Transcript Elements of Nonfiction

Elements of
Nonfiction
Turn in your literature book
to page 204-207
What is Nonfiction?
 Nonfiction
is writing about actual people,
ideas, and events.
 Nonfiction
writing presents information
that is true or thought to be true.
Types of Nonfiction

Narration – tell stories of real events

Informative – provide information on a topic

Argument – (persuasive) convince readers to take
action or think differently

Reflection – offer insight to the author’s personal
experience

Explanatory – explain a process or provide
direction
Author’s Purpose
 To
inform or explain
 To
persuade or to argue
 To
entertain or to amuse
How to Find Author’s Purpose
 Looking
at how the nonfiction work is
organized tells us what is the author’s
purpose.



Look for charts and subheadings for clues
to the author’s purpose.
The opening sentence usually states or
suggests the key ideas.
Find their point of view, their beliefs on the
subject.
Example Author’s Purpose
Example: Section Headings
• How to get around, What to See, Where to
Eat
Unstated Key Idea
• New York City is a good place to visit
Author’s Purpose
• Inform tourists
Logical Relationships
 Logical
relationships show how their
subjects relate to the larger world. This
could be cause and effect.
If a text is about…
It might show…
The Civil War
• What events and
ideas caused the
war
• Who suffered during
the war
The author’s life as a
spy
• What caused her
career choice
• How her actions
affected others
Word Choice
 To
help find author purpose, look at the
words they use. This will help reveal their
tone, or attitude toward the topic.
 Do their words have a positive or negative
connotation?

Do they call someone “curious” or “nosy”?
They mean the same thing, but one sounds
nicer than the other.
Figurative Language
 Literary
nonfiction writers often use
figurative language to create
comparisons or create a certain tone.
Example
Lily is
compared
to…
Tone
“Cyclone Lily” strikes A cyclone
again.
Sarcastic
Lily sheds her things
like a tree sheds
leaves.
A tree
Matter-of-fact
Lily is bursting with
life. She can’t help
but drop petals
along the way.
A flower
Adoring
Structure of Nonfiction
Structures
Description
Chronological
Presents events in the order
in which they happened
Spatial
Describes items as they
appear in space (ex: left to
right)
Comparison-and-Contrast
Groups ideas based on their
similarities and differences
Cause-and-Effect
Explains how one event
causes another
Problem-and-Solution
Examines a problem and
proposes ways to solve it
Literary Nonfiction

There are many kinds of literary nonfiction.

Articles - Short works that present facts about a subject.

Newspapers, web sites

Essays - Short works that focus on a particular subject
Author usually has deep emotional connection to the
topic

Speeches - Written texts delivered orally to an
audience

Autobiographies and Biographies

Letters and memos
Type
Purpose
Examples
Expository
To present facts and
ideas/explain a process
An online article
explaining how to
keep a dog healthy
Persuasive
Convince readers to
take action/change
point of view
A speech urging
someone to adopt a
pet
Narrative
Tells a story of a real
experience
Essay about your pet
dog saving your life
Descriptive
Provides vivid picture of
something
Essay about writer’s
favorite pet
Reflective
Explains writer’s insights
about an
event/experience
Essay about life
lessons learned from
having a pet
Humorous
Entertains and amuses
Article about
challenges raising a
puppy.
Analytical
Breaks down large ideas Article discussing
into parts to explain how judging champion