Forms of Literature Grade 7
Nonfiction Factual writing that is designed to explain, argue, describe, or instruct
Fiction Literary work based on imagination and not necessarily on fact
Author’s Purpose Author’s intent to inform, entertain, or persuade their audience
Autobiography The story of a person’s life written by himself/herself
Memoir Nonfiction; text is based on personal experiences of authors
Myth A story that tries to explain the origin of the world or nature, contain Gods, supernatural beings, heroes, and provide a lesson about human behavior
Anecdote A short account of a particular incident or event
Folktale An anonymous and timeless story that has been handed down verbally over time among a people
Fable A brief story that shows character traits through animal characters and relays a life lesson
Biography The story of a person’s life written by someone other than the subject of the work
Editorial Newspaper or magazine article that gives the opinion of the editor/publisher
Character Types The kinds of characters that appear throughout the history of literature. Examples: the hero, the trickster
Elements of Fiction Traits that mark a work as imaginative (plot, theme, symbol)
Reminisce Retell events and actions that occurred in the past
Denotation The direct or dictionary meaning of a word
Narrate Describe the events of a story as if you are watching or experiencing them
Audience The intended readers of a piece of writing
Drama Literature meant for a stage or to be performed by actors; a play