Instructional and Predictive Texts with Periphrasis

Instructional Texts: Purpose and Structure

Text instruction: Instructional texts are aimed at teaching the receiver to regulate their conduct in the future. They help the receiver by directing, teaching, arranging, or advising them to perform actions. The objective, which states the purpose of the text, can be very brief and may be summarized in the title.

Structure and Instructions

Instructions: Presented following a logical or chronological order (cause → effect), the steps arise as orders, advice, actions, etc. Ideas are usually distributed in several paragraphs; each paragraph may correspond to a topic or subtopic. Instructions may be grouped into sections or subsections.

Linguistic and Typographic Features

Linguistically, instructional texts frequently use conative verbal forms or appeals (imperatives and expressions meaning "to do", "you have to do", etc.). They often use the second person, since the text is addressed to the receiver. The lexicon is usually denotative and precise because these are utilitarian texts. Technical terms are common in the field addressed: legal, technical, computer, culinary, and others.

The syntax is usually simple, with well-ordered, not very long sentences. Typographic resources (such as spatial arrangement of the text, titles, and captions) are characteristic of instructional texts because they facilitate reading. Often, the instructional text also includes iconic codes, such as graphics and illustrations.

Predictive Texts: Purpose and Structure

Predictive text: Predictive texts intend to report on facts or states in the future, that is, to announce that something will take place (examples: horoscopes, prophecies, forecasts...).

Structure: Information is sorted by subject (for example, electoral programs); it is usually grouped into thematic sections which are divided into subtopics. A distinctive element of organization is the differentiation of different times in the future. The most characteristic linguistic form is the use of the future tense, although other tenses or paraphrases of possibility ("should", "might", etc.) may appear. Predictive texts commonly use temporal adverbs, temporal connectors, and conditional sentences.

Periphrasis: Manner (Speaker's Attitude)

Periphrasis (manners): These periphrases report the speaker's attitude toward the verbal action.

• Obligation: have to / must / tener que / haber que + infinitive
• Probability or assumption: tend to / ought to / deber
• Possibility: can / poder

Aspectual Periphrasis: Development of the Verbal Action

Aspectual periphrases report on the development, phase, or viewpoint of the verbal action.

Inceptive (Ingressive) Periphrases

Report the beginning or immediate future of an action:

• go to (ir a)
• be about to / be by / near- (estar a punto de; near- is a marker)

Inchoative Periphrases

Indicate the moment an action begins:

• ponerse a / empezar a / echarse a

Frequentative and Habitual Periphrases

• Frequentative: soler (used to / usually)

Reiterative Periphrases

• volver a (again / back to)

Durative Periphrases

Express duration or continuity of action:

• estar / andar / venir / ir / seguir / continuar (be / walk / come / go / continue)

Terminative (Finished) Periphrases

Indicate completion, cessation, or end of an action:

• parar / terminar / acabar / llegar a / cesar (stop, finish, end, reach, cease)

Perfect or Resultative Periphrases

Express resultant state or consequence:

• traer / dejar / quedar / estar / tener / llevar / verse / sentir (bring, leave, remain, be, have, carry, appear, feel)

Additional Notes

All + infinitive: constructions combining an auxiliary idea of totality or iteration with an infinitive may appear in periphrastic or semi-periphrastic contexts.