Biographical Writing

Biographical Writing

Biographical writing is a type of nonfiction in which an author relates the important facts and events from a person’s life. Biographies are research-based and are written in the third person, using the pronouns he, she, they, and so on. Authors of biographies strive for factual accuracy in their work and are usually objective (factual, not influenced by personal feelings), but they also want to engage readers with an interesting story.

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is a type of nonfiction in which an author relates the important ​

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from a ​

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Biographies are research-based and are written in the third person, using the pronouns he, she, they, and so on. Authors of biographies strive for factual accuracy in their work and are usually ​

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(factual, not influenced by personal feelings), but they also want to ​

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with an interesting story.

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Biographical writing

person’s life.

facts and events

objective

engage readers

A biography is typically written in chronological order: Events are presented in time order, or the order in which they occurred. However, paragraphs within a biography may use other organizational structures, such as compare-and-contrast (an analysis of the similarities and differences between items) or cause-and-effect (an explanation of why something happens and how it affects other things)

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A biography is typically written in ​

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Events are presented in time order, or the order in which they occurred. However, paragraphs within a biography may use other organizational structures, such as​

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(an analysis of the similarities and differences between items) or ​

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(an explanation of why something happens and how it affects other things)

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chronological order:

compare-and-contrast

cause-and-effect

Match

Match each paragraph structure with it's meaning:

• Chronological order

• Cause and Effect

• Compare and Contrast

Events arranged in the order they occurred.

One event leads to another.

Highlighting similarities and differences.

• Events arranged in the order they occurred.

• One event leads to another.

• Highlighting similarities and differences.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is more likely an excerpt from a biography?

• Jackson Pollock was a modern abstract artist who used form and color to express himself. He lived from 1912 to 1956.

• I went to Paris in the late 1960s to study art and thought it was amazing.

Open Ended

"Jackson Pollock was a modern abstract artist who used form and color to express himself. He lived from 1912 to 1956."

Explain why this might be from a biography:

Multiple Choice

If an author of a biographical text wanted to present the important life events of his or her subject, which of the following should he or she include?

• Birth date

• Major accomplishments

• Education

• All of them

Multiple Choice

In biographical essay, an author describes how the subject of the essay, a young computer programmer named Alan, is fired from his job. This event leads Alan to decide start his own company. Which organizational structure best suits this portion of the essay?

• Compare and Contrast

• Cause and Effect

1. Today, Emma Jenkins is one of the most successful restaurant owners in Center City. But she didn’t achieve her success overnight. Graduating from culinary school in 2005, she landed a job at the famous Center City Grill. She became sous chef, or top assistant in the kitchen, in 2008. By 2010, the rising star became head chef and enjoyed national recognition.

2. By 2012, Jenkins was ready to take the plunge as restaurant owner and opened Jenkins on Main. Like Center City Grill, Jenkins on Main is focused on quality. Unlike Center City Grill, which features elaborate meals and complex presentation in a fancy setting, Jenkins on Main features simple meals, ingredients that come straight from local farms, and a down-to-earth setting.

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Today, Emma Jenkins is one of the most successful restaurant owners in Center City. But she didn’t achieve her success overnight. Graduating from culinary school in 2005, she landed a job at the famous Center City Grill. She became sous chef, or top assistant in the kitchen, in 2008. By 2010, the rising star became head chef and enjoyed national recognition.



The overall organization of this paragraph is ​

Select answer

Open Ended

By 2012, Jenkins was ready to take the plunge as restaurant owner and opened Jenkins on Main. Like Center City Grill, Jenkins on Main is focused on quality. Unlike Center City Grill, which features elaborate meals and complex presentation in a fancy setting, Jenkins on Main features simple meals, ingredients that come straight from local farms, and a down-to-earth setting.

What two things are being compared and contrasted in this paragraph?

Multiple Choice

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was born in 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia. He graduated from Morehouse College in 1948 with a degree in sociology. In 1955, Dr. King led the Montgomery bus boycott. On August 28, 1963, he delivered his famous “I Have A Dream” speech as part of the March on Washington. In 1964, for his efforts in fighting racism through nonviolent means, Dr. King received the Nobel Peace Prize.

What is the overall structure of this paragraph?

• Compare and Contrast

• Chronological

• Cause and effect

Categorize

Options (7)

Paragraph 1

Paragraph 2

Paragraph 4

Paragraph 3

Paragraph 5

Paragraph 6

Paragraph 7

Review the text "Nikola Tesla: The Greatest Inventor of All?"

Use the the chart to match the paragraph with the text structure:

Chronological Organization

Cause and Effect Organization

Compare and Contrast Organization