LEITURA E REDAÇÃO EM LÍNGUA

INGLESA

THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN TEXT GENRE

AND TEXT TYPE

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Olá!
In the end of lesson, the student should be able to:

1. Know the differences between text genres and text types;

2. organize a narrative;

3. integrate connectives and adverbs to narrative writings.

Differences between text genres and text types

In this class, you are going to understand some further differences between text genres and text types.

You should know that genres are stable, historical and socially motivated textual forms which can be written or

oral. Marcuschi (2002) says that

“gêneros textuais podem ser entendidos como sistemas discursivos complexos, socialmente

construídos pela linguagem, com padrões de organização facilmente identificáveis, e configurados

pelo contexto sócio-histórico que engendra as atividades comunicativas.

Temos dois conhecimentos específicos de modelo textual: a) um conhecimento fundado em

características textuais - aspectos léxicos, prosódicos, sintáticos e outros; b) conhecimento de

modelos funcionais – que dizem respeito à função para a qual se destina o texto e considerando

aspectos discursivos, sócio-culturais; rotinas em sentido estrito.”

Nowadays, a brand new type of genre makes part of our lives. Bearing in mind the concept of genres as an open

listing, we can recognize that besides the most common genres such as sermons, lessons, spontaneous

conversations, conferences, we can find a list of new genres connected to digital communication.

“podemos dizer que o MSN Messenger, o e-mail, o blog, a homepage ,entre outros, seriam, ao mesmo tempo,

gêneros digitais e suportes ou meios de comunicação digital.

O MSN Messenger, por exemplo,além de ser um programa de comunicação instantânea, que permite que duas ou

mais pessoas possam conversar em tempo real na mesma página do site, também interpreta e reprocessa

gêneros prévios de tradições orais, como uma conversa face a face, tornando-se, portanto, um diferente gênero.

O mesmo acontece com o e-mail − bem como com outros meios assíncronos − que, embora possamos dizer que

se trata de meio digital no qual circulam vários gêneros

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 “epistolares” (memorando, carta, bilhete, ofício, propaganda, etc.), também pode ser entendido como

um gênero específico associado a esse novo artefato, pois a velocidade na composição e na

transmissão do texto, bem como os demais recursos tecnológicos inerentes ao suporte tornam-se

fatores determinantes na

caracterização e na diferenciação do gênero.

Isso justifica o frequente intercâmbio entre atribuições e nomenclaturas dadas aos gêneros digitais,

ora tratados como tais, ora como meios ou canais de comunicação digitais”

Text types are defined by the linguistic nature of its composition. They constitute discursive modes which are

organized in the format of systematic structural sequences that make part in the construction of genres. Text

types and genres are not opposite concepts but complementary ones.

Organizing a narrative

When we narrate, we tell a story. A long time ago, we considered narratives as reports of past, present or future

happenings. This way the narrative has a strong bond with temporality. As a means of facilitating

comprehension by the reader, cohesive elements and proper verbal tenses are employed to emphasize the

logical sequence of the narrated facts.

For example, if a narrator starts a story with "Once upon a time", he/she is giving the first step in the direction of

what will probably become a progression of happenings which can be told with verbs in the past (past simple,

past continuous, past perfect, conditional etc.).

In some cases, such story can also be told with verbs in the present (present simple, present continuous, present

perfect, future etc.)

It is important to observe that a narrative should have a theme, which may be implicit or explicit; there may be a

pattern which portrays relevant scenes in a chronological way; lively details which describe places and

characters as well as dialogues which bring the characters to life.

It might have a established point of view, it is commonly narrated in the first person singular – I. Nevertheless, it

is also possible that the story is told by another character, but independent of whom is telling the story, it is

mandatory that the voice chosen can be kept throughout the whole narrative. For example, if the story is told by

a child, we must employ a childish style / vocabulary and keep it all through the narrative.

A narrative generally follows the following pattern:

• There may have a background information which will define the placement of the scene or happening;
• the narration of the first or previous actions;
• the narration of the next actions or the consequences of the previous ones;
• the presentation of final result or results.
Let’s read an organizing narrative example:

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Pedro Miranda was born in Campinas on August 13th, 1975. He was educated at Escola das Nações Unidas and

later at Unicamp, in Campinas. He left his hometown in 2000 with a degree in architecture. In March of next year,

he applied for, and obtained a post as a junior architect in a very important architecture firm. In 2003 he met a

fantastic girl called Carolina Borges at a friend´s party, and six months later they were married. They now live in

São Paulo and have a pretty and intelligent daughter.

Integrating connectives and adverbs

We could see in the narrative example that we first underlined all verbs in the text, paying close attention to the

verbal tense; then, we underlined all words and expressions which reveal the chronological order of events.

Verbs: was born / was educated / left / applied for / obtained / met / were married.

Words and expressions which mark the chronological order of events: on August 13th, 1975 / in 2000 / in

March of the next year / In 2003 / six months later.

Each written production involves organization as we have seen before. Narratives are no exception. Let’s take a

look at the following narrative:

It was not raining when I left home, but, as soon as I started walking to the subway station, I realized that I

should have brought my raincoat and my wellington boots. I stopped under a shelter and waited for ten minutes,

and then I decided to run to the station.

I knew I was already late to work and on that day I would receive guests from France, and French people are

snobs and do not like to be kept waiting.

In the paragraph we can get the necessary background for the development of the story to be narrated.

Let’s consider the use of the connectives and adverbial expressions because they contribute to the visualization

of the whole situation:

• When = Quando;
• As soon as = Assim que;
• Then = Depois;
• On that day = Naquele dia.
Then, let’s take a look at the verbal forms:
• It was raining = past continuous;
• Started walking = para indicar movimento no passado;
• I realized, I stopped, I waited + simple past – para mostrar apenas a sequência de acontecimentos
passados;
• I would receive – conditional – seria inadequado usar o futuro em tal sentença.

What come next class

•The difference between text gender and text types;

•how to organize a narrative;

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CONCLUSÃO
Nesta aula, você:
• Know about reading strategies;
• understand that there are different levels of reading;
• deepen the concept of ‘top-down” and “bottom-up”.

Referências
MARCHUSCHI, Luiz; DIONISIO, Angela Paiva. Fala e escrita. 1. ed., 1. reimp. — Belo Horizonte: Autêntica, 2007.

MARCHUSCHI, Luiz. Hipertexto e Gêneros digitais: nova forma de construção de sentido. São Paulo: Editora

Cortez, 2005.

MARCHUSCHI, Luiz. Da fala para a escrita. São Paulo: Editora Cortez, 2002.

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