Genres and text analysis

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Genres and text analysis

• English 3rd year
• second term
• Mikaela Cordisco

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Different types of text
1.What is text?

• Text is any piece of writing.This could be a
  letter, an email, a novel, a poem, a recipe, a
  note, instructions for D.I.Y, an article in a
  newspaper or magazine, writing on a webpage or an
  advert.All of these examples can be called texts

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Text types

• General classes of text types are the following
• Correspondence
• Journalism/Communication
• Business/Commercial
• Marketing
• Advertising
• Administration
• Legal
• Scientific
• Technical
• Culture
• Literature

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• These classes are not mutually exclusive. For
  instance, advertising can be considered a
  subclass of marketing, and marketing a subclass
  of business. In addition, organizations are not
  restricted to one text type.
• Text type also partly indicates what sort of
  terminology the text includes. Terminology can be
  general, field specific or company specific. In
  its own right, terminology can be classified
  endlessly. Under the type of technical text,
  different fields of terminology could be for
  instance
• electronics
• telecommunications
• mobile phone technology
• Text type and terminology vary from text to text.
  Every organization uses normally several text
  types. Possibly some text type can be dominant,
  or it may be possible that there is a large set
  of text types of equal frequencies. Another
  secondary dimension along the same line is the
  set of different special sets of terminology that
  the organization uses and their respective sizes.
  The size of a set of terminology is understood
  here as the number of individual terms grouped
  under the set of terminology.

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Text type defines firstly what is the purpose of
the text

• When you are reading or writing any text think
  about the purpose of the text or why it has been
  written.
• 2. What might the purpose of a text be?
• An advert might be trying to persuade you to buy
  something.
• A letter from school might be to inform you about
  something.
• A novel might describe somewhere or someone to
  you.A car manual might instruct you how to do
  something to your car.
• Depending on the purpose of the text, different
  methods will be used to get the message across to
  the reader.

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Persuasive texts

• A persuasive text is a text that really wants you
  to do somethingAn 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."

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descriptive persuasiveinformative instructive
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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.

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Instructive texts

• An instructive text is a text that instructs or
  tells you how to do somethingA 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 - (although the word 'you' is not usually
  used)
• 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.

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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.

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Activities

• Persuasive texts are often written in a special
  way to bring the text to your attention. Which of
  the following methods is not used in the example
  below?
• CLEAR YOUR DEBTS FAST!Do you owe more money than
  you are making?Do you have lots of different
  debts? Why not make your life easier and combine
  all of your debts into one easy affordable
  monthly payment. For under 100 a month you could
  borrow 5 000 immediately with no questions
  asked.
• capital letters
• exclamation marks
• Humour
• rhetorical questions

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Activities

• 2What is the purpose of the following passage of
  text?ACCIDENTTreatment aims 1.Control
  bleeding2.Minimise shock for casualty3.Prevent
  infection - for casualty and between yourself and
  the casualty4.Arrange for casualty to go to the
  hospital if necessary
• To inform the reader that bleeding needs to be
  controlled.
• To describe the scene of an accident.
• To persuade the reader to attend a First Aid
  course.
• To instruct the reader on what to do if they come
  across an accident.

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Activities

• 3What is the purpose of the following passage of
  text?Bert Baxter was lying in a filthy-looking
  bed smoking a cigarette, there was a horrible
  smell in the room, I think it came from Bert
  Baxter himself. The bed sheets looked as though
  they were covered in blood, but Bert said that
  was caused by the beetroot sandwiches he always
  eats last thing at night.
• To inform the reader not to smoke in bed.
• To persuade the reader to always clean their
  sheets.
• To describe Bert Baxter and his room.
• To instruct the reader how to eat beetroot
  sandwiches.

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Activities

• 4 Why might a personal loan company include the
  following line in their advertisement?For under
  100 a month you could borrow 5 000 immediately
  with no questions asked.
• To instruct you to quickly contact the company to
  arrange the loan.
• To persuade you to take out a loan for 5 000.
• To inform you that your loan application will be
  accepted.
• To describe the range of services offered by the
  loan company.

