Checkpoint 6 · Reading: understanding texts

Text Types and Their Features

Fiction and non-fiction, every non-fiction and fiction genre with its features, and how to answer “Which type of text is this?” and “Give two features” questions.

British & IGCSE › Checkpoint 6 English (Cambridge Primary 0058)

Every Checkpoint 6 reading paper uses a text, and every text belongs to a type (also called a genre). Paper 1 uses non-fiction texts and Paper 2 uses fiction texts. If you know the type of text, you already know what the writer is trying to do and which features to look for. This page teaches you: the difference between fiction and non-fiction, every non-fiction genre with its features, every fiction genre with its features, and a simple method for the questions “Which type of text is this?” and “Give two features of this text”.

How this topic is tested

Paper 1 (Non-fiction) Section A Reading and Paper 2 (Fiction) Section A Reading are each worth 25 marks.
You can be asked to identify the type of text, for example by ticking one box: an information text, a persuasive text, a recount, a biography…
You can be asked to find features of the text and give an example of each from the text. A question like this can be worth up to 4 marks (one mark for each correct feature or example).
You can be asked to match technical words (for example “heading”, “caption”, “glossary”) to their meanings.
Knowing the text type also helps with purpose questions (why the writer wrote the text) and viewpoint questions.

1. Fiction or non-fiction?

Non-fiction is writing about real people, real places, real events and real information. It is meant to be true, and its facts can be checked. Fiction is writing that comes from the writer’s imagination. The characters and events are invented, even when they feel very real.

	Non-fiction (Paper 1)	Fiction (Paper 2)
Based on	Facts and real life	Imagination
Main purpose	To inform, explain, persuade, advise, instruct or recount real events	To entertain, and often to make the reader think or feel
People in it	Real people (named experts, witnesses, famous people, the writer)	Invented characters
Typical language	Facts, numbers, dates, technical words, quotations from real people	Description, dialogue, feelings, figurative language (similes, metaphors)
Typical layout	Headings, subheadings, bullet points, captions, fact boxes	Paragraphs of story, speech marks for dialogue, chapters
Examples	Biography, news report, leaflet, instructions, review, diary, information text	Adventure story, fable, myth, fantasy, mystery, playscript, poem

The one-line test

Ask: is the writer’s job to report what really happened or what is really true? Then it is non-fiction. Is the writer’s job to invent what could happen? Then it is fiction, even if the story is set in a real city or in a real time in history.

Tricky cases

Historical fiction (a story set in ancient Egypt with invented characters) is fiction. A history book about ancient Egypt is non-fiction.
A fable teaches a true and useful lesson, but the talking animals are invented, so it is fiction.
A biography and an autobiography both tell a real life story, so both are non-fiction.
A newspaper report about a story-writing competition is non-fiction (the competition really happened), but the winning story itself is fiction.
A story based on a real person the writer knows is still fiction if the writer invents events or conversations.

2. What is a “feature”?

A feature is something the writer uses that is typical of that type of text. There are two kinds. Language features are about the words and sentences. Layout features (also called presentational or organisational features) are about how the text looks on the page.

Language features (the words)	Layout features (how it looks)
Tense (past or present)	Title and headline
Person (first person “I”, second person “you”, third person “he/she/it/they”)	Headings and subheadings
Formal or informal language	Bullet points and numbered steps
Technical (subject) vocabulary	Pictures, diagrams and captions
Imperative (command) verbs: “Mix…”, “Visit…”	Fact boxes and text boxes
Time connectives: first, then, after that, finally	Bold or coloured words, a glossary
Rhetorical questions, exaggeration, emotive words	Columns, byline, date, contact details
Facts, numbers and statistics	Paragraphs grouped by topic
Quotations from people (direct speech)	Address and date (letters), greeting and sign-off

A feature is not a topic

“It is about camels” is not a feature. A feature is a technique, for example “subheadings”, “present tense” or “technical vocabulary”. Always name the technique and then show an example of it from the text.

3. All non-fiction genres and their features

Learn this table well. When you read a Paper 1 text, look for the clues in the last two columns.

