{"id":8316,"date":"2013-10-29T20:06:36","date_gmt":"2013-10-29T20:06:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/?page_id=8316"},"modified":"2026-03-26T09:37:20","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T14:37:20","slug":"informative-text","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/informative-text\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Informational Text?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t\t\t<div id=\"mmDeferVideoEncompass_hFFSUQM1J-M\" style=\"position: relative;\">\n\t\t\t<picture>\n\t\t\t\t<source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/circle-play-duotone.webp\" type=\"image\/webp\">\n\t\t\t\t<source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/circle-play-duotone.png\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> \n\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"eager\" id=\"videoThumbnailImage_hFFSUQM1J-M\" data-source-videoID=\"hFFSUQM1J-M\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/circle-play-duotone.png\" alt=\"What is Informational Text? 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Welcome to this video about informative\/informational text!<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s easy to think about informative text as writing that provides information, but it\u2019s more than that. Not only does Informative text have its own style, but there are four types of informative text. We\u2019ll go over that and more in this video.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s start by answering the question, \u201cWhat is informational text?\u201d<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"What_is_Informational_Text\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>What is Informational Text?<\/h2>\n<p>\n<strong>Informational text educates the reader about a specific topic.<\/strong> It\u2019s a unique type of writing; you\u2019ll see it in a number of different mediums. A manual with instructions for putting together a desk. A book that provides information on a vacation to a specific place. A non-fiction book that examines <a class=\"ylist\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/world-war-ii\/\">World War II<\/a>. All are examples of informative texts. <\/p>\n<p>Informative text can appear in newspapers, textbooks, reference materials, and research papers. Informative text is always nonfiction. This type of writing also has certain characteristics that make this style easier to identify. Let\u2019s take a look at those.<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Characteristics\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Characteristics<\/h2>\n<p>\nInformative text contains a number of aids that make it easier for readers to follow along and get the information they need. Written cues, graphics, illustrations, and organizational structure are all aids you\u2019ll find in informative text. We\u2019ll start by looking at written cues.<\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Written_Cues\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Written Cues<\/h3>\n<p>\nYou\u2019ll notice these written cues in books. The table of contents, at the front of the book, makes it easy for readers to quickly see where they can find specific information. <strong>The index<\/strong>, found at the end of the book, neatly lists all of the topics and the page numbers that denote the location of those topics. If you\u2019re confused by what a word or phrase means, you can check the glossary of terms, which provides those definitions. There might even be an appendix, which provides additional informative text on a specific subject. So how is this informative text organized?<\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Organization\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Organization<\/h3>\n<p>\nInformative text uses type, fonts, and labels to help readers find information. A bold word creates emphasis and tells readers, \u201cThis is important.&#8221; A phrase set in italics is similar; it adds extra emphasis on an important word or phrase. Numbered or bulleted lists set apart important information in an orderly fashion. Authors might use headings, subheadings, and labels to also denote importance. Those are all ways informative texts can organize content. What other techniques do authors use? <\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Graphics\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Graphics<\/h3>\n<p>\nInformative text may contain graphics to help the reader understand the subject. Think of a biology book you\u2019ve recently used. When studying the human body, you\u2019ll see a diagram that shows the location of vital organs and systems, like the brain, heart, and lungs. <\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s an example of an informative diagram. It shows you the information while providing some explanatory text. In math books, you\u2019ll see charts that explain how to analyze algebraic equations. You\u2019ll find tables that explain the periodic table of elements. Those maps that show the location of countries? That\u2019s also informative. Flow diagrams, sketches, and maps are all examples of other graphics used in informative texts. But graphics aren\u2019t the only visual aids.<\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Illustrations\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Illustrations<\/h3>\n<p>\nIllustrations provide additional visual techniques in informative texts. In the graphics section, I used the example of how authors can graphically represent the brain, heart, and lungs. With illustrations, we can take that one step further. For example, you can focus on one part of the heart by magnifying a specific area. That gives the reader even more information and the ability to study the pulmonary artery, the aorta, or the ventricles in greater detail. Photos are also used for illustrative purposes. <\/p>\n<p>Written cues. Organization. Graphics. Illustrations. Those are all the characteristics of informative text. Now, let\u2019s take a look at the four different types of informative text.