Nonfiction What is nonfiction Nonfiction deals only with

Nonfiction

What is nonfiction? • Nonfiction deals only with real people, events or ideas • Works of nonfiction are narrated from the point of view, or perspective, of the author, who is a real person. • Nonfiction presents facts or discusses ideas. • It may reflect the historical context of the time period, making references to major social & cultural information

Two Categories of Nonfiction • Functional texts – practical documents that help readers perform everyday tasks • Literary nonfiction – features some similar elements and techniques as fiction

Patterns of Organization • Chronological – presents events in order in which they happened • Spatial – describes items as they appear in space – for example, left to right • Comparison-and-Contrast – groups and ideas based on similarities and differences • Cause-and-Effect – explains how one event causes another • Problem-and-Solution – examines a problem and proposes ways to solve it

Literary Nonfiction Uses • To inform • To describe • To persuade • To entertain

Narrative Nonfiction • When a work of literary nonfiction tells a story • It may include: • 1. Direct and Indirect Characterization to reveal personalities of real people • 2. Vivid Descriptions and Figurative Language to describe real places, real history, and real customs • 3. Artful/Creative Pacing and Organization to describe actual events

Forms of Literary Nonfiction • Three Common Forms: • 1. Articles • short prose works • Present facts about a subject • May appear in print sources such as newspapers or on Websites • • 2. Essays Short prose works to focus on a particular subject More personal than articles Author has deep emotional connection

Forms of Literary Nonfiction Continued • 3. Speeches • Written texts delivered orally • Expresses the speaker’s point of view

Types of Nonfiction Type Purpose Examples Expository To present facts and ideas or to explain a process An online article that explores ways to keep your pet healthy Persuasive To convince readers to take an action or to adopt a point of view A speech urging the audience to adopt a pet Narrative To tell the story of a real- An essay about a dog life experience who saved a person’s life

Types of Nonfiction - Continued Type Purpose Examples Descriptive To provide a vivid picture An essay about the of something writer’s favorite pet Reflective To explain the writer’s insights about an event or experience An essay describing lessons about life the writer learned from owning a pet Humorous To entertain and amuse An article about the challenges of training a very frisky puppy Analytical To break a large idea into parts to show the parts work as a whole An article that discusses the criteria used for judging champion show dogs