Nonfiction Terms Glossary

What do you call a label or brief explanation that accompanies a photograph or an illustration?

• headline

• caption

• sidebar

• subhead

What do you call the main point an author is making or what the reading is mainly about?

• direct quotation

• headline

• caption

• central idea

What is a report of the exact words of an author or speaker? It can also be when you copy exact words from a source.

• direct quotation

• headline

• objective summary

• paraphrase

What is the title of an article in a newspaper, magazine, or website called?

• subhead

• sidebar

• caption

• headline

What do you call a short statement or paragraph which only tells the facts and main points or ideas of something. It can not contain personal feelings or opinions.

• objective summary

• direct quotation

• paraphrase

• central idea

To put someone else's writing into your own words is to...

• summarize

• describe

• persuade

• paraphrase

What is a short article placed alongside a longer article and contains additional or contrasting information called?

• sidebar

• headline

• caption

• subhead

This is the heading, or title of a particular section of a text which comes after the headline of an article.

• sidebar

• caption

• subhead

• text feature

Any information or details used to support an argument or claim.

• paraphrasing

• supporting evidence

• direct quotations

• central idea

Parts of a newspaper article, magazine article, textbook, web page, or other text which goes beyond the main article or story. These help you better understand what you read and may include photos, bold print, charts, maps.

• text features

• text structure

• central idea

• objective summary