Анализ текстов

Scientific prose style

 

A snowfall consists of myriads of minute ice crystals that fall to the ground in the form of frozen precipitation. The formation of snow begins with these ice crystals in the subfreezing strata of the middle and upper atmosphere when there is an adequate supply of moisture present. At the core of every ice crystal is a minuscule nucleus, a solid particle of matter around which moisture condenses and freezes. Liquid water 4 droplets floating in the supercooled atmosphere and free ice crystals cannot coexist within the same cloud, since the vapor pressure of ice is less than that of water. This enables the ice crystals to rob the liquid droplets of their moisture and grow continuously. The process can be very rapid, quickly creating sizable ice crystals, some of which adhere to each other to create a cluster of ice crystals or a snowflake.

Simple flakes possess a variety of beautiful forms, usually hexagonal, though the symmetrical shapes reproduced in most microscope photography of snowflakes are not usually found in actual snowfalls. Typically, snowflakes in actual snowfalls consist of broken fragments and clusters of adhering ice crystals.

For a snowfall to continue once it starts, there must be a constant inflow of moisture to supply the nuclei. This moisture is supplied by the passage of an airstream over a water surface and its subsequent lifting to higher regions of the atmosphere. The Pacific Ocean is the source of moisture for most snowfalls west of the Rocky Mountains, while the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean feed water vapor into the air currents over the central and eastern sections of the United States. Other geographical features also can be the source of moisture for some snowstorms. For example, areas adjacent to the Great Lakes experience their own unique lake-effect storms, employing a variation of the process on a local scale. In addition, mountainous sections or rising terrain can initiate snowfalls by the geographical lifting of a moist airstream.

 

Analysis

 

The text under the analysis is entitled «The Main Peculiarities of a Snowfall». The text belongs to the scientific style. We can say that this text belongs to scientific style because it has features of the scientific style. They are:

1) The use of objective, precise, and mostly unemotional language means:

«A snowfall consists of myriads of minute ice crystals…”; “The Pacific Ocean is the source of moisture for most snowfalls west of the Rocky Mountains…»

2) The impersonality is reflected in the choice of grammar and syntactic constructions:

«The formation of snow begins with these ice crystals in the subfreezing strata of the middle and upper atmosphere when there is an adequate supply of moisture present. »

3) The use of terms and learned words:

supercooled atmosphere, middle and upper atmosphere, vapor pressure

Also we can single out vocabulary features:

1) The use of terms and learned words – words directly connected with the concept they denote:

precipitation, condense, vapor pressure, cluster, supercooled atmosphere, moisture.

2) The use of words in primary logical meaning:

core, terrain, matter, scale.

3) The use of Greek and Latin words and forms:

strata, minuscule nucleus, hexagonal.

4) The use of the words of abstract meaning:

formation, process, source, creation

The grammar and syntax features of the scientific prose style are:

1) The use of the logical sequence of utterances in order to link the parts of the text:

• The use of the demonstrative and personal pronouns as substitutes of the notional words

This enables the ice crystals to rob the liquid droplets of their moisture and grow continuously;

• The use of logical connectives

since, in addition, while, though;

Also the text is subdivided into logical parts.

2) The use of the passive voice constructions:

The symmetrical shapes reproduced in most microscope photography of snowflakes are not usually found in actual snowfalls

Style of Official Documents

Whereas the Seller (Mustang Motors Company) desires to sell and the Buyer ( Northern Engines) desires to buy the business of a certain [Name] now being operated at [Address] and known as [Business Name] and all assets thereof as contained in Schedule "A" attached hereto, the parties hereto agree and covenant as follows:

1. The total purchase price for all fixtures, furnishings and equipment is $___________ Dollars payable as follows:

     (A) $____________ paid in cash; certified or bank checks, as a deposit upon execution of this Agreement, to be held by [Name].

     (B)$___________ additional to be paid in cash, certified or bank checks, at the time of passing papers.

     (C) $_________ to be paid by a note of the Buyer to the Seller, bearing interest at the rate of _____ percent per annum with an option of the Buyer to prepay the entire outstanding obligation without penalty. Said note shall be secured by a chattel mortgage and financing statement covering the property to be sold hereunder, together with any and all other property acquired during the term of said note and placed in or within the premises known as __________________________.

2. The property to be sold hereunder shall be conveyed by a standard form Bill of Sale, duly executed by the Seller.

3. The Seller promises and agrees to convey good, clear, and marketable title to all the property to be sold hereunder, the same to be free and clear of all liens and encumbrances. Full possession of said property will be delivered in the same condition that it is now, reasonable wear and tear expected.

