---
title: "Layout and Formatting in Informational Writing"
description: "Use layout devices including headings, sub-headings, columns, bullets, and tables to structure text and guide the reader through informational and explanatory writing"
canonical: https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/layout-and-formatting-in-informational-writing-mt_AHAFw-atka
source: https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/layout-and-formatting-in-informational-writing-mt_AHAFw-atka.md
retrieved: 2026-11-12
---

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# Layout and Formatting in Informational Writing

Use layout devices including headings, sub-headings, columns, bullets, and tables to structure text and guide the reader through informational and explanatory writing

Subject: English · Area: Writing Composition · Ages 10 to 11
Page: https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/layout-and-formatting-in-informational-writing-mt_AHAFw-atka

## Ready when they can

- Organise an informational text using headings and sub-headings to separate sections
- Present comparative information using a table with clear row and column headers
- Choose or repair an arrangement using page columns and bullet points so related information stays together and list entries are easy to scan

## Lesson: Guiding Your Reader with Layout

You have grouped related ideas into paragraphs. Headings name main sections. Sub-headings name smaller parts within a section. In a volcano guide, 'Volcano types' could contain 'Shield volcanoes' and 'Composite volcanoes'. The outline below names those levels; it is not a formatted page.

A table compares the same kinds of facts about several things. Give each thing a row and each kind of fact a column. Headers name the rows and columns. Include units in measurement headers, such as 'Length (cm)'. Put each value under its matching header. Changing paragraphs into a table rearranges the facts; it does not remove facts that repeat.

**Example.** A header tells readers what kind of fact belongs below it. Each row keeps one club's facts together.

Club  Day  Room
Art  Monday  4
Chess  Tuesday  7

'Day' names the weekday column. 'Art' and 'Chess' name the rows. A missing header should describe the entries in its column.

*(drawing: These are the table's column headers. Day names the column containing Monday and Tuesday.)*

Put each supply on its own marked line so readers can scan the list. A heading names the list; it is not an entry. Number actions when order matters. For page columns, keep each topic's paragraph or list together under its heading. Avoid mixing lines from different topics. In a standard two-column English leaflet, read down the left column, then the right. Table columns instead align matching facts.

**Recap.** Headings, sub-headings, tables, bullets and columns all help your reader scan and find information fast.

*Lesson, practice questions and flashcards on informational layout written for this dataset.*

## Practice

8 questions on this page, each with its working shown.

## Needs first

- [Organising Writing into Paragraphs](https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/organising-writing-into-paragraphs-mt_AvJMWQbDsr)

## Optional connections

- [Writing Craft Vocabulary](https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/writing-craft-vocabulary-mt_82KKv0Fca3)

## Opens up

- [Developed Informational and Explanatory Writing](https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/developed-informational-and-explanatory-writing-mt_zCUIJLdK_s)