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12 Nonfiction Literature Must Reads in the High School English Classroom

Jun 20, 2023

English teachers love a good work of fiction; we find many ways to include such works in our classrooms. Where we might need a bit more guidance or support is with the inclusion of more nonfiction literature in our lessons.

With nonfiction, students can use many of the same skills they do with fiction, but nonfiction lit offers some additional options and benefits. 

Through its focus on historical or current events, nonfiction literature provides background knowledge that will be useful as students continue in school and beyond. It also provides opportunities for critical thinking and connection-making between texts.

Finally, nonfiction literature teaches students about the ‘real world’ that can widen their understanding and point of view! 

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Table of Contents

Nonfiction Literature Definition

Nonfiction includes any text based on facts and real events about real people while fiction tells made-up stories even though it might adapt or adopt elements from real life. 

Types of nonfiction text stretch far and wide! From biographies, memoirs, or personal essays to textbooks for science, history, and geography, to any true account of current or historical events in newspapers or diaries, through to letters, reviews, and advertisements. 

Want help with teaching poetry in April?  Check out “Making the most of National Poetry Month!”

12 Nonfiction Literature Examples 

1. speeches  .

Focusing on the spoken word and referencing written forms, speeches fit into the realm of nonfiction literature. A good speech shares a person’s point; a great speech does that but with flair using rhetorical devices and figurative language to engage the audience! Teaching different speeches is important because speeches teach a lesson in getting an audience to care about a subject. Speeches additionally provide a closer look at rhetorical and figurative language in action.

• Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t a Woman” – Delivered in 1851 at the Women’s Rights Convention in Ohio, this speech focused on equality for race and gender. As an abolitionist and women’s rights activist, Truth’s speech is a must-read with your students! Begin your study of the speech with this series of quiz questions focused on comprehension using Common Core standards-aligned questions .
• “Declaration of Sentiments”- This 1848 speech from the first women’s rights convention is so named for its similarities to the US Declaration of Independence. This speech is a great one because it focuses on examining the author’s purpose of rhetorical devices like repetition, imagery, parallelism, historical allusion, and religious allusion. Grab this ready-made resource to examine all of these aspects!

2. TED Talks ™

Extend from historic speeches to more current incarnations with TED Talks™. They offer dynamic and diverse topics and speakers. At Ted.com you can search based on topic, duration, and popularity or check out what is trending based on months of significance or current events. What an easy way to include more Nonfiction Literature!

3. Essays/Research Papers

Secondary sources such as essays and research papers take a deeper dive into a subject and usually do so with a more narrowed focus. One option is to search Google Scholar for scholarly publications relevant to a topic you’re studying in class. Google Scholar includes a wide variety of disciplines and you can usually find a PDF version of the source ready to download.

4. Narratives  

Nonfiction literature narratives include memoirs, personal essays, and literary journalism. The stories told remain grounded in facts but include more literary elements to tell a gripping story. 

Here are some nonfiction literature narrative ideas with contemporary and/or historical elements: 

• “Hardware” by Kristin Menke – This personal essay is about a father who owned a hardware store and some of the people and situations he encountered; it is told from the perspective of the subject’s daughter. This original nonfiction narrative is an ideal jumping-off point for examining content and style. Check out this digital and printable resource with a detailed lesson plan, a variety of reading activities, and a full answer key .  
• Other narratives like Mark Twain’s semi-autobiographical travel narrative “Roughing It” work as a way to examine different genres. Such narratives are also good for lessons focused on skill development such as inference skills, summarizing, or citing evidence like in this no-prep lesson . 
• Jack London’s “The Road” is an autobiographical narrative about the author’s experiences as a wanderer at the end of the 19th century. Like Twain’s text, this one also works for a skill development lesson, this time with a focus on the author’s purpose using an excerpt from this narrative . 

5. Autobiographies and Biographies  

Accounts of others’ lives written by a third party in the case of biographies or by the subject (him/herself) in the case of autobiographies offer unparalleled insight into notable topics and time periods. Peeking into others people’s lives is not only exciting but highly informative since these texts offer a closer look into a person or moment.

If you want to integrate some science and history in your ELA class, consider an excerpt about Isaac Newton. Gaining insight into the mathematician and physicist renowned for discovering gravity is sure to pique students’ curiosity and provides a cross-curricular connection, too. Use this lesson with a biographical feature of Newton that digs deeper into the structure of such texts .  

6. Satire as Nonfiction Literature

The ultimate goal of satire is commentary that is either light-hearted or scathing in order to evoke a change of some sort. Exploring the rhetorical language used in such texts gives students a chance to see how authors play with language to great effect.

Here are 2 prime examples of similar satire: 

• A Modest Proposal is Jonathan Swift’s (in)famous satirical political pamphlet with a far-fetched solution to famine that is always a hit with students. Check out this rhetorical analysis and reading activities bundle that teachers say is comprehensive and easy to use ! 
• “Sending Grandma to the Ovens” by Colin Cohen is similar in structure, purpose, and topic to Swift’s piece but just as easily stands on its own. This lesson pack includes standards-based activities, graphic orga nizers, essay prompts, and everything else you need to teach rhetorical analysis, so your students can write with confidence!  

7. Paired Passages  

There is an art to using paired passages because you don’t want anything too obvious or too obscure. The goal is to have students ruminate on shared ideas so you want to ensure students can make those connections. Grouping like-texts together is vital because it provides a richer and more engaging learning experience!

For example, the following texts share a theme of fighting to defend the country but are dissimilar in time periods:

• FDR’s “Day of Infamy” speech delivered the day after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941 is a major speech in the history of our country as part of the declaration of WWII. Get students to read and analyze the speech with this FREE lesson . 
• Then pair FDR’s speech with Patrick Henry’s “Give Me Liberty” speech from a decidedly different time but with a similar message. Compare the use of rhetorical appeals to the audience in each speech. Prep students for this analysis with a series of activities focused on Henry’s speech in this lesson pack . 

8. Historical Passages  

First-person accounts of historical events provide a window into the past. Unlike biographies or autobiographies, historical passages are often less edited and therefore can provide a better sense of the time. For example, this lesson pack focuses on citing evidence from a passage about the Oregon Trail from Ezra Meeker’s accounts of his travels from Iowa to the Pacific Coast. 

9. Important Documents  

As the name implies, these nonfiction literature documents are important to the establishment of government, political thinking, and more that reverberate through history up to our current day. 

In the United States of America, teaching “The Declaration of Independence” is obviously vital. Students have likely encountered it in other courses so use this familiarity to dig deeper into rhetorical analysis. And make your life easier with this lesson pack that includes everything to teach step-by-step from the reading of the text all the way to the final essay .

10.  Sermons/Religious Texts  

These types of nonfiction literature texts, like so many of those listed, provide insight into another facet of history. Consider sermons as another genre through which you can analyze rhetoric, structure, and connections to the overarching topic of religion.   

One foundational American Literature text is this classic religious text. “Sinners in the Hand of an Angry God” by Jonathan Edwards is an early American sermon awash in rhetoric. Make teaching this nonfiction text stress free with this series of lessons all about Edwards’ historic sermon . 

11. News Articles  

With a wide variety of digital publications from around the world, news articles are another must-read for high school English. It’s important to know about our world through past and current events because they inform so much of our day-to-day lives. Therefore, make sure to include local, national, and international news sources. News articles are another chance to teach about the realities of different forms of media, a perfect addition to a nonfiction literature unit. 

