Genres are different categories of art. They are usually used to describe literature, film, music, and other types of art. Works of art belonging to one genre have certain characteristics in common, such as style, form, or subject. For example, science fiction stories often take place in the future. They may feature technology that does not exist yet or extraterrestrial life.
Here are some common examples of literary genres:
non-fiction
science fiction
romance
historical fiction
horror
mystery
crime
comedy
action
fantasy
western
young adult
Many types of art contain these genres and more. Within each genre, there may be different sub-genres as well. Continuing on with the example of science fiction, some sub-genres of science fiction are space opera, cyberpunk, and time travel.
Genres are important because they help readers understand what kind of story they are reading and give them a framework for what to expect in the story. Once these expectations are in place, writers can use them to give readers what they expect or perhaps to surprise readers with something unusual. It is common to include elements from multiple genres in one story.
Genre Worksheet
In this worksheet, students will identify the genre of a passage and explain how they knew it belonged to that genre. It is suitable for students from Grade 4 to Grade 7.