1. By Medium:
* Verbal: Spoken words, including face-to-face conversations, phone calls, presentations, and even singing.
* Nonverbal: Body language, facial expressions, gestures, posture, eye contact, and even silence.
* Written: Emails, letters, texts, reports, articles, and more.
* Visual: Images, videos, diagrams, graphs, charts, and infographics.
2. By Purpose:
* Informative: Sharing facts, ideas, and information.
* Persuasive: Influencing someone's opinion or behavior.
* Relational: Building and maintaining relationships, expressing feelings, and fostering connections.
3. By Direction:
* One-way: Information flows from the sender to the receiver, without feedback or interaction. Examples include a public address system, a lecture, or a television broadcast.
* Two-way: Communication involves both a sender and a receiver, allowing for feedback and interaction. Examples include conversations, meetings, and debates.
It's important to note that these categories are not mutually exclusive. Often, communication involves multiple forms of expression, purposes, and directions.