aka (info. text)Purpose: to convey knowledge about a topic from someone creditable about that information to someone less knowledgeable about the topic.  

Informational Texts

• Facts, statistics, true information

• Explains or gives the audience information on a specific topic

• AKA expository or informative writing

• Examples: Textbooks, cookbooks, informational brochures, etc.

Informational Texts

1. Clear Purpose • What is the author

trying to inform or explain?

• Evidence supports purpose with facts, statistics, examples, etc.

• Three different kinds of purposes when addressing an audience:– To inform– To argue/persuade– To entertain

• What type of evidence does the author use? Is this evidence creditable?

Characteristics of an Info. Text

2. Creditable Author • Do you trust

the author? • Have they

had life experience about the topic?

• Are they educated?

Characteristics of an Info. Text

3. Intended Audience• Who is the author

talking to or writing for?

• What can you assume about the audience?

• Is the audience educated? How old is the audience?

Characteristics of an Info. Text

4. Specific Word Choice (aka Diction)• Denotation – literal

or dictionary meaning• Denotative: “Animals

are killed for food.”

• Connotation – figurative or associated meaning – Connotative: “The

Falcon’s basketball team slaughtered WWS.”

Characteristics of an Info. Text

4. Specific Word Choice (aka Diction)• What words really

jump out and are important?

• Does the author need to define certain words for the audience?

• How does this diction contribute to the tone or emotional feeling of the text?

Characteristics of an Info. Text

5. Tone• Tone: the

author’s attitude towards the topic

• Expressed through diction

• Two categories of tone: subjective or objective.

Characteristics of an Info. Text

• Objective tone is “impartial”

• Does not show feelings, and is neither for or against a topic

• Unbiased or neutral• Does not use

pronouns such as “I and You”

• Examples: Textbooks, some newspaper articles

Objective Tone

• Subjective tone is personal and biased

• Characteristic of narrative writing

• Author writes to evoke an emotion within the audience

• Author uses words that describe feelings, experiences, or thoughts

• Example: Stories or Poems

Subjective Tone