A expressive text is one whose main intention is to communicate the feelings, wishes and thoughts of the speaker. Its function is oriented to the sender of the message.
They can also be called expressive texts or symptomatic texts. In addition, this expressive function is not only in the written language, but also in the oral one.
According to a functional classification of the communicative act, there are different intentions when initiating a communication.
In any text you can find several overlapping functions. However, always one of these is the predominant one.
For example, in a referential or informative text all statements are oriented towards the context of communication. This is perhaps the most usual case.
On the contrary, if the text has a concern for the message, for what is being said and for how it is being said, it may be a poetic text.
When analyzing any edition of a newspaper you will find many informative texts.
However, articles in the opinion section or interviews can be considered expressive texts.
The main characteristic of expressive texts is that they are subjective. For this reason it can not be said that a statement is true or false, because it refers to an opinion or feeling that is intimately associated with the author.
In this sense, this type of texts use a series of techniques and resources to communicate the ideas of the issuer.
The 5 main characteristics of expressive texts
1- The first person predominates
Since the main intention of the expressive texts is to communicate subjective information of the issuer, most of the statements are constructed based on the first person singular or plural.
However, sentences can also be elaborated with ambiguous or indeterminate subjects.
Examples:
- I am very hungry
- What a beautiful sunrise!
2- Use of exclamatory expressions
Since expressive texts try to express emotions and feelings, the use of exclamatory expressions is quite common.
This type of expressions is used to communicate some mood. They are recognized in oral language by the speaker's intonation, and in the writing they are perceived through the inclusion of exclamation marks.
Other structures such as interjections can also be included in this type of sentence, since they depend on the mood of the speaker.
Examples:
- I'm very happy to be here!
- Wow, it's so cold!
- Oh, how it hurts!
3- Use of qualifying adjectives
Qualifying adjectives serve to determine a quality of any noun. Its main function is to describe.
Expressive texts abound in this type of structure because they allow judgments to be made about any thing or situation, and thus communicate the opinions of the issuer.
Examples:
- That woman is very beautiful.
- I think the place is dirty.
4- Use of emphatic expressions
Since expressive texts are fundamentally subjective, it is usual to use expressions that highlight certain elements.
That is why it is not uncommon to find superlatives and diminutives that serve to emphasize a particular aspect.
Examples:
- I slept badly last night.
- The book seemed short.
5- Use of metaphorical language
The subjectivity of the expressive text also allows similes and metaphors to be made.
This type of resources is used to compare two things through a personal perspective or experience.
Examples:
- His eyes were like the cloudless sky.
- He eats like his father and like his father sleeps.
References
- Educarchile (2012). "Language functions: expressive." Retrieved on November 03, 2017 at educarchile.cl
- Encyclopedia of Examples (2017). "Expressive (or Emotive) Function". Retrieved on November 03, 2017 in ejemplos.co
- Gudiña, Verónica (2008). "The expressive text". Retrieved on November 03, 2017 in poems-del-alma.com
- "The expressive function"Recueperado on November 3, 2017 at escuelas.net
- Drafting (2017). "Expressive function"Retrieved on November 03, 2017 on ejemplode.com