<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Informative_Text_Examples\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Informative Text Examples<\/h2>\n<h3><span id=\"Literary_Nonfiction\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Literary Nonfiction<\/h3>\n<p>\nBooks 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 <a class=\"ylist\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/allusion\/\">allusion<\/a>, this style of literature also lends itself to informative writing\u2014so 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. <\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Expository_Writing\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Expository Writing<\/h3>\n<p>\nExpository 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. <\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Argumentative\/Persuasive_Writing\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Argumentative\/Persuasive Writing<\/h3>\n<p>\nBabe 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\u2019s right in the end. The last type of informative text is much different from the argumentative style.<\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Procedural_Writing\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Procedural Writing<\/h3>\n<p>\nProcedural 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\u2019re hanging a television using a wall mount, the mount will come with step-by-step instructions. If you\u2019re putting something together, chances are you\u2019re looking at procedural writing.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s our look at informative texts, the writing technique that seeks to inform with facts. I hope this overview was helpful. <\/p>\n<p>See you guys next time!<\/p>\n<ul class=\"citelist\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.booklistonline.com\/Classroom-Connections-Informational-Texts-and-the-Common-Core-Terrell-A-Young\/pid=5641482?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1.\"target=\"_blank\">Classroom Connections: Informational Texts and the Common Core, by Terrell A. Young | Booklist Online. n.d.<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/edhd\/research-outreach\/lifespan-literacy-community\/programs\/correll-book-award\/what-is-informational-text\/\"target=\"_blank\">The University of Maine. 2011. \u201cWhat Is Informational Text?\u201d College of Education and Human Development. The University of Maine. 2011.<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/frankwbaker.com\/mlc\/informational-texts\/.\"target=\"_blank\">Baker, Frank W. n.d. \u201cWhat Are Informational Texts?\u201d Media Literacy Clearinghouse.<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"spoiler\" id=\"FAQs-spoiler\">\n<h2 style=\"text-align:center\"><span id=\"Frequently_Asked_Questions\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n<div class=\"faq-list\">\n<div class=\"qa_wrap\">\n<div class=\"q_item text_bold\">\n<h4 class=\"letter\">Q<\/h4>\n<p style=\"line-height: unset;\">What is informational text?<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"a_item\">\n<h4 class=\"letter text_bold\">A<\/h4>\n<p>The primary purpose of informational text is to provide the reader with nonfiction information about a literary work. Literary texts often tell a story or can be narratives such as novels, poetry, and even some short stories that contain elements of fiction or nonfiction.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"qa_wrap\">\n<div class=\"q_item text_bold\">\n<h4 class=\"letter\">Q<\/h4>\n<p style=\"line-height: unset;\">What are the features of an informational text?<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"a_item\">\n<h4 class=\"letter text_bold\">A<\/h4>\n<p>The informational text includes things like table of contents, glossaries, headers and footers, indices, pictures and captions, labeled diagrams, sidebars, and bold words that help to create the detailed text for the reader.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"qa_wrap\">\n<div class=\"q_item text_bold\">\n<h4 class=\"letter\">Q<\/h4>\n<p style=\"line-height: unset;\">What is the purpose of an informational text?<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"a_item\">\n<h4 class=\"letter text_bold\">A<\/h4>\n<p>Informational texts\u2019 main purpose is to inform readers about the world around them.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"spoiler\" id=\"PQs-spoiler\">\n<h2 style=\"text-align:center\"><span id=\"Informational_Text_Practice_Questions\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Informational Text Practice Questions<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"PQ\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<strong>Question #1:<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div style=\"margin-left:10px;\"><p>&nbsp;<br \/>\nWhich of the following is NOT considered to be an example of literary nonfiction?