Text types:
1. Descriptive➡Describes places, people, entities in an objective manner. It describes
the properties of some entity (in a more or less objective manner).
2. Narrative:Tells a series of stories or events organised in time. It tells a series of
events organised in time (genres, e.g.: fairy tale, short story, epic poem, news report,
chronicle, pleading, anecdote, travel report, etc.)
3. Expository➡Transmits knowledge and explains concepts. It aims at transmitting
knowledge and explaining concepts (genres, oral: academic conference, oral scientific
reports, oral exams, lectures; written: scientific articles, didactic manuals, dictionary
and encyclopaedia entries, tourist guides, treaties, summary, notes, schemes)
4. Argumentative➡Persuades the recipient about the validity of a thesis through
evidence.It aims at persuading the recipient about the validity of a thesis, through
evidence (genres, oral: plea, intervention in a debate, interview; written: review,
editorial, scientific opinion essay, advertisement). They are distinguished into
demonstrative (starting from true and universal premises and leading to true
conclusions) and persuasive (starting from non-universal premises and leading to
likely conclusions)
5. Prescriptive➡Regulates the behaviour of the recipients through obligations or
instructions. They regulate the behaviour of the recipient stating obligations,
prohibitions or instructions.
○Instructions for use: of machinery, of products (chemical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic,
alimentary), recipes (prescriptions, diets, cooking), guides (technical, tourist);
○Propaganda: political, commercial, public service announcements (environmental,
health, safety campaigns)
○Etiquette (bon ton manuals)
○ Multiple types of memoranda (notices, reminders, planner)
○Legal texts:
- normative texts : laws, statutes, regulations, codes, decrees, norms;
- interpretive texts : law manuals, magazine articles, law lectures, law university
defence;
- applicative texts : proceedings (verdict, order), administrative acts (decree,
notice, report, administrative orders), legal acts (contracts, wills, proxy,
arbitration proceedings)
