Words to Know ©2012HappyEdugator

 Nonfiction is writing that primarily deals with real people, events, and places. It has a basis in fact, not fiction. ©2012HappyEdugator

 Nonfiction writing is written with a purpose-the reason why an author writes a piece.  Some reasons author’s write nonfiction are:  To inform  To entertain  To persuade ©2012HappyEdugator

 Nonfiction writing can be:  Expository  Descriptive  Persuasive  Narrative. ©2012HappyEdugator

 a kind of nonfiction that explains, gives information, defines, or clarifies an idea (i.e., science or history text) ©2012HappyEdugator

 a kind of writing that is intended to create a mood or emotion, or to recreate a person, place, thing, or event ©2012HappyEdugator

 a kind of writing that tries to convince the reader to act or think in a certain way ©2012HappyEdugator

 a kind of writing that tells a story. Just remember, nonfiction tells stories that are true. ©2012HappyEdugator

 Nonfiction selections can  be found in many places.  Some examples of nonfiction writing include:  Essays  Biographies  Autobiographies  Interviews  Editorials  Newspaper and magazine articles  Feature stories  Encyclopedias  Textbooks ©2012HappyEdugator

 A short piece of nonfiction that examines a single subject- Can be based on research or personal experience  Can be read in one sitting  Written in paragraph form, usually five or more  Purpose- to inform, to persuade, to entertain ©2012HappyEdugator

 An account of a person's life written by another person  Has a plot  Can be read in one sitting or have many chapters  Purpose- to inform, to entertain ©2012HappyEdugator

 An account of the writer's own life  Has a plot  Can be read in one sitting or have many chapters  Purpose- to inform, to entertain ©2012HappyEdugator

 An account recorded in a question/answer format  Recorded word for word  Can be read in one sitting  May be written in bullet format or like a drama  Purpose- to inform, to entertain ©2012HappyEdugator

 Short  Can be read in one sitting  Focuses on one topic or main idea  May be continued on a different page  Purpose- to inform ©2012HappyEdugator

 A special newspaper or magazine article written by editors of the publication to express their opinion about a certain subject  Purpose- to inform, to persuade ©2012HappyEdugator

 Focuses on one topic or main idea  Has a plot  Purpose- to entertain, to inform ©2012HappyEdugator

 Information organized by topic  Topics organized alphabetically  The entries are short  Used for research  Purpose- to inform ©2012HappyEdugator

 Information organized by topic  Used for reference  Organized chronologically (by time) or by topic  Purpose- to inform ©2012HappyEdugator

 A small piece of writing taken from a larger piece, longer than what is usually considered a quotation  Used to make a specific point  Purpose-to inform, to persuade, to entertain ©2012HappyEdugator

 Nonfiction writers have to stick to factual information. They usually have to research their information before they begin to write. They have to organize their writing as well.  Nonfiction writers may use dialogue to record actual conversations. They may also use dialect to reflect actual spoken words.  Nonfiction writers also have to avoid using bias and stereotypes in their writing.

 Nonfiction text can be organized differently than fiction. Here are some ways it can be organized:  Chronological order  Cause and Effect  Comparison/Contrast  Problem/Solution  Question/Answer  Sequence ©2012HappyEdugator

 A way of speaking that is characteristic of a particular region or a particular group of people (You vs. Y'all)  dialect is distinguished by its vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation  An accent is only distinguished by changes in pronunciation ©2012HappyEdugator

 Written conversation between 2 or more people - may be direct or indirect  Direct dialogue - The characters are speaking to each other. Quotation marks are used.  Example: “You can stay home or go to the park,” Mom said, “while I run some errands for your father.”  Indirect dialogue - the narrator tells readers about a conversation, but the characters are not speaking directly to each other.  Example: During breakfast, their mother told them they could stay home or go to the park while she ran some errands for their father. ©2012HappyEdugator

 A fixed concept or idea of a person that does not allow for any individuality  Examples:  All teachers are female, wear glasses, and have their gray hair pulled back in a bun or cut short  all old people drive slowly and smell funny  Nonfiction writers have to make a conscious effort to avoid stereotypes, and readers of nonfiction should take care to identify them ©2012HappyEdugator

 A personal and often unreasonable judgment or prejudice  Examples-  Getting information about the causes of lung cancer from a tobacco company  An insurance company tells you that the repair shop they send you to is the best in town ©2012HappyEdugator