About this activity
Fifteen signal words sorted into the five expository structures they give away: because, as a result and therefore for cause and effect; however, unlike and whereas for compare and contrast; first, next and finally for sequence; the issue is, one answer and to fix this for problem and solution; for example, such as and characteristics include for description. Signal words are the shortest route into text structure, because they are visible on the page.
How to use it in a session
Sort them, then use them. Once the five bins are filled, give a topic and ask for one sentence using a word from each bin — that is where the abstract categories become usable. The description bin is the one students find hardest to recognise as a structure at all, since for example feels like a detail rather than an organising move. Fifteen minutes covers the sort and a few sentences.
What to listen for
Watch however and unlike, which both signal contrast but sit in different places in a sentence — however joins two sentences and unlike opens one. A student who writes However gas engines, electric motors… has the category and not the syntax. Notice whether the student uses signal words in their own writing afterwards, which is the only outcome that matters here.
Carrying it home
Signal words are worth noticing while reading anything. Pointing out a however and asking what is being contrasted takes five seconds and builds a habit that works on any page.
Questions
- What grades is this for?
- Sixth through eighth, alongside the middle school text structure board.
- Do I need an account?
- No, it plays free in the browser.
- Are signal words always reliable?
- Mostly, and reliably enough to be worth teaching. A writer can build a comparison without the word unlike, so signal words are a strong clue rather than a rule — which is worth saying to students who over-trust them.