Analysis of Stylistic Features of Advertising English

ISSN 1009- -5039ht:/:/www.verseaen.comOverseas English海外奠谓Tel:+86- -551-5690811 5690812Analysis of Stylistic Features of Advertising English王玉凤(山东英才学院外国语学院,山东济南250104)Abstract: Combining the theory of sylitis, this paper discuses the sylisic features of adverising English such as, the use of sound pat-terms in the form of alieration and rhyme, steady form of vocabulary, simnple and informal granmar, and the adoption of metaphor.Through the analysis, we can undentand and apreciate advertising English and create more interesting and more persuaive advertic-ments.中图分类号:H059文献标识码:A 文章编号 :1009 -5039(2012)11-0272-021 lntroduction2 Analysis of Stylistic Features of Advertising English2.1 The use of sound patterns in the form of aliteration andteristics of siuainall-distictive uses of language, with particu- rhymelar reference to literary language and tries to establish prineiplesCertain linguistie efects are common in advertising, especial-capable of accounting for the particular choices made by individu-ly alitrationi and rhyme.“Beanz Meanz Hein"”was an exampleals and social groups in their use of language (The Fontana Diction-of rhyme,幽was the Muraymint exarople given above. An exampleary of Modem Thought, 1997, 2nd edn 1988). Briely speaking,itof alteratin is:“Sea, sun, sand, seclusion-- and Spain!"小is the study of style, By far the most comnmon kind of material stud-literation and rhyme are fundamentally pleasing, in the way thatied is literary; and atention is largely to describe the formal fea-music is; and most people enjoy them. Therefore, in the advertisingtures of texts for their own sake, but in order to show their function-English, this kind of sound pattern can really grab people' 6 aten-al significance for the interpretation of the tex; or in order to relatletion. And furthermore, it is easy to remember and give people aliterary effects to linguistic ' causewhere theses are felt 10 besense of apreeiation. Consequenly, the advertisements with thisrelevant. With the development of sylistis more atentin is paidsound pattem succeed easily in persuading people of their commod-to the popular texts such as advertisements which can be analyzedities and services.in very similar ways to the language of literary texts, drawing on the2.2 Steady form of vocabulary and way of making new wordslinguistie concepls of address, reference and melaphor as well晒analyzing some of the phonological and morphological patternsAdvertising vocabulary has several distinctive features. It iswhich can be found in a diverse range of media texls.vivid, with frequent use of words suchas," new" and “bright”Aderiemente heve becomea part of peple' slife in the I is ovrvhelming poitive for example, “safe" ，“rliable" ，word. It exerts a great importance on the society, and has the pow-“extra" , and“healhy" . Supelatives are overused, ofen with-er wo conrol the media. encounge pople to form the sandardsod out revation for exmple“best”" ,“pere" : Where suchtheir preferences and likings. Therefore, it is very important tosuperlatives are qulified, it is often with a sense of tongue-in-know the stylistic features of advertising English. Advertising FEng-check bumor. Carisberg refers to their lager as“probably the bestlish is a syle of imediale impect and rapid prsusion. The point lager in the world." This is not modey; their mesge io nowof an advertisement is to persuade people of the merits of a particu-more menorable than that of competitors who simply say their prod-lar product or senice, in order that peple will part wih some of uct is" the bet" . Someine the lack of eration of supelatheir money. In general, whether the medium is print, radio or tele-tives reaches ludicrous levels. The very ordinary-looking Blackvision, the advertiser can rely on their attention for only a veryHorse pub in Preston (UK) has written on its inn signs:" World Fa-short tine, and therefore, the salea message musl be short, clear,mous since 1891”. It is no accident that our examples have alldistinctive and memorable. Although there are diferent kinds of ad-en adjectives, since abundant use of adjectives is a characteris-vertisements, they share some linguistic features, which will be iltic of this style. Food is always“healthy" ,“juicy" ,“ nutri-lustrated respectively hereafter.tious" ,“delicious" , or less formally," yummy" ● Cars are中国煤化工TYHCNMHG收稿日期:2012-04-20修回日期:2012- -05- -18作者简介:王玉凤(1980-),女，山东荷泽人,讲师,硕士,研究方向为认知语言学及英语语言教学。272醴,1/111115公栳债任牖辑:淞媛嫒2012年06月.Overseas English海外英i“sleck”and “powerful" ; adverising psychologists know thatample in 1998 Thomson Holidays poster: “where in the world areeven the family man buying a family car fantasizes about speed and you going on holiday this year?"