Nonfiction C-Notes

reading
Nonfiction
Nonfiction
Prose (Ordinary spoken or written
language) that deals with real
events and real people.

Important note:
Nonfiction texts are not guaranteed
to be accurate, but the author
believes the information to be
factual.
(Meaning, they are NOT making it
up.)

The 3 General Purposes of (Nonfiction)
Writing:
1. To persuade
2. To inform
(including
to explain,
to describe)
3. To entertain
Can you think of types of nonfiction?
Brainstorm a list of 4 examples:
Types of Nonfiction
Examples We Will Consider Include:


Writing About People:
Diaries/Journals
Autobiographies/
Biographies/
Memoirs



Essays:
Expository Essays
Persuasive Essays

Misc:
Speeches
Letters
Instructions


What are some traits of nonfiction
writing?
Brainstorm a list of 4 traits:

What are some traits of nonfiction writing?
Traits Include:
Real events, places, and ideas
presented
Narrated by an author
who is a real person (meaning?).
Presents facts, describes true-life
experiences, or discusses ideas.
Written for a specific audience, or group of readers.
Addresses a clear purpose, or reason for writing. The
audience and purpose influence the type of information
a writer includes.
Tone, the authors attitude toward the subject or reader,
is displayed through the writers word choice and style.

More Info:
Autobiography and Biography
An autobiography is a story of a persons life
written by that person.
Memoir is a type of
autobiography on one experience
or period in the persons life
Biography is the story of a
persons life written by
someone other than that
person.
More Info: Essays
An essay is a relatively short piece of
nonfiction in which the writer explores a
single topic from his or her own perspective

Essays can be formal or informal

More Info: Type of Formal Essays
There are two types of essays:
1. Expository the purpose is to explain,
describe, give information or inform
2. Persuasive the purpose is to try to
influence the readers or listeners ideas or
actions. Persuasive essays contain an
argument.
Nonfiction Reading Guide:
To be used with all our NF reading
1. Determine what type of work you are reading
2. Determine the audience for the piece
3. Identify the authors tone
4. Identify the authors purpose (entertain, inform,
persuade)
If it is to informlook for the main thesis and support
for the thesis
If it is to entertainlook for literary devices
If it is to persuadelook for the argument and the
devices used to try to persuade you


Fact Vs. Opinion
Fact can be proved or disproved.
Opinion expresses a belief in
which people can agree or
disagree with.
How-To
Homework:
Write the steps for how to make or do something.
The steps must be very detailed!
(How to make a food, craft, drawing, How to play
a specific song, etc.)
*Do not say Put the peanut butter on the bread
unless you LITERALLY mean for
them to put the UNOPENED jar
on the bread.