FUNCIONAL STYLES IN ENGLISH INTRODUCTION FUNCTIONAL STYLE

FUNCIONAL STYLES IN ENGLISH

INTRODUCTION: FUNCTIONAL STYLE is a system of interrelated language means, which serves a definite aim in communication. The peculiar choice of language means is primarily dependent on the aim of the communication, on the function the style performs.

As a matter of fact there exist a number of classifications of functional styles (FS), but the most common one was introduced by I. R. Galperin. It includes the belles-letters style, the publicistic style, the newspaper style, the scientific prose style, and the style of official documents. Each FS may be characterized by a number of distinctive features. Each FS is subdivided into a number of sub styles.

The belles-lettres FS has the following substyles: • the language style of poetry • the language style of fiction (prose) • the language style of drama

Typical for belles-lettres style • there are no unique features as this style is not homogeneous: it contains vocabulary and syntax of different registers and styles • the choice of the form and means depends on the author’s preferences solely • wide variety of stylistic devices and expressive means of different kinds • use of words in contextual and often in more than one dictionary meaning

Typical for Substyle: • • • rhythm and rhyme phonetic means fresh, unexpected imagery wide use of syntactic means a great number of emotionally coloured words combination of the spoken and written varieties of language • two forms of communication (monologue and dialogue)

Typical for Substyle: • language is stylized: colloquial speech approximates real conversation but still strives to retain the modus of literary English • redundancy of information caused by the necessity to amplify the utterance for the sake of the audience (wide use of repitition) • simplified syntax • the utterances are much longer in natural conversation • monological character of dialogue

The publicistic FS The general aim of publicistic style is to exert constant and deep influence оn public opinion, to convince the reader оr the listener that the interpretation given bу the writer оr the speaker is the only correct one and to force him to accept the point of view expressed in the speech, essay оr article not merely through logical argumentation but through emotional appeal as well.

Publicistic FS in general is characterized by the following features: • coherent and logical syntactical structure of the text; • expanded system of connectives; • careful paragraphing; • ample use of the words with emotive meaning; • wide use of imagery, but the stylistic devices used in publicistic style аге not fresh and genuine. • brevity of expression.

The publicistic FS comprises the following substyles: • the language style of oratory • the language style of essays

The language style of oratory Certain typical features of the spoken variety of speech present in this style аге: • direct address to the audience (e. g. : ladies and gentlemen, honorable member(s)); • the use of the 2 nd person pronoun (уоu, etc. ); • sometimes contractions are introduced (I’ll, won’t, haven’t, isn’t and others) • the use of colloquial words. • the use of ready-made phrases оr clichés, especially in orations оn solemn public occasions;

The language style of oratory Certain typical features of the spoken variety of speech present in this style аге: – stylistic devices (parallel constructions, antithesis, suspense, climax, rhetorical questions and questions-in-the-narrative); – the most typical stylistic device of English oratorical style is repetition which enables the listeners to follow the speaker and retain the main points of his speech; it is meant to convince the audience and to add weight to the speaker's opinion.

The language style of oratory Certain typical features of the spoken variety of speech present in this style аге: • similes and metaphors are generally traditional, as fresh and genuine stylistic devices may divert the attention of the listeners away from the main point of the speech; • special obligatory, forms open up and end an oration, e. g. Му Lords; Мr. President; Мr. Chairman; Ladies and Gentlemen, etc. At the end of his speech the speaker usually thanks the audience for their attention bу saying: Thank you or Thank you very much. Expressions of direct address, e. g. dear friends, my friends, Mark уои!, Mind!

The language style of essays The most obvious characteristics of the essay аrе the following: • personality in the treatment of theme; • • • naturalness of expression; brevity of expression; the use of the first person singular; a rather expanded use of connectives; the abundant use of emotive words; the use of similes and sustained metaphors as оnе of the media for the cognitive process.

The Newspaper FS English newspaper style may bе defined as a system of interrelated lexical, phraseological and grammatical means which is perceived bу the community as a separate linguistic unity that serves the purpose of informing and instructing the reader. It goes without saying that the bulk of the vocabulary used in newspaper style is neutral and commonly literary. But apart from this, newspaper style has its specific vocabulary features. Its basic genres, which can be classed as follows: Newspaper Style Headlines Articles Brief News, Items, Advertisements and Announcements

Newspaper FS in general is characterized by the following features: • Special political and economic terms (е. g. Socialisт, constitution, president). • Non-term political vocabulary (е. g. pub. Iic, реорlе, progressive, nation-wide, unity, реаcе). • Newspaper clichés, i. e. stereotyped expressions, commonplace phrases familiar to the reader (е. g. vital issue, pressing рrоbleт, inforтed sources, danger of war).

Newspaper FS in general is characterized by the following features: • Clichés тоrе than anything else reflect the traditional mаnnеr of expression in newspaper writing. They аге commonly looked upon as а defect of style (e. g. captains of industry, pillars of society, bulwark of civilization). But nevertheless, clichés аге indispensable in newspaper style: they prompt the necessary associations and prevent ambiguity and misunderstanding.

Newspaper FS in general is characterized by the following features: • Abbreviations. Among them abbreviated termsnames of organizations; public and state bodies, political associations, industrial and other companies, various offices, etc. , e. g. UNO (United Nations Organization), NAТО (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), EU (European Union), etc. • Neologisms. The newspaper is very quick to react to аnу new development in the life of society, in science and technology, e. g. backlash оr white backlash (а violent reaction American racists to the Negroes' struggle for civil rights).

The Scientific Prose FS The main aim of the functional style of scientific prose is to prove а hypothesis, to create new concepts and to disclose the internal laws of existence, development, relations between different phenomena, etc. The language means, therefore, tend to bе objective, precise, and unemotional, devoid of апу individuality; there is а striving for the most generalized form of expression.

The most noticeable features of Scientific Prose FS are: • objective, precise and mostly unemotional language means; • words used in primary logical meaning; • use of terms and learned words; • impersonality and generalized form of expression reflected in the choice of grammar and syntactic constructions; • logical sequence of utterances; • most developed system of connectives; • use of quotations and references.

The style of Official Documents This style is not homogeneous and is represented by four major substyles: 1. Legal Documents 2. Business Documents 3. Documents of Diplomacy 4. Military Documents

The Style of Official Documents is characterized by the following features: • use of words in logical dictionary meaning special system of cliches, terms, set expressions; • use of terminological nomenclature; • no emotive words relating their original meaning; • special obligatory forms of address, opening and concluding; • encoded character of language: use of abbreviations and conventional symbols ($); • non-flexible compositional design • fixed paragraphing • grammar and punctuation depending on the pattern (combining several pronouncements into one sentence)

Thank you for attention!