por The most important text properties are coherence, cohesion and adequacy. The text is a structured linguistic unit with a specific communicative intention in a specific context.
The text is made up of a series of sentences structured in paragraphs that complete a single meaning and that have grammatical and semantic relationships with each other.
According to its objective, there are different types of texts among which are mentioned:
-Narrative texts.
-Descriptive texts.
-Expository texts.
-Argumentative texts.
They can also be classified according to their shape in:
-Poetic
-Dramatic
-Informative
-Declaratives
-Referential
But this classification is not exclusive. It is normal to find descriptive or argumentative sequences in narrative texts, for example.
However, there will always be a dominant textual sequence. A text can vary in its length, but this is usually linked to its objective.
The support on which a text is embodied is generally some type of paper, but creativity and the need give rise to texts being printed on fabrics, metals, plastics, stones, etc.
What are the properties of a text?
1- Consistency
Coherence is a property related to the organization of information so that the sender fulfills its communication objective in the receiver in a clear and precise way.
For this reason, it is also related to the knowledge shared between the sender and the receiver. It is a semantic relationship.
Coherence determines the amount of information a text contains as well as the order in which it is distributed.
For a text to be coherent, it must contain a global theme that is detailed or deepened in each of the paragraphs that compose it. This demands a special effort of selection and organization of the data in the text. Concept maps help in this task.
The information in a text must meet certain rules to be consistent:
Repetition
The theme occurs several times and in different ways (with synonyms), throughout the text.
Relationship
Each point covered must be related to the central theme of the text.
Thematic progression
As the text progresses, new and relevant information on the topic is added.
not contradiction
It is assumed that there is always a thesis or premise that the issuer defends, therefore it is necessary that the data support that thesis, not contradict it.
Consistency also requires a kind of structure:
analysand
That follows the deductive method from the statement of the thesis to its full development.
synth
In this structure the inductive method is applied and therefore, the conclusion reveals the fundamental thesis of the text.
consistency example
A text that does not present coherence could be something like this:
“From 2021. They fired me, but it helped me in the end I bought the red one that was also small. Synchronous from Italy with four doors”.
Can you guess what the text is trying to tell us? Most likely not, as it lacks consistency. However, if we give it to it, it would look like this:
“This car is a 2021 model. It is small and red, it has 4 doors and it is synchronous. They imported it from Italy. When they fired me I was able to buy it thanks to the severance pay”.
In this case it is clearer what the individual in the text is trying to explain.
2- Cohesion
Cohesion allows the relationship between the paragraphs that make up the text to be correct and logical. That relationship is grammatical.
There are several resources or mechanisms to achieve this cohesion:
Mechanism of recurrence or repetition
This mechanism consists of repeating words, phrases or sentences. For example:
“Rosa is playing with her doll. It’s the doll her aunt gave her.»
replacement mechanism
In this case, one term takes the place of another.
It can occur:
As a lexical substitution through the use of synonyms or equivalent expressions.
Through the use of pronouns to avoid repetition of the noun or referent.
Through the use of pointing or deictic adverbs.
An example could be a sentence like the following:
“Juana and Robert made a cake. She ate, but he did not arrive in time to receive her share.»
Ellipse
It is a resource that allows the suppression of linguistic elements that are understood thanks to the context.
An example of this resource could be seen in this sentence:
“Today the first-year boys will play; tomorrow, the second years”.
Discursive or textual markers
They are linguistic elements that help the receiver to interpret the meaning of the message. They logically connect the text sequences. In this case, they appear:
summative connectors
opposing connectors
Consequence or cause connectors
speech computers
example of cohesion
Let’s see how we can improve the following text in which the cohesion is not optimized:
“Noelia usually travels and so do I. I really like to travel and so does she. We have visited Rome, we have visited Paris, we have also visited Barcelona and other cities that we have also been to”.
To make it cohesive, it could be formulated as follows:
“Noelia and I usually travel because we like it a lot. We have visited Rome, Paris, Barcelona and other cities”.
3- Adequacy
It is an extratextual property that consists of the adaptation of the text to its purpose.
A text is adequate in terms of:
Shape
It refers to the typography used and the arrangement of text elements.
Purpose
It refers to whether the text is informative, descriptive, etc.
Record
It refers to the relationship between the sender and the receiver.
Gender
It attends to the conventions of each genre to fulfill the purpose of the text.
Suitability Example
“Photosynthesis is the metabolic procedure in which plants generate their food substrate. It would be an endothermic chemical process that makes use of sunlight to transform carbon dioxide into sugars that provide energy to the cell of the prokaryotic being. Did you understand class?
If the paper is being given to an advanced biology class, the response will be quite adequate, but if your listeners are school-age children, probably none of them have understood anything and therefore the educational purpose of the text is not fulfilled.
References
Romeo, Ana (s/f) The properties of the text. Retrieved from: materialesdelengua.org
Understanding english (2011). What is cohesion and coherence. Retrieved from: gordonscruton.blogspot.com
Autonomous University of Mexico (undated). Coherence. Retrieved from: portalacademico.cch.unam.mx
wikipedia.-org
Young-Kyung Min (undated). Retrieved from: uwb.edu.