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
What a learner can do afterwards
- Organise an informational text using headings and sub-headings to separate sections
- Present comparative information using a table with clear row and column headers
- Use columns and bullet points to display information in a scannable format
1 · Read
Long pieces of nonfiction writing can be hard to read if everything is squashed into one block. Headings and sub-headings break your writing into named sections, so a reader can find exactly the part they want.
Zara writes a guide called 'Volcanoes'. Under the heading 'Types of Volcanoes,' she adds two sub-headings: 'Shield Volcanoes' and 'Composite Volcanoes.' A reader who only wants shield volcanoes can jump straight there.
Sometimes you need to compare several things at once, like the size, diet, and habitat of different animals. A table with row and column headers lines up the facts, so the reader can compare them at a glance instead of hunting through paragraphs.
Use bullet points for lists of items or steps, and columns for short chunks of related information. Both let a reader scan the page instead of reading every word.
Headings, sub-headings, tables, bullets and columns all help your reader scan and find information fast.
2 · Watch
Take it off screen
Where it sits
Where this leads
Jobs that lean on this skill. Follow one to see everything it is built on.
8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.