Textual genres represent a set of oral or written texts that have their own characteristics, such as structure, language and theme.
All of them fulfill a communicative and social function within a given context.
According to the National Curriculum Parameters (PCNs), textual genres are characterized by three elements:
- Thematic content: related to the topic.
- Compositional construction: relative to structure.
- Style: related to language.
Let's better understand this concept with an example:
Imagine that you need to write a report about the museum trip. For this, you will have to understand the main characteristics, structure and format of this textual genre to produce your report correctly.
Thus, every text we produce, whether oral or textual, has a genre within a context and a communicative intention.
Types of textual genres
Note that textual genres are part of our daily lives. For this reason, nothing is more important than knowing the main types to better understand their social and communicative functions (entertaining, communicating, persuading, informing, giving opinions, etc.).
Note that there is an infinity of textual genres and here we will highlight some of the best known and their main characteristics.
- classified ad: short, descriptive and expository textual genre, published in the sales, exchanges, loans, newspaper or magazine rental sections. Its function is to get the interlocutor's attention and make him act.
- Advertisement: textual genre whose function is to persuade and convince the reader when promoting a product, service, brand or idea. These are texts that usually appear in the mass media.
- Article: textual essay genre that intends to address a topic. It can be opinion article, scientific, etc.
- minutes: textual genre that formally organizes information (events, debated matters, discussions, proposed resolutions, people present, etc.) of meetings, meetings, conferences, etc.
- Ticket: everyday and informal textual genre that aims to inform someone we share some degree of affection. Composed of simple and brief texts, the notes are written in colloquial language.
- Letter: textual genre composed of a sender and a receiver that can contain a formal or informal language, depending on the objective. They are classified into several types: personal, open, argumentative, reader's letter, etc.
- Poster: informative and appealing textual genre whose function is to convey a message, whether it is to advertise a product, raise awareness about something, draw attention to an event, etc.
- Tale: short narrative text genre that contains plot, characters, time and space. It features only one story and one conflict, and depending on the theme it is classified into different types: fairy tale, children's, fantastic, horror, etc.
- Chronicle: short textual genre conveyed mainly in mass media such as magazines and newspapers. Chronicles usually use simple, informal language and address everyday topics.
- Declaration: textual genre of documental value that has the function of declaring, manifesting or clarifying about something. Widely used by institutions, it can be oral or written.
- diary: textual genre of personal nature that has the function of reporting on some experience and daily event, or even exposing about some desire or feeling. In the virtual world, it is very similar to blogs.
- Email: digital textual genre that resembles letters. The language used in emails can be formal or informal, and will depend on the purpose of the message sender.
- Rehearsal: opinionated textual genre widely used in academia. Its function is to expose some ideas and opinions on a certain topic, thus, a critical and personal reflection.
- News: journalistic and non-literary textual genre whose function is to inform about a certain event. They are usually short texts that narrate and describe current and everyday facts.
- Report: expository textual genre whose function is to report about something. These texts can be written or oral and usually describe some activity, event, visit, etc.
Examples of textual genres
1. chronicle example
Two old people (Dalton Trevisan)
Two poor, very old invalids, forgotten in an asylum cell.
Beside the window, twisting the cripples and craning his head, only one could look out.
Next to the door, at the end of the bed, the other peered at the damp wall, the black crucifix, the flies in the thread of light. Envy, he asked what was happening. Dazzled, he announced the first:
“A dog lifts its little leg on the post.
Later:
“A girl in a white dress jumping rope.
Or yet:
“Now it's a fancy burial.
Seeing nothing, the friend brooded in his corner. The eldest ended up dying, to the joy of the second, finally installed under the window.
He didn't sleep, looking forward to the morning. I suspected that the other didn't reveal everything.
He dozed for a moment—it was day. He sat up in bed, craning his neck in pain: between the ruined walls, there in the alley, a pile of rubbish.
2. Sample poster
3. Sample News
Facebook Announces Mental Health Guidance Tools
With tools on Facebook, Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp, the company wants to make mental health information more accessible during the coronavirus pandemic
Facebook apps will now have a mental health guidance tab. The initiative, which has partnerships with institutions such as the World Health Organization (WHO), will be available worldwide on Facebook, Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp apps.
The tool acts as an information hub, with guides and information from mental health experts. According to Facebook, the feature was designed to help users especially during quarantine, when in which people have presented anxiety or some type of mental stress more frequently.
"Making mental health information more accessible is extremely important. At the World Health Organization, we are pleased to collaborate with Facebook in supporting this goal for the This year's World Mental Health Day," said Gabriella Stern, director of communications at WHO, in communicated.
Each app provides a different way to access mental health related content. On Facebook, a tab will be dedicated to bring the information into the app. On Instagram, guides will be available, in addition to the company's action in research to understand the pressure caused by exposure to certain types of images. On Messenger, themed stickers will be added to encourage conversation about the subject and on WhatsApp a WHO chatbot will be available to give tips on how to reduce stress in daily.
(Jornal Terra, October 7, 2020)
Read more about the topic:
- Textual genres
- Types of texts
- language functions
Bibliographic references
National Curriculum Parameters - Portuguese Language (Third and fourth cycles of elementary school)
