3.1 Structure

Structure is the way something is put together.

When someone talks about the structure of a house, they mean the way it is built. The foundations come first. They anchor the whole house into the ground, so they have to be firm and strong. The floor and walls are built next. Then the roof and chimney are added at the end.

Texts are built the other way round – from the top.

They begin with a title, which is the name of the text. The title usually tells you what it is about.

For example, look at the cover of this book, called Smart Money.

Figure 12 A book cover

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A book cover. The text reads: Smart Money: shortcuts to becoming rich. George Taylor.

Figure 12 A book cover

This book also has a sub-title, which tells you more about the title. The sub-title is ‘Shortcuts to becoming rich’.

The book also shows the name of the author, the person who wrote the text:

• George Taylor.

Sometimes the author is more than one person. It could even be an organisation, like the author of a report called:

• Pollution in the West Midlands by the West Midlands Health Authority.

The contents page of the text tells you about what it contains. If the text is a book, it may have chapter numbers and page numbers:

Each chapter may be divided into sections. The sections in Chapter 1 of Smart Money: shortcuts to becoming rich are:

• Decide what you do best
• You may have top-executive skills
• Learn how to earn money quickly
• Take positive action today.