INFORMATIVE TEXT: CHARACTERISTICS, TYPES, STRUCTURE AND EXAMPLES - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

An informational text is a piece of non-fiction literature that is written with the intention of informing the reader about a topic. They can be found in magazines, in the field of science, in history books, in autobiographies, and in instruction manuals.

They are written using specific characteristics that allow the reader to easily identify important information and to understand the main topic.

Many times the author can draw attention to parts of the text by placing headings on certain sections, highlighting important words with bold letters, and by using visual representations with captions.

These visual representations can be photos or infographics, which include tables, diagrams or graphs that help the reader to get a better idea of ​​the subject at hand.

In some cases, the author will even provide the reader with a table of contents or a glossary that can assist and facilitate the search for information.

Informational texts should give enough information and explanations necessary to understand the information. These texts should inform what is and what is not important about a topic, so that the reader can be informed appropriately.

Main characteristics of informative texts

These texts are a subcategory of the non-fiction section. Its main purpose is to inform the reader about the natural or social world.

Unlike fiction and other forms of nonfiction, informational text does not use characters. It has specialized language features, such as the use of general nouns.

The authors of these informational pieces can employ a variety of structures to assist the reader in finding information quickly and efficiently.

This can include a table of contents, an index, bold or italic text, glossaries for specific vocabulary, definition attachments, illustrations, legends, graphics, and tables.

Unlike narratives that tell a story through a linear way, this type of text is often non-linear. It is popular as readers can locate an informational piece related to almost any topic of interest.

These texts usually avoid repetition, contain facts and give information in a clear way.

Quality

The quality of a text can be judged in many ways. For example, you can examine indicators such as the following:

- Content accuracy

Is the content correct and direct? Is it possible that this text increases the reader's knowledge?

- Author's skills

What are the author's qualifications on this topic and what collaborators or sources were consulted?

- Impersonality of the content

The explanations must have an impersonal meaning.

- Purpose of the text

The text should serve the purpose of explaining the topic. This means that the reader must fully understand it after reading the piece, or at least have more information than was originally available.

An informational text is not a biography or a procedural text (such as a cookbook or a craft text), nor is it a character text. It is simply a material that explains a topic and provides information to the reader.

Purposes

The purposes of the informational text can be:

- Acquire information.

- Satisfy curiosity.

- Better understand the context.

- Understand new concepts and expand vocabulary.

Where can they be found?

Since these literary pieces want to inform, indicate or advise on something in particular, it is common to find them in newspaper articles, informative web pages, school brochures, among others.

The 4 main types of informational texts

News

The news is one of the informative texts par excellence. In a news item, the issuer seeks to inform in the clearest, most truthful and concrete way possible about a specific event.

As in any informative text, the news does not seek to persuade the reader in relation to any particular topic. The purpose of the news is to publicize the characteristics of a specific event.

This journalistic genre seeks to answer six basic questions related to the event in question: what happened, when it happened, in what setting the events occurred, who are the protagonists, how it was carried out and why the event was generated.

Formal letter

Formal letters are considered informational texts because they function as a way to communicate specific information about something in particular.

That is, the main function of a formal letter is to express to the recipient information that is of direct interest to him.

A resignation letter, termination notice, request for authorization, or budget allocation are examples of information that can be developed into a formal letter.

As the name implies, in a formal letter, care is taken that the language used is respectful and very polite.

Report

The report is a text whose main function is also to inform. In this case, this type of informative text focuses on dissemination related to scientific research, management results in the business environment, field studies in different branches, among others.

Since the objective of the report is to disseminate information on a particular topic, it is important to be very clear about the subject that will be the basis for the development of the text.

Clarifying this avoids unnecessary or even persuasive aspects, which is very important since the main function of reports is not to persuade.

However, it is important to note that this type of text admits certain suggestive elements, since they can include recommendations or resolutions that invite the reader to an action directed towards a specific objective.

Memorandum

This type of informational text is frequently used in organizations. It consists of a short text through which information is exchanged between the different departments that make up a specific unit of a company, organization or institution.

The main advantage of a memo is that it allows quick communication. Although the language is respectful and polite, it lacks the protocol elements of formal letters, so the information is exposed in a quick and direct way.

Furthermore, as it is a written communication, it is possible to keep a record of everything that has been communicated, so that mishaps can be avoided and order within the organization is maintained.

Memoranda can be distributed on paper via regular mail or via email.

Structure

The variety of informational texts is such that there is no one-size-fits-all structure.

