GENRE CHARACTERISTI

CS

Definition

A category or type of

book/music

Non Fiction

Narrative non fiction

Essay

Speech

Biography

Autobiography

Expository/ Informational

text

2 TYPES OF GENRE

Fiction

Legend

Tall tale

Mystery

Historical fiction

Science fiction

Adventure

Folklore

Horror

Realistic fiction

Fantasy

Fables

Mythology

NON FICTIONNarrative Non fiction- facts

presented as a story (Titanic)

Essay- short literary

composition that reflects

author’s outlook or point

Speech- oral communication to

express one’s thought and

emotions

NON FICTION Biography

• An account of a real person’s life written by

someone else

• Tells important information about a person’s life,

including his or her achievements or talents.

• Tells how a person talks, feels, and thinks about

things

• Either may be the about the person’s whole life or part

of their life

• Events are usually told in the order they

occurred(chronologically)

NON FICTION Autobiography

• An account by a person about his or her own life

• Tells important information about their own life,

including achievements or talents.

• Tells how the person talks, feels, and thinks about

things

• Either may be the about the person’s whole life or

part of their life

• Events are usually told in the order they occurred

(chronologically)

NON FICTION

Expository text/ informational text

• Gives factual and verifiable information about a

specific subject.

• Information presented can be checked using other

sources (newspapers, encyclopedias, etc.)

• Uses facts about real events and people

• Presents information in a clear way

• Gives events in the order in which they happened

• Writing organized by topics

• May use diagrams, photographs, and other

illustration

FICTION

Drama- stories composed usually for theatrical

performance

Poetry- verse and rhythmic writing with imagery that

evokes an emotional response

FICTION

Legend- based on fact but includes some imaginative material

Tall tale- humorous story with blatant exaggerations,

swaggering here who do the impossible with an here of

nonchalance

FICTIONMystery

• Solving a puzzling event or situation

• Something unknown

• Solving a crime

• Centered around a person who investigates

(detective) wrongdoing

• Centered around a person or persons

employed to obtain secret information

FICTIONHistorical fiction

• Story is set in a particular time and place in the past

• Story contains details that make the story more

realistic.

• Characters talk, dress, and act like people of that

time period

• Story involves real people and actual events that

happened in history

FICTIONScience fiction

• Characters solve problems in a futuristic setting

anywhere in the universe

• Humans, extraterrestrials, or members of other species

• Involve the effects of advanced science and technology

on life

• Stories blend fact and fiction

FICTION

Horror• Supernatural/Non-supernatural

• Provokes a response – emotional, psychological or physical

• Unreal figures (phantoms, mummies, vampires etc)

• Real figures (serial killers, stalkers, etc)

• Real situations (crime scenes, divorce, inequality, drugs etc)

• Antagonist provokes the fear, anger, or tension

• Many times ‘the ending’ is unresolved (heightens the fear factor)

• Unexpected events

• Dark, dismal, eerie, gruesome

FICTIONAdventure

• A story has characters who behave like

real people and animals.

• The settings are real or could be real

• The events could happen in real life

• The story has action or suspense, or both.

FICTION

Folklore• A story that has been told and retold over

generations

• Different countries have similar folklore

• Can be songs, stories, myths and proverbs

• False and based on unsubstantiated beliefs

FICTION

Realistic fiction

• Set in modern/current times

• Realistic characters

• Real world settings

• Every day language

• Themes dealing with basic truths or human nature

• Events are not true, but could really happen

FICTION

Fantasy• Elements that are not real (unicorn, talking animals, characters

with magical powers)

• Conflict between good and evil (theme)

• Alternative World

• Teaches a lesson or moral of story (theme)

• Fiction that invites suspension of reality

• Magic

FICTION

Fable with fairy tales• Story about supernatural or extraordinary people

• In fables, characters can be animals or objects that speak

• The story often teaches a lesson or moral of the story (theme)

• Good wins over evil (theme)

• The story has an exciting high point at the end

• Fairy tales, often begin with “once upon a time” or Long ago in a faraway

place.”

• In fairy tales, stories are about fairies or other magical creatures

FICTION

Mythology• Type of legend or traditional narrative

• Often based in part on historical events

• Reveals behavior and natural phenomena by its

symbolism

• Often pertaining to the actions of Gods

FICTION

RomanceRelationships are key to the plot

Romances tend to be predictable in plot and in language

The story usually holds up traditional values – strong relationships,

fidelity, and family bonds

The stories tend to be fast-paced, with lots of dialogue and not a lot of

description

Romances appeal to the need to escape the routine and anxiety of

everyday life

Many of the stories deal with social issues

The frame of romances can vary widely – historical to contemporary to

time-travel, with settings all over the world