What is a text genre?

Definition A text genre is a type of written or spoken discourse. Discussion Texts are classified into genres on the basis of the intent of the communicator. Examples Here is a table showing some text genres and the communicator's intent for each genre. Text genre Narrative Procedural Expository Hortatory Descriptive Source Larson 1984 365366 Communicator's intent is to . . . Tell about a sequence of events. Give instructions on how to do something. Explain something. Encourage someone to do something. List the characteristics of something.

Context for this page:

Concept module: text genre In overview module: Glossary (Linguistics): T In modular book: Glossary of linguistic terms, by Eugene E. Loos (general editor), Susan Anderson (editor), Dwight H., Day, Jr. (editor), Paul C. Jordan (editor), and J. Douglas Wingate (editor) In bookshelf: Linguistics

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 5.0 published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 2003. [Ordering information.] Page content last modified: 5 January 2004 2004 SIL International

Writing : Genre and Text Types

What is Genre?
Genreis a word used in functional grammar and is also often calledText Type.

Text Types may befictional(made up) orfactual(information reports).

The main text types or genres are:

Recounta

recount may be personal orfactual but is generally a story or report that is known to be true.Examples may include news paper reports and stories about people orevents that have happened to them. or Instructionin a procedural orinstructional text the writer is usually trying to tell the reader howto do something. This may include the resources or tools needed to makesomething and the steps on how to make it. Examples of this include cooking recipes. a narrative text a story isbeing told to the reader. It is a bit like a recount but is usually amade up story. It usually has a number of events that take place and aproblem that needs to be solved by the characters. It usually has acrisis in it and then is resolved at the end. An example of this is afairytale. report is usually aninformation text such as an information report that you may do for aschool assignment about an interesting topic or subject. It can also be anews report. A report is usually about something that is real and hasdifferent parts to it that can be described. explanation text is used toexplain a process such as how something works. It may involveexplaining a series of steps involved in why something happens and whathappens. This is sometimes called cause and

Procedure

NarrativeIn

ReportA

ExplanationAn

effect. An example mayalso include using a picture or a flow chart.

ArgumentAn

argument text is used whenthe writer wants to persuade the reader to agree with them. The writerusually includes their opinion on something that has happened in theworld for example. This can be seen in a news article when the writerhas expressed what they things of what has happened and gives reasonsfor what they have said.

Each of these text types are used fordifferent purposes and follow a different style or structure when youwrite. If you would like to try writing your own text then go toWriting Activities.