Genres

Example: The main character deals with bullies and other problems middle school students face.

writing that is made up and not true

the author writes about his/her own life story

Example: Eric goes to mage school and becomes a star student. He fights evil with his new magic powers.

Example: The story of a kind of aliens that come to enslave humans on Earth with their advanced weapons.

Example: Marsh tries to convince people to do small things to help the environment.

a play or script

has no elements of fantasy; could be true but it isn't true

tries to influence or convince the reader

Example: The fictional story of two young African American girls living in Greensboro, N.C. in 1960.

Example: The story of the tortoise and the hare, which teaches us "slow and steady wins the race."

writing that is true

myths, legends, tall tales, fairy tales, and fables are all subgenres of ______________.

has monsters, magic, or characters with superpowers

Example: An essay where the student compares dogs and cats, providing a lot of facts about both.

set in the past and based on real people and/or events

has aliens, robots, futuristic technology and/or space ships

writing about someone else’s life

Example: Mr. X. writes the story of his life from a child in Germany to his success as a candy maker. 

explains something and has facts