The style of official documents

Morphological features

Adherence to the norm, sometimes outdated or even archaic, e. g. in legal documents.

Syntactical features

Use of long complex sentences with several types of coordination and subordination (up to 70 % of the text).

Use of passive and participial constructions, numerous connectives.

Use of objects, attributes and all sorts of modifiers in the identifying and explanatory function.

Extensive use of detached constructions and parenthesis.

Use of participle I and participle II as openers in the initial expository statement.

A general syntactical mode of combining several pronouncements into one sentence.

Information texts are based on standard normative syntax reasonably simplified.

Lexical features

Prevalence of stylistically neutral and bookish vocabulary.

Use of terminology, e.g. legal: acquittal, testimony, aggravated larceny; commercial: advance payment, insurance, wholesale, etc.

Use of proper names (names of enterprises, companies, etc.) and titles.

Abstraction of persons, e.g. use of party instead of the name. Officialese vocabulary: cliches, opening and conclusive phrases.

Chapter 4. The Theory of Functional Styles

Conventional and archaic forms and words: kinsman, hereof, thereto, thereby, ilk.

Foreign words, especially Latin and French: status quo, force majeure, persona поп grata.

Abbreviations, contractions, conventional symbols: M. P. {member of Parliament), Ltd (limited), $, etc.

Use of words in their primary denotative meaning.

Absence of tropes, no evaluative and emotive colouring of vocabu­lary.

Seldom use of substitute words: it, one, that.

4.5. Distinctive linguistic features of the major functional styles 4.5.5. Scientific/academic style

Morphological features

Terminological word building and word-derivation: neologism for­mation by affixation and conversion.

Restricted use of finite verb forms. Use of 'the author's we' instead of I. Frequent use of impersonal constructions.

 

Compositional features

Special compositional design: coded graphical layout, clear-cut sub­division of texts into units of information; logical arrangement of these units, order-of-priority organisation of content and informa­tion.

Conventional composition of treaties, agreements, protocols, etc.: division into two parts, a preamble and a main part.

Use of stereotyped, official phraseology. Accurate use of punctuation.

Generally objective, concrete, unemotional and impersonal style of narration.

Syntactical features

Complete and standard syntactical mode of expression.

Syntactical precision to ensure the logical sequence of thought and argumentation.

Direct word order.

Use of lengthy sentences with subordinate clauses.

Extensive use of participial, gerundial and infinitive complexes.

Extensive use of adverbial and prepositional phrases.

Frequent use of parenthesis introduced by a dash.

Abundance of attributive groups with a descriptive function.

Chapter 4. The Theory of Functional Styles

4.5. Distinctive linguistic features of the major functional styles

 

Preferential use of prepositional attributive groups instead of the descriptive of phrase.

Avoidance of ellipsis, even usually omitted conjunctions like 'that' and 'which'.

Prevalence of nominal constructions over the verbal ones to avoid time reference for the sake of generalisation.

Frequent use of passive and non-finite verb forms to achieve objec­tivity and impersonality.

Use of impersonal forms and sentences such as mention should be made, it can be inferred, assuming that, etc.

Lexical features

Extensive use of bookish words e. g. presume, infer, preconception, cognitive.

Abundance of scientific terminology and phraseology.

Use of words in their primary dictionary meaning, restricted use of connotative contextual meanings.

Use of numerous neologisms. Abundance of proper names.

Restricted use of emotive colouring, interjections, expressive phrase­ology, phrasal verbs, colloquial vocabulary.

Seldom use of tropes, such as metaphor, hyperbole, simile, etc.

Compositional features

Types of texts compositionally depend on the scientific genre: mono­graph, article, presentation, thesis, dissertation, etc.

In scientific proper and technical texts e. g. mathematics: highly formalized text with the prevalence of formulae, tables, diagrams supplied with concise commentary phrases.

In humanitarian texts (history, philosophy): descriptive narration, supplied with argumentation and interpretation.

Logical and consistent narration, sequential presentation of material and facts.

Extensive use of citation, references and foot-notes. Restricted use of expressive means and stylistic devices.

Extensive use of conventional set phrases at certain points to empha­sise the logical character of the narration, e. g. as we have seen, in conclusion, finally, as mentioned above.

Use of digressions to debate or support a certain point.

Definite structural arrangement in a hierarchical order: introduction, chapters, paragraphs, conclusion.

Special set of connective phrases and words to sustain coherence and logic, such as consequently, on the contrary, likewise.

Extensive use of double conjunctions like as... as, either... or, both... and, etc.

Practice Section

Chapter 4. The Theory of Functional Styles

Compositionally arranged sentence patterns: postulatory (at the be­ginning), argumentative (in the central part), formulative (in the conclusion).

Distinctive features described above by no means present an exhaustive nomenclature for each type. A careful study of each functional style requires investigation of the numerous types of texts of various genres that represent each style. That obviously cannot be done in the framework of this course. It is also one of the reasons why the style of literature has not been included in this description. It is hardly worthwhile trying to make any generalizations about the sphere of belles-lettres style, which includes such an array of genres whether in prose, or poetry, or drama, let alone the peculiar styles of separate authors.

5. Identify the functional style in each of the texts given below and point out the distinctive features that testify to its specific character.

It has long been known that when exposed to light under suitable conditions of temperature and moisture, the green parts of plants use carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and release oxygen to it. These exchanges are the opposite of those, which occur in respiration. The process is called photosynthesis. In photosynthesis, carbohydrates are synthesized from carbon dioxide and water by the chloroplasts of plant cells in the presence of light. Oxygen is the product of the reaction. For each molecule of carbon dioxide used, one molecule of oxygen is released. A summary chemical equation for photosynthesis is:

6CO2 = 6H2O

хлорофилл

♦ C₆Hi₂0₆ + 6O₂.

 

Practice Section

1. What extralinguistic factors are involved in the notion of style?
How do style and personal factors correlate? What styles exist
in any national language?

2. What is the literary norm of a language? What does the term 'a
norm variation' imply? How is each style characterised by the
function it fulfils?

3. Comment on the sociolinguistic and stylistic factors that account
for the use of regional, social, and occupational varieties of the
language.

4. Compare the classifications of functional styles in EngUsh de­
scribed in this chapter.

You was sharp, wasn't you, to catch me like that, eh? By Ga-ard,

you had me fixed proper, proper you had. Darn me, you fixed me up

proper— proper, you did.

I don't think no worse of you for it, no, darned if I do. Fine pluck in

a woman's what I admire. That I do indeed.

Wefetfrom the start, we did. And, my word, you begin again quick the

minute you see me, you did. Dam me, you was too sharp for me. A darn

fine woman, puts up a darn good fight. Darn me if I could find a woman

in all the darn States as could get me down like that. Wonderful fine

woman you be, truth to say, at this minute. (Lawrence)