Text Types: Expository, Argumentative, Narrative, Scientific, Humanistic and Journalistic
The following sections describe the main text types, their purpose, linguistic features and structure.
Expository Text
Purpose: to transmit information on a topic in a clear, objective and orderly way. Expository texts can be specialized, informative or aimed at the general public.
Linguistic features:
- Predominance of the referential function of language.
- A precise style with a clear objective.
- A precise vocabulary and specific syntactic constructions.
- Brief and habitual sentences.
- Frequent use of reformulations and exemplifications.
Argumentative Text
Purpose: to defend an opinion or a value in a reasoned way. It gives reasons or tests a thesis.
Grammatical features:
- Use of connectors.
- Use of modalities.
- A tendency towards technical vocabulary and complex syntax.
Narrative Text
Purpose: to address the succession of events. Narrative texts relate events that occur to fictitious characters in a place and time.
Elements: action, use of verbs. Characters are divided into main and secondary, flat or round.
Structure: introduction, nucleus and denouement.
Point of view: the narrator may be external or a participant, or the protagonist.
Scientific Text
Purpose: characterized by the use of objective and denotative language, prioritizing the referential value and clarity in the presentation of data.
Features:
- Lexical: technical terms and monosemic words stand out.
- Grammatical: impersonal structures, passive voice and nominalizations.
- Elements: tables and graphics usually accompany the text, as well as statistical images.
- Structure: introduction, development and conclusion.
Humanistic Text
Purpose: texts that refer to any aspect of human life related to disciplines such as philosophy, history and the arts. They use subjective expression and the resources of literary language.
Lexical-semantic features:
- An abundance of abstract terms and connectors.
- Use of technical terms and neologisms.
Morphosyntactic features:
- Gnomic use of the present and the preterite.
- Predominance of the indicative mood.
- Predominance of the first person singular.
- Preference for qualifying adjectives.
Journalistic Text
Purpose: to inform about current events, either objectively or through opinion. They are usually accompanied by graphic elements, and they circulate through the mass media.
Report
A report presents a clear and unbiased account of an event of public interest. Its features are objectivity and clarity, a impersonal style, a pyramidal (inverted) structure and a lexicon free of colloquialisms and barbarisms. Subgenres include news and interview.
Structure: title, subtitle, introduction and body.
Opinion Articles
Opinion texts (reviews, editorials, columns, criticism and letters to the director) are subjective, careful in form, with a rich vocabulary, complex syntax and literary resources such as metaphors. Their aim is to argue in order to defend ideas.
Main subgenres: editorial, opinion article, column, criticism and letters to the director.