FUNCTIONAL

ST YLES IN
ENGLISH
SOFIA KULESHA
K AT E RY N A T R A C H U K
 • are one of the most important objects

FUNCTIONAL STYLES
of linguistic study. Being a means and
type of human activity language
comprises the main characteristics of
human activity, i.e. consciousness and
• Functional styles as language expressions diversity.
serve certain sphere of human activity.
Thereafter we can speak about FS, as
language systems that consciously
appeared during certain period of
civilization development to meet
personal and social demands of society
members.

• Every functional style has its own selective system based on the specific character of every FS
and limits connected with this system.
 THE STYLE OF OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS
• There are tree variation of the style of official documents: the style
of official documents proper, the Business English (the style of
business correspondence), the style of juridical documents.
• The main feature are the following:
 abundance of set expressions,
 like cliches, (I beg to inform you, with a view to, to
expire),
 terms (interest-free),
 borrowed (aviso),
 archaic words.
• Term word combinations are popular (cash in hand, cash on delivery).
• On the syntactical level we single out long and superlong non-elliptical sentence,
complicated by detachments, parenthetic insertions. We can find gerund, infinitive,
participle constructions, Passive Voice.
• Cast-iron form of structuring are present. No expressiveness.
THE STYLE OF SCIENTIFIC
PROSE • One of the bookish and formal styles that
helps to exchange scientific ideas thus
performing intellectual-communicative
function. Characteristic for the texts that
correspond precise data from certain
scientific sphere of scientific activity.
 Clearness, logical cohesion, great traditionality.
 Stereotyped structuring of the text, use of footnotes, detachments and parenthetic constructions, pictures,
schemes, tables, diagrams, formulae.
 Broad use of definitions, prepositional attributive groups.
 Gerundial, infinitive and participial constructions, a great variety of conjunctions. Every paragraph starts with
rematic key sentence. To emphasize logical cohesion set expressions like to sum up, as we have seen, adverbs like
finally, thus, again are used. Nominative constructions are preferable (not when we arrived but at time of our arrival).
 On the lexical level we distinguish the use of terms, direct meaning of the words no expressive or evaluative
meaning. Bookish words (perform, calculation, circular, phenomenon, maximum) are widely present.
 On the level of morphology the most interesting feature is the use of so-called “the plural of modesty”.
 THE PUBLICISTIC STYLE
There are three variation of the style:
 the oratory style (speeches, lectures, reports; used since
Ancient Greece),
 the style of TV and radio programs,
 the style of journalistic articles and essays.

The main feature is the direct addressing to the listeners,

readers or viewers to which the feelings and concerns of the
author are corresponded. A very broad sphere of interest
(politics, economics, morality, ideology). Anything can be the
object of the publicist’s attention.
 THE PUBLICISTIC STYLE
Main characteristic features:
the direct means of addressing are used (ladies and gentlemen, dear friends); personal
pronoun you,
conjunctions like isn’t, won’t
monologue predominate.
different types of repetitions, polysyndeton, parallelism;
use of specific terminology, bookish words by not actively as in both previously viewed styles.
strong subjectivity but reflecting the objective state of things, logical reasoning.

The main functional aim is to persuade and influence the audience.

 THE NEWSPAPER STYLE
The main function is informative.
Comprises materials characteristic only for
newspapers: brief reviews, informational articles and
advertisements.

Characteristic features:

neutral common literary words, political, economic, social terms (gross output, European currency, political
summit), abbreviations (WTO-World, Trade Organization, EU-European Unity), overabundance of clichés
all types of sentences and clauses are used
Published anonymity
No subjectivity,
Special graphic means, specific system of headlines
Advertisements can be classified and non-classified, should economize newspaper space, thus non-
informising segments are omitted, lack of negative connotation.
 THE BELLETRISTIC STYLE
The main function is cognitive-aesthetic. The work of belles-
lettres, persuades, informs and impresses. The author uses all
possible linguistic means and devises. We distinguish prose, drama
and poetry.
In the language of emotive prose the choice of style
depends on whether it is the author’s speech or the
speech of characters. In the author’s speech all styles
are possible, while in the speech of characters the
colloquial style dominates as well as in the language of
drama.

The language of poetry is characterized by elevation, abundance of poetical words and archaic words (thy, thee),
barbarisms and exotisms, so called “godlike poetisms” (gladsome, darksome). Roman borrowings are popular as
more emotionally coloured (esp. verbs: guide for lead). Other characteristic features are rich imagery, original
topes, inversions, repetitions and parallel constructions. Seized to exist in the 19th century. Was used by
classicists, sentimentalists, romanticists.
 THE COLLOQUIAL STYLE
appeared on the basis of oral monologue and dialogue
and is regulated by norms of oral communication.

Main function is emotive and communicative

and less aesthetic.

The vocabulary of the informal style is unofficial.

Substandard English is an indicator of low language

culture and educational level. In belles-lettre it
becomes a means of character characterization.