Scientific Prose Style
The aim of a scientific work is to prove a hypothesis, to describe new phenomena and scientific laws.
The main features of the scientific style:
1. From the lexical point of view scientific texts are characterized by the obligatory use of terms specific to this or that branch of science. All other words of the general vocabulary are used in their direct logical meaning to avoid any ambiguity. There are no colloquial words.
2. Scientific texts are characterized by the selective use of pronouns: First Person Plural (we) is preferred to First Person Singular (I), Second Person (you) is hardly ever used.
3. In syntax scientific prose is governed by logical reasoning, that’s why it is characterized by the logical sequence of sentences and a developed system of connectives, such as so, thus, hence, therefore, firstly, secondly. Complex sentences prevail over other syntactical constructions, simple sentence are used very rarely.
4. The scientific style aims at the most generalized form of expression and tends to be objective and devoid of any individuality, that’s why passive constructions and impersonal expressions are favoured in it: it should be pointed out, it must be assumed.
5. Scientific texts are characterized by the use of quotations, references and foot-notes.
Newspaper style
A newspaper serves to inform and convince the reader. It is meant for different kinds of audience, people who differ in their background and levels of education and culture. The newspaper is usually read in places where it is hard to concentrate (in the underground, at breakfast or lunch, during a break). The reading is often broken off. All these factors impose certain rules on creating a newspaper article. The article should be understandable to everyone; it should not rely very much on background knowledge of the reader or on the context. It is supposed to arouse the reader’s interest at once and keep it throughout the article. The main information should be imparted in a short, concise and expressive way.
Newspaper article are characterized by the following general features.
1. Newspaper articles abound in proper names (names of people, geographical places, establishments), numerals and other classes words expressing plurality and dates.
2. Newspaper language comprises a great number of economic and political terms and abstract words though they usually convey quite concrete information.
3. Newspaper clichés and phraseology are often employed in newspaper in newspaper style. Such clichés help to avoid misunderstanding, being trite and widely used: bring down the government, showdown, dismiss allegations, come to office, come into force, bring to prominence.
|
|
|
4. A lot of abbreviations contribute to conciseness of forms and expressiveness. Abbreviations can stand for geographical names and names of well-known political and public figures, writers, film stars: F.D.R. (Franklin Delano Roosevelt), JFK (John Francis Kennedy), BB (Brigitte Bardot). Clipped forms and shortenings are also peculiar to English newspapers: Lib (Liberal party), Lab (Labour party), Mont (Montana), Brum (Birmingham), Ike (Eisenhower), Winnie (Winston Churchill).
5. As the newspaper is very sensitive to everything new taking place in the life of people, neologisms first come into being on its pages: long-haired (lads with the Beatle haircut), staydowner (a miner who refuses to come up).
6. The language of newspaper style is rich in stylistic devices, both lexical and syntactical, but they are usually dead so that are easily understood by everyone. Allusions, irony and punning are especially peculiar to newspaper style. As to the vocabulary newspaper language is a combination of words pf various stylistic groups: colloquial, slangy, archaisms and barbarisms.
7. Articles contain lots of quotations of direct speech which may be often presented without inverted commas. Quotations are sometimes transformed for some purposes and supplied with ironic comments of journalists.
8. The syntax of some news items may be very complicated. The content is sometimes conveyed in 1-2-3 sentences which are complex with infinitival, participial, gerundial and nominative-with-the-infinitive constructions. The rule of sequence of tenses is not always observed.
Дата добавления: 2016-01-04; просмотров: 15; Мы поможем в написании вашей работы! |
Мы поможем в написании ваших работ!