The book comprises methodological reflexions on form, content and function in a comprehensive description of text types/genres. These considerations are then exemplified in detail by analyses of individual types such as cooking recipes, book dedications, advertisements, jokes, and church hymns. The transfer of types and the range of existing types are described for Scotland and for India. The description is completed by a summary list of some 2100 text types with definitions and their documentation in the history of English.