7.8.d 7.8.F*

Elements of Informational Texts

Text features are parts of a text that are not included with the main body. There are several different types of text features that can be used in an informational passage to help readers gain more information or improve their understanding of the topic being described.

GUIDE READERS THROUGH TEXT

Some examples of features with this purpose are tables of contents, glossaries, and indexes.

Tables of contents come at the beginning of a book and list the different chapters or sections and where they begin and end.

Glossaries typically come at the end of a passage or book and will define words that were used throughout the text.

Indexes can also be found after the main text and will have a list of topics and where they are mentioned in the text.

PROVIDE BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Some examples of features with this purpose are introductions, forewords, and prefaces.

All three of these features come before the main body of text in an informational passage.

Forewords and prefaces are usually used before longer works, such as books.

They provide background information on the main topic of a text or explain how and why a book was developed.

PROVIDE INFO / HELP READERS FIND INFO

Some examples of features with this purpose are titles, headings, and bold or italicized text.

Titles start an informational text and are usually in a larger font compared to the rest of the text. They help identify the main topic.

Headings help divide the text into different sections. Headings can tell readers the main idea of each section, which makes finding specific information in a text easier.

Using bolded or italicized type can draw attention to certain words in a text. This often indicates that they are vocabulary words or have some important meaning in the text.

CLARIFY MEANING THROUGH REPRESENTATIONS

Some examples of features with this purpose are diagrams, pictures/illustrations, and charts/tables.

Diagrams can show how a process works or different parts of a whole.

Pictures and illustrations can show what places, people, or objects look like more clearly than a written description.

Charts and tables help authors organize information more clearly.

CITE OR REFERENCE OTHER TEXTS

Some examples of features with this purpose are references, bibliographies, and acknowledgements.

References and bibliographies contain the sources that the author used to write his or her own text. The sources in these features can help readers find more information on the same or similar topics.

Acknowledgements, which can come at the beginning or end of a text, will usually let readers know if anyone assisted the author with the research or in writing the informational text.

Go to the next page to see another element of informational texts.

Informational Text

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS): 7.8.d

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS): 7.8.F*

analyze characteristics of multimodal and digital texts.

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