12. Podcasts   a Different Type of Nonfiction Literature

Harkening back to the long-gone days of radio, podcasts have made a big comeback in the last decade. And the best part of this comeback is the variety that is available to use in high school English. Whether your students are into science, crime, love stories, current events, politics, or music, you name it and there’s a podcast to fit their interests. With a focus on oral communication, nonfiction literature podcasts provide a different form through which students can complete analysis activities and hone their skills for summary, author’s purpose, and just about everything else! 

Need help with teaching poetry?  Check out “7 Must Teach Middle School Poetry Activities!”

Why Teach Nonfiction Literature?

Two favorite podcasts include This is Love and Criminal by the same creative team and they are perfect for including more nonfiction literature in your classroom. Episodes in each series are a little off-beat from their key focus on love and crimes. For example, Episode 20 from This is Love tells the story of a man and his guide dog on 9/11. For Criminal , there are stories about witness protection, someone who habitually steals a community statue, police dogs and horses, and more. They are intriguing, relatively short (usually 30 minutes and often less), and just quirky enough to hook students!

Including nonfiction literature in any number of forms is important for student growth. And reading and analyzing different types of nonfiction at all levels of high school creates a framework for growth in background knowledge, comprehension, and skill development. 

But incorporating nonfiction texts into high school English classes can seem daunting. Just look at the list of options in this post! However, look at what you currently have as part of your lesson plans and consider where you could add a complementary nonfiction text. If you’re teaching a classic novel, incorporate an excerpt from an author’s biography or think about the big ideas of the novel and find some news articles, a Ted talk, or a speech (historical or contemporary) that can work. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel or suddenly create a whole new unit. Instead, focus on small steps to get more nonfiction literature into your students’ hands.

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6.1 Types of Non-Fiction Texts

4 min read • july 30, 2024

Non-fiction texts come in many flavors, each with its own purpose and style. From biographies that tell life stories to news articles that keep us informed, these texts shape how we understand the world around us.

Understanding different types of non-fiction is key to becoming a savvy reader and writer. By knowing the tricks authors use to convey information, we can better grasp their messages and craft our own compelling non-fiction pieces.

Non-fiction text types

Categorization and purposes.

• Non-fiction texts are categorized into distinct genres (biographies, autobiographies, memoirs, essays, journalism , academic writing , reference works )
• Each genre has its own purpose, structure , and conventions that shape the content and style of the text
• Biographies provide comprehensive accounts of a person's life
• News articles focus on delivering timely and accurate information about current events

Structural variations and techniques

• Encyclopedias are organized alphabetically or thematically
• Narratives follow a chronological or cause-and-effect structure
• Using headings, subheadings, and paragraphs to organize content
• Incorporating visual aids (graphs, images) to support understanding
• Providing citations and references to support claims and lend credibility

Non-fiction genre conventions

Biographies, autobiographies, and memoirs.

• Focus on achievements, challenges, and personal growth
• Typically follow a chronological structure
• May include anecdotes, interviews, and historical context
• Explore themes of identity, relationships, and self-discovery
• Characterized by a reflective and introspective tone
• May employ a non-linear narrative structure

Essays, journalism, and academic writing

• Can be informative , persuasive , or reflective
• Often include the author's personal insights and opinions
• Typically have an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion
• Characterized by objectivity, accuracy, and timeliness
• Often follows the inverted pyramid structure , presenting the most important information first
• Characterized by formal tone, specialized terminology, and reliance on evidence and citations

Reference works

• Reference works (encyclopedias, dictionaries, manuals) provide factual information on various topics
• Organized systematically, often using alphabetical or thematic arrangements
• Designed for quick and easy access to information

Effectiveness of non-fiction texts

Factors influencing effectiveness.

• Well-organized content, logical transitions between ideas, and clear, concise language contribute to clarity
• Providing relevant and reliable supporting material reinforces main points
• Vivid descriptions, anecdotes, and rhetorical devices make the text more engaging
• Provide additional context and make complex information more accessible

Audience considerations

• The effectiveness of a non-fiction text may be influenced by its target audience
• Authors must tailor content, tone, and style to meet the needs and expectations of the audience
• Effective texts consider the audience's background knowledge, interests, and reading level

Non-fiction in public discourse

Informing and influencing public opinion.

• Cover a wide range of topics (politics, social issues, science, culture)
• Exposes wrongdoing, holds those in power accountable
• Provides citizens with information needed to make informed decisions
• Spark debates on important issues
• Provide a platform for marginalized voices and perspectives to be heard

Impact and spread of non-fiction texts

• Author's credibility, text's reach and distribution, receptiveness of the audience to the ideas presented
• Amplifies their potential to influence public opinion and drive social change
• Spread of misinformation, propaganda, and fake news
• Highlights the importance of critical reading skills and media literacy in navigating the modern information landscape

Key Terms to Review ( 32 )

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25 Great Nonfiction Essays You Can Read Online for Free

A list of twenty-five of the greatest free nonfiction essays from contemporary and classic authors that you can read online.

Alison Doherty

Alison Doherty is a writing teacher and part time assistant professor living in Brooklyn, New York. She has an MFA from The New School in writing for children and teenagers. She loves writing about books on the Internet, listening to audiobooks on the subway, and reading anything with a twisty plot or a happily ever after.

View All posts by Alison Doherty

I love reading books of nonfiction essays and memoirs , but sometimes have a hard time committing to a whole book. This is especially true if I don’t know the author. But reading nonfiction essays online is a quick way to learn which authors you like. Also, reading nonfiction essays can help you learn more about different topics and experiences.

Besides essays on Book Riot,  I love looking for essays on The New Yorker , The Atlantic , The Rumpus , and Electric Literature . But there are great nonfiction essays available for free all over the Internet. From contemporary to classic writers and personal essays to researched ones—here are 25 of my favorite nonfiction essays you can read today.

“Beware of Feminist Lite” by  Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

The author of We Should All Be Feminists  writes a short essay explaining the danger of believing men and woman are equal only under certain conditions.

“It’s Silly to Be Frightened of Being Dead” by Diana Athill

A 96-year-old woman discusses her shifting attitude towards death from her childhood in the 1920s when death was a taboo subject, to World War 2 until the present day.

“Letter from a Region in my Mind” by James Baldwin

There are many moving and important essays by James Baldwin . This one uses the lens of religion to explore the Black American experience and sexuality. Baldwin describes his move from being a teenage preacher to not believing in god. Then he recounts his meeting with the prominent Nation of Islam member Elijah Muhammad.

“Relations” by Eula Biss

Biss uses the story of a white woman giving birth to a Black baby that was mistakenly implanted during a fertility treatment to explore racial identities and segregation in society as a whole and in her own interracial family.

“Friday Night Lights” by Buzz Bissinger

A comprehensive deep dive into the world of high school football in a small West Texas town.

“The Case for Reparations” by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Coates examines the lingering and continuing affects of slavery on  American society and makes a compelling case for the descendants of slaves being offered reparations from the government.

“Why I Write” by Joan Didion

This is one of the most iconic nonfiction essays about writing. Didion describes the reasons she became a writer, her process, and her journey to doing what she loves professionally.

“Go Gentle Into That Good Night” by Roger Ebert

With knowledge of his own death, the famous film critic ponders questions of mortality while also giving readers a pep talk for how to embrace life fully.

“My Mother’s Tongue” by Zavi Kang Engles

In this personal essay, Engles celebrates the close relationship she had with her mother and laments losing her Korean fluency.

“My Life as an Heiress” by Nora Ephron

As she’s writing an important script, Ephron imagines her life as a newly wealthy woman when she finds out an uncle left her an inheritance. But she doesn’t know exactly what that inheritance is.

