FUNCTIONAL STYLES

All scholars agree that a well-developed language, such as English or Russian,

is streamed into several functional styles. 'Functional styles are changeable. Their
quantity and quality change in the course of their development. At present most
scholars differentiate following functional styles:
1. official style, represented in all kinds of official documents and papers;
2. scientific style, found in articles, brochures, monographs and other scientific,
academic publications;
3. media style, which is further subdivided into publicist proper covering such
genres as essay, feature article, most writings of "new journalism": newsreporting;
broadcasting; sportscommentary; advertising, public speeches, etc. and newspaper
information.
4. colloquial: literary colloquial and familiar-colloquial; - immediate
communication; personal correspondence; diaries.
5. belles-lettres style, embracing numerous and versatile genres of creative
writing.
It is only the first two that are invariably recognized in all stylistic researches.
As to the newspaper style, it is often regarded as part of the publicist domain and is
not always treated individually. But the biggest controversy is flaming around the
belles-lettres style. The unlimited possibilities of creative writing, which covers the
whole of the universe and makes use of all language resources led some scholars to
the belief that it can be hardly qualified as a functional style. At the same time other
linguists claim that, regardless of its versatility (inconstancy), the belles-lettres style
in each of its concrete representations, fulfils the aesthetic function. And this fact
singles this style out of others and gives grounds to consider it as a separate, self-
sufficient functional style.
Each of the enumerated styles exists in two forms - written and oral; an article
and a lecture are examples of the two forms of the scientific style, news broadcast
on the radio and TV or newspaper information materials - of the newspaper style;
an essay and a public speech - of the publicist style, etc.
All these styles are specified within the literary type of the language. What does
it mean? It means that the speaker or the writer deliberately chooses language means
which are suitable for a particular communicative situation, so it has preplanned
nature.
The second type is the colloquial type of the language. In this case the
communicative situation is spontaneous unofficial and informal. Now let’s examine
all functional styles one by one.
Official style, or the style of official documents, is the most conservative one.
It preserves cast-iron forms of structuring and uses syntactical constructions and
words long known as archaic and not observed anywhere else. The main function
of OS is to reach an understanding or agreement between the parts involved.
All emotiveness and subjective modality are completely banned out of this style. OS
has developed
Lexical features:
1. Prevalence of stylistically neutral and bookish vocabulary.
 2. Use of terminology e.g. legal: acquittal (оправдание), testimony,
(свидетельские показания), aggravated larceny (кража с отягчающими
обстоятельствами); commercial: advance payment, active income, wholesale,
annual percentage rate (APR).
3. Use of proper names (names of enterprises, companies etc. ) and titles.
4. Conventional and archaic forms and words: kinsman, ilk – kind, sort
5. Officialese vocabulary –
a) special clichés: We beg to inform you... Provided that ... on behalf of ....
to draw consequences...
b) special phraseology in each type of papers. Diplomatic treaties include
words and expressions like high-contracting parties; negotiable; hereinafter named.
6. The use of abbreviations, contractions, conventional symbols: GVT –
government; CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) – ЦРУ; VIP – very important person,
M.P. Ltd.
7. A number of Latin and French words and expressions: status quo; mutatis
mutandis (with all necessary changes); persona grata; pro tempora.
Syntactical features:
1. Use of lengthy sentences with several types of coordination and
subordination.
2. Numerous connectives: conjunctions and double conjunctions.
3. Use of passive and participial constructions.
4. All the conditions discussed in a treaty are included in one single sentence.
Compositional features:
1. Coded graphical layout.
2. Clear-cut subdivision into paragraphs.
3. Order-of priority organization of content and information.
4. Objective, concrete, unemotional, impersonal style.

