Informational text terms

Text feature

A characteristic regarding how the text is presented or something that supplements the text such as a graphic, picture, heading, caption, side-bar, etc.

Subheading

A less important heading that falls under a previous heading

E.g.

An abbreviation for "for example." It comes from the Latin exempli gratia

Implicit

An idea that the author communicate indirectly... The reader must make an inference to understand the implicit message. For example, in fiction, the theme is implicit.

Nonfiction structure

An organizational structure found in nonfiction (sequence or chronological order, question/answer, cause/effect, problem/solution)

I.e.

And abbreviation for "that is" - used before restating/clarifying an idea. It comes from the Latin id est

Objective (adjective)

Based on facts, not opinion. Antonym of subjective. An objective summary would give the main ideas as stated by the author - not including the reader's interpretation

Textual evidence

Ideas pulled/cited directly from the reading passage

Central idea

Main idea

Informational text

Nonfiction text, written primarily to convey factual information, informational texts include textbooks, newspapers, reports, directions, brochures, and technical manuals.

Jargon

Similar to technical terms; jargon is language and vocabulary used in a particular field. For example, Biology jargon or legal jargon - these are words that the average person may not know if they do not work in, or have knowledge of, that field

Explicit

Stated directly; an idea that an author states explicitly can be found directly in the text

Evidence

Supporting details and reasons that an author gives to support his/hers main idea

Technical terms

Terms that are used for a specific field of study. For example, if reading a science article, the technical terms would be science terms that the average reader may not know

Expository text

Text written to explain and convey information about specific topic. Contrasts with narrative text. Exposing text and informational text are very similar terms - often used interchangeably, but expository usually means to explain something.

Connotation

The "feeling" of a word. Related to its precise meaning, or denotation. Often words are described as having a negative, positive, or neutral connotation

Denotation

The actual dictionary definition of a word

Author's purpose

The author's intent either to inform or teach someone about something, to entertain people, or to persuade or convince the audience to do or not to do something. An author's purpose may also be described more specifically, for example, to inform about a certain idea or to teach a certain lesson. Also, an author may have more than one purpose.

Text structure

The author's method of organizing a text. See next term for nonfiction examples. In narrative writing, the typical structure is exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution

Topic sentence

The sentence in s paragraph that states the main idea

Thesis

The subject or major argument of a composition.

Heading

Words or phrases in bold print that indicate the topic of a portion of the text.

Transition words

Words that help maintain the flow of ideas in a text and signal the author's purpose. Connecting words. (For example, however, but, in other words, on the other hand, therefore, etc.)