Genres of Nonfiction

Informational Provides factual

information

Examples:

Newspapers

Magazines

Encyclopedias

Infographics

Literary

Style similar to fiction

Tells a story

Real people, places, or events

Examples

Biography

Autobiography

Memoir

Essay Short work on a

single subject

Highly organized

Thoroughly researched

Structured

Informational Nonfiction

Words to Know

ClaimThesis

• A statement that requires support

• Used to explore an idea, prove a fact, state an opinion

Assertion

Proposal

Argument

Where to find the claim

May be at the end of the introductionMay be stated at the end of the pieceMay be implied (not directly stated)

EvidenceStatistic

alAnecdot

al

Analogical

TestimonialSupport

provided for an author’s claims

Statistical Evidence

Charts, graphs, polls, survey results, statistics

Considered more trustworthy and fact based

Using data (numbers) to prove a point

Things to Consider:Are the statistics accurate?Are they from a reputable

source?Is the information relevant?

Anecdotal Evidence

Evidence based on a person’s OBSERVATIONS of the world

Usually dismissed as untrustworthy/meaningless

Can be useful in disproving a claim

A short account of a particular incident or event

Things to Consider:Is the author ONLY using this

type of evidence?Are they anecdotes being used

to prove or disprove?Are there FACTS that would

better support the claim?

Analogical Evidence

Used when dealing with an under-researched topic or hard to understand concept

Provides examples that are similar to highlight a certain feature

A similarity between like features of two things, on which a comparison is based

Things to Consider:Are the comparisons far-fetched

or similar?

Are the claims best supported by analogy?

Testimonial Evidence

Support a claim based on experience or education

Expert opinion

Opinion or commentary from an “expert”

Things to Consider:What are the qualifications of the

“expert”

Is the background information relevant?

Does “famous” equal “expert”?

Informational Nonfiction

ANALYSIS

SOAPSToneSpeaker

OccasionAudience

Purpose

Subject

SOAPSToneThe voice that tells the story.Before authors begin to write, they must decide whose voice is going to be heard.

Whether this voice belongs to a fictional character or to the writers themselves, effective writers determine how to insert and develop those attributes of the speaker that will influence the perceived meaning of the piece.

Speaker

SOAPSToneThe time and the place of the piece; the context that prompted the writing.Writing does not occur in a vacuum.

All writers are influenced by the larger occasion: an environment of ideas, attitudes, and emotions that swirl around a broad issue. Then there is the immediate occasion: an event or situation that catches the writer's attention and triggers a response.

Occasion

SOAPSToneThe group of readers to whom this piece is directed.

Before authors begin to write, they must determine who the audience is that they intend to address.

It may be one person or a specific group.

This choice of audience will affect how and why authors write a particular text.

Audience

SOAPSToneThe reason behind the text.Writers need to consider the purpose of the text in order to develop the thesis or the argument and its logic.

They ask themselves, "What do I want my audience to think or do as a result of reading my text?"

Purpose

SOAPSToneThe central topic.Before authors begin to write, they must decide whose voice is going to be heard.

Whether this voice belongs to a fictional character or to the writers themselves, effective writers determine how to insert and develop those attributes of the speaker that will influence the perceived meaning of the piece.

Subject

SOAPSToneThe attitude of the author. The spoken word can convey the speaker's attitude and thus help to impart meaning through tone of voice.

With the written word, it is tone that extends meaning beyond the literal, and authors must convey this tone in their diction (choice of words) syntax (sentence construction) imagery (metaphors, similes, and other types of figurative language).

The ability to manage tone is one of the best indicators of a sophisticated writer.

Tone

Annotating Nonfiction

Underline the ClaimSummarize key pointsLook up unfamiliar wordsHighlight the evidence

Label the type of evidenceComment on how effective it is

Complete a SOAPSTone Analysis