A two-column layout with causes on the left and effects on the right illustrates which text structure?

• A. Compare and contrast
• B. Descriptive sequence
• C. Problem and solution
• D. Cause-and-effect

Answer: (D)

Recognizing cause-and-effect structure. A two-column setup with causes on the left and effects on the right visually maps how one event or reason leads to another. The left column presents the trigger or reason, and the right column shows what happens as a result, making the relationship between cause and outcome clear. This is often reinforced by signal words such as because, due to, leads to, or as a result, which cue readers to look for the connection between the two sides.

Other structures wouldn’t typically present a direct cause-and-effect pairing in this side-by-side way. Compare and contrast focuses on similarities and differences between items. Descriptive sequence describes items or steps in a particular order or description, not necessarily linking a cause to a subsequent effect. Problem and solution lays out a problem and then proposed fixes, rather than linking causes to their consequences.