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"PQ-Choices\"><div class=\"PQ\"  id=\"PQ-1-1\">The English dictionary<\/div><div class=\"PQ\"  id=\"PQ-1-2\">Anne Frank\u2019s diary<\/div><div class=\"PQ\"  id=\"PQ-1-3\">A recipe for oatmeal cookies<\/div><div class=\"PQ correct_answer\"  id=\"PQ-1-4\">Shakespeare\u2019s <em>Romeo and Juliet<\/em><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<input id=\"PQ-1\" type=\"checkbox\" class=\"spoiler_button\" \/><label for=\"PQ-1\" style=\"width: 150px;\">Show Answer<\/label>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"answer\" id=\"PQ-1-spoiler\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<strong>Answer:<\/strong><div style=\"margin-left:10px;\"><p>Choices A, B, and C are all examples of literature that is nonfiction. <em>Romeo and Juliet<\/em>, on the other hand, is a work of fiction.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<input id=\"PQ-1-hide\" type=\"checkbox\" class=\"spoiler_button\" \/><label for=\"PQ-1-hide\" style=\"width: 150px;\">Hide Answer<\/label>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"PQ\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<strong>Question #2:<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div style=\"margin-left:10px;\"><p>&nbsp;<br \/>\nWhich of the following is NOT considered to be an example of expository writing?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"PQ-Choices\"><div class=\"PQ correct_answer\"  id=\"PQ-2-1\">Poetry<\/div><div class=\"PQ\"  id=\"PQ-2-2\">A high school physics textbook<\/div><div class=\"PQ\"  id=\"PQ-2-3\">The English dictionary<\/div><div class=\"PQ\"  id=\"PQ-2-4\">A cause-and-effect essay<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<input id=\"PQ-2\" type=\"checkbox\" class=\"spoiler_button\" \/><label for=\"PQ-2\" style=\"width: 150px;\">Show Answer<\/label>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"answer\" id=\"PQ-2-spoiler\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<strong>Answer:<\/strong><div style=\"margin-left:10px;\"><p>Choices B, C, and D are all examples of expository writing. Poetry, on the other hand, is an example of creative writing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<input id=\"PQ-2-hide\" type=\"checkbox\" class=\"spoiler_button\" \/><label for=\"PQ-2-hide\" style=\"width: 150px;\">Hide Answer<\/label>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"PQ\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<strong>Question #3:<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div style=\"margin-left:10px;\"><p>&nbsp;<br \/>\nWhich of the following is NOT considered to be an example of persuasive writing?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"PQ-Choices\"><div class=\"PQ\"  id=\"PQ-3-1\">An advertisement<\/div><div class=\"PQ\"  id=\"PQ-3-2\">A book review<\/div><div class=\"PQ correct_answer\"  id=\"PQ-3-3\">A memoir<\/div><div class=\"PQ\"  id=\"PQ-3-4\">A newspaper column<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<input id=\"PQ-3\" type=\"checkbox\" class=\"spoiler_button\" \/><label for=\"PQ-3\" style=\"width: 150px;\">Show Answer<\/label>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"answer\" id=\"PQ-3-spoiler\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<strong>Answer:<\/strong><div style=\"margin-left:10px;\"><p>Choices A, B, and D are all examples of persuasive writing. A memoir, on the other hand, is an example of literary nonfiction.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<input id=\"PQ-3-hide\" type=\"checkbox\" class=\"spoiler_button\" \/><label for=\"PQ-3-hide\" style=\"width: 150px;\">Hide Answer<\/label>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"PQ\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<strong>Question #4:<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div style=\"margin-left:10px;\"><p>&nbsp;<br \/>\nWhich of the following is NOT considered to be an example of procedural writing?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"PQ-Choices\"><div class=\"PQ correct_answer\"  id=\"PQ-4-1\">A cause-and-effect essay<\/div><div class=\"PQ\"  id=\"PQ-4-2\">A recipe for oatmeal cookies<\/div><div class=\"PQ\"  id=\"PQ-4-3\">An instruction manual<\/div><div class=\"PQ\"  id=\"PQ-4-4\">A rulebook for a board game<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<input id=\"PQ-4\" type=\"checkbox\" class=\"spoiler_button\" \/><label for=\"PQ-4\" style=\"width: 150px;\">Show Answer<\/label>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"answer\" id=\"PQ-4-spoiler\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<strong>Answer:<\/strong><div style=\"margin-left:10px;\"><p>Choices B, C, and D are all examples of procedural writing. A cause-and-effect essay, on the other hand, is an example of expository writing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<input id=\"PQ-4-hide\" type=\"checkbox\" class=\"spoiler_button\" \/><label for=\"PQ-4-hide\" style=\"width: 150px;\">Hide Answer<\/label>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"home-buttons\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/writing\/\">Return to Writing Videos<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Return to Writing Videos<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":186608,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":{"0":"post-8316","1":"page","2":"type-page","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"page_category-video-pages-for-study-course-sidebar-ad","7":"page_category-writing-videos","8":"page_type-video","9":"content_type-practice-questions","10":"subject_matter-english"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8316","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8316"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8316\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":260722,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8316\/revisions\/260722"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/186608"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8316"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}