Informative text: definition, types and characteristics

Informational texts They are intended to convey information about a specific event or topic.

These types of texts are intended to be objective, since their intention is to inform. In addition, they must facilitate the understanding of the topic explained and give enough details so that the reader can understand what is being explained.

In these lines we are going to see what are the characteristics of the informative text and its main types.

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Informational text characteristics

These types of texts describe real events and themes. Its purpose is to transmit information about reality, touching different topics. Therefore, it is a type of text in which the data described is not fiction or, at least, is supported by a real fact.

Repeating something that has already been previously explained is avoided and the information is intended to be given as clearly as possible. Its structure generally consists of an introduction, a development and a conclusion.

The language used can be specialized, varying according to the theme explained. What's more, this language must be coherent, direct, objective and use of linguistic resources such as metaphors or popular jargon must be avoided, since it can make the reader interpret the information explained in a different way than how the issuer intended.

To make it easier for the reader to find and understand the information, various resources can be incorporated into the informative text: index, text in bold or highlighted, glossary with specialized words, graphics, legends, tables, as well as references to further expand the knowledge.

For an informative text to be adequate, it is necessary that the exposed content is precise and explained in an impersonal way. The purpose of this type of text is always to explain a certain topic to a reader, and that when he has finished reading it he has acquired new knowledge.

The ideas presented in the text must be correctly arranged. For this reason, examples, bibliographic sources and clarifications are usually used in order to ensure that the recipient fully understands the subject that is being explained. One aspect that might seem obvious is the importance of knowing how to use punctuation marks correctly: period, comma, question marks, etc.

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Types

There are basically 4 main types of informational text. Here they are described, with all their distinctive characteristics.

1. News

Is about a description of a recent event that the issuer wants to be made public. It is the informative text of reference, since in the news the issuer tries to explain the event in the most faithful way possible.

The editor of the news must relate the facts in the most objective way possible, offering all the information that he can, looking for witnesses who lived the event and interviewing them. What you should never do is falsify the information with the intention of offering your own vision of the event and, thus, manipulate public opinion.

All news tries to answer six questions:

• What happened?
• When did it happen?
• Where did it happen?
• Who or who were those involved?
• How did it happen?
• Why did it happen?

Regarding its structure, the news presents the following parts:

Epigraph: It is a single line that conveys the central idea of ​​the news and invites the reader to read it.

• Headline: It is the name of the news and must be related to the topic explained.
• Descent: The information presented in the headline is expanded.
• Lead: It is the first paragraph of the news, where the main thing is summarized.
• Body: Delve into what happened. The information presented goes from what is most fundamental to what is least important.

2. Formal letter

Its main objective is to transmit to the receiver information that concerns him, which must be treated seriously.

Usually formal letters They are written for people who are not personally known or with whom you do not have a friendship relationship and camaraderie. You can also write this type of informative text to an authority or a company, to give a few examples.

Formal letters can express opinions, feelings, justify an action, or simply describe a set of events to another person.

In this type of texts it is very important to show a respectful tone and take care of the language used.

They follow the following structure:

• Date and place where it was written.
• Header: The name to whom it is addressed is written.
• Courteous and formal greeting.
• Introduction: it is the first paragraph of the letter and contains the information that allows to understand the rest of what will be exposed.
• Body: All the information about the event or topic is explained.
• Farewell: the main idea of ​​the letter is synthesized and a courteous goodbye.
• Firm

3. Memo or memorandum

It is basically a letter, but much shorter. It is widely used in companies and other types of organizations, since allows to communicate quickly and synthetically.

In this type of informational text, the language is formal, but it does not require all the protocol aspects that are in the letters.

It consists of the following parts:

• Title: usually "memo" or "memorandum".
• Header: put who sent it, for whom and the reference of the subject of the memorandum.
• Greetings
• Body: the information to be transmitted.
• Fired
• Firm
• Date

4. Report

It is an informative text whose purpose is to disseminate. It is for this reason that it is a type of text widely used in scientific disciplines, research or to describe the situation of a company.

As it is an informative text, it should be noted that it is not intended to persuade its reader. However, in this type of text Recommendations can be included to guide the reader to a specific goal.

Although it has all the characteristics of informative texts, it does not have a defined structure. However, the following elements can be found in most of them:

• Date
• Qualification
• Body: as it is a disclosure text, it is very important that it includes as much information as possible and in the most objective way.
• Firm

Bibliographic references:

• Alfonso, I. (1997): The informative text. Caracas, Context Editors.
• Díaz, A. (1987) Approach to the written text. Medellín, Colombia, Editorial Universidad de Antioquia.