Text is the highest unit of language. It consists of smaller language units - sentences and phrases, words. Like any other phenomenon, it has its own characteristics and distinctive features that distinguish it from other linguistic phenomena. In addition, depending on the style to which it belongs, the text has a number of additional features. Next, we will consider what are the main features of the text and various functional styles.
What is text?
A text is a speech work, which consists of successively interconnected different language signs. It is distinguished by its integrity and design.
Compositionally, the text consists of:
- suggestions;
- paragraphs
- paragraphs;
- sections;
- chapters.
All these elements are interconnected by one theme and purpose. In order to determine whether a set of certain sentences is text, you need to know the main features of the text in Russian.
Each text has a specific, clearly defined functional-style orientation - scientific, artistic, journalistic style , etc.
Key Text Attributes
In order for a set of words and sentences to be called one, they must meet certain requirements. Here are the main features of the text that are distinguished in linguistics:
- Completeness, which implies semantic completeness.
- Connectivity.
- The unity of the stylistic means used.
- Articulation and autonomy.
Only if all of the above characteristics are present, a composition of several sentences can be considered a text.
Completion
When analyzing the signs of the text, you need to start with completeness. This feature suggests that the text fully reveals the plan that the author posed before him. All this leads to a complete perception and understanding of what the recipient read or heard.
Having familiarized ourselves with the text, we must understand its meaning, see the connection of the topic and content.
Connectivity
This feature is manifested in the arrangement of sentences in a certain logical sequence, which helps to reflect the development of thought. One sentence is a semantic continuation of the first, built on the basis of previously submitted information. This also includes the design of the text with the help of grammatical and lexical means of the language. Various keywords, repetitions, unions, synonyms are used for communication.
While analyzing the signs of the text in the Russian language, especially connectedness, it should be noted that there are two main connections between sentences - parallel and chain. At the first sentence, they communicate with each other thanks to the same word order, similar structure.
In the second, a keyword is a bunch that carries basic information. It can be replaced by a synonym. In addition, perfect verbs are used.
Style unity
Analyzing the main features of the text, it is impossible not to note the unity of style. Any text is made out according to features of this or that functional style. Depending on the chosen style, lexical and linguistic means, grammatical design of the text are selected. Syntactic structures are also built based on the selected style. So, simple sentences prevail in the colloquial style , and complex ones prevail in the scientific style .
Integrity
This feature implies the simultaneous execution of the three text features described above. That is, the presence of connectivity, completeness and style unity.
Even if one or two characters were found in the proposed fragment, it cannot be called a text until the three main characteristics of the text that we previously described are observed.
Other symptoms
We also highlight other, less important features of the text in Russian.
Articulation, which implies that the text consists of several sentences. At the same time, one should not forget that they should be interconnected by a single topic.
And autonomy: every text has a beginning and an end.
They also distinguish such a sign as information content - the text carries certain information. In general, it is determined by the topic and purpose of the statement.
Distinctive style features
In Russian, a number of functional styles are distinguished - scientific, official-business, journalistic, and artistic. Each of them has not only the main features of the text, but also a number of additional ones that help to distinguish between them.
Science style
The scientific style is used when writing articles and monographs, theses and master's theses, dissertations, scientific presentations, reports, lectures. The main features of a scientific text: the use of terminology, complex sentences, the author’s impersonality, which manifests itself through the use of “we” instead of “I”, thesis presentation, the presence of introductory words and constructions, emotional neutrality.
Official business style
The official business style covers all official documents: laws, business notes, statements, protocols. The main features of this style are the direct word order, the logic in the presentation, the use of cliches and language cliches, laconicism, emotional and evaluative neutrality, the presence of standards. Often in this style are used regulated samples and forms.
Journalistic style
The journalistic style covers the entire scope of the media. Its main function is informing, influencing a person. Signs of a journalistic text are a logical and concise presentation of information, imagery, assessment, the presence of a call to action. An important feature is also the selection of information using headings and subheadings, visual effects. Sentences in the texts of this style are both simple and complex.
Conversational and artistic styles
The artistic style is characterized by expressive and emotional vocabulary, the use of metaphors and comparisons, and light constructions. He wrote all the works of art: stories, novels, poems.
Conversational style is used in oral speech, Internet correspondence. The main features of the text of this style are the use of colloquial and vernacular words, repetitions, incomplete and simple sentences. It also highlights the lack of a clear structure and logic of presentation.
Output
We examined what are the main features of the text in the Russian language. So, they highlight the coherence, integrity and completeness of the text, style unity. If there is only one or two of the attributes listed by us, it is impossible to name one or another fragment of text information as text. In addition to the features common to all texts, they also highlight features - lexical and grammatical, syntactic, thanks to which we can determine to which functional style this or that text belongs.