Guide to Dialogue, Text Types, and Grammar
Formal Dialogue
Formal dialogue is artificially created to mimic natural or spontaneous conversation. It is planned so that a text appears to be a spontaneous communication. This type of dialogue can be used in various genres like novels, dramas, and screenplays.
Narrative Dialogue
Narrative dialogue occurs when the author directly presents the words of the characters, combining dialogue (and monologue) with narrative discourse. It’s inserted into the text in several forms:
Direct Style
Reproduces the characters’ words verbatim, creating a dynamic and engaging effect. It uses verbs of language and thought, along with typographic resources.
Indirect Style
The narrator summarizes or encapsulates the characters’ words in the third person. The words are integrated into the narrative as a dependent clause of a verb of language or thought.
Free Indirect Style
Combines direct and indirect styles. It presents the characters’ words or thoughts as in reported speech but inserts them into the narrative without speech or thought verbs or introductory phrases.
Monologue
A variant of dialogue where a character talks to themselves or speaks to someone without expecting a reply. It allows us to see directly inside the character’s mind. Extreme use of monologue is often called interior monologue.
Theatrical Dialogue
Theatrical texts often contain annotations, which are notes apart from the main text that provide instructions for the actors.
Dialogue
The main text of a play. It creates the dramatic action and characterization and is introduced with the names of the characters involved.
Monologue
A speech by a character that isn’t directly addressed to another character. Instead, the character talks to themselves to reveal aspects or experiences of their life to the audience and themselves.
Pronouns
The Pronoun
Pronouns replace a noun phrase and can perform the same functions, such as subject, attribute, or direct object.
Personal Pronouns
Personal pronouns indicate the three grammatical persons of speech and have different forms depending on their role in the sentence.
Unstressed Personal Pronouns
Can appear attached to the verb or before it.
Reflexive Personal Pronouns
Replace a noun phrase that matches the subject. They function as direct or indirect objects and require reciprocal verbs.
Reciprocal Personal Pronouns
In reciprocal sentences, these pronouns replace two or more noun phrases that exchange actions. They function as direct or indirect objects and require reciprocal verbs.
Syntactic Functions
Substitute Indirect Object
Reflexive (Indirect/Direct Object)
Reciprocal (Indirect/Direct Object)
Ethical Dative (Indirect Object)
Without Syntactic Function
Pronominal (Verbs requiring it in conjugation)
Passive Reflexive (Patient Subject)
Impersonal
Intransitivizing (Prevents a Direct Object)
Subjective Modifier (Can be omitted)
Semantic (Changes the meaning and verbal scheme)
Expository Text
The Exposition
Expository text aims to inform and provide knowledge about a topic. Its purpose is didactic, helping the reader understand an idea or concept or expand their knowledge. It must be orderly, clear, and objective. The informational intent of exposition makes the referential function dominant.
Popularization Texts
Inform clearly and objectively about a general interest topic; easy to understand.
Scientific Exposition
The development of modern science makes these texts a highly specialized subgenre, with a high degree of difficulty, explaining phenomena, concepts, and relationships.
Purely expository text is uncommon. It typically appears combined with other text types, such as instructive and descriptive.
Structure
Expository texts are based on an idea or theme that is developed throughout. The text elements are related following a logical, chronological, or hierarchical order. Logical relationships are established from cause and effect; chronological order is used in historical expositions; hierarchical order presents facts by importance.
Introduction
Presents the topic.
Development
Expands on the theme, including subtopics and examples.
Conclusion
Summarizes the text, reinforcing the initial thesis, evaluating the information presented, and sometimes offering suggestions for the future. A conclusion may not always be necessary if the development doesn’t lead to one.
Adverbs and Related Items
The Adverb
Adverbs are invariable words—they don’t have gender or number morphemes—and form the core of adverbial phrases.
Syntactic Features of Adverbs
Core
In this case, they are the nucleus of the adverbial phrase.
Modifiers
When adverbs are not the core of the phrase they are in.
Introducers of Subordinate Clauses
Adverbs can introduce:
- Adverbial subordinate clauses
- Adjectival or relative adverbial clauses when they are at the beginning and function as the conjunction of the verb in the subordinate clause.
- Substantive subordinate interrogative clauses when they are at the beginning and function as the conjunction of the verb in the clause.
Prepositions
Prepositions are invariable words that establish a relationship of subordination between two elements of a sentence and form a prepositional phrase. They can be:
Simple
Consist of a single word.
Compound
Formed by two simple prepositions.
Prepositional Idioms
Fixed expressions formed by a combination of simple prepositions and other words that function as a unit.
Conjunctions
Conjunctions are invariable words that connect words or phrases with the same syntactic function, and clauses that perform the same or different syntactic functions.
Classification of Conjunctions
Simple
Consist of a single word.
Conjunctive Idioms
Combine two or more words.
Coordinating Conjunctions
Link words, phrases, or clauses that perform the same syntactic function. They can be classified into:
Copulative
Express sum or addition.
Disjunctive
Express alternation.
Adversative
Express restriction or incompatibility.
Distributive
Express distribution. They are conjunctions derived from adverbs.
Explanatory
Clarify the meaning of the preceding element. They are expressions that acquire conjunctive value.
Subordinating Conjunctions
Precede a clause that is syntactically subordinate to another clause. They are classified into:
Completive
Meaningless.
Causal
Express cause.
Consecutive
Express consequence.
Conditional
Express condition.
Final
Express purpose.
Concessive
Express difficulty or obstacle.
Temporal
Express time.