Genre	Purpose	Language features	Layout / other clues
Biography	To tell the life story of a real person, written by someone else	Third person (he/she), past tense, dates and places, facts about achievements	Usually in time order from birth or childhood, may have dates as subheadings
Autobiography	To tell the writer’s own life story	First person (I), past tense, the writer’s feelings and opinions, emotional language	Covers a large part of the writer’s life, in time order
Memoir	To share one important period or experience of the writer’s life	First person, past tense, rich description and feelings, what the experience meant	Focuses on one time or theme, not the whole life
Recount	To retell real events in the order they happened	First person (usually), past tense, time connectives, names, dates and places	Opening says who, what, when, where, and the end gives a personal comment
Diary / journal	To record the writer’s own day and feelings, privately	First person, past tense (plus present for feelings now), informal, thoughts and questions	Date at the top, “Dear Diary” (sometimes), short entries
Informal letter / email	To share news with someone the writer knows	Friendly, chatty language, contractions (I’m), questions to the reader	Greeting (Dear Omar,), paragraphs, informal closing (Love, / Best wishes,)
Formal letter	To complain, request, apply or persuade someone in authority	Formal language, no contractions, polite phrases (I am writing to…)	Addresses and date, Dear Sir or Madam, Yours faithfully / Yours sincerely
Blog	To share experiences and opinions online with readers	First person, friendly tone, direct address (you), opinions, questions to readers	Title, date, short paragraphs, comments section, links
Newspaper report	To inform readers about a recent real event	Third person, past tense, facts, 5 Ws (who, what, when, where, why), quotations from witnesses, formal tone	Headline, byline, short paragraphs, photo with caption, most important facts first
Magazine / feature article	To inform and interest readers about a topic	Lively opening hook, mix of facts and the writer’s opinions, direct address	Catchy title, subheadings, pull quotes, pictures
Information text / non-chronological report	To give facts about a topic (animals, places, objects)	Third person, present tense, technical vocabulary, facts and numbers, formal and impersonal	Title, introduction, subheadings by topic (appearance, habitat, diet), diagrams, captions, fact boxes, glossary. NOT in time order
Explanation text	To explain how or why something happens or works	Present tense, cause and effect connectives (because, so, as a result, this means), technical words	Steps of a process, diagrams with arrows, subheadings
Instructions / procedural text	To tell the reader how to do or make something	Imperative verbs (Cut, Pour, Press), second person implied, time connectives (first, next), precise words	Title (How to…), “You will need” list, numbered steps, diagrams
Persuasive text / advert	To make the reader think or do something	Emotive words, rhetorical questions, direct address (you), exaggeration, rule of three, imperatives (Buy, Join, Act now)	Slogan, bold headings, pictures, prices, contact details
Leaflet / brochure	To give short information and often to persuade (visit, join, stay safe)	Second person (you), imperatives, short sentences, positive adjectives, questions	Folded panels, headings, bullet points, boxes, pictures, contact details
Balanced argument / discussion	To show both sides of an issue fairly before a conclusion	Third person, formal, connectives such as however, on the other hand, some people believe… others argue…	Introduction, points for, points against, conclusion
Argument / persuasive essay or article	To argue for one side only	Clear opinion, facts and statistics that support it, therefore, as a result, confident tone	Introduction states the view, one point per paragraph, conclusion repeats the view
Review	To give an opinion about a book, film, product, place or event	First person opinions, evaluative adjectives (gripping, disappointing), comparatives and superlatives, examples	Title of the thing reviewed, short summary, good and bad points, final verdict or star rating
Speech	To be spoken to an audience to persuade or inform them	Direct address (you, we), rhetorical questions, repetition, rule of three, signposting (firstly, finally)	Greeting to the audience (Good morning, everyone), strong ending
Interview	To share a real person’s answers to questions	Questions and answers, the person’s own words, often informal	Names or initials before each line, introduction about the person

كيف تعرف نوع النص بسرعة؟

انظر إلى الشكل أولًا: عنوان رئيسي وعناوين فرعية وصور عليها تعليق = نص معلوماتي. خطوات مرقمة = تعليمات. عنوان صحفي واسم الكاتب = خبر صحفي.
ثم انظر إلى الضمير والزمن: I + الماضي = سيرة ذاتية أو recount أو يوميات. he/she + الماضي = biography أو خبر صحفي. it/they + المضارع = نص معلوماتي.
اسأل نفسك: ماذا يريد الكاتب؟ هل يريد أن يقنعك (persuade)، أم يعطيك معلومات (inform)، أم يحكي لك ما حدث (recount)؟
عند الإجابة اكتب اسم النوع، ثم دليلين من النص (feature + مثال).

