Words to Know

Nonfiction is writing that primarily deals with real people, events, and places. It has a basis in fact, not fiction.

Nonfiction writing is written with a purpose-the reason why an author writes a piece.

Some reasons author’s write nonfiction are:

To inform To entertain To persuade

Nonfiction writing can be: Expository Descriptive Persuasive Narrative.

a kind of nonfiction that explains, gives information, defines, or clarifies an idea (i.e., science or history text)

a kind of writing that is intended to create a mood or emotion, or to recreate a person, place, thing, or event

a kind of writing that tries to convince the reader to act or think in a certain way

a kind of writing that tells a story

A short piece of nonfiction that examines a single subject- Can be based on research or personal experience

Can be read in one sitting Written in paragraph form, usually five

or more Purpose- to inform, to persuade, to

entertain

An account of a person's life written by another person

Has a plot Can be read in one sitting or have many chapters Purpose- to inform, to entertain

An account of the writer's own life Has a plot Can be read in one sitting or have

many chapters Purpose- to inform, to entertain

An account recorded in a question/answer format

Recorded word for word Can be read in one sitting May be written in bullet format or like a

drama Purpose- to inform, to entertain

Short Can be read in one sitting Focuses on one topic or main idea May be continued on a different page Purpose- to inform

A special newspaper or magazine article written by editors of the publication to express their opinion about a certain subject

Purpose- to inform, to persuade

Focuses on one topic or main idea Has a plot Purpose- to entertain, to inform

Information organized by topic Topics organized alphabetically The entries are short Used for research Purpose- to inform

Information organized by topic Used for reference Organized chronologically (by time) or

by topic Purpose- to inform

A small piece of writing taken from a larger piece, longer than what is usually considered a quotation

Used to make a specific point Purpose-to inform, to persuade, to

entertain

Nonfiction writers have to stick to factual information. They usually have to research their information before they begin to write. They have to organize their writing as well.

Nonfiction writers may use dialogue to record actual conversations. They may also use dialect to reflect actual spoken words.

Nonfiction writers also have to avoid using bias and stereotypes in their writing.

Nonfiction text can be organized differently than fiction. Here are some ways it can be organized:

Chronological order Cause and Effect Comparison/Contrast Problem/Solution Question/Answer Sequence

A way of speaking that is characteristic of a particular region or a particular group of people (You vs. Y'all)

dialect is distinguished by its vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation

An accent is only distinguished by changes in pronunciation

Written conversation- may be direct or indirect

Direct dialogue- The characters are speaking to each other. Quotation marks are used.

Example: “You can stay home or go to the park,” Mom said, “while I run some errands for your father.”

Indirect dialogue-the narrator tells readers about a conversation, but the characters are not speaking directly to each other.

Example: During breakfast, their mother told them they could stay home or go to the park while she ran some errands for their father.

A fixed concept or idea of a person that does not allow for any individuality

Examples: All teachers are female, wear glasses, and

have their gray hair pulled back in a bun all old people drive slowly and smell funny Nonfiction writers have to make a conscious

effort to avoid stereotypes, and readers of nonfiction should take care to note any

A personal and often unreasonable judgment or prejudice

Examples- Getting information about the causes of

lung cancer from a tobacco company An insurance company tells you that

the repair shop they send you to is the best in town