A Guide to Different Text Types and Their Linguistic Features
Variety of Texts
1. Humanistic Texts
These texts focus on the human condition and its environment. They are characterized by:
- Subjectivity and personal reflection
- Doctrinal or speculative language
- Use of exposition and argumentation
- Connotative lexicon and first-person perspective
- Abstract vocabulary (attributes, actions, states)
- Technical and common terms
- Frequent adjectives and syntactic subordination
- Explanatory terms and appositions (e.g., Madrid, capital of Spain)
2. Scientific and Technical Texts
These texts, such as research reports and studies, explore natural science knowledge. Their characteristics include:
- Clear and logical organization of content
- Objective information presented concisely
- Use of short, listed paragraphs and supporting graphics
- Artificial languages (e.g., symbols, formulas)
- Denotative and monosemic lexicon
- Technical vocabulary and concrete nouns (e.g., cell, neuron, gene)
- Predominance of present tense
- Specific adjectives and clarifying sentences
- Frequent use of passive voice and impersonal “se”
- Declarative and copular sentences
- Appositions, explanatory sentences, and subordinate adjective clauses
3. Administrative and Legal Texts
These texts pertain to administrative or judicial matters. They feature:
- Precision and clarity
- Conservative language, archaisms, and jargon
- Specific adjectives, acronyms, abbreviations, and idioms
- Formal treatment formulas and synonyms
- Nominal constructions, verbal periphrases, and impersonal/passive forms with “se”
- Use of future subjunctive and imperative future
- Emphasis on enumerations, citations, and references
4. Instructional Texts
These texts provide instructions. They are characterized by:
- Exposition and description
- Clear and concise directions in short, ordered paragraphs
- Use of commands (e.g., press enter)
- Denotative and precise lexicon with abbreviations and foreign words
- Simple syntax and supporting iconic code
- Detailed enumerations
5. Copywriting
These texts aim to convey advertising messages. They employ:
- Appellate language, creativity, and surprise
- Connotative language in short, concise ads
- Varied linguistic registers depending on the target audience
- Iconic code and different forms of elocution (narration, description, exposition, argumentation)
- Creative slogans with orthographic rhymes and onomatopoeia
- Verb absence in sentences
- Intensification through repetition and superlatives
- Imperative, interrogative, and exclamatory sentences
- Formal treatment formulas and foreign words
- Appositions, technical terms, and wordplay
6. Journalistic Texts
These texts appear in periodicals and include various genres:
- News: Reports on a general interest event, structured with a headline, introduction, and body.
- Reportage: Relates current facts about a topic, often including interviews, graphics, and supporting data.
- Interview: Focuses on one or more individuals.
Journalistic texts are characterized by:
- Objectivity, clarity, and precision
- Attention-grabbing information
- Use of synonyms and expressive resources
- Past or present tense verbs in the indicative mood
- Passive and impersonal constructions
- Descriptive adjectives and explanatory appositions
- Simple sentences and coordinated clauses
- Textual markers and sentence connectors
- Narrative as a form of elocution
7. Opinion Texts and Mixed Genres
These texts prioritize the author’s opinion. Genres include:
- Editorial: Published in a prominent, fixed location.
- Opinion Article: Presents the author’s personal view on an issue.
- Column: A signed commentary on a current topic.
Mixed genres combine information and opinion:
- Chronicle: A personal account of an event by someone who witnessed it.
- Cultural Criticism: Provides information and evaluation on cultural and entertainment topics.
These texts are characterized by:
- Subjectivity and analytical intention
- Connotative lexicon with extensive use of adjectives, determiners, and pronouns
- Subordinate clauses and phrases
- Lexical and semantic repetition
- Textual markers and rhetorical questions
Newspaper ownership can influence objectivity and focus.