“My FatheR Spent 30 Years in Prison. Now He’s Out.” by Ashley C. Ford

Ford describes the experience of getting to know her father after he’s been in prison for almost all of her life. Bridging the distance in their knowledge of technology becomes a significant—and at times humorous—step in rebuilding their relationship.

“Bad Feminist” by Roxane Gay

There’s a reason Gay named her bestselling essay collection after this story. It’s a witty, sharp, and relatable look at what it means to call yourself a feminist.

“The Empathy Exams” by Leslie Jamison

Jamison discusses her job as a medical actor helping to train medical students to improve their empathy and uses this frame to tell the story of one winter in college when she had an abortion and heart surgery.

“What I Learned from a Fitting Room Disaster About Clothes and Life” by Scaachi Koul

One woman describes her history with difficult fitting room experiences culminating in one catastrophe that will change the way she hopes to identify herself through clothes.

“Breasts: the Odd Couple” by Una LaMarche

LaMarche examines her changing feelings about her own differently sized breasts.

“How I Broke, and Botched, the Brandon Teena Story” by Donna Minkowitz

A journalist looks back at her own biased reporting on a news story about the sexual assault and murder of a trans man in 1993. Minkowitz examines how ideas of gender and sexuality have changed since she reported the story, along with how her own lesbian identity influenced her opinions about the crime.

“Politics and the English Language” by George Orwell

In this famous essay, Orwell bemoans how politics have corrupted the English language by making it more vague, confusing, and boring.

“Letting Go” by David Sedaris

The famously funny personal essay author , writes about a distinctly unfunny topic of tobacco addiction and his own journey as a smoker. It is (predictably) hilarious.

“Joy” by Zadie Smith

Smith explores the difference between pleasure and joy by closely examining moments of both, including eating a delicious egg sandwich, taking drugs at a concert, and falling in love.

“Mother Tongue” by Amy Tan

Tan tells the story of how her mother’s way of speaking English as an immigrant from China changed the way people viewed her intelligence.

“Consider the Lobster” by David Foster Wallace

The prolific nonfiction essay and fiction writer  travels to the Maine Lobster Festival to write a piece for Gourmet Magazine. With his signature footnotes, Wallace turns this experience into a deep exploration on what constitutes consciousness.

“I Am Not Pocahontas” by Elissa Washuta

Washuta looks at her own contemporary Native American identity through the lens of stereotypical depictions from 1990s films.

“Once More to the Lake” by E.B. White

E.B. White didn’t just write books like Charlotte’s Web and The Elements of Style . He also was a brilliant essayist. This nature essay explores the theme of fatherhood against the backdrop of a lake within the forests of Maine.

“Pell-Mell” by Tom Wolfe

The inventor of “new journalism” writes about the creation of an American idea by telling the story of Thomas Jefferson snubbing a European Ambassador.

“The Death of the Moth” by Virginia Woolf

In this nonfiction essay, Wolf describes a moth dying on her window pane. She uses the story as a way to ruminate on the lager theme of the meaning of life and death.

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Part 8: How to Analyse Prose Non-Fiction

Guide Chapters

• 1. How to make notes
• 2. Textual Analysis
• 3. How to analyse prose fiction
• 4. How to analyse poetry
• 5. How to analyse Shakespeare
• 6. How to analyse film
• 7. How to analyse images & visual texts
• 8. How to analyse prose non-fiction
• 9. Composing English responses in Year 9
• 10. How to write persuasive essays
• 11. How to write creative responses
• 12. How to write speeches & presentations
• 13. Year 9 Exam Skills

When students hear non-fiction, they automatically think that it’s going to be boring and hard. However, this is not true! This article will make analysing prose non-fiction easy and fun!

What is in this article?

Why analyse prose non-fiction texts, types of prose non-fiction texts.

• Different features of prose non-fiction texts
• Strategies for analysing prose non-fiction text
• Step-by-step analysis with a worked example

Non-fiction texts are informative or persuasive pieces of writing across a broad range of topics.

Non-fiction texts can encompass:

• Biography and autobiography
• And many other subjects

Non-fiction texts aim to inform or persuade their audiences using argumentation, opinion, and evidence drawn from real-life situations and people, scientific reports, and statistics.

However, these topics and approaches don’t mean that non-fiction texts can’t use fictional conventions. Composers can still create storylines, give vivid descriptions and use figurative language.

In fact, employing narrative conventions and techniques can better inform and persuade audiences!

Complicating things, non-fiction texts include a wide range of forms. However, to narrow it down, we will only be looking at how to analyse PROSE non-fiction in this post.

This means that we will NOT be looking at non-fiction images like charts or infographics. We already went through this in our last post, PART 7: HOW TO ANALYSE IMAGES AND VISUAL TEXT .

Let’s start at trying to separate fact from opinion.

Differentiating fact from opinion

When you read a non-fiction text, you will come across facts and opinions.

Facts are information that is proved to be true.

Whereas, opinions are personal views, perspectives or judgements about a particular situation that is not necessarily based on facts.

So, when we read non-fiction texts, we are learning about our world in a factual way instead of a more abstract way. There are some benefits of this:

• Make connections about what is written to the real world and yourself.  When you read and analyse about another person’s life, you begin to make connections between them and yourself. You become aware of their issues and how they overcame it, and apply it to your life.
• Encourages critical thinking . When you read non-fiction, you need to determine what is fact and what is opinion. Then, you need to find out how reliable the information presented is and whether you can trust it.
• Improve your focus . Because non-fiction doesn’t exactly have a fictional, climatic storyline, it can be a little difficult to go through the whole text. That’s why when you read and analyse more prose non-fiction texts, you are improving your concentration skills.

There are many types of prose non-fiction texts that you will come across in High School English. Let’s take a look at what they are and their features.

Feature article

Feature articles are the main or lead stories in magazines and sometimes newspapers. They are designed to grab the audience’s attention and go in depth about a topic.

They are usually subjective, opinion based, and entertaining.

The defining feature of a feature article is the way it is structured. Usually, there is a narrative in their stories to captivate the audience and make it interesting.

Sometimes, the main point isn’t even addressed until the end.

Reviews are articles that critique. They can evaluate books, movies, restaurants, places and so many other things.

Although reviews usually give concise summaries of their subject, it is NOT a summary.

Instead, they are critical assessments of things or places. Reviews usually provides a final conclusion on whether or not the subject will be worth the audience’s time.

Newspaper articles

These were traditionally the domain of newspaper organisations, but the digital revolution has led to a proliferation of non-traditional organisation reporting on news events – with varying degrees of accuracy and objectivity.

Newspaper articles are pieces of writing that inform the audience about a situation, event or issue. Usually, they report something that has recently occurred.

The traditional aim of newspaper articles is to inform their audience, but since the late 20th century they have also tried to persuade audiences of a certain perspective of events.

Newspaper articles focus on content rather the structure (unlike feature articles).

So, newspaper articles are simple, informative, factual and formal but not necessarily objective.

Biographies

Biographies are purported to be true detailed accounts about a real person’s life, that is written by someone else .

This includes books, films, documentaries, etc.

Usually, biographies focus on specific aspects of the subject’s life and go into detail. A biography’s purpose is to reveal intimate and personal information about the subject’s life, thoughts, and experiences.

They also follow a narrative structure. We assume their content to be true, accurate, and objective, but this is often not entirely the case.

Autobiographies

Autobiographies are detailed accounts about a person’s life that is written by them .

Their features and purposes are identical to biographies (above). Similarly, we often assume they have an objectivity in their content that is not there.

A detailed account based on observations of a specific event, situation or person.

There are many different types of reports. You may have seen experimental reports, report cards, business reports etc.