“Where in the wolrd---?" isacceleration. The boring bits about safety and economy can be relejust an inlensified form of“where?" , but the picture of an exotiegated to the smaller printtropical beach makes it clear that with Thornson you could lterallyIn advertising English, the names of many products are made be gving anywhere in the world.in a way of compounding. And many new words are created by end-As well as puns, there is another type: of play on words, whichinga suffx" ex" .Itis said that the“ex”will remind people of is the reversal or distortion of a well-known phrase, for example, inthe word“excellent" , which implies the high qualily of a certain is 1998 campaign Poster to raise funds; the Marie Curie Caucercommodity. Take some words for example,“Kleenex" is a brandCare charity used the slogan “couldn’ t care more"” a cleverofa kind of tssue, which can be used instead of handkerchief; twist on the phrase“couldn' t care less."“Windex” is a kind of cleaner for cleaning the windows, which2.5 Making it all sound easycan be easily underslood by people:; “Rolex” is a make ofAdvertising English is usually based on simple and easy gra-watch;“Cutex” is a trade mark of finger cream.In general, vocabulary in advertising English used will rllctmar and daily used English expressions. Therefore, oral English isoften employed to make everything they say sound easy. Where theurgency, novely, value and quality.advertise requires some action on your pant, for example, to send2.3 Simple and informal grammar and concise sentencesoff futher details the efrs you make will be down-played:Sentences in most advertisements are short and snappy. In“simply send of the coupon.o”“ just ring the mumber be-fact, in the more extreme cases, large parts of sentences are elided, lw-” ,"all you have to do is ".from the above words“imand we may have several“sentences" , which don' tcontain a fi-ply, jusl, all"， we can see thal everyhing is 50 easy that a commonnite clause. It is also cormon to find subordinale elauses, withoutperson can handle. Consequently, peuple are easily encouraged toapparent attachment to a main clause. The simple and informal buy the commodities or services.grammar and concise sentences help a lot in encouraging people.3 ConclusionUsually peaple arc busy with their owrn business, so nobody willThe features of the adverising English are closely connectedcare about a long and dull and formal advertisement. But a shortwith the features of the advertisements. Advertisements are persua-and snappy one can hold people' s atention and make it succese-sive and can inluence people' s view of value and way o{ lile. It isfulSince many advertisements pretend to be talking to you, con-very important for us to understand the stylstic features of the ad-tractions such a“won’ t” and “it' s” are more commonvertising English. We may have different motives for analyzing ad-than the full forms. And an advert often pretends to0 be talking tovertising English, but we can use our knowledge of the sources ofthe prospective customer. Therefore, the second personal pronounlanguage in just the same way in order to increase our understand-“you”is preferred, especially at the beginning of cluses. Verying of how texts are siualed with regard to their context and reader-often the sccond personal pronoun takes the form of an imperative:ship, our awareness of how meanings are created and of how lan-“Try new X"，“. ehoose from three exciting fragrances”.guage pruvides an equally rich resource ol pluyfuness and creativi-“don ’t miss out!"Get a taste of the Rich Life." The impera-ty in the adverising English. Un the one hand, it can help us totive sentences are not only concise, but can also persuade people tohave a better understanding of advertisements and to make good,new and interesting advertisements. On the other hand, for thosebuy the comnodities.who study stylisties, they can analyze the advertising English by2.4 The adoption of rhetorical devicesmeans of the knowledge they have about stylistics, through thispractice can they understand the theories fully.a disparity of meaning. Puns are an increasingly common featurc ofReferences:modern advertising. An example of pun can be seen in an advertise-ment for JPS Black cigarettes:“stay in the Black." This com-[1] Thornborrow J.Patterms in language: Stylistics for Students ofbines advice that you stick with the product with “in the black”Language and Literature(M]BejngForeign Language Teachingand Research Press.2000.which means“in credit" , a suggestion that the product is of goodvalue. Some advertisements pun on the metaphorical and literal2]黄伟新.英语文体与修辞概论|M].北京警官教育出版社.1998.meanings of a phrase. Take an advertisement for a fumishing store[3] 胡曙中.现代英语修辞学M].上海:上海外语教育出版社,2004.for example:“for seating we leave others standing" , means“to[4|文军英语修辞格词典[M.重庆:重庆大学出版社,1992.leave someone a long way behind in a race." Here is another ex-中国煤化工MHCNMHG栏啧任编辑:谢媛嫒。、1273.