4. Genres that students confuse

Some genres look very similar. The table shows the one difference that tells them apart.

These two…	…look alike because	The key difference
Biography vs autobiography	Both tell a real person’s life in the past tense	Biography = he/she (written by someone else). Autobiography = I (written by the person).
Autobiography vs memoir	Both use “I” and the past tense	Autobiography = a large part of the whole life. Memoir = one special period or experience.
Recount vs diary	Both retell the writer’s real events with “I”	A diary has a date at the top and is private, often written at the end of the same day.
Recount vs information text	Both contain real facts	Recount = past tense, in time order. Information text = present tense, grouped by topic.
Newspaper report vs feature article	Both are in newspapers or magazines	Report = a recent event, facts first, very little opinion. Feature = a topic in depth, with more of the writer’s own voice.
Persuasive text vs balanced argument	Both are about an issue	Persuasive = only one side. Balanced = both sides fairly, then a conclusion.
Instructions vs explanation	Both can describe a process	Instructions = tell YOU what to do (imperatives). Explanation = tells you how or why something happens (because, so).
Leaflet vs advert	Both use “you” and persuasive language	A leaflet gives more information (sections, facts, contact details). An advert mostly sells one thing with a slogan.
Review vs persuasive text	Both give opinions	A review judges something (good points and bad points) and gives a verdict or rating.

5. Fiction genres and their features

In Paper 2 the text is fiction. You may be asked what kind of story it is, or which features show this. Look at the characters, the setting and what happens.

Genre	Typical characters	Typical setting	Key features
Fairy tale	Princes, princesses, witches, fairies, talking animals, who are clearly good or clearly bad	Castles, enchanted forests, faraway kingdoms	“Once upon a time”, magic, a problem solved by magic or goodness, happy ending
Fable	Animals that talk and act like people (a proud lion, a clever mouse)	Very simple (a field, a river bank)	Very short, teaches a moral which is often stated at the end
Folk tale	Ordinary people (a poor farmer, a clever girl), often with no names	“Long ago”, “in a village”	Passed down by word of mouth, simple plot, a lesson about life
Myth	Gods, goddesses, heroes, monsters	The ancient world, the sky, the underworld	Explains how something began or why nature works the way it does (why the sun crosses the sky)
Legend	A hero who may have been a real person, made more amazing	A real place and a time long ago	Based partly on history, but exaggerated over many years
Tall tale	One superhuman character	Often wild countryside	Huge exaggeration, funny, impossible feats told as if normal
Adventure	A brave or clever main character, often young, plus enemies and helpers	Dangerous places: jungles, islands, mountains, seas	Fast action, a journey or quest, danger, suspense
Realistic fiction	Ordinary people like you	Home, school, town, today	Could really happen, real-life problems (friendship, family, a new school), no magic
Fantasy	Wizards, dragons, magical creatures, a chosen hero	An invented world, or the real world with hidden magic	Magic, good against evil, a quest
Science fiction	Astronauts, scientists, robots, aliens	The future, space, other planets	Advanced technology, space or time travel, “what if…?” ideas
Mystery	A detective (often a child), suspects, witnesses	Often one place: a house, a school, a train	A puzzle or crime, clues, suspense, the answer is revealed at the end
Historical fiction	Invented people living in a real time in the past	A real period, for example ancient Egypt	Real history in the background, period details (clothes, objects, customs)
Horror / ghost story	Ghosts, monsters, a frightened main character	Dark, lonely places: old houses, forests at night	Fear, tension, suspense, often a shock at the end
Humorous story	Silly, clumsy or exaggerated characters	Usually everyday places	Jokes, funny misunderstandings, exaggeration, a light, happy tone
Playscript (drama)	Characters shown only by what they say and do	Given briefly in stage directions	Character names before each line, no speech marks, stage directions in brackets or italics, scenes
Poem	A speaker (the voice of the poem)	Any	Lines and verses (stanzas), often rhyme and rhythm, imagery, repetition