Their purpose is to collate, investigate, and present information based on observations, experiements, or data collection. Reports often include a section which suggests ways to improve or solve an issue.

Journal articles

Journal articles are essays and reports that focus on a specific subject or interest.

They are included in journals that are regularly published ( eg. monthly, yearly… ), come in volumes or collections and are written by qualified people in the field ( eg. experts, scholars… )

It’s aim is to present recent research about the topic.

Some examples of journals include Nature ,  Journal of Business Research , Journal of Neuroscience,  and Oxford Journal of Legal Studies .

Memos is short for  memorandums . Memorandums are informative letters or accounts used for legal purposes or shared within a company.

They are short, concise but informative letters and accounts, they are often sent by individuals in the same company or government or government agency.

It’s purpose is to quickly inform readers about the company changes, upcoming meetings, reminders, summaries etc.

The language used is very simple, direct, clear and unambiguous because the intended audience will usually skim over it.

Memos also usually conclude with a call to action directing individuals to do something.

Diaries are private logs of a person’s daily life, experiences, thoughts and feelings.

They differ from an autobiography because they are not written to be published and do not have an intentional overarching narrative.

Instead, they are just recounts of individual moments,  written with the intent to document, vent, or discuss. Diary entries tend to be logged regularly.

There are many different types of diary entries, like secret diaries, travel diary, food diary etc.

Letters and emails

Letters and emails are both forms of communication. They are messages sent to an intended recipient.

Letters are handwritten and are usually sent in an envelope, whereas, emails are sent electronically.

They can be formal or informal. They can be long or short. They can be personal or for work.

Letters and emails are used for a variety of reasons.

The different features of prose non-fiction texts

Obviously, non-fiction texts have their own set of unique features.

However, you may find that some of the techniques overlap as literary techniques…

This is because figurative language makes stories more interesting. And non-fiction texts still need to be interesting to be found compelling and remembered.

Here are some of the techniques you need to look for in a non-fiction text:

Strategies for analysing prose non-fiction texts

Analysing prose non-fiction is not so different from fiction texts.

Before we go into a step-by-step method, here are some points that you need to consider when analysing non-fiction.

The composer’s context

This refers to everything that could have influenced the composer’s perspective and views on life, including personal life, historical context, environmental context, social context etc.

Why is it important that we look at this aspect when analysing prose non-fiction texts?

Well, most non-fiction texts’ purpose is to inform and convince the audience. So, by knowing what is going on in the world and in their lives, we can figure out why what they are saying is important.

For example, someone born in the 21st century will be more concerned about climate change than someone living in the 18th century. Climate change wasn’t even a thing in the 18th century!

This allows us to better figure out what is the text’s message.

Intended audience

Although, we do look at intended audiences in fictional texts, we don’t really focus that much on it.

However, when we analyse non-fiction texts, it is very important that we know who the intended audiences are.

This is because the language and composition of these texts will differ according to the audience.

For example, if you were writing a speech about climate change for environmental scientists, you can use scientific terms, jargon and sophisticated language when presenting it and know that your audience will understand it.

However, if you are writing a speech about climate change for primary school kids. You can’t use these scientific terms, jargon or sophisticated language. You need to use simple, clear and concise language that kids will understand.

This is why it is important that we look at the intended audience when you analyse prose non-fiction texts.

Composer’s purpose

Composer’s purpose is the reason why the composer wants to discuss a specific topic. It is the intended message .

Sometimes, the way the audience receives the message is different from what the composer really wanted. But this is all part of the communication process between composers and audiences.

To figure out the composer’s purpose, we have to take a look at the intended audience, context and content.

Usually, the composer will explore a personal issue, whether it is a private life issue or a social issue that is existing in their time.

Who they are talking to will also determine what type of message they are trying to give.

For example, if a speech promoting racial equality is presented to an audience of that minority group, we can assume that they are trying to call for unity and strength to fight back discrimination. However, if the intended audience of the speech is political members, then we can see that the composer is trying to call for legal change regarding racism.

If you can follow a process for doing something, it becomes much easier as you know exactly what you need to do.

How to analyse prose non-fiction: Step-by-step

You know that there’s a process for analysis, right? Matrix students are taught the Matrix Method TM to read, understand and analyse prose non-fiction texts.

We will go through some methodical steps to analyse prose non-fiction that will help us better understand our text and prepare us to write.

• Genre and form
• Composer’s context
• Intended audience (and speech’s context)
• Look for techniques
• Figure the structure and its purpose
• Find meaning in techniques
• Link to composer’s purpose and audience reception

Now that we know the steps, let’s go through them in detail, using JK Rowling’s speech, ‘ The Fringe Benefits of Failure and the Importance of Imagination’ . 

Click here to read and watch the speech .

Step 1: Know what the text is about

Before we see how to analyse prose non-fiction, it is important that we know everything about the overall text.

Here are some points that you need to look at to do this:

Sometimes, you need to research more information about the composer’s context, or the speech’s context to get a good grasp of the text.

Let’s analyse Rowling’s speech.

• People should follow their passion and dreams, instead of doing what will give them ‘success’
• Don’t give up when you fail, because success can come from failure.
• Fiction can help people imagine and empathise with others.
• Empathy can lead people to help others in need.
• It is a commencement speech.
• Rowling is the 9th best selling author ever, known for her Harry Potter series (sold 500 million books)
• She studied Classics at the University of Exeter, against her parent’s will (they wanted her to study a vocational degree)
• Rowling lived through great poverty at the beginning of her career. However, now, she is one of the richest person in UK.
• She is very involved in charity work, donations and other human rights activities, like  Comic Relief  and her own charity, Lumos .
• Issues that she is passionate about includes: orphaned children, single parents, multiple sclerosis, mental health issues etc.
• Her intended audience are the 2008 graduates of Harvard.
• However, this doesn’t mean that the speech is exclusive to them.  Her audience also include Harvard faculty members, graduate’s parents, people who view her speech on YouTube etc. The audience base is always larger than her intended audience.
• It is delivered at the 2008 Harvard graduation.

Step 2: Structure and purpose

When you analyse prose non-fiction texts, you also need to look at the structure and purpose of the structure.

This is because the structure helps the composer convey their message to the audience and make their argument sound more convincing.

The most common structure for speeches are:

• Exordium : Establishes an issue. Creates a rapport with the audience.
• Body : Fleshes out the issue with a series of arguments. It usually builds to a climax.
• Peroration : Provides a ‘call to action’. Often provides hope for the audience that change can happen.

Now, let’s apply this to Rowling’s speech.

• Exordium : Introduces the harsh reality of ‘ real life ‘, the issues of fearing failure and the need to maintain your imagination (empathy)
• Body : She begins with the inevitability of failure, and the need to overcome the fear of failure because it will make you “wiser and stronger” than before. Then, she discusses human rights issues and how the lack of empathy towards them makes the situation worse.
• Peroration : Here, she gives hope to her audience by emphasising the beauty of humans and their ability to empathise with others. Rowling highlights her audience’s privileged position and reminds them that they can use that privilege to do good for the world.

As you see, Rowling’s speech structure slowly leads her audience to her final take-home message.

Step 3: Look for techniques and analyse them

Now that you know about the structure of your prose non-fiction, you need to look for techniques to further analyse it.

Ideally, you should be looking for techniques from each section as well as holistic techniques.

