The relationship of people in the official sphere has formed a special style of language. It is designed to serve the legal relations that develop between citizens and the state. Its main application is the compilation of various documents. An example of a business style text that is often found in everyday life is the content of the statement. This article provides various samples of the official language. It will also talk about the main features and main functions of this style.
Destination
Documents drawn up in the official language accompany a person throughout his life. When it is born, a birth certificate is issued. This document is the first example of a business style text on a person’s life path. Then - a passport, a certificate of secondary education and many different references.
Serving the official business sphere, this style is almost always implemented in writing. In oral speech much less often. In a dry official language, state acts, international documents and so on are drawn up. An example of a business style text orally is a meeting report. The purpose of the official language is to serve various legal areas.
Species into which business style of speech is divided
Examples of texts are short concise or long lengthy messages about an event. All of them are official documents, and according to the area in which they are applied, they can be divided into three types:
- legislative;
- diplomatic;
- administrative and clerical.
In accordance with such a classification, it is possible to distinguish the types of business language or substratum. Each of them, having common features of business speech, has its own specific features. Let's consider each of them in more detail.
Stationery documents
The administrative style serves the following areas:
- right;
- public policy;
- sphere of business relations.
Business speech arose a long time ago. Administrative style is the oldest of the other book styles. It originated in the days of the Kiev state. An example of a business style text of the 10th century is “Russian Truth” - a collection of norms that are a monument of Old Russian law. Thanks to this historical source, one can judge the origin and development of the official language.
The style in question in this article does not change very intensely. Nevertheless, it is not easy to perceive the texts of the Russian Truth to a modern person. However, even with significant lexical and syntactic changes in the language, this document contains characteristic features of a business language. One of them is the use of specific terms.
Clerical language is complex. Complicated sentences are often used in documents; long lists of homogeneous members may be present. In orders, as a rule, incentive sentences prevail . Such features are unacceptable in fiction. Something in common has the text of a scientific and business style. Example text: "The prefix is a significant part of the word and is in front of the root." This phrase is composed in a scientific style. Business differs from it in that its task is not only to communicate accurate information, but also to transmit recommendations and directions.
Legislative documents
In articles on a legal subject, quotes and links are often found. A brief wording of the law - this is a small text of the business style of speech. Examples :
- A single mother has the right to obtain housing under a social contract of employment from the state and housing stock if it is recognized as in need of improvement of housing conditions.
- A foreign citizen has the right to apply for citizenship of the Russian Federation, regardless of the observance of a five-year period of residence in Russia, if he was born on the territory of the RSFSR.
The language of laws has such characteristic features as brevity and simplicity. Central to this sub-style is the accuracy of the expression of thought. Laws imply unequivocal perception. The vocabulary of certain documents (for example, human rights from the Universal Declaration) may not be without pomp. Especially when it comes to international treaties. But, nevertheless, among legislative documents there are more of those written in a boring, dry language. A special impression is created by special words, expressions and so-called clericalism. In addition, standard formulations are repeatedly repeated. In a small text, you can find repetitions of such words as living space, living, proper, endorse, after expiration, and so on.
Diplomatic documents
Texts compiled in this sub-style apply in the field of international relations. The language of these documents excludes the use of evaluative vocabulary, abbreviated or high words, that is, it has all the features that distinguish the official business style of speech from the literary . Examples of texts are short or long documents and messages composed in the following genres:
- the contract;
- agreement;
- convention;
- memorandum;
- note;
- communiqué.
The most famous example created in this style is the Geneva Convention on International Humanitarian Law. Diplomatic language is very diverse. It has its own vocabulary (demarche, summit, attache). Diplomatic documents are drawn up in special strict forms. A personal note is always written in the first person. The word “Dear” is certainly present in the appeal. And the signature contains a peculiar form of politeness.
General Business Style Features
A distinctive feature of the official language is strict compliance with literary standards. In business documents, lexical and phraseological means of a colloquial or colloquial nature are never used. Official vocabulary excludes dialectic and professional-slang words.
The documents do not use neologisms. Or they meet, but only if they have a terminological meaning. Special words cannot be changed or replaced by professionalism or jargon.
In the business style, there are significant differences between sub-styles and genres. But, despite this, the business style can merge with another - journalistic.
What is the difference between an official language and a literary one?
In the works of art there are images, irony, various inflection, which, at times, are created by the authors themselves. In official documents, all this is excluded. A complete lack of emotionality characterizes the small text of a business style.
