Segmentation of the text

Text segmentation is the process of dividing written text into meaningful units such as topics, sentences or words. In academic circles, the texts are considered broadly of five types:

1. Narrative-Factual Recount: Narrative texts have to do with real-world events and time. The purposes of narrative may be to inform—correct misconceptions and distortions of history, to persuade and to change attitudes/social opinions. Narrative writing uses time as its deep structure. The main structural components of a narrative are the orientation, the complication and the resolution. Language features of narrative text:

• Adverb of time.

• Past tense, except in conversations.

• Time conjunction (when, then, thereat, suddenly, etc)

• Specific character. The character of the episode is specific, not general.

• Action-dynamic verbs. A verb that shows an action.

• The vocabulary is usually everyday language, depending on the subject matter.

• Direct speech. It is to make the episode lively.

The major chunk of the text of Grand Qur'aan comprises of narrative.

2. Descriptive texts are concerned with the location of persons and things in space. State or positional verbs plus adverbial expressions are employed in descriptions.

3. Injunctive - Directive texts are concerned with concrete immediate or future activity. Central to these texts are imperatives. This can include anything from prayer to request, to advice, exhortation, decrees and laws. Parameters are then examined with the goal of distinguishing legal texts from other types of directives. The behavioral discourse type is subdivided to include hortatory [urging course of action: strongly advising a course of action to somebody), characterized by imperative verb forms and other verb forms which communicate the desire for the speaker to do a certain action. Directive discourse is often accompanied by some kind of information as well as argumentation. Argumentation can consist of the communicative purposes of informing and expressing opinions which serve the purpose of convincing the recipient of the value of complying to the directive.

Injunctive - Directive segment relates to do or not to do, behaviour and conduct. They are in such passages:: Verbal passages that incorporate injunctions and instructions for aright conduct in time and space. Such verbal passages are self evident by the use of imperative-command verbs. The commands are issued by using such words which are conveniently understandable by the majority that comprises of people of ordinary prudence. Caution: It is matter of common sense that injunctions are not interpreted by substituting the words of original command. Those who do so, they simply adhere not to basic academic principles of translation and interpretation of texts in target language text, level of scholarship notwithstanding.

Narrative, descriptive and directive texts have grammatical forms associated with them which may be expanded to form sequence of textual nature. They all are centered around real-world events and things. In contrast expository and argumentative texts are cognitively oriented, as they are concerned with explanation and persuasion, which are both mental processes. 

4. Expository texts. They identify and characterize phenomenon. They include text forms such as definitions, explications, summaries and many types of essays. They may be objective or subjective. They may be analytical (starting from a concept and then characterizing its parts; e.g. definitions) or synthetic [recounting characteristics and ending with a appropriate concept or conclusion; e.g. summaries). They are characterized by state verbs and epistemic modals or by verbs indicating typical activities or qualities.

Expository structure:

It should not be assumed that the reader possesses the prior knowledge of the subject matter. Answer to any question that reader might have about your topic must be answered.

An expository writing contains a thesis statement within the first paragraph, informing the reader of the main argument of the text. The rest of it should provide relevant evidence to prove the argument and persuade the reader that the argument is credible.

5. Argumentative texts depart from the assumption that receiver's beliefs must be changed.

Informative/Explanatory text:

• Attempts to make the reader understand rather than to persuade him or her to accept a certain point of view.
• Provides information about causes, contexts, and consequences of processes, phenomena, states of affairs, objects, and terminology.
• Supports the writer's thesis with evidence and supporting detail.
• An informative text is not intended to persuade your reader, but to educate.
• Providing a thesis statement depends on the type of text.

Information-Explanatory: Definition
Informational/ explanatory writing conveys information accurately.  The writer’s purpose is to increase the reader’s knowledge, to help the reader better understand a procedure or process, or to increase the reader’s comprehension of a concept.  Information writing begins with the assumption of truthfulness and answers questions of why or how.  Writers draw information from what they already know and from primary and secondary sources.  They must select and incorporate relevant examples, facts, and details. 

Informational/explanatory text educates the reader by providing straightforward information and facts, but never personal opinions.

What are the characteristics of the informative/explanatory text type?
Informative-explanatory writing conveys information accurately. Writings that exemplify this text type include summaries and instructions. The purpose of informative-explanatory writing is to increase the knowledge, explain a procedure, or to explore a concept in depth.

A written explanation has usually three steps: First there is general statement about the event or thing; next follows series of sentences that tell the hows and whys; final step is a concluding paragraph. Grammatical features: technical language related to subject; technical use of the timeless present tense; technical use of general nouns rather than proper nouns; technical linking verbs to describe behaviours or qualities.

The difference between expository and informative text is includes structure, delivery and application of opinions.

Transcript of Expository Writing vs. Informative Writing