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FUNCTIONAL STYLES
Lecture 2 - continued
The publicistic style
The publicistic style
Includes:
the style of newspaper and magazine
articles,
essays,
oratorical speech
the style of radio and TV commentaries.
Oral + written form
Aim: to convince + to cause to accept
The publicistic style
Peculiarities:
logical argumentation + emotional appeal =
(scientific prose and belle-lettres style).
the emotional appeal the use of words with
emotive meaning + the use of stylistic
devices (not fresh or genuine!)
the form of a monologue,
the coherent and logical syntactical structure
careful paragraphing, extended system of
connectives
a great number of literary and bookish words.
Newspaper and Magazine Articles
The aim:
interpret the news
comment on the events of the day
convince [the reader that ]
Vocabulary:
terms (political, economic, etc.);
newspaper clichs;
emotionally coloured vocabulary;
stylistic devices.
Essays
short literary articles on philosophical,
aesthetic or literary subject;
never go deep;
individual (often in 1st person);
very popular in the 18th cent.:
the principal literary form,
written on important topics of the day,
often criticizing the short-comings of the
political and social system in England.
Essays
Features:
brevity of expression;
the use of 1st person singular, personal
approach;
the use of emotionally coloured words;
the use of epigram, paradoxes, aphorisms.
Oratorical Speech
Includes :
parliamentary discourse,
speeches at Congress,
sermons,
orations,
speeches on solemn public occasions.
Aim to convince the audience and
evoke an immediate desired reaction.
Oratorical speech
Features of the oral speech:
the use of direct address (My Lords! Mr.
Chairman! Ladies and Gentlemen!);
the use of contractions (Ill, dont);
the use of pronouns I and we;
the use of colloquial words and phrases,
the use of alliteration.
Oratorical speech
The speaker wants:
to keep up the interest of the audience and
hold it in suspense, consequently:
emotionally coloured words;
lexical and syntactical TRITE stylistic devices;
repetition;
allusions (to contemporary or historical events,
to well-known people, to literary characters,
mythology and the Bible; used to draw the
historical parallels and to confirm the
statement).
Oratorical speech
Syntactical features
the sentences are long, can contain many
dependent clauses and parenthetical clauses;
the use of gradations: Such a claim was all a
part, a trick, a trap to provide the Republican
party with a scapegoat at that time;
antithesis, rhetorical questions, exclamatory
sentences, suspense:
brunch);
Affixation (keener inquis. person; oldster, kiddo, fatso)
Shortening / acronyms, back clipping, back formation, front
clipping, middle clipping (e.g. maths, exams, lab, sci-f)
Informal grammar
the noun the use of double genitive; the use of
plural forms:
A good friend of my husbands; Im friends with him. He
has brains;
the article can be omitted, but it can be used with
proper names:
the Johnsons; Hes married to a Miss Brown; He bought a
Picasso; I dont claim to be a Caruso; Here again was Tom,
the Tom;
the pronoun: objective forms
Jack was four year older than me. Youre the only person.
Me? We are mad, you and me; Told who? You know who I
mean.
Informal grammar
The adjective: typical is the use of absolute superlatives
She has the longest straightest legs; a more older man; the
most carelessest man; the bestest man;
The adverb the use of adjectives instead of adverbs
Dont talk so loud!;
The verb: the continuous forms instead of the indefinite -
more emotional and personal
How are you feeling? Oh, how the stars were shining!;
the verb will is a simple mark as futurity, while shall
denotes obligation;
the use of forms with low colloquial or vulgar, illiterate
connotations
aint, gotcha, wanna.
Informal syntax
The use of elliptical constructions
(Pass.: the airport. Dr.: ok. );
Functional words are clipped (d, s)
Leaving out the S or the functional verb or both: