Textual genres are forms of writing that have peculiar characteristics, defined by their content, style, structure and function. There are numerous types of textual genres, each with its specific characteristics. Let's see what are the main genres that are part of our daily lives:
Romance
The novel is a narrative text that is characterized by an extensive account of conflict situations experienced by more than one character. Are examples of romance The Crime of Father Amaro, by Eça de Queirós, Sand captains, by Jorge Amado, and Grande Sertão: Paths, by João Guimarães Rosa.
Example of romance:
It is also here that the head of the Captains of the Sands lives: Pedro Bala. From an early age he was called that, since he was five. Today he is 15 years old. There are ten who roam the streets of Bahia. He never knew about his mother, his father had died of a bludger. He was left alone and spent years getting to know the city. Today he knows all its streets and all its alleys. There are no sales, grocery stores, taverns he doesn't know about. When he joined the Capitães da Areia (the newly built pier attracted all the abandoned children in the city to its sands) the boss was Raymundo, the Caboclo, a strong reddish mulatto.
Excerpt from the novel Capitães da Areia, by Jorge Amado.
Read more about the meaning of romance.
Tale
The short story is a narrative text, usually short and centered on a single conflict situation. Examples of short stories are “O Gato Preto”, by Edgar Allan Poe, “O Ladrão”, by Mário de Andrade, and “Casa Tomada”, by Julio Cortázar.
Story example:
I neither expect nor ask for the reader's credit for the most extraordinary and yet so familiar story I am about to tell. It would be crazy to expect it, in a case whose evidence even my own senses refuse to accept. I'm not crazy though, and I'm certainly not dreaming. But because I might die tomorrow, I want to lighten my spirit today. My immediate aim is to show the world, simply, succinctly and without comment, a series of mere domestic events. In their consequences, these events terrified me, tortured me, destroyed me. However, I will not seek to clarify them. The feeling that aroused in me was almost exclusively one of terror; to many others they will seem less terrible than extravagant.
Beginning of the short story “The Black Cat”, by Edgar Allan Poe.
Read more about the meaning of tale and see more Tale Examples.
Chronicle
The chronicle is a short narrative text, centered on a single conflict situation and written in colloquial language. Chronicles have as their preferred subject the small conflicts of everyday life. Examples of the chronicle are “The yellow butterfly”, by Rubem Braga, “The nude man”, by Fernando Sabino, and the texts of Private Life Comedy, by Luís Fernando Veríssimo.
Example of chronicle:
It was a butterfly. It brushed my hair, and at first I thought it was a witch or any other of those insects that make urban life; but as I looked I saw that it was a yellow butterfly.
It was on the corner of Graça Aranha and Araújo Porto Alegre; it sloshed along the black marble of the Grand Point; then he descended, passing the canned and whiskey windows; I was coming in the same direction; soon we were in front of ABI. He entered the hall for a moment, between two columns; would you be a journalist? – I thought with some boredom.Beginning of the chronicle “The yellow butterfly”, by Rubem Braga.
Read more about the Definition of Chronic.
Poem
The poem is a text usually organized in verse and characterized by the use of figures of speech, such as metaphor, assonance and alliteration. The People's Rose, by Carlos Drummond de Andrade, and Inconfidence Romance, by Cecília Meireles, are examples of poem books.
I won't rhyme the word sleep
with the mismatched word autumn.
I will rhyme with the word meat
or any other, which all suit me.
Words are not born tied,
they jump, kiss, dissolve,
in the free sky sometimes a drawing,
they are pure, wide, authentic, inaccessible.First stanza of the poem “Consideration of the poem”, from the book A Rosa do Povo, by Carlos Drummond de Andrade.
Read more about the meaning of poem is about Poetry, Poem, Prose and Sonnet.
Rehearsal
The essay is a reflexive genre, in which the author talks about a certain subject in a free, non-systematized and original way. Examples of this genre are the texts of the book Essay, by Michel de Montaigne.
Test example:
Returning to my subject, I believe there is nothing barbaric or savage about this nation, judging by what I have been referred to; it happens, however, that we classify as barbarism that which is foreign to our customs; it would seem that we have no other point of reference for truth and reason than the example and idea of the opinions and uses of the country to which we belong. In this religion is always perfect, government perfect, the use of all things perfect and blameless. Those peoples are savages insofar as we call savages the fruits that nature germinates and spontaneously produces; indeed, we should better call savages those we alter by our artifice and deviate from the common order. In the former, the truths are alive and vigorous, and the virtues and properties most useful and natural of the that in the latter, virtues and properties that we have bastardized and accommodated to the pleasure of our taste corrupted. And yet, in several fruits from those regions, which grow without cultivation, the flavor and delicacy are excellent to taste, comparing them with ours.
Excerpt from the essay “Dos canibais”, by Michel de Montaigne.
Biography
Biography is a narrative text that, based on diverse documentation, seeks to reconstruct a person's life story. An example is the biography Getulio, by journalist Lira Neto, who tells the story of Brazilian statesman Getúlio Vargas.
Biography example:
At the same time, in the first decrees signed as the new leader of the nation, Getúlio established an amnesty for exiles and political prisoners persecuted by previous governments, in addition to creating the Ministry of Labor and Education and Health. For the first time in Brazil, a president recognized the social issue, instead of treating it as a mere police case. By implementing an unprecedented labor policy, Getúlio established new perspectives in a country that, just four decades before — a relatively short period when viewed from a historical perspective — it lived under the disgusting scandal of the slavery. If the labor inaugurated by him had the objective of repressing the efforts of independent organization of the urban working class and submitting it to state control, only the next few years would say.
Excerpt from the biography Getúlio: from the formative years to the conquest of power (1882-1930), by Lira Neto.
