{"id":906,"date":"2026-07-27T04:06:20","date_gmt":"2026-07-26T19:06:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/d.pontalk.com\/?p=906"},"modified":"2026-07-27T04:13:20","modified_gmt":"2026-07-26T19:13:20","slug":"writing-non-fiction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/d.pontalk.com\/?p=906","title":{"rendered":"Writing non-fiction"},"content":{"rendered":"
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English Learning Content: Writing Non-Fiction<\/h1>\n

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Dialogue<\/h2>\n

Alice<\/span>: Hey Bob, what’s that mountain of books doing on your desk? Are you building a fort?<\/p>\n

Bob<\/span>: Alice! Not a fort. I’m trying to write a non-fiction book. It’s harder than it looks!<\/p>\n

Alice<\/span>: A book? Wow! What’s it about? The secret life of my pet hamster?<\/p>\n

Bob<\/span>: Funny. No, it’s about… well, it’s a guide to making perfect pancakes. With historical facts!<\/p>\n

Alice<\/span>: Historical pancake facts? Bob, are you sure that’s “non-fiction” and not “delicious fantasy”?<\/p>\n

Bob<\/span>: It is! I’m researching the origin of the flip. Apparently, Vikings were early flippers.<\/p>\n

Alice<\/span>: Vikings? Flipping pancakes? Now I need to read this! But is it *really* non-fiction? Like, all facts?<\/p>\n

Bob<\/span>: Yes, all facts! Mostly. I’m struggling with the “interesting” part. Facts can be a bit… dry.<\/p>\n

Alice<\/span>: That’s the trick with non-fiction. You need to make facts exciting! Like a detective story, but with flour.<\/p>\n

Bob<\/span>: A detective story about flour… I like it! So, I need to find evidence for my pancake theories?<\/p>\n

Alice<\/span>: Exactly! And tell it like a story. Who invented the first pan? Was it a chef or a very hungry caveman?<\/p>\n

Bob<\/span>: Hmm, good point. I keep wanting to invent a dramatic love triangle between a pancake and two syrups.<\/p>\n

Alice<\/span>: That sounds like fiction, Bob. Very delicious fiction. Stick to the truth, even if it’s just about batter.<\/p>\n

Bob<\/span>: Okay, okay, truth. No syrup love stories. But what if the truth is… boring?<\/p>\n

Alice<\/span>: Then find a fun way to say it! Did you know the world record for pancake flipping is over 100 times in one minute?<\/p>\n

Bob<\/span>: Whoa! That’s a fact I can use! See, Alice, you’re a non-fiction genius!<\/p>\n

Alice<\/span>: Just remember, Bob: facts, fun, and no fictional syrups. Good luck with your pancake masterpiece!<\/p>\n

Bob<\/span>: Thanks, Alice! Maybe I’ll dedicate a chapter to “The Great Viking Flip Theory.”<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Current Situation<\/h2>\n

Non-fiction is a type of writing that deals with real events, facts, and true information. Unlike fiction, which tells imaginary stories, non-fiction aims to inform, explain, or describe something that is true. It helps us learn about the world, history, science, people’s lives, and how things work.<\/p>\n

Common examples of non-fiction include biographies (stories of real people’s lives), history books, science texts, news articles, how-to guides (like Bob’s pancake book!), and documentaries. The main goal of non-fiction is to provide accurate and truthful information, even if it’s presented in an engaging and interesting way.<\/p>\n

Key Phrases<\/h2>\n
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  • mountain of books<\/strong>: a very large pile of books. “I have a mountain of books<\/strong> to read for my history class.”<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n
  • non-fiction book<\/strong>: a book based on facts and real information, not imagination. “I prefer reading a non-fiction book<\/strong> about animals over a fantasy novel.”<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n
  • harder than it looks<\/strong>: more difficult than one initially thought or imagined. “Learning to play the guitar is harder than it looks<\/strong>.”<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n
  • What’s it about?<\/strong>: a common question asking for the topic or subject of something. “I saw a new movie trailer. What’s it about<\/strong>?”<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n
  • historical facts<\/strong>: true pieces of information related to history or past events. “Our teacher shared some interesting historical facts<\/strong> about ancient Egypt.”<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n
  • struggling with<\/strong>: having difficulty or problems with something. “She is struggling with<\/strong> her math homework.”<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n
  • a bit dry<\/strong>: a little boring or uninteresting. “The lecture was a bit dry<\/strong>, but the topic was important.”<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n
  • That’s the trick<\/strong>: that’s the secret, the clever method, or the key skill needed to do something well. “Learning a new language is hard, but practicing every day \u2013 that’s the trick<\/strong>.”<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n
  • stick to the truth<\/strong>: to only say or write what is real and accurate, not invent things. “When you tell the story, please stick to the truth<\/strong>.”<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n
  • good point<\/strong>: a valid and sensible idea, argument, or observation. “You said we need more time for research; that’s a good point<\/strong>.”<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n
  • masterpiece<\/strong>: a work of outstanding skill, quality, or artistry. “The artist spent years creating this beautiful masterpiece<\/strong>.”<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Grammar Points<\/h2>\n

    1. The Present Simple Tense<\/h3>\n

    We use the Present Simple to talk about facts, general truths, habits, and things that happen regularly.<\/p>\n

