Journalistic articles (feature articles)

Irrespective of the character of the magazine and the divergence of subject matter (political, literary, popular-scientific, satirical) all the already mentioned features of the PS are found in any article. The character of the magazine, as well as the subject chosen, affects the choice of stylistic devices. Words of emotional meaning, for example, are few (if any) in popular-scientific utterances.

Their exposition is more consistent and the system of connectives is more extended, than, say, in a satirical article.

The language of political articles differs little from that of other newspaper articles. But such elements of the PS as rare and bookish words, neologisms, traditional word combinations (clichés) and parentheses are more frequent in feature articles.

Literary reviews stand closer to essays both by their content and linguistic form. More abstract words of logical meaning are used in them; they often resort to emotional language and less often to traditional set expressions.

The Headline

- is the most concise form of newspaper. It is the title given to a news item or a newspaper article.

The main function of the title is the same as that of the NS - to inform the reader, but briefly, of what the news that follows is about. Sometimes headlines contain elements of appraisal, i.e. they show the reporter's attitude to the facts. English headlines are short and catch the eye. A skillfully worked out headline tells enough of the story to arouse or satisfy the reader's curiosity.

e.g. "Black Blood in the Pipeline" In most English and American newspapers sensational headlines are quite common. Different newspapers have a different number of headlines before articles or items; so groups of headlines are almost the summary of the information of the article that follows.

The vocabulary of the headline is the sane as in the brief news items. But unlike brief news items, headlines may contain emotionally coloured words and phrases. But the basic peculiarities of the headlines lie in their structure.

Syntactically headlines are usually short sentences or phrases of a variety of patterns:

1. full declarative sentences

2. interrogative sentences

3. elliptical sentences

4. sentences with articles omitted

5. nominative (one-member) sentences

6. questions in the form of statements

7. complex sentences

8. headlines including direct speech introduced by a full sentence or elliptically, with or without quotation marks

9. phrases with the verbals

Besides these grammatical peculiarities, headlines contain a number of different expressive means and stylistic devices: idioms, other phraseological units, names of books, plays; all of them made to suit a peculiar nee.

Main Characteristic Features

Such articles have features of both the NS and the PS. Their main goal is not only to inform the reader but also to influence the reader giving an interpretation of certain facts. They give commentary on political and other events of the day. The purpose is to suggest to the reader that the author's opinion and interpretation is the right one.

They does not only appeal to the reader's mind but to feelings as well. That's why such articles are characterized by extensive use of emotionally coloured elements (both lexical and structural). Besides, alongside with political terms, clichés and abbreviations one can find colloquial words and expressions, professionalisms, slang words etc. which strengthen the emotional colouring of the article.

Another feature is the wide use of stylistic devices (especially hackneyed): metaphors, irony, stylistic use of word building means. Practically any stylistic device can be found in such articles. When skillfully used they become a powerful weapon producing the necessary emotional effect. Yet their role should not be overestimated for they stand out on the essentially neutral background.

Journalistic articles in different newspapers vary in the degree of emotional colouring and originality of expression. While this quality is typical enough of the 'popular' newspapers, newspapers with large circulations intended for serious readers: the so-called 'quality newspapers' - 'The Times", 'The Guardian", etc. - make a sparing use of expressive means and stylistic devices.

SYNTAX

14. THE SIMPLE SENTENCE

Exercise 1. Define the communicative type of the following sim­ple sentences.

1. Facts are stubborn things. 2. Few of us can stand prosperity of other people. 3. What nonsense you talk! 4. What are you doing here? 5. Why haven't you done it yet? 6. I'm about to quit this job. — Oh, are you? 7. The exception proves the rule. 8. We live and learn, don't we? 9. He hardly ever goes to bed before midnight. 10. Shall I say yes or no? 11. Does a bookmaker produce books? 12. Don't let us talk about it any more. 13. Don't shout at me! 14. Don't you know that? 15. So, you've come? 16. Divide and rule. 17. Just lend me your car, will you? 18. Hurry up! 19.1 never eat meat. 20. I've just won $500! — Have you? 21. You are joking! 22. You don't say so! 23. Dis­eases are the tax on pleasures. 24. Do you play /badminton or /ten­nis? 25. Do you play /badminton or \tennis? 26. She is such a beau­ty! 27. Everybody stand up. 28. Did he surprise me! 29. Do heed my advice. 30. You really think so?

