Portuguese Year 3: News report, letter, invitation and comic strip: what each one is for
Portuguese, Year 3 (Portugal): Each text is made for something: a news report informs, a letter talks to someone far away, an invitation calls someone, a comic tells a story in panels.
Each text is made for something
A news report (notícia) informs: it has a headline and says what happened, to whom, where and when. A letter (carta) talks to someone far away: it has a date, a greeting such as «Querida avó» (“Dear grandma”), the message, a farewell and a signature. An invitation (convite) calls someone to an event: who invites, why, the day, the time and the place. A comic strip (banda desenhada) tells a story in panels (vinhetas), with speech balloons for the words and captions for the narrator.
Knowing what it is for helps you read
Every text has a purpose: to inform (a news report), to entertain (a funny comic) or to give pleasure through the beauty of the words (a poem, a lovely description). If you know the purpose, you know what to look for: in a news report, the facts; in an invitation, the day and the time. Some texts tell what happens (narrative texts) and others say what something is like (descriptive texts). Many mix the two.
Analysing an invitation
You read: «Olá, Rita! Faço 9 anos no sábado. A festa é às 15 horas, lá em casa. Traz o fato de banho! Diz-me até quarta se vens. Marta» (Hi, Rita! I turn 9 on Saturday. The party is at 3 pm, at my house. Bring your swimsuit! Tell me by Wednesday if you are coming. Marta.) Who invites? Marta. Why? Her birthday. When and where? Saturday, 15 h, at her house. What to bring? Swimsuit. What reply? By Wednesday. Purpose: to call someone to an event.
A news report is not a tale, a comic is not only for laughs
A news report also tells what happened, so it can seem like a story. The difference: a news report is about real facts and answers “what, who, where and when”, while a tale (conto) has invented characters. And a comic strip is not only for laughs: it can also inform, for example about how to brush your teeth. What decides the type of text is its purpose, not its length or its pictures.
Where you find them, and when speaking is different
News reports: in the newspaper, on television and on websites. Letters: in the post, or as cards and messages for your grandmother. Invitations: for parties and visits. Comic strips: in books and magazines. The invitation also lets you compare spoken and written text. If you say «Vens à minha festa?» (“Are you coming to my party?”), you use your voice, gestures and pauses, and you can repeat it. On paper, the exact day and time stay written down, and you can read them again.
Test what you learned
What is an invitation mainly for?
- a) To tell an invented story with characters
- b) To inform about something that happened yesterday
- c) To call someone to an event, saying when and where
- d) To describe what a person or a place is like
Correct answer: c) To call someone to an event, saying when and where — Yes: an invitation says who invites, why, the day, the time and the place, and often asks for a reply.
You read: «Querido avô, tenho saudades tuas. Aprendi a nadar! Um abraço, Tomás.» (Dear grandad, I miss you. I learnt to swim! A hug, Tomás.) What type of text is it?
- a) A news report
- b) An invitation
- c) A comic strip
- d) A letter
Correct answer: d) A letter — Yes: it greets someone («Querido avô»), gives a message and ends with a farewell and a signature. That is a letter.
What is the best sign that a text is a news report and not an invented story?
- a) It has a headline and says what happened, to whom, where and when, about a real fact
- b) It tells what happened
- c) It has characters
- d) It has drawings next to the text
Correct answer: a) It has a headline and says what happened, to whom, where and when, about a real fact — Yes: a news report is about a real event and answers what, who, where and when.
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