WHAT IS AN EXPRESSIVE TEXT? (WITH EXAMPLES) - LITERATURE - 2024

An expressive text is one whose main intention is to communicate the feelings, desires and thoughts of the speaker. Its function is oriented to the sender of the message.

They can also be called expressive texts or symptomatic texts. In addition, this expressive function is not only in written language, but also in oral.

According to a functional classification of the communicative act, there are different intentions when initiating a communication.

Several overlapping functions can be found in any text. However, one of these is always predominant.

For example, in a referential or informative text, all statements are oriented towards the context of communication. This is perhaps the most common case.

On the contrary, if the text has a concern for the message, for what is being said and how it is being said, it may be a poetic text.

When analyzing any edition of a newspaper you will find many informative texts.

However, articles in the opinion section or interviews can be considered expressive texts.

The main characteristic of expressive texts is that they are subjective. For this reason, it can not be said that a statement is true or false, because it refers to an opinion or a feeling that is closely associated with the author.

In this sense, these types of texts use a series of techniques and resources to communicate the ideas of the issuer.

The 5 main characteristics of expressive texts

1- The first person predominates

Since the main intention of expressive texts is to communicate subjective information of the issuer, most of the sentences are constructed based on the first person singular or plural.

However, sentences with ambiguous or indeterminate subjects can also be elaborated.

Examples:

- I am very hungry

- What a beautiful sunrise!

2- Use of exclamatory expressions

As expressive texts try to express emotions and feelings, the use of exclamatory expressions is quite common.

This type of expressions is used to communicate some state of mind. They are recognized in oral language by the intonation of the speaker, and in writing they are perceived through the inclusion of exclamation marks.

Other structures such as interjections can also be included in these types of sentences, since they depend on the mood of the speaker.

Examples:

- I'm very happy to be here!

- Wow, it's so cold!

- Oh how it hurts me!

3- Use of qualifying adjectives

Qualifying adjectives are used to determine a quality of any noun. Its main function is to describe.

Such structures abound in expressive texts because they allow making value judgments about any thing or situation, and thus communicate the views of the issuer.

Examples:

- That woman is very beautiful.

- I think the place is dirty.

4- Use of emphatic expressions

As expressive texts are fundamentally subjective, it is usual for them to use expressions that highlight certain elements.

That is why it is not uncommon to find superlatives and diminutives that serve to emphasize a particular aspect.

Examples:

- Last night I slept terrible.

- The book seemed short.

5- Use of metaphorical language

The subjectivity of the expressive text also allows similes and metaphors to be made.

This type of resource is used to compare two things through a personal look or experience.

Examples:

- His eyes were like the sky without clouds.

- He eats like his father and like his father sleeps.

References

1. Educarchile (2012). "Language functions: expressive." Retrieved on November 3, 2017 at educarchile.cl
2. Encyclopedia of Examples (2017). "Expressive (or Emotional) Function". Retrieved on November 3, 2017 at examples.co
3. Gudiña, Verónica (2008). "The expressive text." Retrieved on November 3, 2017 at poemas-del-alma.com
4. «The expressive function» Recovered on November 3, 2017 at escolar.net
5. Drafting (2017). «Expressive function» Retrieved on November 3, 2017 at examplede.com