Analysis

We see that the text is formal (not spontaneous). It is elaborate, meticulously planned and structured. It is written. Its aim is to specify all the conditions, rights and responsibilities of the sides making an official agreement in business (they are Seller and Buyer). It means that all the requirements are listed further in the document (we can’t see all of them as it is only a part of the document). So this document informs and gives certain instructions. That’s why the functions of the text are informative and conative (the parties have certain rights and restrictions). One more significant function is metalingual function. It is used to ensure that both sides use the same code (understands the essence of the agreement)to allow no ambiguity. We can see such words as hereunder (bookish), whereas (literary, law), property (literary, law), assets (literary, economics), hereto (bookish), covenant (literary, law). The majority of them are used in the sphere of legal documents. But we also can see that this text is not deprived of neutral vocabulary. That is why all the words are used in their direct logical meaning and bear no emotive connotation. The text is full of clichés and set expressions such as whereas, to buy the business, being operated at, as contained in, attached hereto, hereto agree and covenant, as follows, total purchase price, paid in cash, additional to be paid, at the rate of, percent per annum, all other property, chattel mortgage, financing statement, duly executed by.

The vast majority of the special literary vocabulary is the part of the clichés and set expressions, which were mentioned above.

One of the most characteristic features of this document is its structure. As any legal document it is highly conventional. The text is subdivided into separate units. The separate points are marked with capital letters and the number before each paragraph. As it is an agreement both sides are specified (Seller (Mustang Motors Company and Buyer (Northern Engines). The majority of the sentences are simple (but rather extended). Some of them are several lines long. Such simple syntactic structure and extended sentences is used here to make the text clear, unequivocal and informative.

Publicistic style

Almost a year has passed since I came down here at your Head Master's kind invitation in order to cheer myself and cheer the hearts of a few of my friends by singing some of our own songs. The ten months that have passed have seen very terrible catastrophic events in the world - ups and downs, misfortunes - but can anyone sitting here this afternoon, this October afternoon, not feel deeply thankful for what has happened in the time that has passed and for the very great improvement in the position of our country and of our home? Why, when I was here last time we were quite alone, desperately alone, and we had been so for five or six months. We were poorly armed. We are not so poorly armed today; but then we were very poorly armed. We had the unmeasured menace of the enemy and their air attack still beating upon us, and you yourselves had had experience of this attack; and I expect you are beginning to feel impatient that there has been this long lull with nothing particular turning up!

But we must learn to be equally good at what is short and sharp and what is long and tough. It is generally said that the British are often better at the last. They do not expect to move from crisis to crisis; they do not always expect that each day will bring up some noble chance of war; but when they very slowly make up their minds that the thing has to be done and the job put through and finished, then, even if it takes months - if it takes years - they do it.

Another lesson I think we may take, just throwing our minds back to our meeting here ten months ago and now, is that appearances are often very deceptive, and as Kipling well says, we must "…meet with Triumph and Disaster. And treat those two impostors just the same."

You cannot tell from appearances how things will go. Sometimes imagination makes things out far worse than they are; yet without imagination not much can be done. Those people who are imaginative see many more dangers than perhaps exist; certainly many more than will happen; but then they must also pray to be given that extra courage to carry this far-reaching imagination. But for everyone, surely, what we have gone through in this period - I am addressing myself to the School - surely from this period of ten months this is the lesson: never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never-in nothing, great or small, large or petty - never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy. We stood all alone a year ago, and to many countries it seemed that our account was closed, we were finished. All this tradition of ours, our songs, our School history, this part of the history of this country, were gone and finished and liquidated.

Very different is the mood today. Britain, other nations thought, had drawn a sponge across her slate. But instead our country stood in the gap…

Do not let us speak of darker days: let us speak rather of sterner days. These are not dark days; these are great days - the greatest days our country has ever lived; and we must all thank God that we have been allowed, each of us according to our stations, to play a part in making these days memorable in the history of our race.

Analysis

It is evident that the text has been prepared beforehand because it is elaborate, logical and abundant in stylistic devices and it lacks spontaneity. Therefore it is formal and written, despite the fact that it was actually pronounced. The text is addressed. So the speaker has to utter his words articulately in order to make himself heard by everybody in the audience. In that speech contracted forms common in conversation are hardly found while full forms of words or phrases are used. For example:

(1)We are not so poorly armed today…

(2)…what is short and sharp and what is long and tough.

(3) They do not expect to move from crisis to crisis; they do not always expect that each day will bring up some noble chance of war.

(4) Do not let us speak of darker days: let us speak rather of sterner days.

