Informational Text and Text Features
Grade 6 · English · Study Guide
Learn how to read and navigate nonfiction texts using headings, graphics, and organizational structures.
Informational texts are nonfiction — they are written to explain, describe, or persuade using facts and evidence. They show up everywhere: textbooks, news articles, encyclopedias, instruction manuals, and websites. Unlike fiction, informational texts are organized around a central idea rather than a plot.
Text features are the tools authors use to organize information and help readers find what they need. Headings and subheadings break a text into sections and tell you what's coming. Bold or italicized words signal key vocabulary. Captions explain photographs or diagrams. Sidebars provide extra information without interrupting the main text. A table of contents and index help you navigate the whole document.
Informational texts follow predictable organizational patterns. Cause and effect explains why things happen and what results. Compare and contrast examines similarities and differences between subjects. Problem and solution identifies an issue and describes how it is resolved. Chronological order presents events in time sequence. Description provides detailed facts about a topic. Recognizing these patterns helps you understand the author's purpose and follow the logic of the text.
When reading informational text, good readers ask: What is the main idea? What evidence supports it? What can I infer that the author didn't state directly? How reliable is this source? Evaluating the credibility of a source — checking who wrote it, when, and for what purpose — is just as important as understanding the words on the page.
| Structure | Purpose | Signal Words |
|---|---|---|
| Cause and Effect | Explains why events happen | because, therefore, as a result |
| Compare and Contrast | Shows similarities and differences | similarly, however, on the other hand |
| Problem and Solution | Identifies issue and how it's solved | the problem is, one solution, as a result |
| Chronological | Presents events in time order | first, next, then, finally, in 1865 |
| Description | Provides details about a topic | for example, in addition, such as |
Key terms
- Main idea
- The most important point an informational text makes about its topic.
- Text feature
- A visual or organizational element (heading, caption, diagram) that helps readers navigate and understand text.
- Organizational structure
- The pattern an author uses to arrange information (cause/effect, compare/contrast, chronological, etc.).
- Inference
- A conclusion drawn from evidence and reasoning, not directly stated in the text.
- Primary source
- A firsthand account or original document from the time period being studied.
- Secondary source
- A source that analyzes, interprets, or summarizes primary sources.
Flashcards
- Main idea
- The most important point an informational text makes about its subject
- Text feature
- Visual/organizational element (heading, caption, diagram) that aids navigation
- Cause and effect
- Organizational structure explaining why things happen and what results
- Compare and contrast
- Structure examining similarities and differences between two or more subjects
- Inference
- A conclusion drawn from evidence, not directly stated in the text
- Primary source
- A firsthand account or original document from the period being studied
Practice questions
What is the purpose of a heading or subheading in an informational text?
- To make the text look more interesting
- To signal the topic of the section that follows
- To summarize the entire article
- To provide definitions of key terms
Show answer
Answer: To signal the topic of the section that follows
Headings act like signposts — they tell readers what topic is covered in the section they're about to read.
Informational texts always follow a narrative story structure with a beginning, middle, and end.
Show answer
Answer: False
Informational texts are organized around a central idea and use structures like cause/effect or compare/contrast, not story plot.
A conclusion drawn from evidence that is not directly stated in the text is called an ___.
Show answer
Answer: inference
Inference is reading between the lines — using clues in the text plus your own knowledge to reach a conclusion the author implies but doesn't state.
Which organizational structure would a text about the causes of the American Revolution most likely use?
- Description
- Compare and contrast
- Cause and effect
- Problem and solution
Show answer
Answer: Cause and effect
A text about WHY something happened naturally uses cause-and-effect structure, connecting events to their outcomes.
Evaluating a source includes checking who wrote it and for what purpose.
Show answer
Answer: True
Source credibility involves asking: Who wrote this? What are their credentials? When was it written? What is their purpose or potential bias?
Fun facts
- The first encyclopedia was created by Pliny the Elder in ancient Rome around 77 AD — it contained 37 volumes covering natural history, art, and geography.
- The Guinness World Records book was created in 1955 to settle bar arguments — its first editors were twins who worked at a brewery.
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