Firstly, in Rowling’s speech, we can find:

• Anecdotes : She uses a lot of anecdotes in her speech like her decision to change courses to Classics, living in poverty and her time working at Amnesty International and dealing with ex torture victims.
• Metaphor : “ And so rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life “
• Allusion  to her own novel series,  Harry Potter , second person plural pronouns and repetition : “ Gay wizard “, “ Time Turner “, “ Gryffindor “, “ Death Eaters”  and “ We do not need magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to imagine better “
• ‘Us and Them’ narrative and  anaphora : “ They choose to remain comfortably within the bounds of their own experience… They can refuse to hear screams… They can close their minds and hearts to any suffering”
• Second person pronouns , listing  and  repetition : “ The great majority of you belong to the world’s only remaining superpower. The way you vote, the way you live, the way you protest, the pressure you bring to bear on your government has an impact way beyond your borders. This is your privilege and your burden “

Then find meaning in techniques

Remember, identifying techniques is not enough, you also need to analyse them.

To do this, you need to find meaning and relate it to the composer’s purpose.

Let’s analyse the techniques we’ve found:

• Rowling’s anecdote of changing her courses and subsequently living in poverty illustrates how real life is very unexpected, and that you need resilience to keep pushing through hardships.
• The anecdote about her time at Amnesty International confront audiences of the suffering that exists in other countries. They then see how privileged they are compared to some other people.
• “ And so rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life. ” Here, Rowling states that failure can act as a reset button for one’s life. They are given a chance to ‘rebuild’ themselves and their lives. This shows audiences that they should not fear failure, but instead, be resilient.
• “ We do not need magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to imagine better. ” Rowling illustrates that humans innately have the ability and power to help others and that it is not something rare and out of reach, like magic. The second person plural pronouns make the audience feel included and motivates them to help others and do good deeds for those who can’t help themselves
• “ They choose to remain comfortably within the bounds of their own experience… They can refuse to hear screams… They can close their minds and hearts to any suffering. ” Here, Rowling differentiates the audience from people who consciously ignore other’s suffering. This gives the audience responsibility to be empathetic and help others because they are not the same as those who are selfishly ignoring problems.
• “ The great majority of you belong to the world’s only remaining superpower. The way you vote, the way you live, the way you protest, the pressure you bring to bear on your government has an impact way beyond your borders. This is your privilege and your burden ” She singles out the audience to give them responsibility to help those in need. Rowling identifies how they will grow up to become people in power and because of that, their actions can initiate changes for the better.

Think about the composer’s purpose and audience reception

Finally, let’s consider the intended audience and Rowling’s context to determine the purpose of the whole speech.

Remember, her audience are Harvard students. They most likely would have never ‘ been acquainted with failure ‘ before.

So, when they do ‘fail’ in ‘real life’, they might simply give up on their goals.

This is why Rowling highlights the importance of resilience. Because success can grow from failure. Doing this ensures that her audience is aware of the harsh reality of life and are confident enough to battle through it.

Then, she begins discussing a larger issue… human rights.

She paints vivid pictures of human suffering in developing countries and how the lacking empathy of privileged people makes the situation worse. Rowling then highlights the importance of imagination (empathy) and how it can be used to help others.

As such, she compels her audience to be empathetic of other people, especially those who are suffering. Harvard students will most likely graduate to become businessmen, politicians, or enter other successful professions. Rowling highlights that they must not forget those who are suffering because the graduates’ privilege and power can be used to initiate positive change.

So, when we put her two main ideas together, we can see a purpose and direction in her argument.

If these students give up on achieving their goals when they fail, they cannot then use their positions to help others. She is promoting the need to continually empathise with and help those in need.

From this, we can see that the audience would be motivated to fulfil Rowling’s message because they are not only confronted with the horrors of reality but asked to recognise their own privilege and power.

Now you can analyse texts, but do you know how to write about them?

Congratulations on reaching the end of our guide on analysing texts for Year 9, now we are going to show you how to put that analysis to work.

The next articles in this Guide will show you how to compose responses that wow your markers! We’re still perfecting them, so check back soon!

Part 9: Composing English Responses in Year 9

© Matrix Education and www.matrix.edu.au, 2023. Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Matrix Education and www.matrix.edu.au with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

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Nonfiction Reading and Writing Assessment

Many high-stakes assessments test your ability to read nonfiction and write analyses about it. You'll find these types of tasks on the high school tests for the Common Core, the ACT and SAT, and the AP tests for English Language and Composition, U.S. History, and World History.

Of course, these assessments seek to measure the reading and writing ability you have gained over the whole of your schooling so far, so simply cramming won't spell success. However, taking a practice test that requires the same skills will help you know what kinds of questions to anticipate, allowing you to score your best.

How Can I Practice for Assessment?

Listen to "How Can I Practice for Assessment?"

In this unit, you'll get to practice closely reading nonfiction texts. After each, you'll answer a bank of multiple-choice questions that check your comprehension but also require you to infer shades of meaning. Then you'll need to analyze a writing prompt about the texts and write an on-target essay response. You'll find three such practice tests.

You'll also find a practice test that requires you to view advertisements, answer questions about them, and write an essay response. Finally, you will find a practice test for answering document-based questions (DBQs) like those on the AP history exams. You'll analyze a writing prompt, closely read seven documents related to it, and write a response to the prompt.

At the end of this unit, you'll find sample argument and explanatory rubrics showing the way that essays are scored on high-stakes assessments. You can find the specific rubrics used for a given high-stakes writing assessment at these locations:

• PARCC Scoring Rubric for Prose Constructed Response Items (Grades 6-11)
• Smarter Balanced Performance Task Writing Rubrics
• ACT Writing Test Scores
• SAT Essay Scoring
• AP English Language and Composition Scoring Guidelines

For practice with high-stakes literature assessments, see the units "Reading and Writing Literature for Assessment" and "Practice Tests for Reading and Writing Literature."

Reading and Writing Nonfiction Assessment I

Closely read the following articles and answer the questions afterward. Then you will need to analyze a prompt about these models and respond by writing an insightful essay.

© 2024 Thoughtful Learning. Copying is permitted.

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• Nonfiction Passages and Functional Texts

Students need to gain lots of practice working with nonfiction passages. This prepares them for more advanced course work. Here are some nonfiction reading passages, worksheets, and online practice activities to give students practice. I recommend using the online versions of the activities if you have access to technology in your classroom. It will save you some grading and these activities include questions formatted as extended response in addition to multiple choice. Students can print, save, or email their results. I think it's pretty cool. Just make sure you tell students to save their scores and responses for their own records, if you are using email delivery. Then they will always have a backup for record keeping.

These activities are sorted by grade level. I welcome comments and suggestions.

Nonfiction Comprehension Common Core State Standards

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I’m glad that you like them and think they are helping. That’s great. I’m always working on updating and improving the site. Come back soon!

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Yes, I should be improving the format and adding a bunch of new content this winter. Thank you for visiting!

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I’ve got a bunch in the works. I should have them up sometime in December. Best wishes!

Theresa Fairchild

First of all, you are a life saver. I love your resources, and they have helped my students and me greatly. Another teacher and I would like to know why the answer for the the question listed below is A. With the movement to text dependent questions, C. is the only viable option. Logically, A. makes sense, but we were looking at the question from a text dependent viewpoint. 3. Which best explains why the original castles were first made from earth and timber?

a. It takes a lot more time and energy to build a stone castle.

b. It did not occur to people to build castles out of stone.

c. People did not realize how weak wooden castles would be against fire.

d. Wooden castles were prettier than dirty stone castles.

I think it is fair to require students to draw such an inference.

I believe most state tests will require them to draw similar inferences.

Perhaps the distractor C is unfair as you are suggesting.

When I revisit the content in the next year I will update this question. Thank you for your feedback.

Tina compton

I teach sixth grade. I don’t see where you have a grade or Lexie level for the passages you offer. They look close to what I need, a Lexie around 1,000 or greater. Can you give me an idea about where these passages are level wise? Thank you so very much! It looks like you’ve worked very hard! I appreciate it.