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Activities

• 5 Is the following passage an example of
  instructive text?SPECIAL OFFER FOR SHELL FRIDGE
  SHOPPERS! 2 Tickets for the price of 1 if you
  book before 16th September.
• Yes
• no

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Activities

• 6 The following passage is an example of
  informative text. Which of the following is the
  reader being informed about?Introduction to
  Yoga. FURBY COLLEGE OF CONTINUING
  EDUCATIONDescription of Course This course is
  an introduction to the practice of yoga.Aimed at
  beginners, yoga is great for men and women of any
  age or ability or fitness level.
• That the course is suitable for complete
  beginners
• That the course will lead you on to the Stage 2
  course.
• That yoga is particularly suitable for women.
• That yoga is not suitable if you have a heart
  complaint.

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Activities

• 7 Which of the following are not normally used
  in descriptive texts?
• adjectives
• adverbs
• step by step action to be taken by the reader
• comparisons to enable the reader to picture
  something

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Activities

• 8 Instructive texts always use images to show
  what is to be done.
• true
• false

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Activities

• 9 You should always consider the intended
  audience/reader when writing a document to be
  read by someone else.
• true
• false

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Activities

• 10 Which of the following is not a piece of
  text?
• an email
• a newspaper article
• a map
• an advertisement

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Activities

• 11Which of the following is not an example of
  informative text?
• a church newsletter
• a recipe book
• a doctors' surgery leaflet about services
  provided
• an obituary in a local newspaper

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Activities

• 12 What descriptive comparison does the piece of
  text make to Uma as she struggled for breath?
  Uma knelt there, in the shallows, water pouring
  from her mouth and hair. She rose, gasping for
  breath, struggling, flailing her arms and choking
  like a big, wounded water bird.
• Uma was like someone flailing her arms.
• Uma was like a big, wounded water bird.
• Uma was like the water which was pouring from
  her.
• Uma was like something rising from the waters.

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Activities

• 13 Persuasive text encourages the reader to take
  certain action. What is the reader encouraged to
  do in this example of a letter from a
  clairvoyant?I would like to help guide you
  through this difficult time so that you can have
  the wonderful life that you deserve.If you would
  like the advice you need to help you find the
  love and riches you have always looked for write
  to me immediately. The sooner I can send out your
  12 month reading and start you on your path to
  happiness and success the better.
• To write to the clairvoyant.
• To attend some clairvoyant sessions.
• To phone the clairvoyant.
• To fall in love.

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Activities

• 14 Which of the following is persuasive text, as
  taken from a letter appealing against a parking
  fine?
• I was given a parking ticket for parking in a
  suspended bay/space.
• There were no warning signs or notices to say the
  parking area was to be suspended the next day.ù
• As there had been no previous warning, I would
  appreciate being let off this fine.
• I have an up to date resident's parking permit.

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Activities

• 15 An instructive piece of text is normally
  written as though the reader is being spoken to.
  
• True
• false

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Activities

• 16The following passage is an example of
  instructive text. London Borough of
  WelardRegister of Electors 2002 Every British,
  Irish or Commonwealth citizen living in Great
  Britain on the 12th of November 2001 is eligible
  to vote in this country's elections. European
  Union citizens can vote in local and European
  Parliamentary elections.
• True
• false

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Activities

• 17What type of text is used for the following
  travel directions?Wedding Directions How to
  get to Anne Marie and John's wedding. From the
  South via the M3 Leave the M3 Junction 12
  (B3446) sign posted Winchester. Go straight over
  1st roundabout. Take 2nd exit of 2nd roundabout
  into Rabbit Farm Road. Continue straight across
  next roundabout and take 2nd exit at next
  roundabout.
• persuasive text
• instructive text
• informative text
• descriptive text