In the case of news, it belongs to the journalistic genre and its structure responds to specific elements, such as the so-called inverted “v”, through which the most important information is placed in the first paragraphs and the least important at the end of the text.

The formal letter, for example, has a more formal structure. Reports can be a bit more academic or explanatory in focus, and memoranda are extremely direct and accurate.

Despite these differences, it is possible to identify a general structure that contains 5 elements that can be applied to all informational texts, to a greater or lesser extent. These elements are the following:

Title

The function of the title is to describe in a quick and concrete way what is the subject on which the informative text will deal.

The title should be short. A large title loses its functionality, since the idea is to report quickly on the subject of the text.

In the case of the formal letter, the title corresponds to the name of the person to whom the communication is addressed. For all other cases, it is recommended that the title be eye-catching, so as to invite reading.

Introduction

The following line of the informative text serves to detail with more precision what is mentioned in the title.

The idea of ​​the introduction is to mention the main elements that make up the message to be disseminated. The introduction should talk about the most relevant points of the text, which can then be developed throughout the communication.

The length of the introduction will depend on the type of informational text. For example, in memoranda the introduction should be brief, because the intention of this type of text is to get into the subject as soon as possible.

On the other hand, in the reports it is possible to lengthen the introduction a little, depending on how complex the topic to be developed is.

Body

In the body of the informative text is where the characteristics and elements of the information that will be communicated will be widely developed.

Since the main objective of this type of text is to inform, it is important to make sure you put all the information related to the topic on which you are writing.

Regardless of the extent of the communication, it is essential to expose all the data, using both main and secondary ideas.

Otherwise, it is very likely that the information reaches the recipient in the wrong way, or that the communication is open to misinterpretation.

conclusion

This is the final section of the informative text. It is the space in which the issuer abbreviates the main idea of ​​the communication and, if applicable, exposes the corresponding resolutions.

As has already been seen, an informational text has no persuasive claim, except for some types of reports.

So, the conclusion in this type of texts is not associated with convincing about something specific, but with making a synthesis of the central theme of communication.

The conclusion seeks to highlight the main ideas of the text, also including some of the secondary ideas that served to complement the presentation of the information.

Examples

1- Emergency plan in case of fire

Before the fire:

- Check the wiring in your house.

- Do not connect machines or devices that have been wet and avoid wetting the plugs and cables.

- Do not cover lamps, lights or devices with cloth.

- If there is a gas leak, do not turn on the light, ventilate the rooms and quickly open all doors and windows.

- Keep candles, matches, lighters and other types of flammable material out of the reach of children.

During the fire:

- Stay calm and try to calm others.

- If the fire is small, try to put it out with an extinguisher.

- Call the fire brigade and follow their instructions.

- Do not open the doors and windows, as the fire can spread through the air.

- Don't waste time looking for personal items.

- To get out, avoid the elevator and use the stairs.

After the fire:

- Do not go through the accident area until the authorities allow it.

- Call a technician to check the electrical and gas inputs before reconnecting the electricity and using the stove and heat.

- Throw away food, drink and medicine exposed to heat, fire or smoke.

2- Newspaper article

Eyjafjallajökull volcano eruption in Iceland

The eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano took place on April 14, 2010. This eruption produced an ash cloud that covered several miles in the atmosphere, for which several airports had to be closed.

As a result, 40 Icelandic children and 4 adults visiting London on a school trip were trapped in the city due to lack of flights.

To return to Iceland, they took a boat from the coast of London to the north of Spain. Then, they boarded a bus to Malaga, and finally made another boat trip from Malaga to Melilla.

These people were on the ship to Spain for about 24 hours, and the bus trip took about 12 hours. Additionally, the day they were in London, a man stole the cell phone of one of the children.

3- Press article

Donation of articles in Bogotá

The authorities received more than 600 kilos of donations collected during the day last month.

The managers made it known that they had delivered casual clothing, sportswear, underwear, shoes and toys to the city's underprivileged communities.

For those interested, a new donation day will be held on March 3 from 6 am in the church of the Holy Trinity.

References

1. Informative texts. Recovered from easywriting.wikispaces.com
2. What is informational text? Definition, characteristics and examples. Recovered from study.com
3. What is informational text? Recovered from umaine.edu
4. The news: structure and characteristics. Recovered from creacionliteraria.net
5. Learn about the use of different types of texts. Recovered from panorama.com.ve
6. When to write a memo. Recovered from abc.com.py
7. The report. Recovered from unilibre.edu.co