Tina Compton

Lexile is a proprietary term. As an educator you can use their system for free, but as an educational publisher I would need to license it.

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5 Ways to Analyze Nonfiction and Rhetoric

Analyzing nonfiction and rhetoric in the secondary ELA classroom is one of my favorite teaching units because it allows teachers to incorporate engaging topics that are both relevant and controversial in the classroom.

Teaching students to read and analyze nonfiction can be a great tool to teach students a variety of skills, but it can also sometimes be difficult to teach. I think the biggest problem in teaching nonfiction in the English classroom, though, is trying to convince students that texts matters outside of school.

One of the best teaching strategies to incorporate into the middle or high school English classroom is to show students just how relevant nonfiction is. So, in order to do this, you need to explain to your students why they are reading Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American by Frederick Douglass, for example, outside of the fact that the man led a fascinating and eventful life.

A few things the students should consider when reading nonfiction are tone, purpose, vocabulary expansion, and effectiveness. Here are a few ways to tackle these considerations:

1. Analyzing Nonfiction: Conduct Quick Research

Assign students a brief research assignment to explore new, anchor ideas. I often do this as quick poster projects where I assign student groups a topic and they must research their topic and write their findings on a poster to present to the class. The inclusion of an outside story on the same subject can allow the students to connect to the material in a new way and expand their minds to understand the purpose. It is like solving a mystery; you can’t do it without all the pieces. By having your students research and understand more of the context surrounding the text, it may illuminate another critical point in the text.

2.  Analyzing Nonfiction:  Read Aloud

Some students do better with hearing the text read aloud, and this is especially true for speeches. Whenever I introduce a new text to class, especially on that is short and quick to the point, I like to read it aloud to my students (even my seniors) so that I can model to tone and inflection of the piece. Another benefit to reading the text aloud to your students is that you can emphasize particular elements that you are trying to highlight and analyze. Another great teaching nonfiction text teaching strategy is to have students listen to the audio recording of the speech or text, especially if it is from the original author.

3.  Analyzing Nonfiction:  Focus on Vocabulary

Many nonfiction texts include words that our students do not know. When I have my students analyze new nonfiction texts in class, I encourage them to work together in partners to scan the text for words they do not know. Then students look up the definitions on their phones and share their findings with the class. An open discussion about the words they do not understand can teach both the specific students and their peers a lot too. Maybe their peers also did not know certain words either, and then this discussion will be beneficial for the entire class. This helps everyone in the class to improve their vocabulary while also improving their understanding of the text.

4.  Analyzing Nonfiction:  Quick Writes

Sometimes writing out their thoughts will help students develop a more concrete analysis of the text. When I analyze nonfiction with my students, I like to get them thinking on their own and comfortable with their analysis skills before moving on to a much larger writing assignment or project. I’ll assign multiple quick writes throughout my nonfiction unit. For a quick write, I instruct students to gather their thoughts and quickly write for about 10 minutes. Then I have students partner up and share their writing with one another. After a few minutes of sharing, I ask for a few volunteers to read either their paper or their partner’s paper to class. This shows students that there are multiple ways to analyze a text, and it also gives students more examples.

Here are some of the quick write prompts I frequently use in my classroom.

• Why do you think the author wrote this text?
• What was the author’s purpose in writing this text?
• What is one strategy that the author uses that makes this text particularly effective?
• Who was the intended audience for this text and why?
• How does the author establish ethos in this text?
• What is the author’s main idea, and how does the author support this idea?
• Do you agree with this text? Explain why or why not.

5.  Analyzing Nonfiction:  Get Creative

One acronym I use for rhetorical analysis is PAPA: purpose, audience, persona, argument. At the end of our nonfiction and rhetorical analysis unit, I have students select their own nonfiction text to analyze. They read the text and analyze it using the PAPA acronym. Then, I have my students create an artistic PAPA Square as their final project.

Nonfiction can be a great way to talk about different rhetorical devices and strategies. Nonfiction is also a great way to expand students’ worldview by introducing them to a wide variety of topics. Some might be historical, others more modern, and some are definitely on the controversial side, but they always convey an important message. Through these analytical tools, your students will be able to get the full effectiveness of the nonfiction work you have decided to analyze together.

Teaching Resources:

Rhetorical Analysis Unit with Sticky Notes

Ethos, Pathos, Logos: Understanding Rhetorical Appeals

Rhetorical Analysis Mini Flip Book

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Reading Skills

Analyzing the text structure of non-fiction texts.

• The Albert Team
• Last Updated On: June 26, 2023

Introduction

Exploring the world of non-fiction is like embarking on an exciting treasure hunt. Each piece of non-fiction literature presents a wealth of knowledge and perspectives to uncover. A crucial tool on this quest? Understanding non-fiction text structure. Grasping this concept can transform your reading experience, providing you a map to navigate the text’s content more efficiently.

What is Text Structure?

Text structure is how an author sets up what they’re writing. Think of it like a builder using a plan to make a house. An author uses a certain structure to share their thoughts in a clear way. This could be telling events in order they happened for a history story, showing a cause and then its effect for a science paper, laying out a problem and then its solution for a persuasive article, or looking at similarities and differences in a critical review.

Authors use these structures to make their text make sense and guide their readers. Knowing the text structure helps readers guess what comes next, understand complex ideas, and connect better with the text. It’s like a hidden support that keeps a text together and gives it its aim and meaning.

Why Should Readers Analyze Text Structure?

Analyzing text structure is like looking under the hood of a car; it shows us how things work and lets us see the hard work that goes into making it. When we look into how a text is structured, we get a chance to understand how the author thinks and how they built their story or argument. This doesn’t just help us understand the text better; it also improves our ability to think critically and relate to others

By spotting patterns, picking out main ideas, and getting the flow of thoughts, readers can feel more connected to the text, making reading more enjoyable. Plus, analyzing text structure helps readers have good conversations, write better essays, and, in a bigger sense, be more critical when they take in information. So, looking at text structure gives readers useful skills that they can use not just in school, but also in their daily life.

Common Text Structures

Understanding non-fiction texts involves recognizing their underlying structure. Let’s explore five of the most common text structures found in non-fiction:

• Cause and Effect
• Problem and Solution
• Description
• Compare and Contrast

Cause and Effect Text Structure

This kind of text shows how one thing leads to another. The cause is why something happened, and the effect is what happened as a result. You might see this in science or history books. These books carefully link an action or event (the cause) with what changed or happened afterward (the effect). Spotting this structure helps you understand the reason behind different events and processes.

Problem- Solution Text Structure

Texts using the problem-solution structure talk about a problem, then suggest ways to solve it. You’ll see this a lot in work about social, political, or environmental problems. These texts discuss a problem and then suggest possible ways to fix it. Knowing this structure lets you think critically about the suggested solutions to different problems

Sequence Text Structure

The sequence structure puts information in a certain order, often the order things happened. This structure is used a lot in history books, biographies, how-to guides, or instructions. It gives readers a step-by-step rundown or timeline of events. Spotting this structure can help you follow the chain of events or steps accurately.

Description Text Structure

Texts with a description structure give lots of information about a topic, often using words that paint a picture for the reader. These texts can be about anything from scientific ideas to historical events. They dive into the details to give readers a full understanding of the subject. Knowing this structure helps you visualize and understand complex ideas.

Compare and Contrast Text Structure

This structure analyzes the similarities and differences between two or more topics. It’s used to provide nuanced perspectives on multiple subjects. Non-fiction authors often use this structure to compare different theories, concepts, events, or entities. Understanding this structure can help you see different perspectives and make informed comparisons.

