Forms
A piece of writing on a particular subject in a newspaper, magazine, or on the internet.
Journalism
When the author is showing how two or more things are alike and/or different
What question do you need to ask about "when"?
When was this written?
A genre of nonfiction that attempts to explain or inform about a certain topic.
Expository
A broad genre of writing that encompasses all writing that isn't rooted in a fictional narrative
Non-fiction
A book containing facts about a particular subject and is used by people studying that subject
Textbook
When the author tries to lay out a list of steps or the chronological order of events
Sequential Order
What question do you need to ask about "how"?
How was this written? (What is the format?)
A true story written in the style of a fiction novel. Also known as creative nonfiction.
Narrative
A type of personal writing that is a detailed description of a person's life
Biography
a short literary composition on a particular theme or subject; generally analytic, speculative, or interpretative.
Essay
When the author tries to describe an event and its effects
Cause & Effect
What two questions do you need to ask about "who"?
Who wrote this? Who did they write it for?
A type of nonfiction book that gives information or instructions on a particular topic
Informative
An account of a person's life written by that person
autobiography
a magazine or newspaper, especially on a serious subject, that is published regularly
Periodicals
When the author tries to show characteristics or details about something
Descriptive
What question do you need to ask about "what"?
What is the main idea of this writing?
A type of nonfiction book that gives the author's opinion on a topic or controversy
Argumentative
A narrative written from the perspective of the author about an important part of their life
Memoir
a published collection of writings. can be written by multiple authors or the same author.
Anthology
When the author shows a problem and at least one solution for it
Problem & Solution
What two questions do you need to ask about the "why" of a text?
Why did they write this? Why do we need to know this information?
A type of nonfiction book that tells the stories of someone's life through their eyes or from an outside perspective
Personal
A type of nonfiction writing that reviews and summarizes other pieces of nonfiction works
Literature Review