English 9 / Unit 6: Reading Nonfiction
6.1 Types of Nonfiction
Notes
Nonfiction is writing about real people, events and ideas.
- Informational text: explains facts (news articles, textbooks, how-to guides).
- Argumentative text: tries to convince (editorials, speeches, op-eds).
- Literary or narrative nonfiction: tells a true story using storytelling techniques.
- Biography: a life story written by someone else. Autobiography: written by the subject, covering their life.
- Memoir: the author's own memories of a specific period or theme in their life.
- Personal essay: a short reflection on an experience or idea.
Practice
A book about a famous scientist's life, written by a historian, is a(n):
A biography is written by someone other than the subject.
A newspaper column arguing that the city should build a skate park is a(n):
It tries to persuade readers.
How is a memoir different from an autobiography?
Memoirs zoom in on memories of a certain period or theme.
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