STANDARD ADVERTISING LANGUAGE (SAL)Register, Dialect, Idiolect (Style) • Register = content + social context + speakers (USE). • Dialect = personal preference of one variety rather

LANGUAGE

• It is the faculty of speech: the abstract

system we possess in order to communicate

• It is the linguistic system employed by a

community that has been recognized with

official authority (English, Italian,French,

Spanish, German, etc.)

LINGUISTIC VARIETY

• It is the language used by a community

according to either the social context or the

geographical area.

• Registers, dialects and idiolects may be

considered as linguistic varieties

Register, Dialect, Idiolect (Style)

• Register = content + social context + speakers (USE).

• Dialect = personal preference of one variety rather thananother within a geographic area (USER). BRITISHENGLISH, AMERICAN ENGLISH, AUSTRALIAN..

• Idiolect = personal preferences in terms of linguistic realization of a variety

– Style = linguistic choice related to the relationship between the speakers determined by the context

– Any linguistic variety has a suitable style for its context

Advertising = RegisterLeech, English in Advertising, chapter 7

• Advertising = linguistic variety of English

• It is a type of language adapted to a well

defined social purpose

• => Advertising is s a form of REGISTER.

Register distinctionLeech, English in Advertising, chapter 7

• Formal

• Informal Style

• Spoken

• Written Medium

Register distinctionLeech, English in Advertising, chapter 7

• The difference between formal/informal andoral/written depends on:

– LEXICAL differences

– GRAMMATICAL differences

Register distinction: Lexical differenceLeech, English in Advertising, chapter 7

- in spoken language, quite a lot of repetition and pauses, and

'broken thoughts' where speakers change plan part way

through a sentence ;

- omission of pronouns where this will not cause ambiguity

('went to town this morning' - leaving out 'I');

-

- in speech, using intonation for questions instead of

inversion of subject and auxiliary ('You got a light?' instead

of 'have you got...')

- - use of phrasal verbs instead of Latin-based equivalent,

e.g., 'go up' and 'go in' rather than 'ascend' and 'enter'.


A few characteristics of colloquial/informal language

are:

- use of contractions (isn't, can't, rather than is not,

cannot)

- fewer subordinate clauses

- use of 'you' to mean 'people in general' (you can't

get too much of a good thing)

- use of slang and swearwords (e.g., 'guy' or 'bloke'

for 'man')


INFORMAL /ORAL FORMAL/WRITTEN

nice marvellous

get better ameliorate

doctor medical practitioner

quid pound

lab laboratory

Register distinction: Grammatical differences

INFORMAL FORMAL

I’ll I will

Don’t go Do not go

Dimensions of register distinctionsLeech, English in Advertising, chapter 7

• Style of discourse

– (relation between the participants)

• Mode of discourse

– (medium of transmission)

• Role of discourse

– (private or social function of discourse)

STYLELeech, English in Advertising, chapter 8

There are four sets of style of discourse:

Colloquial / formal

Casual / ceremonial

Personal / impersonal

Simple / complex

Style: Colloquial / formalLeech, English in Advertising, chapter 8

• Colloquial = private sphere of discourse

• Formal = public sphere of discourse

• Ad style is public-colloquial because of the

necessity of reaching the general public

STYLE: CASUAL / CEREMONIALLeech, English in Advertising, chapter 8

• Casual /Ceremonial = private discourse.

• The choice depends on the degree of intimacy, and of superiority/inferiority between the speakers (cf TU vs. LEI, DU vs. SIE, TU vs.VOUS).

• Ceremonial style = patronizing or obsequious attitude => Copywriters steer to a neutral course so as not to alienate the audience.

– NB: use of imperative in advertising

STYLE: Personal/ImpersonalLeech, English in Advertising, chapter 8

Personal style = free use of the 1st & 2nd

person reference either directly or indirectly

(with imperatives, questions, exclamations).

Intimate and private.

Impersonal style = ample use of the 3rd person

(as in such expressions as it is clear that).

Extremely formal and public.

STYLE: Personal/Impersonal (2)Leech, English in Advertising, chapter 8

In advertising:

1. personal style in prestige ads (ample use of WE)

1. 2nd person reference YOU involves the audience.

1. 3rd person reference is employed in

product-oriented ads

4. Passive forms (highly impersonal) are rarely used in advertisement, unless where an active voice would imply reference to those involved in the production.