Story features you can name in any fiction text

Past tense narration and a narrator (first person “I” or third person “he/she”)
Dialogue in speech marks with reporting verbs (whispered, shouted)
Description of the setting using the senses
Figurative language: similes, metaphors, personification
A problem (complication) that the characters must solve
Paragraphs that move the story forward in time

6. Method: “Which type of text is this?”

Look at the layout first: headline? subheadings? numbered steps? date at the top? dialogue in speech marks?
Check the person: I (the writer), you (the reader), or he/she/it/they (someone or something else)?
Check the tense: past tense (something that happened) or present tense (something that is always true, or instructions)?
Ask what the writer wants: to inform, to persuade, to instruct, to recount, to entertain?
Decide on the genre and test it against the table above. Can you find at least two features? If yes, you are right.

7. Method: “Give two features of this text, with examples”

This question usually gives one mark for each feature and one mark for each example (so two features with examples can be worth up to 4 marks). Write each answer in two parts: the name of the feature + the example copied from the text.

Worked example. Read this short information text.

Camels: Ships of the Desert

Body Camels are large animals that live in hot, dry deserts. They have long legs and a hump on their back. The hump stores fat, not water.
Food and water Camels eat dry plants and thorny bushes. When they find water, an adult camel can drink a very large amount in a few minutes.
Fact box: A camel’s thick eyelashes protect its eyes from sand.

Question: This is an information text. Give two features of information texts, and an example of each from the text. (4 marks)

Feature (1 mark each)	Example from the text (1 mark each)
Subheadings that group information by topic	“Body” and “Food and water”
Present tense for facts that are always true	“Camels eat dry plants”
Technical / subject vocabulary	“hump”
A fact box	“A camel’s thick eyelashes protect its eyes from sand.”

Why it scores: each answer names a real feature of information texts AND proves it with words copied from the text. Any two rows earn full marks. An answer like “it tells you about camels” earns nothing, because it is the topic, not a feature.

8. Worked examples: name the text type

Example 1. “First, fold the paper in half. Next, draw a line along the fold. Then carefully cut along the line.” Answer: Instructions. Why: imperative verbs (fold, draw, cut) and time connectives (First, Next, Then).

Example 2. “Last Friday, our class visited the Egyptian Museum. We arrived at nine o’clock and first we saw the huge statues in the main hall. After that, we…” Answer: Recount. Why: first person (we), past tense (visited, arrived), time connectives (first, After that), opening tells when and where.

Example 3. “Are you bored at the weekend? Then come to Sunshine Sports Club! Our coaches are the friendliest in town. Join today!” Answer: Persuasive text (an advert). Why: rhetorical question, direct address (you), exaggeration (the friendliest in town), imperative (Join today!).

Example 4. “Some people think pupils should use tablets instead of books. They are light and hold many books. On the other hand, others argue that screens can hurt our eyes.” Answer: Balanced argument (discussion). Why: gives both sides fairly and uses contrast connectives (On the other hand).

Example 5. “Long ago, the hare laughed at the tortoise for being slow. ‘I will race you,’ said the tortoise.” Answer: Fable. Why: animals that talk like people and a simple story that will teach a moral.

Example 6. “MAYA: (looking under the bed) It was here a minute ago! / BEN: Did you check the cupboard?” Answer: Playscript. Why: character names before each line, no speech marks, a stage direction in brackets.

Common traps

Calling every non-fiction text “a report”. Be exact: newspaper report, information text, recount, biography…
Giving a feature without an example, or an example without naming the feature. You need both.
Copying an example that does not match the feature (for example, giving “Camels eat plants” as an example of a subheading).
Forgetting that “I” plus the past tense can be a recount, a diary, an autobiography or a memoir. Check the other clues (date, whole life, one experience).
Choosing “persuasive” just because there is one opinion. A review or a blog also contains opinions.

