Fiction Basics
Writing about imaginary people, animals, or events is called this.
Fiction
This is the lesson or insight about life communicated by a story.
Theme
Writing based on facts about real people, events, or ideas is called this.
Nonfiction
The main reason an author writes something is called this.
Author's purpose
A long work of fiction is called this.
Novel
The made-up people or animals in a fictional story are called these.
Characters
A theme that the author tells the reader directly is this kind of theme.
The key point of a nonfiction text is called this.
Central idea (or main idea)
An author explaining how tornadoes form is most likely writing for this purpose.
To inform
A work of fiction shorter than a novel but longer than a short story is this.
Novella
The series of events that happen in a fictional story is called this.
Plot
When readers must figure out the theme from the characters, events, and author's words, the theme is this.
Implied theme
A text in which someone writes about his or her own life is this type of literary nonfiction.
Autobiography
An author telling a funny true story mainly to make readers laugh is most likely writing for this purpose.
To entertain
Recipes, schedules, and job applications belong to this category of nonfiction.
Functional texts
The person or voice that tells a story is called this.
Narrator
“Friendship can help people through difficult times” could apply to people across cultures and generations, making it this kind of theme.
Universal theme
A true account of someone’s life written by another person is this.
Biography
An author gives reasons why students should have a longer lunch period. The author's main purpose is this.
To persuade
Diaries, journals, letters, biographies, and autobiographies belong to this broad category.
Literary nonfiction
A story takes place during a snowstorm in Alaska in 1925. “Alaska in 1925” identifies this fictional element.
Setting
A character lies to escape trouble, but the lie causes increasingly serious problems until she finally tells the truth. “Dishonesty can create greater problems than the ones it solves” is an example of this story element.
Theme
A writer explains her real experience moving to a new country and reflects on what she learned from it. This could be considered this category of nonfiction rather than a functional text.
Literary nonfiction
A brochure says, “Visit Yellowstone this summer!” and includes reasons families should vacation there. Although it contains information, its primary purpose is this.
To persuade
Assembly instructions and a personal diary are both nonfiction, but they belong to these two different categories.
Functional texts and literary nonfiction