Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Language

Literary Texts and Description

Description in literature involves detailed portrayal through language. Unlike the dynamic nature of narrative, description is static, slowing or halting the action to focus on the described element. Text can be classified based on various criteria, such as the author's intention (objective description reflecting reality) or the described item.

Descriptive Language

Descriptive language requires precision, attention to detail, and careful selection of linguistic resources. These resources are present at every level of a literary text.

What is a Literary Text?

A literary text uses language in a specific way, employing elements of literary communication. It's a communicative and social phenomenon, a form of delayed... Continue reading "Literary Texts and Descriptive Language" »

Narration and Description: Narration is a text type where a narrator tells a story about characters in a specific place and time. Description details a person, object, place, or process. Basic text forms (narrative, description, and dialogue) can appear individually or combined in a single piece.

Statements: Statements (words, phrases, sentences) are minimal communication units, separated by pauses, conveying a complete message. A simple sentence has one verb; multiple verbs create a complex sentence.

Using the Dictionary: Dictionary entries may include information on etymology, gender, grammatical category, meanings, expressions, usage fields, and more. To find a word, locate the infinitive form; nouns and adjectives are listed in the masculine... Continue reading "Text Types and Literary Forms" »

Analysis of Bécquer's Rima II and Rima VII

Rima II

Theme and Structure

Rima II, a poem about poetry itself, explores the theme of uncertainty about fate, revealed in the final stanza. The poem's structure consists of two distinct parts:

• The first four stanzas present a series of images (bolt, leaf, wave, light) identified with the poet.
• The fifth stanza acts as a synthesis, where the poet's voice emerges.

Poetic Devices

• Metaphor: The entire poem is a metaphor, with the poet identifying with elements of nature (wind, water, plants). The third stanza's "wind ruffles" is a metaphor within a metaphor, comparing wind to breaking waves.
• Hyperbaton: Present in the first line of each stanza (disrupted word order).
• Polysyndeton: Use of repeated "and" in the

Rima XI: The Pursuit of Impossible Love

Poetic Themes and Structure

Rima XI delves into Bécquer's exploration of poetry itself. The central theme revolves around the pursuit of unattainable love, a desire the poet recognizes as impossible. This realization leads to a preference for dreaming and imagining, finding solace in the realm of wishes. The final stanza reveals this sentiment: "I am a dream...".

The poem's structure consists of three distinct parts:

• The dark-haired woman, symbolizing passion.
• The blonde woman, representing tender affection.
• The impossible woman, embodying unattainable love.

Rhetorical Figures

Bécquer employs several rhetorical devices:

• Parallelism: "Do I love you? - Do you love me?"
• Anaphora: "I am..."
• Allegory: The brunette

Grammatical Categories

Definition

Grammatical categories (parts of speech) classify words according to their type. Introduced by Nebrija in Spanish grammar, the term originally encompassed a limited set of word types. Modern linguistics uses "grammatical category" to describe a broader range of linguistic variables influencing a word's morphological form.

Traditional Parts of Speech

Traditional grammar identifies nine parts of speech (eight from Nebrija):

• Determiner
• Noun
• Pronoun
• Verb
• Adjective
• Adverb
• Preposition
• Conjunction
• Interjection

Literary Devices

Figures of Repetition

Alliteration

Alliteration is the repetition of the initial consonant sound in two or more closely placed words.

Anadiplosis

Anadiplosis (conduplicatio) repeats a word or phrase at the end... Continue reading "Rhetorical and Grammatical Figures in Language" »

The Life of Lazarillo de Tormes and his Fortunes and Adversities (better known as Lazarillo de Tormes) is a Spanish novel, written anonymously in first person and epistolary style (as one long letter). The earliest known edition dates from 1554. It is an autobiographical account of the life of a child, Lázaro de Tormes, in the sixteenth century, from his birth and miserable childhood to his marriage in adulthood.

A Picaresque Novel

It is considered the forerunner of the picaresque novel, with elements such as realism, first-person narrative, a structure roaming between multiple masters, and moralizing and pessimistic ideology.

Social Commentary

Lazarillo de Tormes is an outline of the ironic, ruthless society of the time. It shows its vices and... Continue reading "The Life and Adversities of Lazarillo de Tormes" »

Understanding Text Types

Narrative Texts

Stories of real or imaginary events, featuring characters in space and time.

Descriptive Texts

Presents people, objects, etc., with all their details and features.

Directive Texts

Reports clearly, objectively, and accurately in order to guide the performance of an activity.

Predictive Texts

Announces what will happen in the future.

Expository Texts

Provides information organized logically and hierarchically on any topic.

Argumentative Texts

Exposes a series of reasoned arguments to convince the receiver on a topic or opinion.

Discourse Genres and Text Type Examples

Narrative Discourse Genres

Literature:

• Novel
• Tale
• Mythological narrative
• Legend
• Epic
• Romance
• Comic
• Movie script

Journalism:

• Chronicle
• Sports reportage
• News

History:

• Chronicle

Professional:

Reflexive Pronouns (Me, Te, Se, Nos, Os, Se)

A. With Function (Direct Object / Indirect Object)

• Reflexive: The action reflects back on the subject. Example: "They wash themselves" - Direct Object
• Interactive: The action is performed reciprocally between subjects. Example: "They kiss each other" - Direct Object
• Allomorph of "you": Another form of "you" when a direct object pronoun is already present. Example: "He said to me" - "I" (Indirect Object) - Direct Object
• Ethical Dative: Emphasizes the sentence; can be removed. It functions as an Indirect Object. Example: "You eat three meals." "Three-course meal" - Indirect Object

B. Without a Grammatical Function (Accompanying the Verb)

• Subject Override (3rd person singular): Example: "One lives well in

Written Communication Characteristics

Adequacy

Ensure your writing is well-presented, respects spelling conventions, uses simple language, and is concise.

Consistency

Be clear and organized, highlighting the main idea(s). Use a single paragraph to develop each idea.

Cohesion

Connect sentences within each paragraph to maintain clarity and prevent information loss.

Steps to Develop a Written Document

1. Analyze the situation
2. Generate ideas
3. Select information
4. Organize content
5. Write the text
6. Review the letter
7. Revise the text

Letterhead

The letterhead of a letter identifies the sender (individual, company, or corporation). Stationery with a pre-printed letterhead is called letterhead stationery.

Written Communication Skills

These are practical rules that facilitate... Continue reading "Effective Written Communication: Key Principles and Document Types" »

Media and its Functions

Media refers to systems through which information is transmitted. Their primary functions are to inform and entertain. They also shape opinions.

Adjectives

Adjectives describe circumstances, properties, or states. They clarify and limit the extension of a noun.

• Possessive Adjectives: These words express ownership, e.g., mine, yours.
• Demonstrative Adjectives: These are used to point out something, adding a notional element, e.g., this, that.
• Indefinite Adjectives: These words refer vaguely to quantity, e.g., some, any.

Role of the Press

• Reporting: The primary function of journalism is to inform readers objectively and truthfully.
• Opinion: The second function is to express opinions and contribute to forming the reader's opinion.