Name:_____________________

Non-Fiction
(Easy way to remember non-fiction = non-fake, fiction = fake)

Writing dealing with facts and events rather than imaginative narration
(Based on real events and information)

Derived Forms:
nonfictional (adjective)
(nonfictionally) adverb
Specific Types of Non-Fiction

Almanac Encyclopedia Photograph

Autobiography Essay Science book
Biography History Scientific paper
Blueprint Journal Speech
Book report Journalism Statute
Creative nonfiction Letter Textbook
Design document Literary criticism Travelogue
Diagram Memoir User manual
Diary Nonfictional
Dictionary character
Documentary film Philosophy

Text Features and Comprehension

Text features help the reader make sense of what they are reading and are the building blocks for
text structure.

Text features go hand-in-hand with comprehension. Without them, comprehension could be

greatly compromised. For example, if the author wants a reader to understand where a country is
in the world, then providing a map helps the reader visualize and understand the importance of
that countrys location. If the anatomy of an animal is vitally important to understanding a text, a
detailed photograph with labels gives the reader the support he needs to comprehend the text.

Text features also help readers determine what is important to the text and to them. Without a
table of contents or an index, readers can spend wasted time flipping through the book to find the
information they need. Special print helps draw the attention of the reader to important or key
words and phrases.
Some Common Text Features within Non-Fiction

Captions: Help you better understand a picture or photograph

Comparisons: These sentences help you to picture something {Example: A whale shark is a little
bit bigger than a school bus.}

Glossary: Helps you define words that are in the book

Graphics: Charts, graphs, or cutaways are used to help you understand what the author is trying
to tell you

Illustrations/Photographs: Help you to know exactly what something looks like

Index: This is an alphabetical list of ideas that are in the book. It tells you what page the idea is
on.

Labels: These help you identify a picture or a photograph and its parts

Maps: help you to understand where places are in the world

Special Print: When a word is bold, in italics, or underlined, it is an important word for you to
know

Subtitles: These headings help you to know what the next section will be about

Table of Contents: Helps you identify key topics in the book in the order they are presented

Text Structure

Simply put, text structure is how the author organizes the information within the text.

Why do text structures matter to readers?

When readers know what kind of structure to expect, it helps them connect to and remember
what theyve read better.

It gives readers clues as to what is most important in the text.

It helps readers summarize the text. For example, if were summarizing a text that has a
sequence/time order structure, we want to make sure we summarize in the same structure. (It
wouldnt make sense to tell an autobiography out of order.)
 Examples of Non-Fiction Text Structure

While there are differences of opinion on the exact amount and names of different kinds of text
structure, these are the 5 main ones I teach.

1. Main Idea and Detail/ Description/ List

Some texts will also refer to these paragraphs as statement and support. This kind of text makes
a statement, and then uses details to support it. Key words include for example, also, one reason,
and another reason.
Real life example: A soccer coachs letter describing to parents exactly what kind of cleats to
buy for their kids.

2. Problem/Solution
The author will introduce a problem and tell us how the problem could be fixed. There may be
one solution to fix the problem or several different solutions mentioned.
Real life example: Advertisements in magazines for products (problem-pain; solution-medicine)

3. Cause and Effect

The author describes something that has happened which has had an effect on or caused
something else to happen. It could be a good effect or a bad effect. There may be more than one
cause and there may also be more than one effect. (Many times, problem/solution and cause and
effect seem like cousins because they can be together.)
Real life example: A newspaper article about a volcano eruption which had an effect on tourism.

4. Compare/Contrast
The authors purpose is to tell you how two things are the same and how they are different by
comparing them.
Real life example: A bargain hunter writing on her blog about buying store-brand items and how
it compares with buying name-brand items.

6. Time Order/Sequence
Texts are written in an order or timeline format.
Real life examples: recipes, directions, events in history

Note: Sometimes the text structure isnt so easy to distinguish. For example, the structure of the
text as a whole may be Description/List (maybe about Crocodilians), but the author may devote
a chapter to Compare/Contrast (Alligators vs. Crocodiles).
 Informational Text Structures

Structure Meaning Symbol Signal Words

Main Idea & To show or prove a Repeated words
Supporting Details point

Description To tell about characteristics are, is

Order and Sequence
Compare and
Contrast
Cause and Effect
Problem and Solution
something like, one example,
also, another, to
illustrate, to begin
with, on top of, in
addition to, etc.
To show events or first, second, third,
procedures in time next, later, then,
order before, followed by,
finally, etc.
To show how two or like, unlike, also,
more things are alike similar, different, too,
and different. as well as, however,
although, same as,
etc.
To show why so that, due to, this
something happened led to, as a result,
and what happened since, so, for this
reason, in order to,
etc.
To tell about a concern, solve,
problem and show a challenge, help,
solution prevent, so that, the
answer, one reason is,
etc.

General Questions: What is the author's purpose in writing the text? What text structure(s) did the author use? How did you
know? Did the author use any signal words? What steps did you take to identify the text structure?

Description: What is being described? What is the main idea? What is important to remember about this topic? How does the
author organize the details? Which detail is the most important? How do all the details fit together?

Order and Sequence: What does this passage explain? Why was it important to put it in order? How are the steps organized?
How does the author transition from one event to the next? What is the amount of time from the first event to the last?

Compare and Contrast: Which two items are being compared? How are they alike? How are they different? What similarities
and differences are the most important? Does the author tell about the topic using a clustered approach (all the details about one
and then all the details about the other) or an alternating approach (back and forth between topics)?

Cause and Effect: What was the reason it happened? What was the result/consequence? How did the cause lead to the effect?
Were there several causes and/or several effects? If there were people involved, how did they react to what happened?

Problem and Solution: What was the problem? What caused the problem? Was there a solution? Who worked on the solution (if
anybody)? Were there more than one solutions? Was the solution mentioned a possibility or has it already happened?