What is stylistics? You will receive the answer to the question from the materials of the submitted article. In addition, we will tell you about which categories and sections of stylistics exist in the Russian language, and consider in detail the styles and techniques of English.
General information
Stylistics is a section of linguistics, or a philological discipline, which studies completely different conditions and principles for choosing language communication, as well as methods for organizing language units. In addition, the section defines the differences in the presented principles, methods of using styles.
There is the following division of such a philological discipline as stylistics: these are literary and linguistic sections. However, it should be noted that these subtypes are not officially recognized.
Thus, the linguistic section of the style considers all the functional styles of speech, and the literary section studies the plots, the system of images, the plot, etc., in a single taken work.
One cannot fail to say that the practical style of the Russian language is quite closely connected with other sections of the course of this school subject. In this regard, to study it separately from grammar and theoretical lexicology will not work. After all, they serve as a kind of basis for the characterization of linguistic means.
Main categories
Now you know what style is. This is a special section of linguistics, which has the following categories:
- style rules;
- style;
- style norm;
- stylistic coloring of linguistic units;
- correlation of methods of language expression.
Main sections
The main sections of the discipline are:
- stylistics of the text;
- theoretical stylistics;
- stylistics of linguistic units (or the so-called stylistics of resources);
- practical style;
- stylistics of varieties of the use of the Russian language (or the so-called functional section).
Linguistic stylistics
As mentioned above, stylistics in the Russian language is unofficially divided into literary and linguistic. The latter is a whole science of speech styles. She studies the various possibilities of the language, namely: expressive, communicative, evaluative, cognitive, emotional and functional. Let's consider it in more detail. After all, it is precisely this possibility of the Russian language that is devoted most of all time in the secondary school curriculum.
Functional Speech Styles
Russian style clearly articulates the requirements for competent speech. In this regard, it is imperative to know that our mother tongue has five basic styles, namely:
- scientific;
- colloquial;
- publicistic;
- formal business;
- art.
To have an idea of each, consider them in more detail.
Science style
This style of speech has a number of features such as monological character, preliminary thinking, the most rigorous selection of language techniques and statements, as well as normalized speech. As a rule, in such texts all facts are fully and accurately explained, all causal and investigative relationships between these or those phenomena are shown, patterns are revealed, etc.
Spoken style
This functional style of speech serves for informal or informal communication. She is characterized by the exchange of information on everyday issues, the expression of her thoughts or feelings. It should be noted that colloquial vocabulary is often used for such a speech .
Journalistic style
It is especially often used in various articles, essays, reports, feuilletons, interviews, during public speaking , etc. Almost always the journalistic style is used to influence people through magazines, newspapers, radio, television, booklets, posters, etc. It is characteristic of him solemn vocabulary, phraseology, emotionally colored words, as well as verbal phrases, the use of short sentences, chopped prose, rhetorical questions, repetitions, exclamations, etc.
Official business style
This is a style of speech that is actively used in the field of official relations (jurisprudence, international relations, the military industry, economics, advertising, government activities, communication in official institutions, etc.).
Art style
This style of speech is used in fiction. It quite strongly affects the feelings and imagination of the reader, fully conveys the thoughts of the author, and also applies all the richness of vocabulary, is characterized by emotional speech and imagery. It should be noted that other styles can be used in it.
Stylistics as a discipline
As mentioned above, such a section is mandatory in the school curriculum. However, a few teaching hours are not enough to fully study the features of the Russian language styles. That is why the program of some higher education institutions with a humanitarian bias includes such a course as “Stylistics and Literary Editing”. Its purpose is to familiarize with the general theoretical issues of this discipline, as well as develop practical skills for working with a specific text.
English style
In order to achieve the highest level of proficiency in one or another foreign language, it is not enough just to master the basic grammatical rules, as well as learn a few hundred or thousands of words. After all, it is extremely important to master a special art - “speaking”. For this, in his speech, it is necessary to apply not only all kinds of stylistic devices, but also to know how to properly use these or other styles of speech.
What stylistic techniques exist in English?
Having reached an average level of English, I want to improve more and more. But for this it is necessary to learn to understand and feel foreign well. As a rule, this is done through comparison and analysis. Let's look at some stylistic tricks used in English:
- Metaphors. This is a hidden comparison. It is used when something completely unusual for it is attributed to some object or person. At the same time, it is extremely important to observe the transfer of certain qualities on the basis of similarity. For example, instead of the word "stars" use "silver dust", instead of "sun" - "pancake", etc.
- Epithets. This technique emphasizes the quality of a person or subject in a sentence, and also expresses a definition (for example, salt tears, true love or loud ocean).
- Comparison This technique compares more than one subject. This is necessary in order to identify differences and other inconsistencies. To find out the comparison in a sentence, you need to pay attention to such words as “as though”, “like”, “as ... as”, “as like to remind of”, “such as”, “to resemble”, etc.
- Metonymy. Such a means of expression is used when a word is replaced by another, which is more similar in meaning (for example, “crown” and “sword”).
- Antonomasia. This is a special type of metonymy, characterized by the replacement of proper names.
- Euphemisms and paraphrases. Such techniques in English are used quite often. The first means of expressiveness is used to soften any concept, and the second replaces the names of objects with a descriptive phrase and at the same time indicates their characteristic features.
- Hyperbola. This technique is used to exaggerate any qualities (that is, intentional selection). Using hyperbole, you can add expressiveness and expressiveness to the following statements: told you 100 times or haven't seen for ages.
- Antithesis. This technique is characterized by the opposition of two phenomena or objects (in black and white or now or never).
- Irony. This technique hides the true meaning of the statements. That is, the listener, viewer or reader must himself guess what is hidden behind certain words (for example, She turned with the sweet smile of an alligator).
- Oxymoron and paradox. These terms are one and the same concept. As a rule, it is used in cases where it is necessary to emphasize any judgment that is contrary to common sense (for example, less is more, low skyscraper or pleasantly ugly face). Their main difference is that oxymoron is a phrase, and a paradox is a thought, idea or proposal.
Speech Styles in English
As in Russian, speech styles in English differ among themselves not only by expressive means and techniques, but also by their general specifics. Let's consider them in more detail.
So, in English there are the following styles of speech:
- Free, or so-called conversational style. It differs in rather pronounced deviations from the accepted norms and is divided into 2 subgroups: familiar-spoken and literary-spoken.
- Newspaper information style. Designed for objective reporting of events (in written or spoken language). This style is not inherent subjective or emotional assessment.
- Formal business. All important documents and all business correspondence are based on this style.
- Scientific and technical. This style is characterized by consistency and logic.
- Art. This style is used in literary works. It is characterized by subjectivity, emotionality, the use of phraseological units, expressive means, as well as detailed and complex sentences.