays events out in the order they occurred over time; description gives details about a topic or object without necessarily linking events to outcomes.

For example, a paragraph explaining why a plant wilts might discuss lack of water as the cause and the wilting as the effect, clearly connecting the reason to what happens next.