In this speech the words are short and homely on the whole, except a few polysyllabic words are used, which contributes to the accessibility of the speech. In the first paragraph we can see such words as misfortunes, unmeasured, catastrophic.

Also we can see that in that text such pronouns as “we” (first person plural pronoun), “our” and “I” are used. It is done to shorten the distance between the speaker and audience and make their relationship becomes more intimate.

The text is very rich in stylistic devices, such as metaphors. For example “Britain, other nations thought, had drawn a sponge across her slate”. or But instead our country stood in the gap They are used to make an implicit comparison between things that are essentially different yet have something in common end make speech more expressive; antithesis: ups and downs, short and long, triumph and disaster, great and small, large and petty, dark days and great days. Some of these antitheses (ups and downs) are used to describe the terrible nature of the war. Some of them (great and small, large and petty) are used to express of the determination of the British people to fight on for the final victory, and some of them (dark days and great days) are used to encourage the audience not to lose hope in the face of difficulties; repetition: never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never-in nothing…never give i: ,never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy. It helps to create a strong emotional effect and express feelings and addresses ideas of the speaker; alliteration: air attack, long lull, short and sharp, school song and darker days. Due to the rhythmical effect, alliteration makes the speech more impressive. There are a lot of words bearing evaluative and emotional connotation: misfortunes, catastrophic, honour, improvement, alone, desperately, poorly, unmeasured, attack, long lull, nothing particular, equally good, yield, closed, liquidated .As it is oratory speech we can also see here such peculiarities as rhetorical question: …but can anyone sitting here this afternoon, this October afternoon, not feel deeply thankful for what has happened in the time that has passed and for the very great improvement in the position of our country and of our home?; and rhetorical inversion: Very different is the mood today. The normal order of this sentence should be “the mood is very different today”. But “very different” is put at the very beginning of the sentence, because the speaker wants to emphasize “different” by foregrounding “very different”.

Newspaper style

 

The Jacksonville Port Authority's top administrator will meet with the Mayport Waterfront Partnership Tuesday to discuss the possibility of building a cruise ship terminal in the historic fishing village.

 

JPA Chief Executive Officer Rick Ferrin will give a presentation on the terminal during the partnership's, which begins at 8 a.m. at the Scanlon Boat Ramp and Community Center, 4870 Ocean St.

 

In March, the JPA board directed staff to begin looking again into where a new cruise ship terminal should be built.

 

Two years ago, the Port Authority purchased about 8 acres of waterfront land in Mayport to build a $60-million cruise ship terminal. That plan was halted a year ago because of the slumping economy.

 

The new study will look at Mayport and other areas east of the current terminal just west of Dames Point. Officials want a location closer to the mouth of the St. Johns River that would better accommodate taller cruise vessels that can't sail under power lines or the bridge.

 

Analysis

Looking at this text we can speak about brief news item. The principal function of a brief news item is to inform the reader. So here we can see that it informs us about the meeting of Port Authority's top administrator and Mayport Waterfront Partnership. As it is newspaper style certain clichés are used: give a presentation, will meet with, during the meeting, slumping economy, was halted.

News items аге essentially matter-of-fact and stereotyped forms of expression prevail. As аn invariant, the language of brief news items is stylistically neutral. It goes without saying that the bulk of the vocabulary used in newspaper writing is neutral and соmmоn literary. But apart from this we can single out special economic and political terms: meet, administrator, discuss, meeting, purchased, acres, accommodate, economy, million.

Concerning abbreviations that are frequently used in newspaper style here we see at least one JPA which stands for Jacksonville Port Authority

As its purpose to inform the reader, there are always information about what, where and when will happen (or already happened). That information we can see here in the form of numbers or exact address: Tuesday, 8 a.m. at the Scanlon Boat Ramp and Community Center, 4870 Ocean St., 8 acres, $60-million.

We also can include here troponins: Jacksonville; and the name of the organizations: Mayport Waterfront Partnership, Jacksonville Port Authority, St. Johns River.

However, the basic peculiarity of the brief news item lies in their syntactical structure. As the reporter is obliged to bе brief, he naturally tries to сrаm all the facts into the space allotted. The size of brief news items varies from оnе sentence to several (short) paragraphs. Here we see that it consists of five paragraphs. We can single out the following grammatical peculiarities: most of thу sentences are complex sentences with developed system of clauses: The Jacksonville Port Authority's top administrator will meet with the Mayport Waterfront Partnership Tuesday to discuss the possibility of building a cruise ship terminal in the historic fishing village; verbal constructions: to begin looking again, attributive noun groups: taller cruise vessels, new cruise ship terminal, etc.