--- title: "Text Features & Presentation" description: "Identify how language choices, text structure and presentational features (illustrations, diagrams, bold print, layout) contribute to the overall meaning and effect of a text" canonical: https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/text-features-and-presentation-mt_aVZJhPbc_1 source: https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/text-features-and-presentation-mt_aVZJhPbc_1.md retrieved: 2026-11-12 --- > **Agent view.** This is the Markdown twin of the page, for tools and assistants. > When to use this site, and the call that answers each job: https://lightmysky.com/agent-instructions.md > API description (OpenAPI 3.1): https://lightmysky.com/openapi.json · Authentication: https://lightmysky.com/auth.md > Pricing: https://lightmysky.com/pricing.md · Catalog: https://lightmysky.com/llms.txt · Full catalog: https://lightmysky.com/llms-full.txt > Every machine-readable file on this domain: https://lightmysky.com/.well-known/ai-catalog.json > Ask for Markdown with `Accept: text/markdown`, a `.md` address, or `?mode=agent`. # Text Features & Presentation Identify how language choices, text structure and presentational features (illustrations, diagrams, bold print, layout) contribute to the overall meaning and effect of a text Subject: English · Area: Reading Comprehension · Ages 7 to 10 Page: https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/text-features-and-presentation-mt_aVZJhPbc_1 ## Ready when they can - Explain how an author's word choices create a particular effect (e.g., 'The author uses "crept" instead of "walked" to make it feel sneaky and tense') - Identify how a text's structure helps the reader (e.g., 'The headings help you find information quickly', 'The story builds suspense before the ending') - Explain how a presentational feature contributes to meaning (e.g., 'The bold words are important vocabulary', 'The diagram shows how the water cycle works') ## Lesson: The Choices Behind the Page Writers choose words that give details and suggest feelings. Compare a chosen word with a plainer one. 'Whispered' tells you a voice was quiet; 'said' does not tell you its volume. A whisper can suggest secrecy, depending on the story. Explain the effect using the words on the page. **Example.** 'The cat crept toward the mouse' suggests slow, quiet movement. 'Walked' gives less detail about that movement. In this scene, 'crept' can make the moment feel tense. **Example.** A mystery can give clues before revealing the answer. While you wait, you may wonder what happened. That waiting and wondering is suspense. Saving the answer until after the clues can build it. A diagram can show parts or stages in a process. Pictures and arrows can help readers follow how stages connect. Arrows leading back round can show a repeating process. These boxes show three stages of a frog's life in order; they do not show every change. A heading names a section's topic. A chapter title may hint at its events. Numbered steps show jobs in order. A 'What you need' list before the steps helps you gather materials first. A box can keep an extra fact apart from an explanation or draw attention to a reminder. A caption is text beside or below a picture. It can explain what you see or add details the picture cannot show. Labels name particular parts of a picture. A photo shows an appearance at one moment. A map shows where places are in relation to one another. *(drawing: A caption can identify a person. A label can connect a name to one particular part.)* Bold print is darker and thicker than ordinary print. It can draw attention to a vocabulary word or a warning. Making a claim bold does not make it true. When every word is bold, bold print no longer singles out particular words. Match a picture to the question it helps answer. A photo of a finished model shows the goal, but not all the steps for making it. A picture can repeat words and still help you understand them. A picture of someone waving does not show how a task is done. It may introduce the person instead. **Recap.** Authors choose their words, the order of the text and the pictures on purpose. Asking why helps you understand more. *The lesson, questions and learning cards were written for this dataset.* ## Practice 23 questions on this page, each with its working shown. ## Needs first - [Expressive and Sensory Language](https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/expressive-and-sensory-language-mt_fL1Xz8ostr) ## Optional connections - [Non-Fiction Text Features](https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/non-fiction-text-features-mt_ZhUuT__i2H) ## Opens up - [Analysing Text Structure](https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/analysing-text-structure-mt_II6iw4BmJI) - [Purpose, audience, and context](https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/purpose-audience-and-context-mt_jIcgbCmziD) - [Grammar for Effect](https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/grammar-for-effect-mt_N5tiL3uIeq) - [Structural terminology](https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/structural-terminology-mt_ujwtRoYJ34)