Scientific style is employed in professional communication. Its style-forming

factor is necessity of precision, intelligibility and logical cohesion when presenting
the material. We do not usually have direct, immediate feedback from the recipient.
So a piece of any scientific work demands completeness in giving information. The
main characteristic features of the scientific style are:
Lexical features:
1. The abundance of terms denoting objects, phenomena and processes
characterising some particular field of science and technique.
2. Since science deals with definite concepts words are used in only one,
usually the principle denotational meaning. Words of current usage often acquire
terminological value in scientific prose. For ex.: The missile automatically homes
[to aim at] on the target.
3. Extensive use of bookish words: presume, infer, preconception.
4. Numerous neologisms.
 5. Restricted usage of emotive colouring, interjections, expressive
phraseology, phrasel verbs.
6. Repeated use of such cliches as: "Proceeding from..."; "As it was said
above..."; "In connection with..." and the frequent use of conjunctions that, than ,and
that if, though, thus etc., and double conjunctions as…as, either…or, thereby,
therewith, hereby that serve to provide logical cohesion.
Syntactical features:
1. Predominance of complex sentences with several subordinate clauses;
2. The frequent use of passive voice, impersonal structures, participles and
participle phrases;
3. Frequent use of parenthesis.
4. Strict paragraphing.
Compositional features:
1. Structurally formalized text with formulae, tables, diagrams supplied
with commentary. In technical texts; descriptive narration, supplied with
argumentation and interpretation in humanitarian texts.
2. Extensive use of citation, references and foot-notes.
Media style
Publicist style is a perfect example of the historical changeability of stylistic
differentiation of discourses. In ancient Greece, e.g., it was practiced mainly in its
oral form and was best known as oratorio style. Nowadays political, ideological,
ethical, social beliefs and statements are mainly expressed in the written form, which
was called publicist. Publicist style is famous for its explicit pragmatic function of
persuasion. Correspondingly, we find in publicist style a blend of logical reasoning,
reflecting the objective state of things, and a strong subjectivity reflecting the
author's personal feelings and emotions. PS can be divided into written (it
includes the style of newspaper editorials, essays and articles in periodicals) and
oral (oratorio style).
Newspaper articles: their function is to evaluate and discuss the facts
expressed in brief items.
Lexical features:
1. Use emotionally coloured words and expressions: grave danger; vital issue;
dark and dirty political deeds (actions).
2. Words of elevated and bookish character, colloquial words and phrases,
3. Frequent use of such stylistic devices as metaphor, alliteration, allusion,
irony, etc. paternalistic outlook; servile conditions of women.
The Government’s antisocial and Scrooge like attitude.- allusion
4. Pretentious words: historic, epoch-making, unforgettable.
5. Compound nouns, which are built up by means of conversion: a frame-up,
a teach-in, a seat-in (сидячая забастовка), walk-out.
6. Use of conventional forms of address and set expressions.
7. Newspaper clichés and set phrases; it bears all the hallmarks of a
provocation – иметь все черты...
Palmira Faliatti fought tooth and nail as Ministry of Justice.
8. Terminological variety: scientific, sports, political, technical, etc,
 9. Abbreviations and acronyms (l8r-later, CU-see you).
10. Numerous proper names, toponyms, anthroponyms, names of enterprises,
institutions, international words, dates and figures.
Syntactical Features:
1. Frequent use of non-finite verb forms, such as gerund, participle,
infinitive.
2. Use of non-perfect verb forms.
3. Omission of articles, link verbs, auxiliaries, pronouns, (in headlines and
news items).
4. Frequent use of rhetorical questions and interrogatives (in public speech).
Compositional features:
1. Wide use of quotations, direct speech and represented speech.
2. Careful subdivision into paragraphs, clearly defined position of the sections
of an article: the most important information is carried in the opening paragraph;
often in the first sentence.
3. Simplicity of structural expression, clarity of message, argumentative power
(in public speech).
4. Use of parallel constructions throughout the text.
In headlines: 1) use of impersonal sentences, elliptical constructions,
interrogative sentences, infinitive complexes and attributive groups.
2) Use of devices to arrest attention: rhyme, pun, puzzle, violated phraseology,
high degree of compression, vivid stylistic devices, graphical means.
An essay is a short prose composition embodying the author’s reflections on a
particular subject. Essays are written from the 1st person.
1. There are no literary images, all the characters and events are real.
2. Aphorisms and maxims are very typical. LEARN TO WRITE WELL OR
NOT TO WRITE AT ALL.

