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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.)