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