Understanding Non-Literary Texts

• Non-literary texts are written or spoken to inform, persuade, or entertain, rather than to tell a story or explore complex emotions as literary texts do.
• They serve functional, practical purposes and are often found in journalism, advertising, academic writing, and legal documents.

Purpose-driven

• Non-literary texts are often designed to inform the audience, such as news articles, research papers, or manuals.
• Aim to influence or persuade the audience, like advertisements, political speeches, or opinion pieces.
• Some texts aim to clarify or explain concepts, such as instructional guides, legal texts, or technical reports.

Structured and Organized

• Non-literary texts usually have a well-organized structure that aids in clarity and understanding.
• A report might have sections like an introduction, methods, results, and conclusion.
• Headings and subheadings help break the text into manageable parts and guide the reader through the information.
• Non-literary texts tend to follow a logical order to ensure easy comprehension.
• An article might start with an introduction and end with a conclusion or call to action.

Objective and Fact-based

• Non-literary texts often rely on facts, statistics, and evidence to support claims, especially in academic, scientific, and journalistic genres.
• While non-literary texts can be persuasive, they typically aim for objectivity.
• The goal is to communicate information in a clear and unbiased manner, especially in news reporting or technical writing.
• Favor clear, concise language to avoid confusion and ensure that the message is easily understood.

Use of Specialized Language and Jargon

• Many non-literary texts use technical language or jargon specific to a particular field or subject (e.g., scientific reports, legal texts, or medical documents).
• While some non-literary texts (like user manuals or general news articles) use plain language, others (like academic articles or law texts) may use more specialized language.

Appeal to Logic (Logos)

• Non-literary texts often use logical reasoning to persuade the reader.
• This includes citing facts, statistics, expert opinions, or logical arguments to build credibility.
• The language used in these texts often provides factual backing for arguments or information to strengthen the persuasive or informative nature of the text.

External Context and Audience Awareness

• Non-literary texts are often written with a specific audience in mind, and the language, tone, and style will reflect this audience's needs and expectations.
• Examples of language adjustment based on the audience include technical language for professionals and simpler language for the general public.
• The context in which the text appears (e.g., political, commercial, academic) significantly shapes its language and tone.
• Product description example: may use emotive language to appeal to consumers.
• Scientific article example: will focus on neutrality and objectivity.

Purpose of Communication

• Many non-literary texts are written to prompt action or decision-making.
• A legal document may call for a specific legal action.
• An advertisement may encourage a consumer to buy a product.
• Include a direct or implicit call to action, such as urging readers to make a purchase, change their opinion, or engage with the content further.

Visual Elements

• Non-literary texts often use images, graphs, charts, tables, or other visual elements to complement the written content.
• A business report might include graphs to illustrate statistical data.
• Design elements may also be involved like bullet points, lists, or bold text to make information more digestible and emphasize key points.

Functionality and Practicality

• The primary function of non-literary texts is often practical, to solve a problem, deliver news, explain a process, or facilitate communication in a professional or commercial context.
• This is distinct from literary texts, which are more about artistic expression and exploration of human experiences.
• Aim for a specific practical outcome, such as explaining how to assemble a product, providing instructions for a process, or informing an audience of current events.

Examples of Non-Literary Texts:

• News Articles: Present facts, analysis, and opinions about current events.
• Advertisements: Persuasive texts designed to sell a product or service.
• Technical Manuals: Instructional texts with specific language and purpose to guide the user through a process.
• Research Papers: Scholarly articles that present new findings, data, and analyses.
• Legal Documents: Contracts, policies, and other documents that require precise language to ensure clarity and enforceability.
• Speeches: Often persuasive or informative, with an emphasis on audience engagement.
• Instructional Guides: Texts that provide step-by-step information or directions for a task.

Importance of Language

• The importance of language in non-literary texts cannot be overstated, as it directly influences how effectively the text communicates its intended message, persuades its audience, and achieves its purpose.
• Non-literary texts, such as news articles, advertisements, legal documents, reports, and manuals, are designed to inform, persuade, explain, or instruct, and language plays a central role in each of these functions.