Essential Text Types and Linguistic Structures

Types of Texts

Texts can be classified based on the channel used (oral or written) and the communication situation (formal or colloquial). The sender's communicative intent determines the function of the language:

• Expressive: To express feelings (e.g., poems).
• Representative or Referential: To report on reality (e.g., expository texts).
• Appellative: To influence the receiver's perspective (e.g., argumentative texts).
• Phatic: To maintain contact with the receiver (e.g., spoken texts).
• Metalinguistic: To explain a code (e.g., narrative texts).
• Poetic or Literary: To create aesthetic value (e.g., narrative or descriptive texts).

Forms of Speech

• Narrative: A narrator recounts events involving characters in a specific time and place.
• Descriptive: Details the characteristics of real or imaginary beings.
• Expository: Transmits information in an orderly manner to explain concepts.
• Dialogic: Involves two or more participants speaking.
• Argumentative: Provides reasons and evidence to justify opinions and convince the receiver.
• Instructional: Provides prompts or steps to perform an action.

Literary and Linguistic Concepts

• Calligram: Visual poems that combine poetry and drawing.
• Homophones: Words with the same pronunciation but different spellings and meanings.
• Rhymed Formulas: Brief, figurative expressions that utilize rhyme.
• Discussion: Oral texts where participants debate an issue to support a specific thesis.

Connector Types

Connectors help mark relationships of meaning within a text:

• Additive: And, besides, furthermore.
• Contrastive: But, yet, however.
• Causal: Because.
• Consecutive: So, therefore.
• Conditional: If.
• Final: For that, so that.

Discourse Modifiers

These guide the receiver's interpretation of the text:

• Commentary: Unfortunately, honestly.
• Agreement/Mitigation: Indeed, somehow.
• Warning/Doubt: Behold, maybe.
• Focus: Of course.

Discourse Organization

These indicate the progress and structure of information:

• Introduction: For starters.
• Topic Transition: As for.
• Ordering/Listing: In the first place.
• Exemplification: E.g.
• Clarification: That is, in other words.
• Conclusion: Finally.
• Spatial and Temporal Structuring: Markers that organize the setting and timeline.