8 types of DISCONTINUOUS texts

There are many ways to communicate an idea or information, in a written form. Some of them are more extensive and detailed, such as continuous texts; and others, on the other hand, are much more visual and brief, such as discontinuous texts.

In this lesson from a PROFESSOR we want to explain what are the types of discontinuous texts, so you can get a general idea about this genre and use it when you need to express something to your readers.

The discontinuous texts are those that appear to provide information to the reader, quickly and visually. His way of writing is not ordered, but your view should jump from one paragraph to another, looking for the information you need. Also, the text will be sandwiched between images, that will also function as informative support.

A good dashed text example It is the sign that appears on the mirror of public toilets and teaches you how to wash your hands correctly, step by step.

The discontinuous text types that exist are infinite, since each author can use it for a different purpose. But we want to show you the most common ones, which are the ones you will encounter every day in your normal life.

For some of them it will be necessary know the language of images in which they are speaking to us. For example: if you need to get information from a graph, you will first have to learn to read a graph, in order to extract the information you need. Others, instead, they are very intuitive and they have been designed so that anyone who reads them will be able to interpret them. Here is an overview of the main characteristics of discontinuous texts so that you know its elements better.

Here we leave you some of the discontinuous text types so you can get acquainted with them.

Boards

The tables They serve to order the information, most of the time of a numerical nature, so that the reader understands the relationship between the data. It is mostly used in scientific texts, since the information it offers is exact. A good example would be a table presenting the different types of nationalities that cohabit in a neighbourhood, related to the number of people of each ethnic group.

diagrams

The diagram It is a type of discontinuous text in which a series of elements arranged by importance or by order are presented. For example, the diagram of positions in a company It will show us who is in charge of each department and who are the people who report to him. In turn, it will indicate which people are below these second managers, etc.

Graphics

The graphics They are a type of very visual discontinuous texts, but for which it is necessary to know how they should be read. Shown is a series of painted bars, each of a different measure, depending on the value they want to display. The element analyzed in each bar will be presented on the horizontal axis and the quantity on the vertical axis. For example, we can see the consumption of our mobile phone month by month, in the bill through a graph.

maps

The maps They indicate the geographical relationship between two different points. In this case, the text displayed is only the name of each place, the roads, the rivers, etc.

infographic

infographics They are a type of discontinuous texts in which information is presented in short paragraphs and this is supported by drawings that symbolize what is explained or that highlight the text, to draw the reader's attention. An example of an infographic could be about the benefits of eating broccoli, in which we can see a image of the vegetable in the center and each of the reasons around it, also represented by drawings.

temporary lines

In the temporary lines the main events that happened in a specific period of history will be shown. Arrows will appear on a line at different time points and the process will be explained. 8That had place. They are usually accompanied by images. An example could be the chronological axis of humanity after Christ, from year 1 to the present.

Forms

the forms They are types of discontinuous texts in which the reader must indicate her personal data in the exact space that has been allocated to it. This format is very useful for collect data in a visual way. A good example is the forms that the Treasury makes you fill out to carry out its procedures.

Comic books

These are texts that are inserted in the middle of drawn images and have as their objective entertain and amuse the reader. All the information is exposed in images, but if there is something that needs to be specified, it will be done through a small text.

Now you know what are the discontinuous text types and you have an idea of ​​how each one works. If you are interested in learning more about the texts and how to write them, do not hesitate to consult our writing section.