Literary colloquial style

Phonetic features:
1. Standard pronunciation according to the national norm, enunciation
(хорошее произношение, дикция).
2. Phonetic compression of frequently used forms, e. g. it's, don't, I've.
Lexical features:
1. Omission of unaccented elements due to the quick tempo, e. g. you know
him? Ellipsis of sentences in a dialogue.
2. Use of words with evaluative suffixes e.g. deary, doggie, duckie.
3. Use of special colloquial phrases, e. g. that friend of yours.
4. Wide range of vocabulary strata in accordance with the register of
communication and participants' roles: formal and informal, neutral and bookish,
terms and foreign words.
5. Use of socially accepted contracted forms and abbreviations, e.g. fridge for
refrigerator, ice for ice-cream, TV for television, CD for compact disk, etc.
6. Use of etiquette language and conversational formulas, such as nice to see
you, my pleasure, on behalf of, etc.
 7. Extensive use of intensifies and gap-fillers, e. g. absolutely, definitely, awfully,
kind of, so to speak, I mean, if I may say so.
8. Use of interjections and exclamations, e. g. Dear me, My God, Goodness,
well, why, now, oh.
9. Extensive use of phrasal verbs let sb down, put up with, stand sb up-Use of
words of indefinite meaning like thing, stuff.
10. Avoidance of slang, vulgarisms, dialect words, jargon.
11. Use of phraseological expressions, idioms and figures of speech.
Syntactical features:
1. Use of simple sentences with a number of participial and infinitive
constructions and numerous parentheses.
2. Syntactically correct utterances according to the literary norm.
3. Prevalence of active and finite verb forms.
4. Use of grammar forms for emphatic purposes, e.g. progressive verb forms
to express emotions of irritation, anger etc.

Compositional features:
1. Can be used in written and spoken varieties: dialogues, monologues,
personal letters, diaries.
2. Spontaneous types have a loose structure and uniformity of form and
content.
Familiar colloquial style
Represented in spoken variety.
Phonetic features:
1. Casual and often careless pronunciation, use of deviant forms, e. g. gonna
instead of going to, whatcha instead of what do you, dunno instead of don't know.
2. Use of reduced and contracted forms, e.g. you're, they've, I'd.
3. Emphasis on intonation as a powerful semantic and stylistic instrument
capable to render subtle nuances of thought and feeling.
Lexical features:
1. Omission of unaccented elements due to quick tempo, e.g. you hear me?
2. Use of onomatopoeic words, e. g. whoosh, hush, yum, yak.
3. Use of evaluative suffixes, nonce words formed on morphological and
phonetic analogy with other nominal words: e. g. baldish, mawkish, moody,
hanky-panky, helter-skelter.
4. Extensive use of collocations and phrasal verbs instead of neutral and literary
equivalents: e. g. to turn in instead of to go to bed.
5. Combination of neutral, familiar and low colloquial vocabulary,
including slang, vulgar and taboo words.
6. Tautological substitution of personal pronouns and names by other nouns,
e.g. you-baby, Johnny-boy.
7. Mixture of curse words and euphemisms, e.g. damn, dash, darned, shoot.
Syntactical features:
1. Use of simple short sentences.
 2. Use of echo questions, parallel structures, repetitions of various kind. In
complex sentences asyndetic coordination is the norm.
3. Extensive use of ellipsis Can't say anything.
4. Abundance of gap-fillers and parenthetical elements, such as sure, indeed,
to be more exact, okay, well.
5. Use of hyperbole, epithets, evaluative vocabulary, trite metaphors and simile,
e.g. if you say it once more I'll kill you, as old as the hills, horrid, awesome.
6. Strong emotional colouring.
7. Loose syntactical organisation of an utterance.
Belles-lettres style, or the style of creative literature may be called the richest
register of communication: besides its own language means which are not used in
any other sphere of communication, belles-lettres style makes ample use of other
styles too, for in numerous works of literary art we find elements of scientific,
official and other functional types of speech. Besides informative and persuasive
functions, also found in other functional styles, the belles-lettres style has a unique
task to impress the reader aesthetically.
Finishing this brief outline of functional styles observed in modern English, it
is necessary to stress again, two points. The first one concerns the dichotomy-
written::oral, which is not synonymous to the dichotomy - literary::colloquial, the
former opposition meaning the form of presentation, the latter - the choice of
language means. There are colloquial messages in the written form (such as personal
letters, informal notes, diaries and journals) and vice versa, we have examples of
literary discourses in the oral form (as in a recital, lecture, report, paper read at a
conference, etc.).
The second point deals with the flexibility of style boundaries: the borders
within which a style presumably functions are not rigid and allow various degrees
of overlapping and melting into each other. It is not accidental that rather often we
speak of intermediate cases such as the popular scientific style, which combines the
features of scientific and belles-lettres styles, or the style of new journalism which
is a combination of publicist, newspaper and belles-lettres styles, etc.