* Exercise 2. Add a proper question tag.

1. I'm paying you,... ? 2. Let's be a bit more serious about it,... ? 3. There is no clear answer to this question,... ? 4.1 wouldn't like to be the president of this country, ... ? 5. Nobody likes to be laughed at,... ? 6. Few people live to be one hundred,... ? 7. Don't you ever do it again,... ? 8. Nothing was spared to save him from pain,... ? 9. This is very unusual,... ? 10. There is hardly anything impossible in it,... 11. I'm not envious of her life-style, ... ? 12. Anybody would know it,... ? 13. Leave me alone,... ? 14. That's none of your business,... ? 15. Somebody is knocking at the door,... ?

Exercise 3. Add a tag to each sentence. Use either falling or ris­ing intonation according to the meaning indicated in brackets.

1. You don't like him much,... ? (a short answer is asked for) 2. I'm a bit late, ... ? (confirmation is expected) 3. Oh, so they are getting married soon,... ? (more information is required) 4. In fact, you couldn't help us, ... ? (It is assumed that it was so) 5. That’s not so, ? (the listener is expected to agree) 6. And again I see that you left the gas on, ... ? (disapproval) 7. He says he's not guilty, ... ? (a straightfor­ward answer is needed) 8. Then it's a deal,... ? (request for confirma­tion) 9. Let's listen to some music,... ? (a suggestion) 10. No one phoned for me,... ? (an answer is asked for) 11. There's plenty of time,... ? (a question) 12. Clean my shoes, ... 7 (a polite order) 13. He is hardly ever late for appointments,.... (a short answer is asked for) 14. Switch on the light for me,... ? (a request) 15. I'm right,... ? (confirmation is required)16. Somebody is missing,... ? (an answer is expected) 17. The waiting time there is seldom less than two hours,... ? (disapproval)

Exercise 4. Supply different echo tags in response to the follow­ing statements. Say the echo tags aloud with different intonation to match the meaning given in Russian.

1. We’re finished.

А) Да? Интересно. б) Да, я знаю

2. Tom’s playing.

А) Конечно б) Да? Откуда это у него деньги?

3. She’s pulling his leg.

А) Это точно б) Да? Ну-ка расскажите

4. It’s all his fault.

А) Да ну? Б) Да уж конечно так

5. Mr Brown will see you later in the morning.

А) Да? А в какое время? Б) Да? Но он же обещал принять меня сейчас!

Exercise 5. Translate the following sentences into English, paying particular attention to the responses to negative gen­eral questions and tag questions.

1. Разве у них нет детей? — Да, нет даже приемных. 2. Разве У вас нет семьи? — Да нет, есть муж и дочь. 3. Это ведь не ваши Деньги, не так ли? — Нет, мои. 4. Это ведь не так, не правда ли? — Нет, не так. 5. Неужели вы мне не верите? — Да, не верю. 6. Не. ужели ты меня больше не любишь? — Да нет, очень люблю. 7 Разве вы не знаете этого человека? — Да, я никогда не виде­ла его. 8. Неужели вы не видите, что вы ошибаетесь? — Да, те­перь вижу. 9. Вы ведь не откажетесь от своего слова (go back on one' word), не так ли? — Д^ вы можете рассчитывать на меня. 10. Он ведь не очень счастлив со своей пятой женой, не правда ли? — Нет, они очень счастливы. 11. Разве я не прав? — Нет, вы совершенно правы. 12. Вы ведь никому об этом не скажете, не так ли? — Да, никому.

Exercise 6. Make the following sentences negative. More than one correct answer can often be given.