Example text: “Ivan asked his close relative to provide him with housing. Assuming that this event could be fraught with certain material costs, he expressed a desire to get a clerk's position or some other position that would solve a number of financial issues. ” This passage is nothing but a part of the letter of Anton Chekhov’s character from the story “Vanka”. By translating the words of the protagonist into a business language, you can get a short message. It is composed in style, the main feature of which is the impassivity of the statement of facts. Another characteristic feature of the official business language is objectivity.
Perhaps you can give more than one example of a business style of speech - a small text, which is a translation of a prose or even poetic work into the official language. But such a transfer from one form to another is unlikely to be correct. Business style has such features that are not found in fiction. Therefore, it is almost impossible to compare them.
Features of spoken language in a business style
The official language is more often found in writing. A verbal example of a business style of speech is a small text of public and government figures. Although, of course, at meetings and ceremonies it can be quite long. Characteristic features of this style: logical stress and expressiveness of intonation. There may be some emotional elation in spoken language. But the speaker must not violate literary norms.
Official language vocabulary
The business style is characterized by the widespread use of terms and specific concepts. These words can refer to legal, diplomatic, accounting, military sphere. Often in documents there are abbreviations. The desire for brevity characterizes a small text of a business style of speech. Examples:
- The Russian Ministry of Health has developed a law whose purpose is to ensure increased road safety.
- The research institute has a special department in which prosthetics of most joints are performed.
- In recent years, new medical technologies have been used in hospitals.
In business texts there are also words and expressions that are not characteristic of other styles. These include lexical units such as the above, the above, the following, appropriate, deed, preventive measure. Specific phrases (act of disobedience, cassation appeal, recognizance not to leave) - a feature that distinguishes the business style of speech. Text examples:
- Short, short, short, short, short. All of the above words are cognate.
- Having examined all of the above events, the author proved that each of them has a certain degree of possibility: some are lesser, others more.
- Each employee is required to properly fulfill all of the above requirements.
Morphological features of business style
In addition to the above, the structure of official speech has other characteristic features. In it, for example, adjectives and nouns are more common than verbs. Since expressive coloring in the text of documents is excluded, it cannot contain interjections, particles and words with suffixes that serve to create a subjective assessment. Nouns are usually found in masculine form. These words primarily include the names of professions: accountant, laboratory assistant, controller.
Among a relatively small number of nouns, most of them are components of stable revolutions. Bulky designs can have even a small business style text. An example of a text in which such phrases are present: "In order to reduce the time for VAT refunds, it is proposed to amend the legislation."
Adjectives and participles often have nouns. Such lexical units can be possessed by a small business style text, examples of which are found in the medical field: "With cardiac asthma, a patient may complain of an acute shortage of air."
Pronouns in the business language are extremely rare. The reason for the rare use of this part of speech is explained by the complete lack of concreteness and individualization of speech. Instead of demonstrative pronouns, clericalism is used: the present, the given, the known appropriate, and so on. It cannot include indefinite pronouns (someone, some, something) business-style text. Examples:
- Short texts related to the category of sellers are a specialization of this author.
- This situation has developed due to the deterioration of housing conditions.
Verbs in an official speech
These parts of speech have the highest frequency in fiction. In science, they are much smaller. And least of all verbs are found in official documents. This is the most characteristic morphological feature, which distinguishes from all others the business style of speech. Examples of texts from the literature also demonstrate that many verbs found in the official language have the meaning of duty (due, imputed, obligated, and so on).
Syntactic constructions in business speech
Such phrases are mainly cliched turns. The abundance of such expressions as for purposes, along the line, on the basis, in connection, is a specific feature that official-business style of speech possesses. Examples of texts are short fragments from statements, claims and other types of documents: “Based on the foregoing, I demand that the equipment be repaired and that information be provided and the work done.
Stylistic features
Direct speech is quite rare in documents. It is used mainly when there is a need for verbatim citation of a legislative act. The predominance of indirect is a sign on the basis of which the official-business style differs significantly from a work of art. Examples of texts are short official documents in which small paragraphs, details and headings predominate.
Signs of business style, listed above, are the main condition in the preparation of official documents. The widespread use of forms and forms is no coincidence. In some cases, without them, the text ceases to be business.
Documents that need to be extremely often drawn up and executed in everyday life require the observance of clear standards. And therefore it is so important to get acquainted with the features that the official-business style of speech has. Examples of texts, some fragments of which are presented in this article, give a general idea of the important topic of one of the sections of linguistics. Namely - stylistics.