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WHAT ARE THE MAIN TEXT TYPES?

There are many different text types a person may
encounter in the course of a single day. They might read
a newspaper article in the morning, then write a letter
(or email) to a friend, follow a recipe to make dinner,
complete an application form, pick up a leaflet, before
finally savouring a good novel at bedtime. While all of
these forms of text have the written word in common,
each has its own unique features and conventions.
There are many different ways to categorize the broad
range of reading and writing materials we can encounter
in a single day. But, generally speaking, it’s helpful to
think of them in terms of two overarching and broad
categories: factual and literary.
 FACTUAL TEXTS
ENDEAVOR TO INFORM, INSTRUCT,
OR PERSUADE THROUGH THE USE
OF FACTS AND INFORMATION.
LITERARY TEXTS
SEEK TO ENTERTAIN, ENLIGHTEN,
OR ELICIT EMOTION THROUGH A
CREATIVE USE OF LANGUAGE AND
 FACTUAL TEXT TYPES
1. DISCUSSION TEXTS

Purpose: The purpose

of a discussion text is to explore more than one
point of view
on a given subject in order to reach an informed
opinion or to make a decision on an issue.
Main Features:
-The title is often in the form of a question
-Written in the present tense
-Generic statements are followed by
specific examples
-Arguments are sometimes supported by
diagrams, illustrations etc
2. EXPLANATORY TEXTS

Purpose: Explanatory texts move beyond

providing straightforward descriptions to looking at
things like causes and reasons. They move
beyond retelling what happened, such as in a
simple report, to address the why and how of what
happened.
Main Features:
 The title reveals what is being explained
 It may contain diagrams, flowcharts,
illustrations etc
 Written in simple present tense
 Time connectives are used such as
first, after, then, next, finally etc.
 Talks to the reader directly, e.g. “You’ll
be surprised to learn….”
3.INSTRUCTIONAL/PROCEDURAL
TEXTS

Purpose: Instructions and procedural texts communicate

rules or processes to follow. They are commonly found in
games, household appliances, recipes, etc. While, in some
ways, instructional/procedural texts are similar to
explanatory texts, the main difference is that while
instructional/procedural texts tell you what to do,
explanatory texts describe something.
Main Features:
-The title indicates the process described, e.g.
How to…
-Includes resource / equipment list
-The process is described step-by-step using
bullet points, numbers etc
-Time connectives are used to organize
writing (first, next, then, finally etc.)
-Imperatives used
-Diagrams / Illustrations are used to support
or replace text.
4. PERSUASION TEXTS / OPINION
WRITING

The purpose of persuasive type texts

Purpose:

is to convince the reader of the merits of

adopting a particular viewpoint or taking a
specific course of action.
Main Features:
-Written in the simple present tense
-Moves from a general point to specific points
-Uses logical connectives (therefore, because
of this, this proves that)
-Employs rhetorical devices
-Uses facts and evidence to support
arguments
-Addresses reader directly
-Employs various methods of psychological
5. INFORMATIONAL TEXTS

Purpose: The purpose of an

informational text is to provide readers
with information on a chosen topic by
providing them with facts, most
commonly in the form of an information
report.
Main Features:
 Written in the third person perspective,
detached from emotive language.
 Specialized vocabulary and language related
to the subject are used.
 Comparative language provides a context in
areas such as size, speed and age.
 Frequently, the passive voice is employed.
 It may contain several subheadings.
 Often include tables, maps, diagrams, or
images.
6. NON-CHRONOLOGICAL REPORTS

Purpose: The purpose of non-chronological reports is

to give information and detail about something that
happened, but without being tied to providing a linear
account in terms of time.
Main Features:
 Often written in the present tense, third
person
 Sometimes written in the past tense, e.g.
on a historical event
 Frequently, the passive voice is employed
 Usually focused on general subjects
 It may contain several subheadings
 Dispassionate in tone
May include tables, diagrams, or images
7. RECOUNTS

Purpose: Recounts focus on

retelling events and are
generally intended to inform
and/or entertain.
Main Features:
 Most often written in the past tense
as text type relates events that
already happened.
 Time connectives are used
extensively to organise chronology,
e.g. first, then, next, after that, etc.
 Details are used extensively to flesh
out the bare bones of the events.
8. BIOGRAPHIES

Purpose: A biography is an account of someone’s life written

by someone else. The purpose is to provide your audience
with a factual recount of significant events and insight into
what type of personality traits they may have had.
Main Features:
-Written in the past tense,
depending upon the status of your
person of interest.
-Biographies provide facts about
events, dates and times etc.
(Timelines may be of use here.)
-Biographies are written in the third
 LITERARY TEXT TYPES
1. POETRY

Purpose: As with all literary genres of writing, poetry can be

written to serve a wide variety of purposes. For example, poetry
can be written to entertain, inform, amuse, share knowledge,
pass on culture, advance culture, etc. Poetry comes in many
forms, and sometimes these forms come with their own specific
purposes. For example, limericks are crafted to amuse readers,
while elegies are usually written to praise or mourn a person.
Main Features:
-The musicality of language is utilised
through the use of rhyme, rhythm, and
various literary devices.
-Language that appeals to the senses is
used.
-Imagery is used to paint pictures in the
readers’ minds
-The sounds and meanings of language are
played with through the use of literary
devices
2. NARRATIVE