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    • Facts\/General Truths:<\/strong> “It is<\/strong> harder than it looks.” “Facts can be<\/strong> a bit dry.” “Vikings were<\/strong> early flippers.” (Note: “were” is past tense of “be,” used for a historical fact).<\/li>\n
    • Habits\/Regular Actions:<\/strong> “I keep wanting<\/strong> to invent…” (a repeated desire).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Structure:<\/strong> Subject + Verb (add -s\/-es for he\/she\/it)<\/p>\n

      Example: I write<\/strong>. He writes<\/strong>. Facts are<\/strong> important.<\/em><\/p>\n

      2. Wh-Questions<\/h3>\n

      We use ‘Wh-words’ (who, what, where, when, why, how) to ask for specific information.<\/p>\n

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      • What:<\/strong> Asks about a thing or action. “What’s<\/strong> that mountain of books doing…?” (What is)<\/em><\/span> “What’s<\/strong> it about?”<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n
      • Who:<\/strong> Asks about a person. “Who<\/strong> invented the first pan?”<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        Structure:<\/strong> Wh-word + (auxiliary verb like do\/does\/is\/are) + Subject + Main Verb?<\/p>\n

        Example: What is<\/strong> your name? Where do<\/strong> you live?<\/em><\/p>\n

        3. Imperatives<\/h3>\n

        We use imperatives to give commands, instructions, advice, or make requests.<\/p>\n

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        • Giving Advice\/Instruction:<\/strong> “Stick to<\/strong> the truth…”<\/em><\/span> “Just remember<\/strong>, Bob: facts, fun…”<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n
        • Making Suggestions:<\/strong> “Find<\/strong> a fun way to say it!”<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

          Structure:<\/strong> Base form of the verb (without a subject)<\/p>\n

          Example: Read<\/strong> the book. Be<\/strong> careful. Don’t forget<\/strong> your keys.<\/em><\/p>\n

          4. The Verb “To Be” (Present Simple)<\/h3>\n

          The verb “to be” is one of the most important verbs in English. It changes form based on the subject.<\/p>\n

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          • I am<\/strong>: “I am<\/strong> trying to write…”<\/li>\n
          • You\/We\/They are<\/strong>: “Are you building…?” “Facts are<\/strong> important.”<\/li>\n
          • He\/She\/It is<\/strong>: “It is<\/strong> harder.” “What’s it is<\/strong> about?” “It’s is<\/strong> a guide.”<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

            Example: I am<\/strong> happy. You are<\/strong> a student. She is<\/strong> my friend.<\/em><\/p>\n

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            Practice Exercises<\/h2>\n

            Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks<\/h3>\n

            Complete the sentences using words from the dialogue or key phrases.<\/p>\n

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            1. Bob thinks writing non-fiction is _______ than it looks.<\/li>\n
            2. Alice asks, “_______ it about?”<\/li>\n
            3. Bob needs to _______ to the truth in his book.<\/li>\n
            4. Facts can be a _______ dry if not presented well.<\/li>\n
            5. Alice says finding a fun way to present facts is the _______.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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              Answers:<\/p>\n

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              1. harder<\/li>\n
              2. What’s<\/li>\n
              3. stick<\/li>\n
              4. bit<\/li>\n
              5. trick<\/li>\n<\/ol><\/div>\n

                Exercise 2: True or False<\/h3>\n

                Read the sentences and decide if they are True (T) or False (F) based on the dialogue.<\/p>\n

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                1. Bob is writing a story about a fictional hamster.<\/li>\n
                2. His book is about making perfect pancakes.<\/li>\n
                3. Alice thinks Viking pancake flippers sound boring.<\/li>\n
                4. Bob wants to include a syrup love story.<\/li>\n
                5. Alice tells Bob to invent more dramatic stories.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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                  Answers:<\/p>\n

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                  1. False<\/li>\n
                  2. True<\/li>\n
                  3. False<\/li>\n
                  4. True<\/li>\n
                  5. False<\/li>\n<\/ol><\/div>\n

                    Exercise 3: Answer the Questions<\/h3>\n

                    Write short answers to these questions based on the dialogue.<\/p>\n

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                    1. What is Bob trying to write?<\/li>\n
                    2. What does Alice suggest to make facts exciting?<\/li>\n
                    3. What is one historical fact Bob mentions?<\/li>\n
                    4. What does Bob call Alice at the end?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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                      Answers:<\/p>\n

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                      1. He is trying to write a non-fiction book about making perfect pancakes.<\/li>\n
                      2. She suggests making facts exciting by telling them like a story (like a detective story).<\/li>\n
                      3. He mentions that Vikings were early flippers \/ the origin of the flip.<\/li>\n
                      4. He calls her a non-fiction genius.<\/li>\n<\/ol><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                        English Learning Content: Writing Non-Fiction audio_play Dialogue Alice: Hey Bob, what’s that mountain of books doing on your desk? Are you building a fort? Bob: Alice! Not a fort. I’m trying to write a non-fiction book. It’s harder than it looks! Alice: A book? Wow! What’s it about? The secret life of my pet hamster? […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-906","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-basic"],"featured_image_src":null,"author_info":{"display_name":"poster","author_link":"https:\/\/d.pontalk.com\/?author=2"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/d.pontalk.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/906","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/d.pontalk.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/d.pontalk.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/d.pontalk.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/d.pontalk.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=906"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/d.pontalk.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/906\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/d.pontalk.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=906"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/d.pontalk.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=906"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/d.pontalk.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=906"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}