1. Centerville-Abington Jr. High School
Identifying Genres
Mrs. Tiffani Thornburg
Centerville-Abington Jr. High School
Language Arts 7

2. I. Genre Definition
Genre is the category or type of writing.
There are 4 main genres.

3. II. Main Genres Fiction is writing that is made up or imagined.
Nonfiction is writing that is factual and true.
Drama is writing that is meant to be performed.
Poetry is writing that deals with the beauty of language.

4. III. Fiction
Historical fiction is imagined but is based on real events from the past.
Realistic fiction are imagined but could be true to life.
Fantasy stories are made-up and have elements that could not happen in real life, such as talking animals or magical powers.
Science fiction uses science and technology of the future
Folklore is passed down from one group to another in history and includes fables, legends, myths, tall tales, fairytales, and folktales from different cultures.
short story = a short piece of fiction
novel = a long work of fiction
novella = shorter than a novel but longer than a short story

5. IV. Nonfiction
Persuasive writing tries to convince the reader of something.
Informational writing explains something.
An autobiography is a life story written by oneself.
A biography is writing about another person’s life.
A memoir is a person’s writing about one event in his/her life.
Latin Roots: auto=self bio=life graphy=writing

6. V. Drama
A comedy is a play that is usually funny, has a happy ending, and entertains.
A tragedy is a literary work in which the main character suffers sadness or is brought to ruin.
Radio plays are written to be performed as radio broadcasts.
Teleplays are scripts written for television.
Screenplays are scripts for films.

7. VI. Poetry Poetry comes in many forms.
It uses sound devices and figurative language to create meaning.
In many poems, lines are grouped together in units called stanzas.

8. VII. Prose Prose is the ordinary form of written language.
Most writing that is not poetry or drama is thought to be prose.
Prose occurs in fiction and nonfiction.

9. VIII. Diagram of Genres

10. IX. Ways to Identify Genre
Read the blurb on the back of the book.
Look at the cover illustration or photograph.
Read the title.
Think about the author.
Look for text features, such as charts, headings, bolded words, etc.
Think about the text structure or how the book is organized.

11. X. Exercise 1
Directions: Read the passage and determine its genre. The Hard Way Out by Terry Vaughn In this novel, Brian struggles with living at his Aunt’s house and sharing a room with his cousin while dealing with the grief of having lost both of his parents in a tragic car accident. Basketball is his only escape, but after getting benched for low progress report grades, Brian’ world shatters. Does he have it in him to turn around his grades? Will Brian come to peace with his emotions? Can anyone help him? Genre: _____________________ Subgenre: _________________________

12. X. Exercise 1
Directions: Read the passage and determine its genre. The Hard Way Out by Terry Vaughn In this novel, Brian struggles with living at his Aunt’s house and sharing a room with his cousin while dealing with the grief of having lost both of his parents in a tragic car accident. Basketball is his only escape, but after getting benched for low progress report grades, Brian’ world shatters. Does he have it in him to turn around his grades? Will Brian come to peace with his emotions? Can anyone help him? Genre: fiction Subgenre: realistic fiction

13. XI. Exercise 2
Directions: Read the passage and determine its genre. Bronze Star by Irwin Keene World War II has been hard for Mama Conner. Her husband and three sons have been away at war and Mama Conner was left to keep the house together, raise money, and provide for Baby Maple. The mood in the town darkens suddenly when her neighbor Betsy loses one of her loved ones in battle. At Mama Conner’s ladies club, several upstanding ladies of the town are on edge after hearing a garbled news report announcing that a man from their town was lost in battle, but as the man’s name went unheard, the women are left to speculate as to whom will be the most affected. This novel ends in a surprising twist. Genre: ________________________ Subgenre: ____________________

14. XI. Exercise 2
Directions: Read the passage and determine its genre. Bronze Star by Irwin Keene World War II has been hard for Mama Conner. Her husband and three sons have been away at war and Mama Conner was left to keep the house together, raise money, and provide for Baby Maple. The mood in the town darkens suddenly when her neighbor Betsy loses one of her loved ones in battle. At Mama Conner’s ladies club, several upstanding ladies of the town are on edge after hearing a garbled news report announcing that a man from their town was lost in battle, but as the man’s name went unheard, the women are left to speculate as to whom will be the most affected. This novel ends in a surprising twist. Genre: fiction Subgenre: historical fiction

15. XII. Exercise 3
Directions: Read the passage and determine its genre. Intermediate Math Problems for Students by M. Colwell This workbook text explains how to perform basic mathematical operations, like double-digit addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. It also explains fractions and decimals. Genre: ____________________ Subgenre: __________________

16. XII. Exercise 3
Directions: Read the passage and determine its genre. Intermediate Math Problems for Students by M. Colwell This workbook text explains how to perform basic mathematical operations, like double-digit addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. It also explains fractions and decimals. Genre: nonfiction Subgenre: informational