Nonfiction Terms

This is the most important point that someone is making about a piece of writing.

• detail

• theme

• main idea

• paraphrase

This is information that supports the main idea of the passage.

• paraphrase

• detail

• title

• index

This is a text structure that tells what happens as a result of something else.

• problem / solution

• cause / effect

• main idea

• chronological order

This is a type of nonfiction written by the person that the writing is about.

• autobiography

• biography

• short story

• movie

This is a historical piece of evidence used to document a time in history.

• timeline

• memoir

• essay

• historical document

This is the exact words that someone has said that has been used in a document.

• notation

• paraphrase

• indirect quote

• direct quote

When text is reworded, we call it this.

• thesis

• quote

• support

• paraphrase

A short statement that gives the main points or ideas of something WITHOUT the writer’s opinion.

• descriptive

• objective summary

• chronological order

• sequence

This is like a biography but it tells about a point in the person's life

• memoir

• biography

• autobiography

• short story

This is a text structure feature that is organized by dates and events.

• map

• chart

• cause/effect

• timeline