How to Analyze the Structure of Non-Fiction Texts

Now that you’ve learned about the different types of text structures, it’s important to understand how to determine the structure of a particular text. Analyzing the structure of non-fiction texts involves a few important steps.

Step 1 : Begin with an open mind and read through the text. Try to understand the big picture without focusing too much on little details.

Step 2 : Pay attention to how the author shares information. Are events told in the order they happened? Does the author talk about a problem and then suggest a solution? Or maybe the text gives a lot of information about one subject? Spotting these patterns will help you figure out the text’s structure.

Step 3: Try to think about why the author picked this structure. How does it help get the main ideas and themes across? How does it change how you understand the text as a reader?

Step 4: Link the text structure to the author’s goal or point of view. Ask yourself, “How does this structure support what the author is trying to say or do?”

By following these steps, you’ll get a deeper understanding of the text, which will help you understand what you’re reading and think critically about it. If you do this often, you’ll become a stronger, more analytical reader.

How Text Structure Contributes to the Author’s Purpose

A non-fiction author’s purpose or point of view can shape their text structures. For instance, Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” is a complex piece of non-fiction writing that integrates various text structures, as it addresses different aspects of the civil rights struggle. King’s purpose is shaped by the use of two primary text structures: problem-solution and cause and effect.

• Problem-Solution: Throughout the letter, King identifies various problems related to racial injustice and segregation. For instance, he discusses the problem of unjust laws and racial discrimination. He then proposes nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience as solutions to these problems.
• Cause and Effect: King also uses the cause and effect structure to demonstrate the relationship between racial discrimination (cause) and the resulting civil unrest and protest (effect). He explains how systemic oppression leads to nonviolent resistance and protests, emphasizing that these actions are the effects of ongoing racial prejudice and inequality.

Understanding the structure of non-fiction texts allows you to appreciate these nuances and gain a more profound insight into the author’s message. Just like each author’s personal background and purpose shape a novel, these factors influence the structure and presentation of non-fiction works, making each one a unique contribution to our collective knowledge.

Text Structure Practice: Analyzing George Bush’s 9/11 Speech

Let’s use what we know about text structures to look at George W. Bush’s speech after the 9/11 attacks.

Read through the speech carefully. While you read, underline or mark important points and transitions.

Think about possible text structures. Think about whether ‘Cause and Effect’ or ‘Chronological’ structures might apply. In ‘Cause and Effect’, we would expect the text to talk about a cause (like the terrorist attacks) and then focus on what happened because of it. In a ‘Chronological’ structure, the speech would mostly be organized by time. However, while there are pieces of these structures, the speech doesn’t mainly follow them.

Confirm the text structure. Based on what you’ve looked at, figure out the main text structure. In this case, the speech’s focus on a problem (the attacks) and the suggested solution (actions for safety and unity) fits the ‘Problem and Solution’ structure.

Spot the ‘Problem’. In Bush’s speech, this is the 9/11 attacks. Pay attention to how he talks about the events and how they’ve affected the country. For example, the quote “Today, our fellow citizens, our way of life, our very freedom came under attack in a series of deliberate and deadly terrorist acts.” identifies the problem.

Look for the ‘Solution’. Bush talks about this when he shares the steps being taken for the country’s safety and his call for unity and strength. A good example of this is in the line: “We go forward to defend freedom and all that is good and just in our world.” This is where Bush is discussing bringing the country together, promoting unity, and encouraging strength.

By following these steps, you can dissect the ‘Problem and Solution’ structure of Bush’s speech. This approach will help you understand the speech’s purpose, see how it was designed to reassure a shocked nation, and grasp how the speaker encouraged unity and resilience in a time of crisis. Applying these steps to other non-fiction texts will enhance your comprehension and analytical skills, revealing deeper layers of understanding.

In this digital age, understanding how to analyze and comprehend non-fiction text structures is a crucial skill for students. By recognizing and understanding structures like Cause and Effect, Problem- Solution, Sequence, Description, and Compare and Contrast, you can unlock a deeper understanding of the texts you encounter.

Whether it’s a novel by a renowned author, an informative article, or a powerful speech like George W. Bush’s 9/11 address, recognizing these structures will empower you to grasp an author’s purpose, viewpoint, and strategy more fully.

Practice Makes Perfect

By analyzing non-fiction texts, you not only develop your reading comprehension skills but also gain a deeper understanding of the underlying ideas and themes. However, just like any skill, effective analysis of text structure requires regular practice.

Here at Albert, we offer engaging and comprehensive resources to help you perfect this skill. Our practice questions and reading exercises are specifically designed to hone your understanding of different non-fiction text structures.

For more practice with this essential skill, check out our Text Structure Practice Questions in our Short Readings course , designed to provide thorough, step-by-step practice. Readers at all ability levels may enjoy our  Leveled Readings  course, which offers Lexile® leveled passages focused on a unifying essential question that keeps all students on the same page regardless of reading level. Learn more about the Lexile Framework  here !

So, keep practicing, keep breaking down texts, and keep working on this important skill. Remember, every new text you read is a chance to get even better at analyzing.

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Beyond the True-False Binary: How the Internet Helped Transform the Lyric Essay

Hugh ryan on truth and post-truth in creative nonfiction.

Twenty five years ago, the vast majority of my reading was both bounded and continuous—bounded, because most of my reading material came in discrete packets (a book; a magazine; the salacious graffiti of a seedy bathroom stall), and continuous, because although I might put a book down and come back to it, or have several books going at the same time, I was not generally bouncing back and forth between unrelated reading experiences simultaneously.

Today, I’ve already checked Twitter seven times while writing the sentence above, and now my brain is a whizzing fizz of climate change, K-pop, and “hot” takes in three languages and a hundred voices.

Over the course of the last generation, the Internet has changed our common reading experience; now, as a teacher of creative nonfiction at the Bennington Writing Seminars, I’m seeing first-hand how this new world of reading has transformed the instinctual writing voices of my students. An epochal shift is occurring, and from our great humming mass of distributed machines my students are summoning an unexpected ghost: lyricism.

The lyric essay is having a moment—despite the fact that many of these students could not offer a definition of the lyric essay, describe its techniques, or explain why they used them. But this is to be expected, as this change is not the precious reaching of a precocious undergrad, but an upstream change in the base reagents my students are combining in the alchemical process that is writing. To understand why this is happening, and how to take advantage of it, we need to first step back and define the lyric’s place in the ecosystem of essays. And to really do that , we first have to define what essays themselves are made of.

The Three Components of Essays

All essays have three fundamental components: self, content, and form. The self is the point-of-view of the piece, the storyteller; the selective intelligence of the author, which both chooses the moments that make up the piece and imbues each moment with the unique perspective that best serves the piece’s totality. The content is the thing we are writing about; what Vivian Gornick so masterfully defines as “the situation” (the plot or external object under consideration) and “the story” (the meaning, or internal realizations of the narrator). Finally, form is the shape of the words on the page, how they connect, spiral, or explode.

Think about it this way: all essays are journeys to new knowledge or states of being. The self is the shoulder we the reader are perched on for the journey. The content is the landscape we are traveling through and the path we are on (in Gornick’s terms, the moment-to-moment stuff we see is “the situation,” and our later reflective understanding of the path we took is “the story”). The form is our mode of locomotion, whether we are walking slowly and methodically from start to finish, or leaping wildly from beginning to end and back again.

The Three Kinds of Essays

Building off of this: there are also three main kinds of essay: personal , research , and lyric . All three have self , content , and form , but each kind has a corresponding component that is of dominant importance.

