Part VI. Functional styles of the english language a. Introductory remarks

We have already pointed out the most characteristic features of the styles of language and how they should be distinguished from the written and spoken varieties of language. Each style of the literary language makes use of a group of language means the interrelation of which is peculiar to the given style. It is the coordination of the language means and stylistic devices which shapes the distinctive features of each style, and not the language means or stylistic devices themselves. Each style, however, can be recognized by one or more leading features which are especially conspicuous. For instance the use of special terminology is a lexical characteristic of the style of scientific prose, and one by which it can easily be recognized.

However, any style being a system in which various features are interwoven in a particular manner, one group of language means, a leading feature though it may be, will not suffice to determine the style.

A close analysis of the interrelation between the language means in a given passage will enable the student to recognize different styles and even to build up a system incorporating them.

A style of language can be defined as a system of coordinated, interrelated and interconditioned language means intended to fulfil a specific function of communication and aiming at a definite effect.

Each style is a relatively stable system at the given stage in the development of the literary language, but it changes, and sometimes considerably, from one period to another. Therefore style of language is a historical category. There are many instances to prove this. Thus the style of emotive prose actually began to function as an independent style after the second half of the 16th century; the newspaper style budded off from the publicistic style; the oratorical style has undergone considerable fundamental changes and so with other styles.

The development of each style is predetermined by the changes in the norms of standard English.

It is also greatly influenced by changing social conditions, the progress of science and the development of cultural life in the country. For instance, the emotive elements of language were abundantly used in scientific prose in the 18th century. This is explained by the fact that scientists in many fields used the emotional language instead of one more logically precise and convincing, because they lacked the scientific data obtainable only by deep, prolonged research. With the development of science and the accumulation of scientific data, emotive elements gave way to convincing arguments and "stubborn" facts.

The English literary language has evolved a number of styles easily distinguishable one from another. They are not homogeneous and fall into several variants all having some central point of resemblance, or better to say, all integrated by the invariant — i.e., the abstract ideal system.

We shall now consider each of the styles in its most characteristic features.