Sentence and Text Types: Communication Units & Classification

Enunciado (Sentence): Communication Unit

The enunciado is the communication unit, the minimal message. It has the following characteristics:

• Is the minimum message or communication unit.
• Full sense: the elements of the sentence are linked by grammatical relations.
• Has syntactic autonomy, i.e., may appear isolated.
• In speech, the sentence includes pauses and is pronounced with a particular intonation.
• In written language, the enunciado appears between two full stops (periods).

Text or Discourse

The text or discourse is a coherent set of enunciados (statements). Characteristics:

• Is the maximum communication unit.
• Expresses the complete content that the issuer wants to convey.
• Statements that form the text are united by a relationship of coherence, which is achieved through mechanisms of cohesion.
• Must be adequate to context and purpose.
• Can be as extensive as needed.

Classification of Texts

According to the thematic arrangement

• Narrative: contains events happening in time.
• Descriptive: represents scenes, objects, or internal and external aspects of people or things with words.
• Expository: presents ideas, concepts, or data.

According to the sender's intention and predominant language function

• Referential: reports on a topic.
• Expressive: reveals the author's feelings.
• Appellative (or argumentative): attempts to convince or persuade, presenting an opinion or viewpoint.
• Poetic: aims for literary and aesthetic effects.
• Metalinguistic: talks about language itself.

Depending on the level of language (linguistic register)

• Vulgar: includes individual improprieties and slang.
• Colloquial: spontaneous and unpretentious language.
• Standard: expresses common, correct language.
• Cultured: contains specialized vocabulary and a carefully maintained style.

According to the code and the communication channel

• Oral: production and transmission are spoken.
• Written: production and transmission are written.

Depending on the number of speakers involved

• Monologue: a single speaker.
• Dialogue: several speakers exchange turns.

According to the field of use (scope)

• Personal sphere: journals, notes, receipts, etc.
• Academic: exams, notes, sketches, reviews, essays.
• Work sphere: reports, memos, minutes, letters, projects, etc.
• Social sphere: notes, notices, letters, advertisements, debates.
• Family and friends: invitations, congratulations, cards.
• Literary sphere: short stories, poems, songs, novels, comics.