Text types

Narrative texts have to do with real-world events
and time.

They may be fictional (fairy tales, novels) or nonfictional (newspaper report).


They are characterised by a sequencing of events

expressed by dynamic verbs and by adverbials

such as “and then”, “first”, “second”, “third”


Example: First we packed our bags and then we

called a taxi. After that we… etc.

EJEMPLO

Software

Descriptive texts

Descriptive texts are concerned with the location
of persons and things in space.


They will tell us what lies to the right or left, in

the background or foreground, or they will

provide background information which, perhaps,

sets the stage for narration.


It is immaterial whether a description is more

technical-objective or more impressionisticsubjective.

EJEMPLO


State or positional verbs plus adverbial
expressions are employed in descriptions

Examples:

1) The operation panel is located on the

right-hand side at the rear;

2) New Orleans lies on the Mississippi.

Directive texts

Directive texts are concerned with concrete
future activity. Central to these texts are

imperatives (Hand me the paper) or forms

which substitute for them, such as polite

questions (Would you hand me the paper?)

or suggestive remarks (I wonder what the

paper says about the weather)

EJEMPLO

Narrative, descriptive and directive texts have
grammatical forms associated with them which
may be expanded to form sequences of a textual

nature


They are all centred around real-world events and

things. In contrast, expository and argumentative

texts are cognitively oriented, as they are

concerned with explanation and persuasion, which

are both mental processes.

Expository texts

Expository texts identify and characterize
phenomena.


They include text forms such as definitions,

explications, summaries and many types of

essay.

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Expository texts


may be subjective (essay) or objective (summary,

explication, definition)


may be analytical (starting from a concept and

then characterizing its parts; e.g. definitions) or

synthetic (recounting characteristics and ending

with an appropriate concept or conclusion; e.g.

summaries)


are characterized by state verbs and epistemic

modals (Pop music has a strong rhythmic beat;

Texts may consist of one or more sentences) or by

verbs indicating typical activities or qualities

(fruitflies feed on yeast)

EJEMPLO

La impresora

Argumentative texts

Argumentative texts depart from the assumption
that the receiver’s beliefs must be changed


They often start with the negation of a statement

which attributes a quality or characteristic activity

to something or someone (esp. scholarly texts).


They also include advertising texts, which try to

persuade their readers that a product is somehow

better, at least implicitly, than others.

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Few texts are pure realizations of a single type:


Advertisements may be both argumentativepersuasive (this is good because…) and directive

(So buy now!)


Expository texts can be neutral or contain

evaluative elements (reviews, references, letters to

the editor…)


Laws regulate some aspects of society, directing

the behaviour of its members, but also inform on

these aspects (they are both directive and

expository)

EJEMPLO

Paneles solares