Elements of NONFICTION
PURPOSE: reasons for writing
POINT OF VIEW: perspective or
opinion about a subject
TONE: attitude projected by
certain words and phrases
Informative Texts
Inform or give information to
the reader
Examples: newspaper reports,
encyclopedia articles, and
science books
Narrative Nonfiction
Tell a story of real people,
places, things, and events
Inform and entertain the reader
Literary Nonfiction
Use language in creative ways
Words are chosen to stir up
feelings in the reader
Writers use comparisons in poems
or they include vivid details to make
their writing more interesting
Autobiography
A story about the writer’s own
life
Told by the writer
Three Types of Autobiographies
Memoir: Describes one or
more meaningful events and
may express strong feelings
Diary: A personal record of
events and experiences
Autobiographical Sketch: A
brief description of the high
points of a person’s life
Essay
Short work about a single
subject
Written for many purposes
Types of Essays
Persuasive/argumentative essay:
to convince readers to adopt a
particular point of view or take a
certain action
Narrative essay: tells the story
of an event that happened in
real life, often one that the
writer witnessed, or saw
Expository essay: presents
facts, ideas, and explanations
Reflective essay: presents the
writer’s thoughts and beliefs
about a subject or an event
Types of Speeches
Speech: an oral, or spoken,
presentation of a speaker’s
ideas and beliefs
Persuasive speeches: urge
listeners to adopt certain beliefs
or to take action
Address: a formal speech to a
specific group of people about a
specific subject
Talk: an informal presentation
in which the speaker shares his
or her knowledge on a subject
Other Forms of Nonfiction
Advertisement: written for a
target audience; about a
product or service; often using
visuals; aims to persuade
Letter: addressed to a specific
individual group; may be
personal or formal; aims to
share thoughts, describes
events, or requests action or
information
Editorial: states the writer’s
position on an issue; featured in
newspapers or magazines; aims
to persuade
Functional text: presents facts
in easy-to-read form; aims to
inform
Examples: schedules, menus,
charts
Author’s Purpose
Author’s main reason for writing:
To inform
To persuade
To entertain
To describe
To express feelings
First-Person Point of View
The narrator takes part
Refers to himself or herself as “I”
The reader knows only what the
narrator sees, thinks, and feels
Third-Person Point of View
The narrator does not take part
An outsider or observer shares
information that the other
characters do not know