Purpose: The purpose of narrative texts is to tell a

story. That said, there can be many reasons for
storytelling in the first place; for example, myths can be
told to explain natural phenomena, and legends can be
used to pass on cultural beliefs. Storytelling is a means
to entertain and inform readers and allows writers to
express themselves creatively and imaginatively. There
are many types of narrative text, including myths,
fables, traditional tales, novels, short stories, etc., to
name but a few.
Main Features:
-Most often written in the past or present
tense
-Most often, it uses the third or first-person
perspective
-Characters are often recognisably human in
their motivations and actions
-Language is used creatively to paint a picture
in the reader’s mind
-Storytelling may be supplemented by the use
of images
3. DRAMA

Purpose: As with narrative texts, the purpose of drama

is primarily to entertain through storytelling. Drama can
also be used to provide social commentary,
communicate culture, amuse, and inform too. While
there are similarities between narrative storytelling and
dramatic storytelling, drama endeavors to tell a story
through enacting it on the stage, usually requiring the
use of dialogue as a primary means of moving the story
on.
Main Features:
-Story related largely through the use of
dialogue with the page showing the
character’s name and the words they
speak.
-Organisational information included,
such as set descriptions and stage
directions.
-Story structures common in narrative
In Conclusion
-Understanding the various aspects of the different
writing genres will help students to navigate their way
through writing that serves a broad range of purposes.
-It will also help students in their own text compositions.
Understanding the various underlying text structures will
provide students with an effective means of organizing
their work, helping to ensure their writing is fit for
purpose.
-Exposing your students to as many different genres as
possible, and providing opportunities to explore how
these text types operate, will go a long way to helping
them develop into adaptive and organized readers and
writers in the future.
*What is a journalistic text?
--Journalistic texts are texts that are elaborated
in the field of social communication and
journalism as professional areas.
In this sense, texts are developed with the
purpose of updating the reader or the public
regarding a situation, information or event that
is of interest to the public opinion as a whole
or to large groups of people.
The most important characteristic
that allows identifying this type of
text with others has to do with the
relationship that exists in its
development and the important
events it deals with, since it obeys
an informative and general
knowledge intention.
 MAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF THE JOURNALISTIC TEXT
It is time to look at a series of features and characteristics that
allow us to identify this type of text from other non-literary
texts that we can easily find in our daily life. Thus, we present
below the following aspects:

