"Procedure/sequence" is a common academic text structure which enables readers to navigate a text following a chronological order of events or a list of steps. It is used in instructional texts that show steps to complete a task (e.g. recipes, instructions, manuals, science experiment instructions), narrative texts that recount events (e.g. the biography of a historical figure, an account of events leading up to World War I) or expository texts on the development or changes of something (e.g. the formation of a valley, the process of digestion, water cycle). Below are some sample questions/topics that involve describing a procedure or chronology of events:

For a better understanding of the "procedure/sequence" structure, the following will be introduced in this section:

i) cohesive devices
ii) supporting features
iii) text organisation
iv) time order

i) Cohesive Devices

Cohesive devices that signal the order of events or illustrate the steps to be taken are essential to the understanding of the text structure. Below are some time and sequence words commonly used to describe a procedure or chronology of events:

ii) Supporting Features

Besides the use of time and sequence words, the "procedure/sequence" structure is often supported by features such as numbered steps, bullet points, diagrams, illustrations and sub-headings.