WHAT ARE DISCURSIVE MODES? TYPES AND EXAMPLES - LITERATURE - 2025

The discursive modes are the different ways that you can build a text to achieve the objective pursued communicational who elaborated. It is about the ways to organize the words, depending on the goal of the writer.

In this case, the word "discourse" takes on a broader meaning than that generally assigned to it, almost exclusively related to the public exposition or reading of a text addressed to the masses.

Here is called speech to all the ideas, knowledge or feelings that the issuer expresses to an audience, regardless of its size. Said speech can be written or spoken.

Seen in this way, discursive modes are the conventions that the speaker uses to express his ideas. It also has to do with the way to organize the text, to achieve the stated objective.

Depending on the intention of the communicator, some modes will work better than others, being able to use any of them at will throughout the speech.

Below we will describe the most common discourse modes with some examples.

Classification of discursive modes and examples

There are several classifications of discursive modes:

• According to the language: verbal and non-verbal
• According to the type of text: scientific, literary, journalistic or colloquial.
• According to the textual prototypes: narration, description, exposition, argumentation and dialogue.
• According to the content: it has to do with the way in which the ideas are expressed throughout the text or speech. They are the best known as “discursive modes”. They are as follows:

1- Definition

Name and explain the meaning of a statement, idea or object. It is precise and delimited.

Example:

"According to the Dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy, the speech is the reasoning or exposition of a certain amplitude on some subject, which is read or pronounced in public".

2- Demonstration

Check and affirm what is stated in the speech through tests and evidences, results of previous research, ideas or opinions of third parties that support what the author said.

Example:

"Although Nicolaus Copernicus is credited with the discovery and postulation of the heliocentric theory, it was later shown that other scientists before him, such as Aristarchus of Samos, Hipparchus and Galileo Galilei himself, had already conducted research that demonstrated that the sun was the center of the universe".

3- Comparison

Two or more facts are presented to make comparisons, establish similarities or differences between them.

Example:

“The H2 model cell phone has 8Gb memory and a lithium battery with a duration of up to 36 hours; while the new Y2 model expands its memory to 16GB, the battery life is up to 96 hours and it recharges in just 15 minutes ”.

4- Specification

The specification presents minute details about the facts or topics that the author wants to present, so that his interlocutors can have as much detail as possible.

Example:

"The behavior of the apes when they were reincorporated to their natural habitat, was not too different from what they had in captivity: their way of feeding, their grooming practices, their way of entertaining and mating, and even their attitudes in the face of imminent danger, They were similar to those they had during the experiment.

5- Refutation

The rebuttal denies, ignores or challenges any fact or statement. The author has arguments to demolish ideas that have previously been expressed in reference to the subject of his speech.

Example:

"I do not agree with the theory presented by the colleague lawyer, since if the defendant had actually committed the crime, his fingerprints would have been found on the weapon, which did not happen, in addition the eyewitnesses would have recognized the defendant. which could not be determined either ”.

6- Enumeration

It is used to clarify and prioritize arguments or facts. The author makes a numbered count of the parts of a content that you want to break down for better understanding.

It is particularly useful when you want to highlight qualities or characteristics of a product, idea or action and it is used mainly when there are more than three characteristics to list. Otherwise, the enumeration is meaningless.

Example:

“With this new detergent you will be able to: 1. Wash more dishes with less product; 2.Rinse them faster and with less water; 3. Cut fat more effectively; 4. Protect your hands from abrasive ingredients; 5. Collaborate with the protection of the environment, as it is a 100% natural and ecological detergent ”.

7- Exemplification

Similar facts are taken or hypothetical facts are fabricated in order to better explain some argument, idea or fact.

The intention of the author, in this case, is for his audience to understand better through examples or situations that are close or more understandable.

Example:

“This decision to regulate prices will bring dire results, such as a high shortage and an increase in prices on the black market; the same consequences that we suffered with last year's controls ”.

8- Reference

Cases or particularities related to the fact that the author expresses are alluded to in order to expand the content and give a deeper and more complete explanation of his argument.

Example:

"To better understand the theory of relativity, we recommend consulting the following link."

9- Recapitulation

When a presentation becomes very long or complex, the recapitulation is a useful resource to bring back to the discourse what may have been forgotten.

It also serves to review the order of occurrence of the events or the parts in which they are composed.

Example:

"To refresh all that has been stated so far, let us remember then that…"

10- Extension

This resource is used by the narrator to detail with greater emphasis and depth certain aspects that, in his opinion, deserve to be enriched.

Example:

"We already said that the weather in general is good at this time of year, but it is necessary to take into account certain climatic aspects that we will detail below."

11- Synthesis

It is the summary of the speech, where the facts are abbreviated briefly and succinctly, but at the same time as complete as possible, highlighting what, in the author's opinion, is the most important.

Example:

"In summary: the main discursive modes are: definition, demonstration, comparison, specification, enumeration, refutation, exemplification, reference, recapitulation, extension and synthesis."

References

1. Guillermo Ulises Vidal López. Reading and writing workshop II. Cengage Learning Editors. Mexico.
2. Carlos A. Zarzar Charur. Reading, Oral and Written Expression 1. Grupo Editorial Patria. Mexico.
3. Discursive modes. Recovered from disertaciondetextos.wordpress.com
4. Discursive modes, Definition. Recovered from prepafacil.com.