Lucy
Ask the AI Tutor
Need help with Non-fiction? Ask our AI Tutor!
Lucy AI Tutor - Lucy
Connecting with Tutor...
Please wait while we establish connection
Lucy
Hi! I'm Lucy, your AI tutor. How can I help you with Non-fiction today?
now
Non-fiction
Presentational devices are important in a menu.

Non-fiction

Non-fiction explains, informs or argues using facts and clear structure. Learn how writers organise ideas, use evidence, and choose tone to influence readers in real-world texts.

Explore the Topic →
(quiz starts below)

Fascinating Fact:

Numbers increase credibility. Three reasons with one figure such as 68 percent feel stronger than vague claims.

In GCSE English non-fiction, you study real-world texts like articles, letters, and speeches. You will explain how structure, evidence, and language choices shape ideas and guide a reader’s response.

  • Non-fiction: Writing about real people, events, or ideas, aiming to inform, explain, or persuade.
  • Thesis statement: The writer’s main point or argument, usually signposted early in the text.
  • Cohesion: How sentences and paragraphs link logically using connectives, repetition, and topic focus.
What is non-fiction in GCSE English?

Non-fiction is factual writing such as articles, letters, reports, and speeches. It aims to inform, explain, or persuade using evidence, logical structure, and clear language.

How do I analyse a non-fiction article for GCSE?

Identify the purpose and audience, summarise the main argument, then track how structure, vocabulary, and evidence create effects. Use short quotations and explain their impact.

What language techniques are used in non-fiction writing?

Common techniques include statistics, anecdotes, rhetorical questions, emotive language, and inclusive pronouns. These guide readers, build trust, and strengthen the writer’s case.

1 .
Which of the following is NOT an example of a non-fiction text?
A poem
An autobiography
A history book
A travel book
2 .
In comparing two non-fiction texts written on the same subject, what should you be sure to mention?
Whether you agree with either text
The intended audience and purpose of each text
Which text is longer
Which text you like better
3 .
In which of the following non-fiction texts would presentational devices be most important?
A letter
A menu
A diary
A biography
A menu would be very hard to navigate if it were written in continuous, paragraphed prose. Menus make use of such features as changes in font style and font size, bold print, italics, pictures, headings and subheadings, colour, borders and boxed text
4 .
The author of a non-fiction text...
will always be impartial (unbiased)
might display a particular attitude toward the subject
must include one opinion for every two facts
will always display bias
Writers of some types of non-fiction, such as news reports, aim for impartiality, but this is not a necessity of every type. Many non-fiction texts are subtly (or not so subtly) biased in favour of the author's opinion on the subject
5 .
What would you be looking for if skim reading a text?
Page numbers
Graphs
Words highlighted in bold
Key words
6 .
The purpose of non-fiction is to...
inform
entertain
advise
Any of the above
Non-fiction can have many purposes: it can inform, entertain, advise, persuade, describe, instruct, or argue, among other things
7 .
In deciding who is the intended audience of a particular text, what would you consider?
Language, tone and style
The author's name
The price of the publication only
Whether the text uses figurative language
8 .
Which of these words could NOT be used to describe the tone of a text?
Humorous
Serious
Passionate
Useful
A piece of writing may be useful to you, but 'tone' describes the author's attitude to the subject (i.e. serious, passionate, angry, humorous, dispassionate, etc.)
9 .
What is meant by 'layout'?
The intended audience of a non-fiction text
The font used in a non-fiction text
The list of contents in a non-fiction text
The way in which the different elements of a text are presented on the page
10 .
What is meant by 'subtext'?
The meaning of a text which is written in small print
The explicit meaning of a text
The implicit meaning of a text
The opposite meaning to a text
'Implicit' means 'implied'. To understand subtext, you need to look beyond the obvious meaning
You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - Non-fiction text types

Author:  Sheri Smith (PhD English Literature, English Teacher & Quiz Writer)

© Copyright 2016-2025 - Education Quizzes
Work Innovate Ltd - Design | Development | Marketing