Factual text analysis and text functions – basics
How it works
Factual texts inform about real facts, explain, argue, appeal or instruct. They differ from literary texts above all in their purpose and their linguistic form. Text functions such as ‹Information›, ‹Appell›, ‹Argumentation› and ‹Instruktion› influence structure and linguistic devices. When analyzing a factual text, one pays attention to the topic, purpose, addressees, structure and linguistic features. Typical types of factual texts are ‹Bericht›, ‹Kommentar›, ‹Anleitung› and ‹Nachricht›. Factual texts often use objective, precise language; depending on the type of text, evaluative or imperative formulations may also occur. The text function is recognized by the purpose of the text and by its design.
For the analysis of factual texts, determine the topic, purpose, addressees, text function and linguistic devices. Assign the text to its predominant function, for example ‹Information›, ‹Appell›, ‹Argumentation› or ‹Instruktion›, and justify your decision with examples from the text.
An example
Which text function does the following excerpt serve? ‹Bitte schalten Sie während des Fluges alle elektronischen Geräte aus.›
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50 Exercises
To the learning unit →Own explanation and own practice exercises by AmyMath. Subject reference framework: German. The topic assignment may vary by federal state.