1. Functional styles (FS'l of the English language

Functional styles (FS) are the subsystems of language, each subsystem having its own peculiar features in what concern vocabulary means, syntactical constructions, and even phonetics. Each style is a relatively stable system at the given stage in the development of the literary language..

The Belles-lettres styleis generic for 3 substyles :poetr y; emotive prose;drama.

Language of poetryThe first substyle is verse. Its first differentiating property is its orderly form, which is based mainly on the rhythmic and phonetic arrangement of the utterances.Rhythm and rhyme are immediately distinguishable properties of the poetic substyle provided they are wrought into compositional patterns. Emotive proseThe substyle of emotive prose has the same common features as has for the belles-lettres style in general; but all these features are correlated differently in emotive prose. The imagery is not so rich as it is in poetry; the percentage of words with contextual meanings is not so high as in poetry;. It is a combination of the literary variant of the language, both in words and syntax, with the colloquial variant.The Publicist style treats certain political, social, economic, cultural problems. The aim of this style is to form public opinion, to convince the reader or the listener. Publicist style is characterised by brevity of expression.Substyles: The oratory essays, journalistic articles, radio and TV commentary.The Scientific prose style is employed in professional communication. Is characterised: 1) by logical sequence of utterances; 2) the use of terms specific to each given branch of science; 3) peculiar sentence patterns (postulatory, argumentative, formulative); 4) use of quotations and references; 5) frequent use of foot-notes; 6) clich?s.

Official style is the most conservative one. The aim of communication in this style is to reach agreement between two contracting parties. This function predetermines the peculiarities of official style - a specials system of clich?s, terms, and set expressions: I beg to inform you, dear sir, we remain your obedient servants.;

2. Stylistic Lexicology: classification and distinctive features of the main layers of the English vocabulary

In order to get a more or less clear idea of the word-stock of any language, it must be presented as a system, the elements of which are interconnected, interrelated and yet independent. The word-stock of a language may be represented as a definite system in which different aspects of words may be singled out as interdependent. A special branch of linguistic science – lexicology- has done much to classify vocabulary. For linguistic stylistics, a special type of classification, stylistic classification is the most important. In accordance with the division of language into literary and colloquial, we may represent the whole of the word-stock of the English language as being divided into 3 main layers: the literary layer, the neutral and the colloquial layer. The literary and the colloquial layers contain a number of subgroups each of which has a property it shares with all the subgroups within the layer. This common property, which unites the different groups of words within the layer, may be called its aspect. The aspect of the literary layer is its markedly bookish character. It is this that makes the layer more or less stable. The aspect of the colloquial layer of words is its lively spoken character. It is this that makes it unstable, fleeting. The aspect of the neutral layer is its universal character. That means it is unrestricted in its use. It can be employed in all styles of language and in all spheres of human activity. The literary layer of words consists of groups accepted as legitimate members of the English vocabulary. They have no local or dialectal character. The colloquial layer of words as qualified in most English or American dictionaries is not infrequently limited to a definite language community or confine to a special locality where it circulates. The literary layer of words consists of groups accepted as legitimate members of the English vocabulary. They have no local or dialectal character. Literary words serve to satisfy communicative demands of official, scientific, poetic messages, while the colloquial ones are employed in non-official everyday communication. The literary vocabulary consists of the following groups of words: 1) common literary (are words of solemn, elevated character (learned, poetic). They are mainly observed in the written form and contribute to the message the tone of solemnity, sophistication, seriousness, gravity, learnedness), 2) terms (are words denoting objects, processes, phenomena of science, humanities, technique), 3) poetic words (denote a set of words traditionally used in poetry: behold, deem, thee, quoth, aught, foe), 4) archaic words (1.Historical words, denoting historical phenomena which are no more in use and have no notion at present: e.g. “yeoman”, coif and distaff; “vassal”, “falconet”. 2. Obsolescent (rarely used), substituted by modern synonyms: thou, thy, art, wilt,-eth. 3. Obsolete (out of use at present, but recognized): methinks, alack, alas. 4.Archaic words proper, in the course of language history ousted by newer synonymous words or forms and not recognized in modern English: troth (faith),“to deem” (to think), “quoth” (“said”), “woe” (sorrow); “maketh” (makes), “thou wilt” (you will), “brethren” (brothers)), 5) barbarisms and foreign words (are foreign words of phrases, words assimilated from foreign languages and sometimes perverted. They are: a) Fully assimilated (wine, street, reprimand, helicopter); b) Partially assimilated (machine, police, garage, prestige); c) Unassimilated: randezvous, belles lettres, chic, matador, hippopotamus, Midi, boulangers, croissants), 6) literary coinages (neologisms) (are new words or expressions: e.g. Take-away, high-rise, hang-glider, wrist phone, cellular phone).

2.Stylistic functions of literary layer of the vocabulary:

1. To characterize the speech of the bygone epoch and to reproduce atmosphere of antiquity.

2. To introduce the atmosphere or professional activity.

3. To create romantic atmosphere, the general colouring of elevation (in poetry).

4. To introduce the atmosphere of solemnity (in official speech) or the local colouring of the country described.

The distinctive feature of the neutral layer is its universal character. That means it is unrestricted in its use. It can be employed in all styles and in all spheres of human activity. It is this that makes the layer the most stable of all. Neutral words comprise the overwhelming majority of lexis, used in all spheres of human activity and being the main source of synonyms and polysemantic words.

The colloquial layer of words as qualified in most English and American dictionaries is not infrequently limited to a definite language community or confined to a special locality where it circulates. The colloquial vocabulary falls into the following groups: 1) common colloquial words, 2) general slang (which are used by most speakers in very and highly informal, substandard communication. They are highly emotive and expressive and as such lose their originality rather fast and are replaced by newer formations, unstable, fluctuating, and tending to expanded synonymity within certain lexico-semantic groups), 3) special slang (professionalisms) (special colloquial words, which stand close to jargon, also being substandard, expressive and emotive: Army slang: to go west (die); a brass head (officer of high rank)), 4) jargonisms (is a low colloquial vocabulary meant to be secret and cryptic (social jargon) or being an expressive idiom of terms in the literary layer of the vocabulary: Jargonisms - are used by limited groups of people, united either professionally (professional jargonisms or professionalisms) or socially (jargonisms proper)), 5) dialect words (special colloquial words, which are normative and devoid of any stylistic meaning in regional dialects, but used outside of them, carry a strong flavour of the locality where they belong; they markedly differ on the phonemic level: one and the same phoneme is differently pronounced in each of them; differ also on the lexical level, having their own names for locally existing phenomena and also supplying locally circulating synonyms for the words, accepted by the language in general), 6) vulgar words (are coarse special colloquial words with a strong emotive meaning, mostly derogatory, normally avoided in polite conversation), 7) colloquial coinages (nonce-words). Colloquial words are employed in non-official everyday communication and mark the message as informal, non-official and conversational. Their use is associated with the oral form of communication.

The common literary, neutral and common colloquial words are grouped under the term standard English vocabulary. Other groups in the literary layer are regarded as special literary vocabulary and those in the colloquial layer are regarded as special colloquial (non-literary) vocabulary.