1. Key Elements of Nonfiction 1.Thesis or Central Idea: the main idea the author wants the audience to understand and remember

2. Key Elements of Nonfiction 2. Purpose: the reason the author is writing about the topic

4. Key Elements of Nonfiction 3. Organizational/Text Structure: the order in which information and ideas are presented and the connections that are drawn between and among them

6. Key Elements of Nonfiction 4. Tone: the author’s attitude toward the topic and audience

7. Key Elements of Nonfiction 5. Word Choice: the author’s use of language devices and rhetoric

8. Analyzing the Development of Ideas The author develops, or elaborates on, ideas, explaining them and showing the connections from one idea to the next Details that illustrate, expand on, or prove the author’s ideas are called supporting details

9. Types of Supporting Details 1.Statement of facts 2.Statistics 3.Examples 4.Descriptions 5.Reasons 6.Expert opinions

10. Diction Diction – author’s choice of words Multiple types of diction

11. Diction 1.Simple diction: familiar words to clearly express ideas

12. Diction 2. Technical language: language specific to a discipline; an author can be precise Also known as jargon or domain- specific vocabulary

15. Diction 3. Figurative language: language not meant to be taken literally Most common: simile, metaphor, & personification

17. Diction Connotation: association the reader may have with a word Denotation: dictionary definition

19. Rhetoric Patterns of words and ideas used to emphasize points and make them more memorable

20. Examples ofRhetoric 1.Repetition: reuse or repeating a key word, idea, or phrase Example: He plays with skill. He plays with passion. He plays in a style of his own.

22. Examples ofRhetoric 2. Parallelism: the use of similar grammatical structure to express related ideas Example: The eagle soared above the treetops, into the heavens, and beyond reach.

25. Examples ofRhetoric 3. Restatement: the expression of the same idea in different words to strengthen a point Example: Aspire to greatness. Aim high and dream big.

26. Examples ofRhetoric 4. Rhetorical Question: questions that have obvious answers and that are asked for effect Example: Is it really so much trouble to recycle? Isn’t saving our planet worth your time?