Text Classification and Characteristics: A Comprehensive Guide
Text Adequacy and Coherence
Adequacy to the Situation
When creating a text, the sender must make an important choice in selecting the appropriate language. This means the text must adapt to the communicative situation. A text is considered adequate if it is tailored to the communicative situation and achieves the sender’s intended purpose with the receiver. Speakers must develop their language proficiency to achieve this.
Text Coherence
Coherence relates to the suitability and logical connection of the elements within a text. For a text to be coherent, it must meet certain standards of expression:
- It should not include statements whose meaning is illogical or absurd.
- It should express all necessary ideas without redundancy.
- It should not include contradictory statements.
It is common knowledge that when a text is well-structured, the receiver can easily recall what has already been presented. The sender should take into account the receiver’s prior knowledge and clarify any information necessary for their understanding.
Classification of Texts
Texts can be classified according to their intentions. Based on this, texts can be narrative, descriptive, expository, or argumentative. Texts can also be classified according to their content and present the following forms:
- Scientific and humanistic texts
- Technical, legal, and administrative texts
- Journalistic and advertising texts
- Literary texts
All texts have a communicative purpose and can be informative, persuasive, prescriptive, or poetic. It’s important to note that text classification criteria are not mutually exclusive. We can analyze a text that is both expository and scientific, or journalistic and scientific at the same time. Additionally, a text usually does not present a homogeneous structure. A narrative text can include descriptive parts, and a journalistic text can discuss scientific matters.
Humanistic Texts
Human beings engage in various activities involving social relationships. Language acquires a series of specialized purposes that meet the communication needs of specific speakers. There are different languages for the various modes of discourse.
General Characteristics
Among the general characteristics of humanistic texts, the following stand out:
- Variety of content and textual organization. A text on human rights will differ markedly from one about the topography of a locality.
- A high degree of abstraction in content.
- Presence of subjectivity in the content and ways of development.
- The type of language may be doctrinal or speculative.
- Employment of exposition and argumentation.
Linguistic Features
Humanistic texts share some common linguistic features. They often have a subjective and connotative character. They usually use a lexicon associated with the first person singular, reflecting a personal style. Humanistic texts abound in abstract vocabulary, leading to the formulation of generic concepts. The formation of abstract terms can be made through:
- Derivatives of adjectives using suffixes.
- Referrals to suffixes.
- Suffixes like”-is” applied to nouns and adjectives to refer to doctrines, tendencies, or attitudes.
- Using “lo” + adjective phrase or a general article before a noun.
Specific techniques are developed to designate the reality to which they refer. Hence, the proliferation of synonyms and the creation of technical terms that migrate from one discipline to another. Adjectives can be used to specify or add subjective and evaluative nuances, especially when placed before the noun. Sentences are often broad syntactic constructions with a dominance of subordination over coordination. The use of verb tenses is varied.
Means of Expression in Humanistic Discourse
The content of humanistic texts frequently appears in academic and journalistic contexts. Their textual features include:
- Variety of themes: They can develop ideas of all kinds.
- Variable extension: They can be presented in a variety of structures and lengths.
- Free thought structure: Thought is not presented in a rigorously structured manner.
- Tonal diversity: It depends on the author’s interpretation of reality and their aesthetic intensity.
- Subjectivity: The text reflects the personal attitudes of the author.
We can classify types of essays according to the author’s intention:
- Personal Essay: The writer speaks of themselves and their opinions.
- Formal Essay: A more formal and rigorous approach, closer to a scientific work.
- Poetic Essay: The most literary exposition of ideas.
- Expository Essay: The author informs the reader about ideas in a seemingly objective manner.
Argumentation in Humanistic Texts
Argumentation is a key element in humanistic texts. The purpose of argumentation is to explain concepts, facts, opinions, or ideas by providing reasons to demonstrate the truth or falsity of a statement, fact, or idea. Argumentative texts are based on the presentation of opinions, which, unlike facts, cannot be demonstrated as definitively true or false.
Legal and Administrative Texts
Legal and administrative texts are distinguished by their formality, complexity, and difficulty. They often limit user access and control how information is expressed. The language aims to be objective and focuses on informing and ordering. The language used is typically conservative, undeveloped, and full of archaisms and Latinisms. These texts have a conventional form and character, full of rigid expressions and structures.
Instructional Texts
Daily, we encounter texts whose primary intention is to provide instructions. These texts often utilize exposition and description. The main characteristics of instructional texts include:
- Division of statements into brief, ordered paragraphs.
- Frequent use of the imperative mood and infinitive verb forms.
- Precise and denotative lexicon. Technical terms may appear depending on the content.
- Simple and ordered syntax. Impersonal constructions are sometimes used.
- Detailed lists of actions to be taken, often accompanied by explanations to avoid errors.
- Use of iconic codes (images, diagrams) to support and clarify instructions.
Social Media: Radio and Television
Social media are channels that transmit artificial messages. These messages contain information targeted at large groups and are classified as print or electronic media. The main features of social media are:
- They transmit data at high speed.
- They base their language on various codes.
- Their purpose is to inform, educate, and entertain the receiver.
- They have a huge influence on the receiver’s thinking and behavior.
Radio relies heavily on verbal language, using spoken language, music, and sound effects. Television combines verbal language with iconic images. Images are the primary code, with words serving to support them. Music and sound effects are also incorporated to enhance the viewing experience.