What are Informational Texts?

Writers have many different reasons for writing. For some, their purpose is to entertain with thrilling stories; for others, their purpose is to teach the reader about a subject. How a writer chooses to organize their text—its structure—helps the reader determine its purpose. An informational text is one that falls under the broader term of nonfiction. Its purpose is to inform the reader by providing information about a subject, defining something, or explaining a topic. Informational texts do not use story elements like characters and settings. Instead, they use special features like headings and specific organizational structures to present information in a way that best helps a reader learn.

Informational texts show up in many places. They are the informational manuals that come with new appliances, the newspapers in a local coffee shop, or the scientific magazine in a waiting room. Many of them also appear online as news articles and government resource sites. But most informational texts appear in schools. They are textbooks, encyclopedias, reference books, and scholarly journals that students use every day.

While it is important to understand what information texts are, it is equally important to know what they are not. Examples of non-informative texts:

• Stories, or writing with characters
• Flash fiction
• Procedural or how-to texts
• Biographies

Informational texts are nonfiction.

Informative Texts Purpose

As stated, the purpose of informative texts is to educate the reader. Further, the function of this type of writing is to inform, define and explain. These goals can be reached by:

• Providing detailed and factual information about the topic.
• Carefully organizing details and providing examples that clarify a topic
• Use logical and well-thought-out arguments to support a topic.
• Utilize appropriate and effective analogies that facilitate the learning of the topic.

Informative Text Features

To accomplish the main purpose of informative texts, writers will include a number of features within a text to help organize information and make it easier to find within the text. These informative text features can be organized into four broad categories: print features, organizational aids, graphic aids, and illustrations.

Print Features:

• Title Page — provides publishing and copyright information and confirms the title.
• Table of Contents — lists in order and organizes the key topics of a book.
• Index — located at the back of the book, it lists in alphabetical order the topics of a book.
• Appendix — provides additional information not covered in detail within the text.
• Preface — an introductory message about the book written by the author

Organizational Aids:

• Headings — bigger print used to describe large sections of the text.
• Subheadings — help the reader quickly navigate through sections of text.
• Titles — help the reader locate different categories within the text.
• Bold print — used to draw attention to important vocabulary.
• Bullets — organize key points or concepts.
• Captions and Labels — Identify a picture and explain it.

Graphic Aids:

• Diagrams — help the reader understand either a more detailed or simplified version of the information.
• Graphs — show the relationship between two elements.
• Charts/Tables — summarize, compare, and contrast information.
• Figures — text and graphic aids are combined.

Illustrations:

• Photos — an exact representation of something.
• Drawings — an approximate or possible representation of something.
• Magnifications — provide a more detailed view of something small.

What are Text Structures?

A text’s structure is the specific way a writer organizes their writing. When discussing informational text, there are five types of text structure: compare-contrast, sequential, cause-effect, descriptive, and problem-solution. Before a writer decides which structure to use, they need to examine their topic, their audience, and the purpose for writing. When a writer chooses to write informative text, their purpose is clear—to inform. Their audience is reading to learn, and depending on the topic, they must choose which structure best presents the information to make learning easiest. For example, a writer would choose a sequential structure when writing about a historic event.

The five types of text structure do share a few characteristics. Their main function is to present information, though each does so differently. A text written in sequence will present information in time order, while a descriptive structure will use sections to organize text into main ideas. Secondly, all five structures will include multiple informative text features, like headings, bold print, or diagrams. Finally, the information presented in each type of text structure will be factual. After all, the purpose of informative texts is to educate.

Types of Informative Text Structures

Now, a more detailed look at the five types of text structures.

Compare-Contrast Text Structure

In this type of structure, a writer’s purpose is to highlight the similarities and differences between two topics, objects, places, or events. This is achieved as the writer moves back and forth between qualities that are similar and qualities that are different. It is important to remember that both similarities and differences must be discussed. Some examples of this type of structure include:

• A news article presenting opposing views on a topic or issue.
• A textbook looking at two historic events.
• A medical journal discussing two types of medical procedures.

Sequential Textual Structure

This text structure links information, arguments, or events in a chain. This can be as steps in a process, a time order of events, or a hierarchy. Examples of this structure are:

• A timeline of a bill becoming law.
• The progression of society from beginning to end.
• A science textbook discussing the development of a scientific hypothesis into a law.

Cause-Effect Text Structure

The focus of this text structure is on an event or an occurrence. First, the writer presents the cause of the event, then the effect it has. Examples of this are as follows:

• A brochure listing possible side effects of medication.
• An editorial highlighting the possible outcomes of a ban on soda.
• An owner’s manual troubleshooting causes of a malfunction.

Descriptive Text Structure

For this type of text structure, information is explained in great detail, with the writer discussing the characteristics and features of the topic. It is broken down into sections, with each section having a main idea and supporting details. For example,

• Science textbook discussing the different classifications of living things.
• The section of a workplace manual discussing workplace policies.
• A fact sheet on a political candidate’s views

Problem-Solution Text Structure

A writer using this text structure begins by describing a problem and then the possible solutions to it. They may include pros and cons to each solution as well. A twist on the idea can be a question-and-answer format, where the writer poses a question and then a number of answers. Some examples of this include:

• A news blog outlining a possible solution to climate change.
• An engineering textbook discussing the problem of perpetual motion.
• A brochure discussing the community issue of vandalism.

Lesson Summary

The purpose of an informational text is to inform the reader by providing information about a subject, defining something, or explaining a topic. It is not a story or writing that includes characters, like flash fiction or biographies. Rather it is writing that’s goal is to educate, like textbooks, scholarly journals, and newspapers. Informative text features include the four categories:

• print features—such as headings that describe large sections of a text
• organization aids—like bullets that organize key concepts
• graphic aids—like figures, where text and graphics aids are combined
• illustrations—such as photos that show exactly what something looks like.

There are five text structures—or the specific way a writer organizes their writing—used for informational texts. They are compare-contrast (highlight the similarities and differences between two topics), sequential (explain the order of events or steps in a process), cause-effect (describe an event and its effects), descriptive (explain or inform about a topic), and problem-solution (discuss a problem and possible solutions). Regardless of which structure a writer chooses, informative texts share certain features. They must present information, be factual, and contain multiple examples of informative text features.