Read more about the meaning of biography.
diary
Diary is a personal genre, used by a person to periodically record their experiences, experiences, reflections, thoughts, etc. The book The Observer in the Office contains passages from the diary of poet Carlos Drummond de Andrade.
August, 26 — Still grappling with the translation of Les Liaisons Dangereuses, by Laclos, work that I undertook for the supposed pleasure of translating, without a publisher's commission. What a problem, writing someone else's book again! And what a pretension... I don't know what suffers most in this game, if the author's thoughts, if the words that dress him. As a matter of fact, translations should be banned, like counterfeit currency.
September, 30 — Meeting of the Board of Directors of the Brazilian Association of Writers. Martins de Almeida, guest, presents a project for a charity box for the class. But will there be writers to benefit? 99% are civil servants. Me either. Almeida is part of the remaining 1%.
Excerpt from the book O Observador no Office, by Carlos Drummond de Andrade.
See more about daily textual genre and examples.
News
News is a journalistic genre whose function is to communicate some socially relevant fact, such as a political event or cultural event. The newspaper, whether printed or electronic, is full of news, which are characterized by impartiality and objectivity.
News example:
Giant step for the energy sector! Nuclear Fusion Reactor Sets Record
Abílio Rodrigues 28 December 2020, 18:04
On Christmas Eve, as many prepared to welcome Santa Claus and open their present, a group of scientists in South Korea witnessed a very important step for the energy sector worldwide.
The Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research (KSTAR) team managed to reach a temperature of 100 million degrees centigrade in its nuclear fusion reactor for 20 seconds.
Excerpt from news published on the 4gnews website.
Read more about the Meaning of News.
Opinion article
The opinion article is an argumentative text, usually published in newspapers and magazines. It is characterized by the exposure of the opinion of those who write (the columnist) on the most diverse current topics.
Sample Opinion Article:
The importance of preserving the Amazon is undeniable, not only to guarantee living conditions for the people who live there, but also to contain climate change. The preservation of this biome, therefore, is of global interest. It is up to the nations that share it to strengthen governance, promoting sustainability and increasing oversight. The richest nations in the world and NGOs can contribute logistical and financial support to halt the degradation of the world's largest rainforest once and for all.
Excerpt from an opinion article on the topic "preservation of the Amazon".
Read more about the Meaning of Opinion Article and Opinion Article Examples.
Review
A review is a commentary on a particular cultural object, be it a film or a book. In addition to presenting this cultural object, the review has a critical character, that is, it emits the opinion of its author.
More than just moving, Pixar's new film creates a sensorial and inventive experience to discuss fundamentally human issues
Who I am? Where I go? Why are we here? These and many other questions accompany us (or haunt us) since the beginning of time. Although answering them with words is a lifelong challenge, varying according to the individuality of each one, sometimes we find in an image or a sound a clue how to get closer to a conclusion. Pixar Soul's new film understands this curious relationship between unspoken language and fundamentally human issues since its title (in English, “soul” is both soul and musical genre). By narrating the story of Joe, a frustrated musician, and his relentless quest to fulfill his dream, the animation takes advantage of it. to introduce children to life's dilemmas, but without leaving aside the humor and inventiveness that are the hallmark of studio.
Excerpt from a review of the film Soul written by Mariana Canhisares and published on the Omelete website on 12/24/2020.
Read more about the Review meaning it's from Critical Review.
Email is a new genre, which came about with the advent of the internet. It has largely replaced the letter, as it is a much faster and easier way to send messages to people who are far away.
Example email:
Dear Pedro Fernandes,
Are you all right?
I write this email to ask if our meeting, scheduled for the next 24th, is confirmed. I remember that on that day I can only arrive at 4:30 pm, and not at 4:15 pm, as we had initially agreed.
Graciously,
Marcos da Silva
dictionary entry
The dictionary entry is a text that seeks, in the most synthetic and objective way possible, to define a word, giving an account of its most varied meanings.
Entry (s.m.): word or dictionary entry; each of the words listed in a dictionary, encyclopedia or glossary; set of meanings and explanations referring to these words; note containing a comment, note on a topic; paper on which this note is written.
Entry extracted from Dicio, Online Dictionary of Portuguese.
Manifest
The manifesto is a programmatic text, in which its author (or authors) expresses their position on a controversial issue. Manifests are often intended to make an impact and persuade your readers. The Communist Party Manifesto, by Marx and Engels, and the Futuristic Manifesto, by Marinetti, are examples of the genre.
Sample manifest:
Poetry Pau-Brasil, agile and candid. Like a child.
A suggestion from Blaise Cendrars: - You have the locomotives full, you are going to leave. A black man turns the crank of the rotary deviation you're on. The slightest carelessness will make you depart in the opposite direction to your destination.
Against cabinetry, the cultured practice of life. Engineers instead of jurists, lost like Chinese in the genealogy of ideas.
The language without archaisms, without erudition. Natural and Neological. The million dollar contribution of all mistakes. As we speak. As we are.
There is no struggle in the land of academic vocations. There are only uniforms. Futurists and others.
A single fight - the fight along the way. Let's share: import poetry. And the Poetry Pau-Brasil, for export.Excerpt from the Manifesto da Poesia Pau-Brasil, by Oswald de Andrade (1924).
Read more about the Manifest meaning it's from Communist Manifesto.
Ticket
The ticket is a very useful text in our daily lives. It does not have a fixed form and tends to be short. Your goal is to communicate something quickly to someone else. It is a personal text, and therefore it is signed by its author.
Ticket example:
Mom,
count on me for lunch. Today I will arrive at the usual time.
Kisses,
juca
See too:
- Narrative text
- Narrative Text Characteristics
- Text Types