Common text types
The most common text types that students will come across in their reading are the following:
- Narrative text tells a story, and can be either fiction or nonfiction. Narrative texts typically have a beginning, middle, and end, and they use characters, setting, and plot to create the story.
- Descriptive text creates a picture with words, using vivid language to describe people, places, things, or events. Descriptive text can be found in a variety of genres, including essays and poetry.
- Expository text explains or informs, by presenting facts, definitions, or processes in a clear and concise way. Expository text can be found in a variety of genres, including textbooks, news articles, and informational books for children — for example, visual encyclopedias and pictorial information books such as the DK and National Geographic series.
- Procedural or instructional text explains how to do something through step-by-step explanations, often accompanied by numbered diagrams, illustrations, or photographs. Recipes and how-to-build Playmobil® and Lego® kits are common examples.
- Argumentative or persuasive text tries to persuade the reader to agree with a particular point of view, by using evidence, logic, and reasoning to support the claims. Argumentative text can be found in essays, editorials, and speeches.
NOTE: Text types should not be confused with text structures, which are discussed in the sections below.
| Text Type | Purpose | Features | Common Text Structures | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Narrative | Tells a story | Characters, setting, plot, conflict, resolution. The text includes description and a sequence of events unfolding over time. |
| Picture books, chapter books, short stories, plays, biography and memoir |
| Descriptive | Paints a picture with words | Vivid language, sensory details. The text focuses on providing details about a person, place, object, or event using sensory language. |
| Essays, poetry |
| Expository | Explains or informs | Facts, definitions, processes. The text often includes headings, subheadings, and may use bullet points or numerical listings. |
| Textbooks, news articles, pictorial informational books |
| Procedural or Instructional | Provides instructions on how to do something | Step-by-step instructions. The text often includes diagrams or illustrations to help the reader follow the instructions. |
| Recipes, user manuals, building kit instructions, and DIY guides |
| Argumentative or Persuasive | Persuades the reader to adopt a particular point of view or take a specific action | Evidence, logic, reasoning. The text includes arguments, provides evidence, and utilizes rhetorical techniques to influence the reader’s opinion. |
| Essays, editorials, speeches |