2. Scientific prose style

The language of science is governed by the aim of the functional style of scientific prose, which is to prove a hypothesis, to create new concepts, to disclose the internal laws of existence, development, relations between different phenomena, etc. There are following characteristic features of scientific style:

1. the logical sequence of utterances;

2. the use of terms specific to each given branch of science;

3. so-called sentence-patterns. They are of 3 types: postulatory, argumentative and formulative.

4. the use of quotations and references;

5. the frequent use of foot-note, of the reference kind, but digressive in character.

The impersonality of scientific writings can also be considered a typical feature of this style.

2. Officialese

In standard literary English this is the style of official documents. It is not homogeneous and is represented by the following substyles or variants: 1. the language of business documents; 2. the language of legal documents; 3. that of diplomacy; 4. that of military documents.

The main aim of this type of communication is to state the conditions binding two parties in an undertaking. The most general function of the style of official documents predetermines the peculiarities of the style. The most noticeable of all syntactical features are the compositional patterns of the variants of this style.

The over-all code of the official style falls into a system of subcodes, each characterized by its own terminological nomenclature, its own compositional form, its own variety of syntactical arrangements. But the integrating features of all these subcodes emanating from the general aim of agreement between parties, remain the following: 1. conventionality of expression; 2. absence of any emotiveness; 3. the encoded character of language; symbols and 4. a general syntactical mode of combining several pronouncements into one sentence.

2. Stylistic phonetics and graphics. Graphon. Stylistic function of intonation.

Phonetic expressive means and devices are used for the purpose of producing a certain acoustic effect, giving emphasis to the utterance and arousing emotions in the reader or the listener.

Intonation and stress are very important means in oral speech where they are expressed directly by the speaker. In written speech they are conveyed indirectly by graphical expressive means and by a special syntactical arrangement of utterance (such as inversion, isolated members, parallel construction, etc.).

Graphical means include punctuation, different types of print (italics, bold type) and a specific arrangement of printed material. Such marks of punctuation (a series of dots, a dash, exclamation, question marks, etc.) may be used not only to show the logical arrangement of speech but also to convey the intonation of the uttered speech and to express emphasis.

2. Sound imitation and sound symbolism. Onomatopoeia. Assonance and alliteration. Paronomasia

The sound of most words taken separately will have little aesthetic value. It is in combination with other words that a word acquire a desired phonetic effect. The theory of sound symbolism is based on the assumption that separate sounds due to their properties make awake certain ideas or perceptions. This theory is widely used in poetry.

Onomatopoeia is a combination of speech sounds which aims at imitating sounds produced in nature: hiss, grumble, sizzle, murmur, bump., sea, thunder, by things like machines tools, by people (laughter, cough), by animal.

1) Direct onomatopoeia: in words that imitate natural sound (ding-dong, buzz, hiss, roar, ping-pong, mew, cock-a-doodle-doo) 2) Indirect: a combination of sounds, the aim of which is to make the sound of the utterance an echo of its sense (And the silken sat uncertain, rusting of each purple curtain).

Alliteration is the repetition of the same construction at the beginning of words. It’s often used in newspaper headlines, proverbs, set expressions. (As blind as bat; Pride and prejudice. Sense and sensibility. The school of scandal) Assonance is the repetition of similar vowels usually in stressed syllables. (Nor soul flesh now more than flesh helps soul).

They both produce the effect of euphony (афония) – a sense of ease and comfort, a pleasing effect of pronouncing and hearing. The opposite process is cacophony – a sense of strain and discomfort in pronouncing and hearing.

Paronomasia is the use of words that sound similar to other words, but have different meanings.

"A good farmer is nothing more nor less than a handyman with a sense of humus."

I used to be a tap dancer until I fell in the sink.

Curl Up and Dye"