Harlow's iron works opened in 1851. In 1858 a canal reached the town. Ten years later the owners added a furnace, and by 1875 the works ran day and night. How does this paragraph present its information?

Unlike Harborside, which taxed goods at the docks, Fenwick raised money from a land tax. Harborside's income rose with trade, whereas Fenwick's held steady in slow years. How is this paragraph organized?

Because the river silted up, barges could not reach Ashby's warehouses. Merchants shifted goods to the rail depot, and as a result the wharf district emptied. How does the writer present this information?

In 1902 the council paved Main Street. The next spring, because carts moved faster, shops near the square doubled deliveries, unlike the shops on the hill. Which words signal a cause rather than time or contrast?

Redhill's academy charged fees and took only boys. In contrast, the Fairfax school was free and open to all children, though it met just three days a week. How does the paragraph present the two schools?

A dry summer cut the corn harvest by half. Grain prices in the county doubled, and as a result many tenant families left for mill work in the city. How does this paragraph present its information?

Northgate's brigade was paid by the city, whereas Southgate used volunteers. Because they trained at night, the volunteers reached fires late, and by 1889 Southgate hired two paid men. Which words signal a comparison?

The telegraph office opened in 1866. Two years later the line reached the coast. In 1871 a second operator was hired, and by 1880 the office sent 200 messages a week. How is this information presented?

Unlike the first plan, the second began with money. First the council sold bonds, then it bought land, and finally it hired masons, because prices rose each year. Which words order the steps in time?

A section of a history chapter leans on the phrases 'this led to', 'because of the shortage' and 'the effect was'. What structure do those phrases show?

Vale mine paid its crew by the ton, while Ashcroft mine paid a daily wage. Vale's best weeks earned more, but Ashcroft's men earned the same in a slow month. How is this paragraph built?

The harbor froze in January. Since no coal arrived, the gas works shut down for a week, unlike the winter before. Which words signal a cause?

A new toll on the turnpike raised wagon costs. Because freight cost more, millers bought grain closer to home, and farmers twenty miles out lost their best buyer. How does the writer present this?

Fairfax opened one classroom in 1872. A second room was added in 1878. The town built a brick school in 1885, and in 1891 the old rooms became a library. How does the paragraph present its information?

The eastern county grew wheat, while the western county raised sheep. After 1880 the railroad reached the region, and prices fell because the harvest was heavy. Which words signal that two counties are being compared?

A writer describing two colonies leans on the words 'unlike', 'in contrast' and 'both'. What does that word choice tell a reader about the section's structure?

Rain began on a Monday. By Wednesday the levee gave way, and on Friday soldiers rowed through the streets. The water fell the following week. How does this paragraph present its information?

Because the well ran dry, the village dug a new one. It first cleared the lane, next sank the shaft, and at last laid pipe, unlike the hurried job of 1870. Which words order the work in steps?

A textbook section on a treaty leans on the phrases 'in 1783', 'soon afterward' and 'by the following spring'. What structure do those phrases mark?

The old road ran straight over the ridge and washed out each spring. The new road curved along the valley, whereas the old one climbed, and it stayed open all year. How is this paragraph organized?

A chapter on canal towns includes this sentence: 'As a result of the lock repairs, boats waited three days at Fenley.' What does the phrase 'as a result of' show?

A history article includes this sentence: 'Meanwhile, the assembly in the capital debated the same tax.' What relationship does the word 'meanwhile' signal?

Two shiploads of cheap iron reached the port in spring. Local forges could not match the price, so three closed by autumn and their workers moved to the shipyards. How does the paragraph present its information?

A chapter reads: 'By 1850 northern mills used water power, whereas southern mills burned coal, and since coal cost more, southern cloth sold dearer.' Which words mark the difference between the mills?

A writer wants the reader to see the tax as the reason people left. Complete the sentence: 'The tax rose sharply; ___, many families left the parish.'

A writer is showing how two ports differed. Complete the sentence: 'Bristol shipped mainly sugar; ___, Whitby shipped mainly coal.'

A writer is listing the stages of a canal's building in order. Complete the sentence: 'Surveyors mapped the route in 1815; ___, crews began digging the deep cut.'

A writer wants to give the reason a fort was abandoned. Complete the sentence: 'The garrison left the fort ___ the spring floods had ruined its wells.'

A writer is showing that two councils acted alike. Complete the sentence: 'Ashby taxed carts at the gate; ___, Fenley charged every wagon that entered.'

A writer is closing an ordered account of a strike. Complete the sentence: 'The men walked out in May, held meetings all summer, and ___ signed the new terms in October.'

A chapter on canal towns opens with a section on digging the canal, then a section titled 'After the Railroad' describing the same towns in 1890. How does the second section contribute to the chapter?

An article on two mining camps has a middle section, 'Wages and Rents,' that gives each camp's figures side by side. How does that section contribute to the article?

A history article ends with a section titled 'Why the Harbor Silted,' which traces the mud in the channel to logging upstream. How does that final section contribute to the article?

A textbook chapter on a rebellion has a section, 'The Six Weeks,' that walks through each week from the first march to the surrender. How does that section contribute to the chapter?

A student wants to show how one crop failure spread hardship from the farms to the towns and then to the port. Which structure fits that purpose?

A student wants to show how two colonies differed in who was allowed to vote. Which structure fits that purpose?

A student wants to explain the steps a bill took through an assembly, from its first reading to the final vote. Which structure fits that purpose?

A paragraph reads: 'Unlike the eastern parish, the western parish kept its common fields.' The word 'unlike' signals a comparison between the two parishes.

A chapter reads: 'Wages at the mill fell in 1873. Two years later the workers formed a union.' What relationship do these two sentences state?

A paragraph reads: 'The council met in April; because the bridge was unsafe, it voted to close the span.' Which structure does the paragraph use to explain the vote?