Communication is purposive. People communicate with a specific purpose, whether it is evident or not.

Thus, communication serves a number of functions that people want to accomplish. These functions are, broadly, categorized into the following 7 types depending on what purpose is served:

1. Instrumental: used to ask for something (e.g. general queries or requests)
2. Regulatory: used to give directions and direct others, and also to regulate or control other's behavior (e.g. giving advice or guidelines)
3. Interactional: used to interact and converse with others in a social manner (e.g. social interaction)
4. Personal: used to express a state of mind or feelings about something (e.g. emotional expressions or expressing emotions)
5. Heuristic: used to find out information and inquire (e.g. asking for a location or a specific address)
6. Imaginative: used to tell stories and role play (e.g. creative performances)
7. Informative: used to provide an organized description of an event or object (e.g. providing detailed information about something)