Unit 3- Types of Nonfiction
What should we learn?
Elements of Nonfiction
 Nonfiction- writing that is true or thought to be true
 Functional Texts- practical documents that help people
perform everyday tasks.
 Literary Nonfiction- some of the same literary
elements and techniques as fiction.
 *writers of nonfiction have a purpose or goal for
writing.
Structure of Nonfiction
 Chronological- events in order of which they
happened.
 Spatial- describes items as they appear in space- e.g.
left to right.
 Comparison and contrast- groups ideas based
similarities and differences.
 Cause and effect- how one event causes, or leads to,
another
 Problem and solution- examines a problem and
examines ways to solve it.
Narrative Nonfiction
 Direct and Indirect characterization reveal the
personalities of real people.
 Vivid descriptions and figurative language describe
real places, real historical areas, and real customs.
 Artful pacing and organization describe actual
events.
Forms of Literary Nonfiction
 Expository- to explain a process.
 Persuasive- to convince a reader to do something.
 Narrative- to tell a story of a real life event.
 Descriptive- provide a vivid picture of something.
 Reflective- explain an event or experience.
 Humorous- entertain or amuse.
 Analytical- break parts down to show how the parts
work as a whole.
Analyzing Structure of Literary
Nonfiction
 Writers of nonfiction deliberately arrange their words,
sentences , paragraphs, and sections in ways that
develop their key ideas
 Text Features
 Subheads
 charts
 Key ideas
 First sentence
 Point of View
 Major Sections
Analyzing Relationships in Literary
Nonfiction
 Logical Relationships- work show their subjects in
relationships to the larger world.
 Writers show how they feel about their subject by their
word choice.
 Tone- attitude toward his or her subject or audience.
 Connotations- emotional associations with the word
choice: positive or negative.
Analyzing Relationships in Literary
Nonfiction (cont.)
 Figurative Language- in literary nonfiction, writers
often use figurative language, or unusual comparisons,
to bring an idea to life and create a certain tone.
 “Cyclone Lily”- sarcastic tone
 Lily sheds her things like a tree sheds leaves.- matter
of fact tone
 Lily is bursting with life. She can’t help but drop
petals along the way.- adoring tone
Central Idea
 The most important idea in a work or a passage of a
text. A single central idea may grow out of two or more
key points that develop throughout the text.
 Direct Central Idea- author tells the reader directly.
 Indirect Central Idea- reader has to inference to find the
authors most important idea.
 Notice how the author groups details
 Look for sentences that pull details together.
Reflective Essay
 Presents a writer’s thoughts and feelings- or reflectionsabout an experience or idea.
 Communicate thought and feelings so readers will respond
with thoughts and feelings of their own.