TEXT TYPE
A text is a written output that can be
divided into general text types:
literary text and informational text.
Literary text is written to entertain
which includes poems, fairy tales,
short stories, myths, legends, etc.
while informational text is written to
inform or give information. The
focused text here is informational
text. Its purpose varies from
erent Types of Informationa
Narrative text tells a story which
follows a sequence of events. It tells
accurate and factual information in
a story format or simply personal
accounts (e.g. autobiography,
biography, memoir and personal
accounts of historical events). In
addition, it entertains which could
be classified as literary text as a
Example:
“It was June 7, 1998, my second
day on my new job. I was sitting
at my table looking at the people
and
the cars passing by. I was bored
with my job, but I knew that if I
won’t do this, I would not be able
to feed my sick mother waiting
Instructional or Procedural Text
gives a sequence of information
on how to complete a task. It
gives instructions on the steps
to follow using imperatives such
as requests (e.g. Please cut...)
and commands (e.g. Cut...). It
includes cookbooks, how-to
manuals, user guides and game
Example:
“To make scrambled eggs, beat
2-3 eggs in a bowl. Next, season
the eggs with salt and pepper.
Then,
heat a non-stick pan in medium
heat and add a little bit of
cooking oil. Afterwards cook the
eggs until fluffy. Last, remove the
Expository Text provides factual
information using statistics and
evidence-based data rather
than try to convince. It can
include a variety of texts such
as newspaper articles and
reports, textbooks, scientific and
academic essays.
Example:
“Why does it rain? Warm air
water turns the water from
rivers, lakes, and oceans into
water vapour that rises into the
air. The water vapour forms
clouds which contain small drops
of water. As clouds rise higher
and higher, the air gets colder
Persuasive Text persuades or
convinces readers to agree to
the author’s or writer’s point of
view or recommendation on a
certain topic. It appeals to your
emotion using pieces of
information. It includes
speeches, editorial articles,
Example:
“We should increase the salary of the
healthcare professionals during this
COVID-19 pandemic. According to
the World Health Organization (WHO)
over 400 healthcare professionals
have died from COVID-19. Imagine
them risking their lives for us to stay
alive. Imagine the pain of losing
someone you love.”
LET’S PRACTICE:
A. Identification
Directions: Identify the text type of the
following texts below. Write N for
narrative, I for instructional, E for
expository and
P for persuasive.
_______3. Like all sound production,
speech production requires a source
of energy. The source of energy for
speech production is the steady
stream of air that comes from the
lungs as we exhale. When we breathe
normally, the air stream is inaudible.
To become audible, the air stream
must vibrate rapidly. The vocal chords
cause the air stream to vibrate.
_____4. We should defend our human
rights! We should criticize those who
do not value our human rights.
However, we should not use violence
to achieve them.
_____5. Anna decided that she would
not go abroad and leave her daughter
to anybody else’s care. She thought
maybe there is a way for her to
provide for her daughter without
leaving her daughter. She passed her
resume on different companies but to
no avail. She then thought of investing
her money in a small business, and
thank heavens, the little business
Key Points
Narrative text tells a story. It usually
presents a sequence of events in the story.
Instructional text gives instructions. It
usually gives a step by step procedure on
how to achieve some thing. Expository text
gives facts. It does not try to convince the
reader to believe in a certain idea, but
rather provide factual information.
Persuasive Text persuades and appeal to
emotion through information receive
