What is Informational Text?

Informational text is a subset of the larger category of nonfiction (Duke & Bennett-Armistead, 2003). Its primary purpose is to inform the reader about the natural or social world. Different from fiction, and other forms of nonfiction, informational text does not utilize characters. Further, it has specialized language characteristics such as general nouns and timeless verbs that are not common in other genres. Some examples of this structure would be: “Dogs bark;” “Some sea snakes are quite deadly;” or “Apples can be red, yellow, or even green!”

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Authors of informational text employ a variety of structures to assist the reader in finding information quickly and efficiently. These might include a table of contents, an index, bold or italicized text, glossaries for specialized vocabulary, embedded definitions for specialized vocabulary, realistic illustrations of photos, captions and other labels, and graphs and charts. Unlike narratives that tell a story across time in a linear fashion, informational text is often (though not always) non-linear. It is popular with skillful and non-skillful readers as it is usually topical and readers can locate a text on nearly any topic of interest. Some examples of types of informational text include cause-and-effect books, “all about…” books, question-and-answer books, and most reference texts.

4 types of Informative

1. Literary Nonfiction
Books can be excellent sources of informative text. Biographies on historical figures fall under the informative category. Technical books on computer software are also informative. So are picture books on astronomy or the earth. Literary nonfiction like memoirs, essays, and autobiographies also fall into these categories. While poetry is known for its allusion, this style of literature also lends itself to informative writing—so long as the poetry contains factual information. This type of informative literary nonfiction tends to be shorter. Expository writing has a different set of characteristics.

2. Expository Writing
Expository writing has those written cues we discussed at the beginning of the video. These books contain a table of contents, an index, and a glossary. These are all tools that let readers scan through material and pick what they want to read. The table of contents, organized by chapter, gives readers a chance to skip over certain types of information. For example, when reading a book about Earth, you may be fascinated by geology but not so much by geophysics. The table of contents will guide you to the geology portion of the book.

3. Argumentative/Persuasive Writing
Babe Ruth is the greatest baseball player to ever live. Global warming is not fake. Dogs are better than cats. These are all argumentative positions, and the author must try to persuade the reader through data and analysis. The author produces the claims, makes the arguments, and hopes that readers believe he’s right in the end. The last type of informative text is much different from the argumentative style

4. Procedural Writing
Procedural texts provide a step-by-step guide for the user. A cookbook is a good example of procedural text. The recipes provide an ingredient-by-ingredient guide to create a specific dish. If you’re hanging a television using a wall mount, the mount will come with step-by-step instructions. If you’re putting something together, chances are you’re looking at procedural writing.

So those are the four types of informative writing. Literary nonfiction, which tends to be shorter writing; expository writing, which has written cues that make it easier for readers to scan information; argumentative or persuasive writing, which advocates a point of view; and procedural writing, a step-by-step guide.

​Sources:

Bowling, Matthew, et al. Informative Texts. Https://Www.Mometrix.Com/Academy/Informative-text/#:~:Text=So%20those%20are%20the%20four,Step%2Dby%2Dstep%20guide., 2023.


Duke, and Bennett-Armistead. Informative Texts. Https://Umaine.Edu/Edhd/Research-outreach/Lifespan-literacy-community/Programs/Correll-book-award/What-is-informational-text/, 2003.