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Non-fiction IntroductionEnglish I August 31, 2012
+Non-fiction: Our first literary genre
Non-fiction is a genre of literature.
What is a a genre?
A class or category of art
Features different forms, content, or techniques
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Examples:
Articles, essays, letters
Textbooks, biographies, autobiographies
Brochures, web pages, and speeches
Journals, charts, and manuals
+Prose
A genre that is written in paragraph form with standard punctuation and grammar
+Punctuation
Longer titles are italicized OR underlined such as:
Novels
Movies
Newspapers
Works of Art
…more to come next week.
+Punctuation
Shorter works contain quotation marks….
Short stories
Songs
Essays
Articles
More to come next week….
+Tips for reading
Begin with the title
Make predictions :“Thank You M’am”, “The House on Mango Street,”“The Model”
Consider meaning
Look for the author’s main idea
+Supporting Details
Facts
Statistics
Quotes
Anecdotes
Opinions
Descriptions
Examples
+Observe visual features of text
Charts
Maps
Headings
Photos
+Observe organizational features of the text
Compare/contrast
Chronological
Definition
Cause and effect
Problem-solution
Order of importance
+Observe the structural features of a text
These include:
Parallelism
Antithesis
Syntax
+Syntax
The arrangement of words within a sentence, phrase, or clause i.e. WORD ORDER
S-V-Object- sentence structure (often, but not always)
“I saw that she a cookie ate” is an example of incorrect syntax.
+Parallelism
The use of identical or equivalent syntactic constructions in corresponding clauses or phrases
“I came, I saw, I conquered.”
I went walking, skiing, and biking.– series
“For only when our arms are sufficient beyond doubt can we be certain beyond doubt.”-- pair
**word pattern
+Antithesis
The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases or clauses (Ex. “Give me liberty or give me death.”)
+Author’s Purpose
To pursuade?
To inform?
To express?
To entertain?
WHAT IS IT?
+Purpose- Persuade
Persuade- Author/organization has an agenda. They want you to “buy in” to something.
Advertisements
Commercials
Newspaper editorials
May be a very positive or negative tone- strong diction, strong connotations with bias
+Inform
The goal is to enlighten the reader with facts.
Textbooks, brochures, encyclopedias, sometimes newspaper articles
Nuetral tone
+Expression
Writer simply wants to express their own thoughts and feelings
Personal narrative (includes vivid detail, may be present tense), essay (as is, free from interpretation), memoir (memory- analyzes meaning of it)
Tone may vary here- look carefully at diction
+Entertain
Tell a story or describe real or imaginary events
Poems, stories, plays, etc.
Lighter, more positive tone- may make you laugh or smile
+Things to consider
Tone
Diction
Point of View
Bias
Appeals
Style
+Tone
Evaluate speaker’s striking diction
Discuss options for tone
Look at tone list
Be sure to have lines of support for your choice.
+Persuasive Techniques- appeals
Emotional appeals (pathos)- pity (self- esteem), vanity, fear
Appeal to values (ethos)- taps into people’s morals or values
Logos (logic)- facts, stats
Association- transfer (good feeling), “plain folks”, bandwagon (“everyone’s doing it”), testimonial (celebrity)
+Bias- how to detect
An unfair preference for or against a particular topic.
Look for:
An argument in which the evidence is unbalanced
Loaded language- intensely positive or negative connotations
Opinions stated as if they were facts
Overgeneralizations (All teachers are weird.)