What are the informative texts?
We can define the informative text in a very simple way: it is the kind of texts that offer data, definitions, descriptions of phenomena or details about a fact.
Thus, in summary, the informative texts are those that offer new knowledge about something or additional knowledge that enrich what is already known.
The most common informative texts are found in encyclopedias, magazines, newspapers, school books, cookbooks and so on.
The same in digital versions that in paper and also now in videos, thanks to platforms like YouTube, that have allowed vlogers to offer us informative videos that help the same as a written text.
What are the characteristics of the informative texts?
Informative texts offer us facts about reality, physical and chemical phenomena, history, sports, shows, well, on almost any subject.
Including the informative texts themselves, as in this case, in which I offer the answer to the question, what is an informative text? Well these are its main characteristics:
The informative text is a more or less extensive answer, as required, to basic questions such as what is …? Who…? what does it mean…? what happened…? how does it work…? How is it done …?
Its basic structure is the same as most of the texts: introduction, development and conclusion. In the first part, what is offered on the information is presented and defined in general terms.
Then its main characteristics are described, the fundamental elements of what is defined or described and, finally, some uses of that term are indicated, presentations of that recipe or places where additional information can be found, as the case may be.
The type of language that should be used is objective and clear, as it is not a literary text. Thus, the language is formal and strictly focused on the object on which it is reported, without literary ramblings
Its structure must correspond to the typical forms of the type of informative text in question. If it is news, it must respond to the inverted pyramid shape typical of these texts. If it is a recipe, to its classic structure and so on in all cases.
How to make an informative text
The informative text seeks to be truthful, objective and precise, does not seek to be beautiful. Therefore, informational texts must respond to these three principles fundamentally. To write an informational text, then, it is necessary to follow these basic rules:
Defines the topic or term on which the informational text will be treated.
Identify the basic question you want to answer about that topic (check the first point of the previous section).
Search sources that help you to have information about it or investigate, if there is no information about it or is a news about a fact of current.
Write the text
If there are other sources in which you can expand the information, point them to the end of your text.
Main types of informational texts
There are two main types of informative texts, scientific and journalistic.
The first offer information about phenomena of reality, the result of research; the latter offer data on current events in areas such as politics, culture, entertainment, economy, sports or security.