Informational Texts

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.
Characteristics of an Info. Text
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.
Objective Tone

• 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
Subjective 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