According to Marcuschi (2008), texts can be understood through the complementary notions of genre and textual typology. Genres are socially situated and historically constructed forms of language use that circulate in everyday communication. Textual types, in contrast, are abstract theoretical categories defined by linguistic and structural criteria. In real communicative situations, texts usually combine different textual types within a single genre. The definition of textual types is essential to the comprehension of genres, as both concepts are mutually constitutive.

Read the excerpt from News of a Kidnapping by García Márquez (1997), a Colombian Nobel Prize– winning novelist and journalist whose significant work includes this book, and identify the relationship established between genre and text types.

After waiting three hours, a man in a mask came in, welcomed them on behalf of high command, and announced that Father Pérez was expecting them but for reason of security the women should go first. This was the first time that Diana showed signs of uneasiness. Hero Buss took her aside and said that under no circumstances should she agree to break up their group. Because she could not prevent that from happening, Diana slipped him her identity card. She did not have time to explain why, but he understood it to be a piece of evidence in the event she disappeared.

GARCÍA MÁRQUEZ, Gabriel; GROSSMAN, Edith (trad.). News ofaKidnapping.1.Americaned.NewYork:AlfredA.Knopf,1997