1. She has to wear glasses. 2. We often dine out. 3. They have a lot of money. 4. I've got a lot of friends. 5. Both of them are busy. 6. All of them are quite happy. 7.1 usually have lunch in my office. 8. Let's have another drink. 9. Either way is good. 10. Always put off till to­morrow what can be done today. 11. They had a quarrel yesterday. 12. Somebody do it! 13. He was always fond of going to strange places. 14.1 love doing grammar exercises. — So do I

Exercise 7. Translate into English and state the communicative types of your sentences.

1. Да где вы это видели? 2. Почему бы нам не обсудить это в деталях? 3. Разве ее нет дома? 3. Кто там? 4. Вы хотите чаю или кофе? — Да, пожалуй. — Вы будете пить чай или кофе? — Чай, пожалуйста. 5. Мы все сделали. — Неужели? 6. Мне нравятся бриллианты, а вам? 7. Да когда же вы прекратите болтать? 8. Од выглядит сегодня усталым. — Это точно. 9. Какая своевременная идея! 10. Какая замечательная у нас сегодня погода! 11. Всем стоять смирно! 12. Пусть кто-нибудь откроет форточку (small window).

Exercise 8. Point out two-member sentences (complete or ellip­tical) and one-member sentences.

1. Am I my brother's keeper? 2. A majority of domestic chores are undeniably uncreative in themselves. 3. All the world's a stage. And all the men and women merely players. 4. Dorian engaged to be mar­ried! — To whom? 5. Thieves! Fire! Murder! 6. Never trust men with short legs. Brains too near their bottoms. 7. Monday. Breakfast tray about eleven. Didn't want it. 8. And have you found pleasure? — Of­ten. Too often. 9. Living alone! 10. He told me a long story about his unhappy marriage. 11. The students took it down in their little books.

Straight from the horse's mouth. 12. English spring flowers! 13. Going out tonight? 14. To think of that! 15. "The noblest work of God? Man. Who found it out? Man?" (Mark Twain)

Exercise9. Point out the subject of the sentence and state what it is expressed by.

I. People are always rather bored with their parents. That's human nature. 2. "I have nothing to declare except my genius." (O.Wilde at the New York Customs House) 3. Which way has Golumn gone? 4. To do nothing is the way to be nothing. 5. Something is rotten in the state of Denmark. 6. The young in spirit enjoy life. 7. To be seventy years young is sometimes far more hopeful than to be forty years old. 8. Well begun is half done. 9. One should eat to live, not live to eat. 10.Two is compa­ny, but three is none. 11. What is the matter with him? 12. Here lies my wife: here let her lie. Now she's at rest, and so am I. (epitaph intended for J. Dry den's wife) 13. The grocer's was closed. 14. For us to be left by ourselves was a rare happening. 15. "Be" is a verb.

Exercise 10. State the nature of it and there.

1. Algernon: I find the thing isn't yours after all. — Jack: Of course it's mine. And it is a very ungentlemanly thing to read a private cigarette case. 2. It was getting late. 3. It was she who first told me about it 4. It is often easier to fight for principles than to live up to them. 5. It is raining cats and dogs. 6. It is very vulgar to talk like a dentist when one isn't a dentist. It produces a false impression. 7. It was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort. It had a perfectly round door like a porthole, painted green. 8. Old men declare war. But it is the youth that must fight and die. 9. It is only about twenty miles from here to the airport. 10. Nine cannot be divided by two. It can be divided only by three. 11. Who is there? — It's me, John. 12. It's no good going there again. 13. Marriage is not a word. It is a sentence. 14. In the end of everything she married Joe. It angered all his relatives. 15. There are more dead people than living. And their numbers are increasing. The living are getting rarer. 16. There they stood, ranged along the hill-sides. 17. There are two classes of pedestrians. They are the quick and the dead. 18. Where is Mr Stalton? — Oh, there he is.

Exercise 11. Use the "emphatic /г" so as to make the italicized parts

of the sentence more salient.

1. He will be sorry for his words. 2. My brother was born on the 29th of February. 3.1 did it yesterday. 4. We should discuss the first item of the agenda. 5. She is getting her language training in our col­lege. 6. Mr. Brown is leaving for Paris tomorrow. 7.1 will marry her/