STYLE: SIMPLE/COMPLEXLeech, English in Advertising, chapter 8

• The simplicity or the complexity of the style

of discourse depends on the status of the

audience as regards:

– Age

– Education

– Willingness to participate.

Mode of discourseLeech, English in Advertising, chapter 9

• Spoken

• Written

• Scripted (written to be spoken)

– Disjunctive (& block), abbreviated modes

Mode of discourse: scripted textsLeech, English in Advertising, chapter 9

• Scripted mode = text in which the oral mode is reproduced in details.

Disjunctive & abbreviated modes of discourseLeech, English in Advertising, chapter 9

• The disjunctive and abbreviated modes are

a subcategory of the scripted mode used to

augment the illusion of spoken language

• They are two restricted varieties of English

which are heavily employed in advertising

Disjunctive & abbreviated modes

Leech, English in Advertising, chapter 9

• Disjunctive mode is used

– Public notices, signs

– Posters

– Catalogues, inventories,

– Postal address

– Labels and trade-marks

– Titles and headings

Disjunctive & abbreviated modesLeech, English in Advertising, chapter 9

• Abbreviated mode is used in:

– Telegrams

– Newspaper headlines.

Both these modes are used in situations where a

high degree of grammatical organization would

be uneconomical and redundant.

Disjunctive modeSee Leech, English in Advertising, chapter 9

• Disjunctive language offers many clues so as tohave a correct interpretation of the message.

Notices on 4 DOORS:

Artizzu

Prof. Fodde

No exit

Staff only

How much of English grammar is needed for their description??


• In disjunctive grammar, the only grammar we need is a knowledge of the structure of English proper names or one part of the nominal group.

GENTLEMEN’S WASHROOM

ENQUIRIES AND APPLICATIONS FOR VISA


• The disjunctive grammar that uses proper names or nominal group structures only is called BLOCK LANGUAGE.

• Block language is characteristic of many types of public announcements, and posters.

Disjunctive grammarLeech, English in Advertising, chapter 9




• Each NG = isolated unit

• Relation between different parts of the message is inferred (not grammatically indicated).

• In poster-like presentation the Z-reading path is waived for the sake of immediate visual impact


• Each NG = isolated unit

• Relation between different parts of the message is inferred (not grammatically indicated).

• In poster-like presentation the Z-reading path is waived for the sake of immediate visual impact


• Main difference between discursive and disjunctive grammar:

– in discursive grammar, minor and non-finite clauses are dependent;

– in disjunctive grammar, minor and non-finite clauses are independent

Abbreviated grammarLeech, English in Advertising, chapter 9

• Typical of newspapers headlines

• Examples:– “Customs accused of offering secret amnesty”

Abbreviated grammar

Abbreviated grammar

• There are a lot of pre-modifiers required to savespace & to create ambiguity (which means tocatch the interest of the reader)

British left waffles on Falkland islands

a) left Predicator + waffles Complement (waffle = a cake friedin butter) => P C

b) left (British left) Head of S + waffles Predicator (to waffle = to ramble, i.e. speak in a confused manner ) => S P.

Small AD- Classifieds

• Small ad uses disjunctive grammar abbreviated grammar & block grammar:

• LTD Company est 1981 for sale. No assets or liabilities. VAT registered. UK bank acc with chequebook. Avble now. Substantial offers over £15,000. Internet bkg nominee service avble on both. Tel.08000 152469 or 07845 495852. quote ref DPH

(The Sunday Times, Feb 27th, 2005)

Small AD -Classifieds

• Small ad uses disjunctive grammar abbreviated grammar & block grammar:

“The landlord just finished this beautiful Salon and Spa and offering it for sale. Brand new equipment, retail displays, first class decoration, waiting room with fire place. Great Corner Visibility! Excellent retail displays with a great inventory. (4) chair Stations (2) Manicure and pedicure stations (1)Massage room Must see to appreciate, great investment for an active stylist or investment opportunity to run your own business”.

(The New York Times, Nov. 26th, 2013)

Advertising grammarLeech, English in Advertising, chapter 9

• Advertising is a variety of English in whichdiscursive, disjunctive, abbreviated and blocklanguage are mingled together and sometimes inan inextricable way.

…phew*

You can now buy the emergency contraceptive pill

from the pharmacy. It’s called Levonelle and

works best within 24 hours but can be used

up to 72 hours after unprotected sex.

Documents

STANDARD ADVERTISING LANGUAGE (SAL)Register, Dialect, Idiolect (Style) • Register = content + social context + speakers (USE). • Dialect = personal preference of one variety rather