PERIOD OF VALIDITY
A crucial point of this type of text is related to the fact that it is subject
to a time or period of validity, this means that the information it
presents, although it is recent, requires immediate reading and sending,
because with the passage of time it loses relevance among the target
audience. This is a very important distinguishing factor that
differentiates journalistic text from other types of non-literary text, but
also from literary text.
 Mass production
-In order to reach a large part of the
population or public, this type of text is
mass-printed with material that is relatively
inexpensive. This is because, following
their short period of validity, they are not
usually kept for reading again, but are
discarded in a very short time.
 INTERPRETATION CRITERIA
Another important aspect about the journalistic
text corresponds to the interpretation criteria
that the author must have for the story he
presents. This is due to the fact that the
journalistic text is based on a hermeneutic
process in which it starts from reality, that is,
from facts, characters, documents, experiences
or works to begin with the description, followed
by the comprehension for the explanation.
 MODE OF WRITING
This text is organized in a hierarchical way, which allows the
central information to appear first, while complementary
information and necessary details are added later. This
information may be presented in parts or blocks throughout the
text.
USE OF LANGUAGE
This type of text is characterized by using a language that is
determined according to the topic chosen, using a large number
of abstract nouns, resorting to linguistic resources such as
qualifying adjectives, enunciative intonations, neologisms,
among other elements chosen by the authors. In general, it
keeps the language simple and clear so that the reader can
easily understand it.
 TYPES OF JOURNALISTIC TEXTS
Within this category it is possible to find several formats
through which other types of texts are developed. Thus, we find
types of journalistic texts such as the chronicle, the report, the
news, the opinion column and the review, which we explain in
depth in each of them:
1. CHRONICLE
This type of text can present a great variety of events. It
corresponds to a historical narration in which real events are
presented following a chronological order, hence its name. The
subject developed may be a current issue in which the
information is expanded. The writer gives an assessment of the
information presented and evidences a personal style in the
development.
2. REPORT
IT CONSISTS of a kind of work that is not
influenced by the immediacy required by a news
item. In this type of text, the reporter or person in
charge of developing the report offers expanded
information that has previously appeared in the
news format. In this case, the author can
incorporate other resources and sources that
complement and deepen the information, such as
statements, interviews, background information
not considered, the consequences of the facts, etc.
3. NEWS
This type of text must have two basic
elements: on the one hand, it must be a
novelty or fact as recent as possible, and on
the other hand, it must be a topic or fact
that is of public interest. It can deal with a
wide variety of topics in which it answers
the basic questions such as what, who,
when, where, how and why.
4.OPINION COLUMN
-In this format of journalistic text, the author
presents a text signed or unsigned by
him/her, in which he/she offers an opinion,
assessment or point of view in relation to a
current issue. However, opinion columns
often also reflect an author’s assessment of
a relevant topic over time. This text may
have different times of appearance according
to the medium in which it is published.
5. REVIEW
In this type of text we have a writing, most of the
times short and precise, in which the author makes
a criticism or evaluation in relation to an event or a
work and which is designed to address a specific
audience, generally interested in the subject on
which the review is developed. In this text the
author expresses his experience and criticism on
the subject by adding elements such as a summary,
critical commentary, conclusions,
recommendations, etc.
6. JOURNALISTIC INTERVIEW
This is a technique based mainly on the dialogue
established between two or more people. This type of
interview, in particular, involves the participation of an
interviewer who is a social communicator or journalist
and who asks a series of questions to lead the
conversation towards obtaining information about a
specific fact. While it is necessary to allow the
conversation to arise in a natural and comfortable way,
it is necessary to prepare the questions and research in
depth about the topic or situation. It is recorded in
different forms in the text or writing.
7. JOURNALISTIC EDITORIAL
It is a type of text that expresses information in
relation to an assessment of a situation or a
topic of great importance. In this case, the
journalistic editorial is constructed by a group of
editors who express their assessment or
judgment in relation to a specific experience, be
it of a social or cultural nature. However, one of
the most recurrent topics of the editorial has to
do with politics and related issues.
8. LETTER TO THE EDITOR
-It is a type of text in which the reader expresses
his opinion or assessment of a news event or in
relation to the newspaper, magazine or media in
which it is published. As its name mentions, it is a
letter addressed to the editor that can vary in its
addressee, becoming a letter that sympathizes
with the reading public. In the content, the reader
can denounce a situation, make suggestions
regarding the content, expose information through
which he/she can influence other readers, etc.
9. OPINION ARTICLE
It is a type of text that, through argumentation and
persuasion, expresses a position in relation to a
specific topic or fact. For this purpose, the article is
composed of a structure that allows the author to
present his thesis, ideas and the formulation of
arguments that serve as a basis for his evaluations
in the conclusion of the text. It is a format that also
seeks to influence public opinion through ideas
supported by clear and concise language.
ACADEMIC TEXT
-Being as writer is not an easy when it specially comes to
academic writing. A vision of the writer should be clear
when writing on any topic.
-Academic text means to write professionally, a writer
must have prior knowledge of selected topic and should
be capable of writing clearly.
-A broader perspective of topic should presented in
writing academically, because writer is someone who
cannot impose his/her self thoughts. Or in case you
wanted to give any message so make sure to give
reference to support your thought.
-Academic writing must be vigilant, writer
should make sure not to copy any content
from internet or other sources.
-Academic writing is professional therefore,
writer must invest time to gather
information and references to make the
content authentic.
-Persuasive writing style is best to engage
audience towards your academic text.
-Writer must make sure that content is
plagiarism free before publishing
academically.
- Academic texts are basic, evenhanded and specific texts
that are composed by experts or specialists in a specific
field.
- They are written in conventional language and has a proper
style and tone. Since these are objective texts, they depend
on realities.
- The feelings and sensations of the creators are not
conveyed through them. Scholarly texts are all around
engaged, compact, clear, precise, and very much organized.
- They depend on authentic data and proof, liberated from
redundancy, misrepresentation, facetious inquiries and
compressions and are generally as an outsider looking in
perspective.
Kinds of Academic Texts
Articles
Course books
Propositions
Contextual analyses
Reports
Research articles
Dissertations
 Instructions to Write an Academic Text
Prologue to the point
Place the point in a specific circumstance
Foundation data
Point of the text
Technique to satisfy the point
The proposition explanation or exploration question
Discoveries
Need and the significance of the point
While explicit prerequisites might change in light of the
specific type of scholastic composition or the class or
distribution for which a work is delivered, a few qualities are
normal to all scholarly composition.
 formal tone - A proper tone is generally utilized in
scholarly composition. It isn't happy or
conversational in tone. Shoptalk and buzzwords don't
have a place in this kind of composition.
exact language - with regards to the proper tone, it's
essential to pick exact language that plainly conveys
the creator's significance.
perspective (POV) - Academic composing is normally
written in third individual POV on the grounds that its
spotlight is to instruct on the realities as opposed to
help an assessment or offer guidance.
 research center - Because most scholastic composing
includes detailing research results, it will in general zero
in on the particular exploration question(s) being
considered.
association - Academic composing ought to be
coordinated intelligently in a straight, self evident reality
design. Use headings to portray each significant
segment.
source references - Most scholastic composing
incorporates at minimum some auxiliary exploration
sources. Make certain to appropriately refer to all
sources and incorporate a book reference.
-There are several reasons why academic text and
writing is important to study.
Firstly, academic text and writing represents the
kind of writing that is usually required in higher
education and in the workplace. Secondly,
academic text and writing can be very challenging
and therefore it is important to have a good
understanding of it in order to be successful in
academia or in a professional career.
Finally, academic text and writing is a great way
to improve one's writing skills in general.