NEWSPAPER STYLE The structure of headings and texts

NEWSPAPER STYLE The structure of headings and texts

What is style? A functional style is a system of coordinated language means intended to fulfil a specific function of communication and aiming at a definite effect.

English newspaper style can be defined as a system of interrelated lexical, phraseological and grammatical means which serve the purpose of informing and instructing the reader.

Newspaper Genres 1. Brief news items and communiques; 2. press reports (parliamentary, of court proceedings, etc. ); 3. articles purely informational in character; 4. advertisements and announcements. Functions: a) to inform, b) to influence public opinion.

HEADLINE Headline is the most concise form of giving information, it also carries evaluation: - the subject-matter (characteristic words), - emotionally colored words, - elements of emotive syntax. E. g. : Royal Family bows to public pressure to show its grief.

English Newspaper Headings, grammar features 1. Verbal phrases: FRANCO PLANS TRIAL 2. The verb «be» is often omitted: 255 RELEASED 3. Past events are denoted with present tense verbs: DIANA FINDS DEATH IN PARIS 4. Future actions may be expressed with infinitives: PHONE REPAIRERS TO STRIKE

HEADINGS (continued) 5. Full declarative sentences: The World Mourns Diana the Princess of Wales 6. Interrogative sentences: What’s the difference? (The Sunday Telegraph) 7. Nominative sentences: Christmas in Lapland 8. Elliptical sentences: Lessons brought to life

HEADINGS (continued) 9. Phrases with verbals: Not enough to laugh about. 10. Questions (statements): The worse the better? 11. Complex sentences: Plan to teach runners who no longer race. 12. Direct speech: «Do the English blame the French for killing her? »

English Newspaper Headings, lexical and stylistic features 1. Colloquial words: MINISTRY OF FINANCE LIKES TO SAY «NO» 2. Alliteration: TEAMING IS TOPS FOR TRAINING 3. The English rule for writing headings: «Headlines should tell the story…» . E. g. : ПРИЕЗД ДЕЛЕГАЦИИ --> UGANDA DELEGATION VISITS MOSCOW

ADVERTISEMENTS Not to be a failure, an advertisement must: 1) bring the advertised produce into attention; 2) stress its qualities in the most attractive way; 3) clearly outline the reason for buying it and 4) leave a memorable echo of what has been said about the product ringing in the reader’s or listener’s mind.

Linguistic Features of ADs Grammatical Traits a) basically simple grammatical structure; b) constructions which usually occur as a subordinate part of a sentence; c) a large number of imperative verbs (to urge the likely customer to “see” the product, “try” it and eventually “buy” it).

Vocabulary is linked to a) particular type of product (tour, car, etc. ); b) effects being sought; c) tendency to become stereotyped: food is always “tender” and “juicy”; cars are full of “subdued power” and “sleek speed”. The vocabulary refers to basically desirable attributes, such as “new”, “fresh”, “clean”, “wonderful”, “crisp”; verbs: “come”, “look”, “choose”, etc.

The Style of Official Documents 1. The language of business documents. 2. The language of legal documents. 3. The language of diplomacy. 4. The language of military documents. SOD has a definite communicative aim, its own system of interrelated language and stylistic means (I. R. Galperin).

The Language of Business I. R. Galperin calls the language of business documents a substyle of “SOD”. The purport: to reach agreement between two contracting parties. Terminology: economic terms (tax, revenue, non-sufficient funds, unlimited liability) Contractions: EU, L/C, A/R - account receivable, CF - cash flow, NB, Ltd. , MV market value, P/S - preferred stock, P/P.

The Language of Business A special system of cliche and set expressions: Dear Mr (Mrs, Miss); Mesdames, LADIES; Hope to hear from you soon; We remain your servants; Terms and conditions; Private and confidential; Prospective customer, Thank you for Your offer of 9 January; We regret to inform you that we cannot make use of your quotation; We regret to cancel our order…Please confirm the above cancellation. Yours faithfully, XYZ.

Business style documents 1. Economic treaties on a high level 2. Between firms, concerns, companies, enterprises: a) contracts; b) letters. 3. Within firms, companies: a) minutes; b) memos.

Business style documents 4. Outside the firm: a) information inquiry; b) advertisement. 5. Personal business documents: a) references, b) resume, c) CV (curriculum vitae), d) a letter of resignation, etc.

Analyse the Text SOFT BUDGETS A soft budget refers to a situation in which an enterpriser’s excess of expenditures over earnings is compensated for by some other institution, typically the state, a statecontrolled financial institution. The HPEs all have soft-budget legacies from the period when it was unthinkable that an enterprise would not survive. Even within an environment of transformation, there are pressures to continue soft-budget practices. To begin with, new managers may claim that their operating inefficiencies are due to excesses created before they took their posts … (J. Daniels, p. 357).

Home assignment 1. Ивашкин М. П. Практикум по стилистике английского языка. - М. : Восток-Запад, 2005. - С. 65 -67. 2. Арнольд И. В. Стилистика…, 2002. С. 342 -351. 3. Lectures on Newspaper Style, Business Style (the blue file in the Resource Center). 4. Analyse the text SOFT BUDGETS from the previous slide in writing.