Genre is a French word meaning

kind or group

It is pronounced jon-ra
 The word genre refers to:
a category of
•Artistic
•Musical or
•Literary
composition characterized by a particular style,
form, or content.
Fiction
• Story based on the
imagination of the
author

• Written to entertain
the reader

• Characterized by a
setting, characters,
dialogue (talking),
problem/conflict,
climax and solution
 Fiction Subgroups
• Fantasy
• Romance
• Adventure
• Crime Fiction
• Horror
• Science Fiction
• Mystery
• Historical Fiction
• Realistic Fiction
• Traditional Literature
How do we classify literature into
each genre?
 • Fantasy
• Romance
• Adventure
• Crime Fiction
• Horror
• Science Fiction
• Mystery
• Historical Fiction
• Realistic Fiction
• Traditional Literature
 CONVENTIONS
A particular genre includes certain basic
ingredients which we call conventions
 CONVENTIONS

Texts often fit into multiple genres

Can you think of an example of a novel which

combines Science Fiction, Romance, Adventure
and Horror

 Mystery
• Suspenseful story
about a puzzling
event that is not
solved until the end
of the story
Historical Fiction
• Fictional story that
takes place in a
particular time
period in the past

• Often the setting is

real, but the
characters are
made up from the
author’s imagination
Traditional Literature
• Stories that are passed
down from one group to
another in history.

• Includes folktales,
legends, fables,
fairytales, tall tales,
and myths from
different cultures.
Horror
• Baddies, supernatural creatures
like vampires, victims, believers
and sceptics of the supernatural,
innocent children and young
women, hero, saviour, slayers,
mad scientists clever experts.

• Isolated places, dark places,

cemeteries, good versus evil,
revenge, courage, justice,
suspense, killing.
 Realistic Fiction
• Story using made-up
characters that
could happen in real
life
Fantasy
 Fantasy
• Story including elements that
are impossible such as talking
animals or magical powers. Magic
users (wizards); royalty
(princesses); unreal creatures
(dragons); hero/heroine
• Quest to overcome obstacles
• Enchanted places, castles,
forests, medieval time
• Good versus evil, honourable
qualities, friendship
• Successive volumes
Science Fiction
Science Fiction
• A type of fantasy that uses
science and technology
• Robots, space, time machines,
aliens, time travel
• Conflict with invaders
• A quest to overcome obstacles
• Set in the future (advanced or
regressive)
• Good versus evil
• Friendship, honourable qualities,
human potential, ethics
Romance
Romance
• Fictional story that takes
place in a particular time
period in the past
• Love match, overcoming
obstacles, becoming a
couple, happy endings
Crime Fiction
Crime Fiction
• Fictional story that takes
place in a particular time
period in the past
• Often the setting is real,
but the characters are made
up from the author’s
imagination
• Crime solved by detective
involves interpretation of
clues, villains, mysterious
settings, danger, weapons
suspense and tension
 GROUP TASK
• In groups, you will be assigned one genre to research.
You are to collect images, film titles, authors, novel
covers etc. that are classified as part of your assigned
genre and make An electronic collage from your
findings. Then answer the following questions:
• What elements need to be in a story to classify it
under this genre?
• Write a list that others could use as a guide to help
them recognize which texts are part of this genre.
• You will present your findings to the class.
Some examples from last year’s
Year 8 students…
Adventure!
Happily Ever
After