خطأ يضيّع درجات كثيرة

عندما يقول السؤال give two features with examples، يجب أن تكتب اسم الـ feature (مثل subheadings أو present tense) ومعه مثال منقول من النص بين علامتي تنصيص. إذا كتبت موضوع النص (it is about camels) فلن تحصل على درجة، لأن هذا موضوع النص وليس feature.

9. Practice questions

1. Fiction or non-fiction? (a) a diary written by a real explorer (b) a story about a boy who finds a dragon egg (c) a leaflet about a zoo (d) a myth about how the river was made.
Show answer
(a) non-fiction (b) fiction (c) non-fiction (d) fiction.
2. A book tells the life of a famous Egyptian footballer. It uses “he” and is written by a journalist. What type of text is it?
Show answer
A biography: a real person’s life told in the third person by someone else.
3. “I was born in a small village near Aswan in 1960. My earliest memory is of my grandmother singing while she baked bread.” Which genre is this, and give one clue.
Show answer
Autobiography. Clues: first person (I, My), past tense, it starts from the writer’s birth, so it is probably the story of the writer’s whole life.
4. Name the text type: “Step 1: Wash your hands. Step 2: Place two slices of bread on a plate.”
Show answer
Instructions. Clues: numbered steps and imperative verbs (Wash, Place).
5. “Penguins are birds that cannot fly. They live mainly in the southern half of the world.” Give two language features of this text.
Show answer
Present tense (are, live) and third person (They). Also accept factual, formal language.
6. Which feature would you NOT expect in a newspaper report: headline, byline, numbered steps, quotation from a witness?
Show answer
Numbered steps (they belong to instructions).
7. What is the difference between a persuasive text and a balanced argument?
Show answer
A persuasive text gives only one side and tries to make you agree. A balanced argument gives both sides fairly and then a conclusion.
8. “Thursday 3rd March. Today was the worst day ever! I lost my pencil case and it rained all the way home.” Name the text type and give two features.
Show answer
Diary. Features: date at the top (Thursday 3rd March), first person (I), past tense (lost, rained), informal language with feelings (the worst day ever!).
9. A story has a talking fox, takes only six lines and ends with “Never trust someone who flatters you.” Which genre is it?
Show answer
A fable: animal characters who act like people, very short, a moral at the end.
10. A story takes place on a spaceship in the year 3000 and a robot is the hero. Which genre is it? Give one feature.
Show answer
Science fiction. Features: future setting (the year 3000), advanced technology (spaceship, robot).
11. Explain why a story set in a real Cairo street can still be fiction.
Show answer
Because the characters and the events are invented by the writer. A real setting does not make the story true.
12. Match the layout feature to its meaning: caption, glossary, subheading. Meanings: (a) a list of hard words and their meanings (b) words under a picture that explain it (c) a small title for one section.
Show answer
Caption = (b), glossary = (a), subheading = (c).
13. “Have you ever wished for a holiday with no screens at all? Green Valley Camp is the perfect choice for the whole family!” Give two persuasive features with examples.
Show answer
Rhetorical question (“Have you ever wished…?”), direct address (you), exaggeration / positive adjective (“the perfect choice”). Any two with matching examples.
14. Odd one out: which feature does NOT belong to a recount? Past tense, time connectives, subheadings by topic, first person.
Show answer
Subheadings by topic. That belongs to an information text (non-chronological report). A recount is in time order.
15. “The film starts slowly, but the last half hour is thrilling. The acting is excellent. I give it four stars.” What type of text is this? Give two features.
Show answer
A review. Features: opinions with evaluative adjectives (thrilling, excellent), a good and a bad point (starts slowly / thrilling), a rating at the end (four stars), first person (I).
16. Why do information texts use subheadings?
Show answer
To group the information by topic so the reader can find the part they need quickly.
17. A text tells you how rain forms: “Water heats up, so it turns into vapour. As a result, clouds form.” Is this instructions or an explanation? Why?
Show answer
An explanation. It tells how and why something happens, using cause and effect connectives (so, As a result). It does not tell the reader what to do.

All pages in this course

Start here: the exam

Reading: grammar & punctuation

Reading: understanding texts

Paper 1 writing: non-fiction

Paper 2 writing: fiction