Text Types Source: BBC
Descriptive texts
A descriptive text is a text that
wants you to picture what they are describing.
A novel might want you to imagine the characters
and see them in your mind.
A travel book will want you to see the country it
is describing.
Descriptive texts usually:
 |
make use of adjectives and adverbs |
|
use comparisons to help picture it - something is like something |
|
employ your five senses - how it feels, smells, looks, sounds and tastes |
Examples:
The morning air was crisp and sharp as Sean walked down the road.
The pavement was slippery and cold beneath his feet like a slimy wet fish.
To learn more about words to help you describe people, places and things
look at the Skillswise
Describing words (adjectives) module.
Instructive texts
An instructive text is a text that instructs or
tells you how to do something
A recipe wants to instruct you how to cook something.
A leaflet with a piece of furniture wants to tell you how to put it
together or take care of it.
Instructive texts:
|
are written as though the reader is being spoken to - |
| language is direct and unnecessary words are left out |
| often use 'must' and 'must not' |
| sometimes use diagrams or pictures to help understanding |
Examples:
Put all ingredients into bowl together. Whisk until fully mixed.
Go to the end of the road and turn left past the pub on the corner. Keep
walking until you come to a park and then turn right into Hawker Street.
To learn more about writing instructions, look at the Skillswise
Instructions module.
Informative texts
An informative text is a text that wants to advise
or tell you about something.
A newspaper article might give you information about a health issue like
giving up smoking.
A website might give you information about a movie, band or something that
you are interested in.
A handout from school might be advising you about what your child will be
doing during the next term.
Informative texts usually:
|
avoid repetition |
|
contain facts |
| give information in a clear way - introducing the subject and then developing it |
Examples:
Make a plan to help you try and give up smoking. Plan the date you'll
give up, how you'll try to deal with temptations and a list of the reasons
why you are giving up to keep motivated.
Autumn term: Your child will be covering simple fractions during weeks 1-6.
Persuasive texts
A persuasive text is a text that really wants you to do
something
An advert might want you to buy something.
You might write a letter to persuade a friend to
go on holiday with you, or to try and get off a parking ticket.
Persuasive texts might use:
|
repeated words |
|
text in capital letters |
| exclamation marks |
| rhetorical questions (questions where no answer is needed) |
| an emotional one-sided argument |
| humour |
Examples:
SPECIAL OFFER! Buy today! Would you want to miss this SPECIAL offer?
Phone NOW...
"I really think that you need this holiday. You have been working very
hard lately and are so worn out. Just think of how nice it will be to lie on
the beach in the sunshine."
More Text-types (source: www.tu-chemnitz.de)
text-type classification, e.g. sermon, cooking recipe
directive, informative, expressive functions >>
• narrative = novels, reportage (+dynamic verbs, time adverbials)
• descriptive = background reports (+stative verbs, place adverbials)
• instructive = manuals (+imperatives, politeness forms)
• expository = definitions, declarations (+modal verbs)
• argumentative = theses, advertisements (+negations, sequencing)
but few text-types have only 1 function, e.g.
adds are argumentative-persuasive (this is good because) +
directive (buy now)