Personal essays are distinguished by their focus on self. The unique point of view of the storyteller is the fundamental reason to read the essay. The content is mostly there to provide a space for the author to think or have experiences, and the reader isn’t meant to learn that content.

Research essays are distinguished by their focus on content. Like journalism, they prize explaining something to the reader; but unlike journalism, the author is directly implicated—they are a part of the group, idea, or experience being explained, and through that explanation, the reader comes to understand the author better, as well as the content.

Finally, lyric essays are distinguished by their focus on form. In these essays, fundamental aspects of meaning are contained in or created by their shape on the page. For example, in lyric essays white space, fragments, repetition, juxtaposition, caesura, braids, changes in tense, and non-linear-organizing structures are frequently used to suggest or change the relationship between the written words and their meaning.

A Rabbit Hole Into the Concept of Truth

The divisions above aren’t arbitrary; they are indicative of a deeper reality about essays. The concept behind creative nonfiction is easy—tell the truth—but the truth, it turns out, is subjective. The three kinds of essay (personal, research, and lyric) are defined as much by their relationship to the truth as they are by how they are written; or perhaps it is more accurate to say that the way they are written is a sotto voce attempt to communicate the author’s understanding of “the truth” as a concept.

How does this work? Well, we can divide all statements into three truth values: true, false, or outside the true-false binary (neither true nor false, both true and false, shifting between true and false, not categorizable as true or false, etc.). In writing, we call these relationships to the truth nonfiction, fiction, and poetry. The different kinds of essays draw both their narrative power and their literary techniques from these pre-existing genres.

Personal essays fall closest to fiction; they are primarily about illustrating the unique point of view of the author. They smooth out the randomness of life to turn it into narrative. The truth exists in the meaning, not the details.

Because the goal of the personal essay is to get the reader to see a certain perspective, they often play fast and loose with the truth (on a small scale). For instance, almost every great personal essayist says that the details are necessary, but they don’t matter. So long as the overall intention is not to deceive the reader, invented detail—in this way of writing—is seen as helping the reader to get at the truth of it all. For example, here’s essayist Jo Ann Beard discussing truth in her book Boys of My Youth :

I remembered the bare bones, and then the rest of it is just constructed from what I know of the people involved. Fuzzy memory doesn’t usually work in an essay; you have to be detailed…the dialogue and various other things were constructed for the pleasure of the reader. And, I must add, the writer… I don’t think anybody could read [BOYS OF MY YOUTH] and think they were reading a factual account of someone’s childhood.

Research essays , on the other hand, double down on nonfiction; they are primarily about explaining some external reality or experience the author has had. The truth in these essays exists in the facts.

Research essays are thus detail oriented. They use a lot of proper names and dates and quotes, and the author can’t make things up without losing my trust as a reader. Atul Gawande, a surgeon turned essayist, is a strong advocate for this kind of truth in nonfiction. In The Guardian in 2014 , an interviewer noted that Gawande felt the “idea of precision” is something writers could learn from doctors. “As a doctor,” he said, “you have to notice the particular shade of blue the patient turns. You need to be very factual.”

Here we have the difference between research and personal essays: Gawande says we have to be very factual, Beard says no one would ever assume her work was factual. (For my money, the best craft essay on this topic is T Kira Madden’s “Against Catharsis: Writing is Not Therapy.”)

Finally, Lyric essays work the techniques of poetry, the area of writing where we rarely ask if something is true or not. Thus, they forefront the idea that truth is in some fundamental way uncertain, unknowable, or uncommunicable, and that life is not at all like a story: it is confusing, conflicting, discontinuous, random, and with multiple or unclear meanings.

Lyric essays tend to be quite subtle, occluded, and difficult, because they often abandon the conventions of normal prose writing. Lyric essays have to teach readers how to understand the rules by which they function, and that can be hard.

In an interview with the journal Sierra Nevada in 2017 , lyric essayist Matthew Komatsu discussed his approach to using lyric juxtapositions to move outside the true-false binary. “[You have] two different ways of viewing it, and I think when you put those two next to each other, if you do it right, there can be a very poetic aspect…where you can essentially represent the different viewpoints, neither being more valid than the other.”

We can see this technique play out in Komatsu’s tender meditation “When We Played.” Originally published in the journal Brevity , it compares his experiences as a kid playing soldier, with his experiences as an adult in the military in Afghanistan. But Komatsu makes this comparison via form, not the written word, and by leaving it thus unspoken, he makes it impossible to analyze in terms of its “truth.”

“When We Played” is composed of short numbered sections. Odd sections are italicized, even ones aren’t. This suggests to the reader some kind of harmony, or braid, that unites all the odd sections and all the even ones. Here is a short excerpt from the beginning:

1. When we played war as boys, we never died. Dead was a reset button, a do-over, a quarrel over who killed who. Maybe we played fair…

2. All those close calls. That time in Afghanistan the SUV drove past the white rocks and into the red ones—white all right, red is dead—a local in the backseat jabbering jib. What did he say? Translator: “He say, WE ARE DRIVING INTO MINEFIELD.”

3. When we played war as men, the wounded on their backs—they called our names, their mothers’ names, the names of all gods past and present…

Komatsu’s form leads us to expect that section three will be a segment about him as a child. When instead we have another adult section, paralleling the sentence structure of section 1, the unexpected juxtaposition suggests an equivalency between the boys and the men—an ineffable comparison built via placement and font. And this brings us back around to the Internet.

The Poetry of Tabs

In many ways, writing on the Internet (not for publication, just regular daily communication) has quietly routinized us to lyric techniques. Lyric essays are often identifiable at a glance, in the same way poetry can be distinguished from prose. Like Komatsu’s essay above, these pieces often move in small segments and employ white space, placement, and font to express ideas. They might repeat a word or phrase to explore multiple meanings from it; or place images, ideas, or phrases next to each other to suggest meaning without putting it into words; or break traditional grammar and sentence structure; or change POV suddenly; or abandon chronological time in favor of some other organizing principle (often alphabetical); or dive back and forth between seemingly unconnected threads; or speak in many voices simultaneously.

Where else do all of these things happen? On Twitter. In the comment section. In discord chats and news aggregators and blogs and the million other online spaces that now make up the vast majority of the quotidian, functional nonfiction we read every day.

But these techniques aren’t just more common because of the Internet, they’re also more useful, because the Internet has pushed us firmly into a post truth world. Deep-fake videos, endless stories of online grifters, and the anonymity of the Internet have tricked or will trick all of us at some point. Moreover: just the constant and routine exposure to other points of view, different stories, and critique from unexpected angles have led us to be suspicious of the Truth (capital T) and our ability to reach it or tell it overall. How does nonfiction function in the hands of writers who aren’t sure the truth exists? Lyrically.

When employed in creative nonfiction (like essay writing), lyric techniques literally complicate the ability of the reader to find truth in the written word: they leave things unsaid and therefore undefinable; they draw multiple, sometimes conflicting, meanings from one word or phrase; they break down sentence structure, embracing verb and tense confusion; they take the story out of linear time, which destroys an easy understanding of causality and motivation, etc.

Thus, the Internet has spent decades teaching my students to read lyric forms, and simultaneously, doubt the truth. It has created (or made visible) a problem—the unknowability of truth—and at the same time, sculpted a language to talk about it. This is not a process that will stop or reverse tomorrow, and I suspect that I will continue to see more lyric techniques in the essays of my students, peers, and friends in years to come. As a writing teacher, I don’t see it as my job to push my students towards one form of truth over another, but it is essential that I understand how the techniques they are using communicate the truth, and why they are reaching for these techniques, right now, instead of more traditional ones.

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