Autobiography Features, Audience, Tone, and Structure

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering key definitions, root word origins, purpose, audience, tone, and structural features of an autobiography based on the lecture notes.

Autobiography

A true story of your own life, written by you; usually chronological, in first person; includes feelings and reflection.

Auto

A Greek word meaning "self".

Bio

A Greek word meaning "life".

Graph

A Greek word that can mean "write".

Audience

The specific reader or group of readers who will read your writing, influencing tone and word choice.

Tone

How friendly or formal you sound in your writing.

Family Audience Tone

A warm and personal tone used when writing an autobiography for family members, such as a grandmother.

Classmates Audience Tone

A friendly and funny tone used when writing an autobiography for peers in class.

Magazine Audience Tone

A tone that should be a little more formal and clear when writing an autobiography for a magazine reader.

Purpose of an Autobiography

To look back at life, understand shaping experiences, tell your own story in your own words, share lessons learned, celebrate achievements, show change over time, and pass personal memories on to future generations.

First Person (Personal Voice)

The narrative voice used in an autobiography to present factual and personal information about the writer's own life.

Chronological Organisation

Organising events mainly in time order so that the reader can follow the writer's development.

Time Connectives

Dates and time transition words or phrases used in an autobiography, such as "as a child", "at the age of", "later", "in 2012", "several years later", "when I was younger", "a few years afterwards", and "eventually".

Direct and Reported Speech

Including a short quotation from yourself or from another important person connected with your life where appropriate.

Precise Autobiographical Details

Relevant dates, places, names, achievements, events, and personal details included in an autobiography.

Autobiographical Structural Stages

The four sequential parts of an autobiography's structural outline: "Who Am I?", "Growing, Discovering & Developing", "Challenges, Turning Points & Achievements", and "Reflection & Looking Ahead".