文体学思考题及参

1、English StylisticsAnswers to Questions and TasksI.Introduction1.What is stylistics? Why is it considered to be a sub-branch of linguistics?Stylistics is a science dealing with styles. It is relegated to linguistics because it studies styles using the theories and methods of modern linguistics. It is

2、 concerned with the characteristic use of language by an individual or a group.2.What is style?Style refers to the habitual use of language typical of an individual or a group, including the effectiveness of language use in a particular context.3.Can we call the compositions written by a class of mi

3、ddle school students different styles? Explain.It is not appropriate to call the compositions of students of a class different styles because students are still learning the language and they have not formed a linguistic habit yet. As they progress in language learning with time, they will improve t

4、heir ability of using the language. As a result, the language they produce will be different. Only when they have a relatively fixed ways of using the language can we refer to their writings different styles.4.Name a few types of language habitually used by a group.The language that a group of peopl

5、e habitually use is usually known as a varietythe characteristic use of language in a particular context for a specific purpose, such as news report, business letter, advertisement, poetry, play, short story and so on.5.In what way can stylistics help us in our comprehension of the text?A very impor

6、tant part of comprehension is to get the meaning of a text. A grammar knowledge can only help us to understand the text in terms of its surface meaning. The study of style, however, can deepen our understanding and lead us to go beyond the surface and dig out the hidden meaning or the writers intend

7、ed meaning such as class background, social status, region, occupation, education, political attitude, etc.6.How can stylistics help us in our study of a foreign language?Language is the most important means of communication. We learn a foreign language because we need it in communication. The most

8、difficult problem in language learning is the appropriate use. Making correct sentences does not guarantee our effective use. Without a sense of style, it is impossible to achieve effective communication. As a foreign language learner, we can not acquire this sense of style as a native speaker does.

9、 We have to learn it formally and consciously. Once we internalize this conscious knowledge, we can improve our sense of style, which in turn leads to a better use of language.7.Explain how stylistics can help improve our study of literature.Each piece of literature is a piece of art. The understand

10、ing and appreciation of a literary work should be based on the study of the work itself. Since stylistics focuses on the study of literary language and explain how language contributes to the literary achievement of the text, it is scientific and convincing. Stylistics will introduce us to the theor

11、ies and techniques of such intrinsic study, and this will no doubt raise our literary awareness and develop our ability of literary study and appreciation.8.What is the coverage of this course of stylistics?In simple terms, stylistics studies the language in use. It studies both spoken and written v

12、arieties, both literary and non-literary varieties, and both long and short texts. It covers a variety of genres. Because of the restraint of the time, we shall choose a few very practical varieties and make a detailed analysis.II.Procedures of Analysis1.What is text?A text is a passage, long or sho

13、rt, spoken or written, which is logically arranged and naturally connected. 2.What makes a text a text?A text should be coherent. That is the whole text should center around one main idea. Meanwhile, a text should be cohesive. That is all the language units should be naturally connected.3.Comment on

14、 the following dialogue. Can we call it a text? What is missing?A.You come back for dinner, Darling?B.Its Monday, Mum.C.OK.On the surface, the utterances seem not to come together as a text because they are not naturally connected. What is missing is cohesive devices. But put in the context that B i

15、s on night shift every Monday, and this knowledge is shared by Mother, the text can be said to be coherent and make sense. The coherence of the text is achieved by pragmatic implications.4.What is wrong with the following passage consisting of three sentences in terms of text? (The three sentences a

16、re numbered (1),(2),(3)for the sake of discussion.) (1) I bought a new car yesterday. (2) His father got hurt in a car accident the day before. (3) Accidents are frequent nowadays.Although the three sentences are linguistically related, for example, in (1) a new car is mentioned, in (2) the same wor

17、d car appears and in (3) accident used seems to refer back to car accident. But in terms of idea, the three sentences do not form a whole as a text because the three sentences are semantically unrelated. 5.What is linguistic context?Linguistic context refers to the language environment in which a li

18、nguistic item is used and its meaning is defined. Such a language environment can consist of a phrase, a clause, a sentence, a paragraph, a passage, and even the whole book.6.What is non-linguistic context?Non-linguistic context refers to the physical situation, in which an utterance or a piece of d

19、iscourse is produced. The meaning of the utterance or discourse is defined by the contextual factors.7.What are the components of the context of situation?The context of situation is non-linguistic context. It is composed of such factors relating to the user as: age, sex, family background, ethnic g

20、roup, social status, education, economic status, etc. and factors relating to the use such as: setting, role-relationship, medium, etc.8.Comment on the following linguistic choices and classify them according to contextual factors.1)Whats the time now?2)How is the enemy?3)Excuse me, but could you te

21、ll me the time me?4)Time?5)Would you mind telling me the time?6)My watch has stopped.7) Whos got time?Context of situationSpeakers possiblechoice 1) Setting Public Private 3) 5) 1) 2) 4) 6) 7) 2) Addresser-Addressee relationship Distant Intimate 3) 5) 1) 2) 4) 6) 7) 3) Speaker's intention To req

22、uest To hint To persuade To command To rebuke 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 7) 6) 9.Find an example from any source to illustrate the mutual influence of linguistic choices and context.Professor:Good morning, good morningYou areerI suppose you really are the new pupil?Pupil:Yes, Sir. Good morning, sir. You see I c

23、ame at the right time. I didnt want to be late.Professor:Good. Yes, thats very good. Thank you. But you shouldnt have hurried too much, you know. I dont know quite how to apologise to you for having kept you waitingI was just finishingyou understand, I was justerI do beg your pardonI hope you will f

24、orgive mePupil:Oh, but you mustnt, Sir. Its perfectly all right, Sir.Professor:My apologies(Eugene Lonesco, The Lesson, pp.183-4)The role-relationship between the professor and the pupil requires more polite language on the part of the pupil. But through the conversation we can see the professor is

25、polite and nervous and too polite for his status. It indicates the unusualness of the pupil. Although the language used by the pupil is polite, it implies dignity and sort of superiority of the pupil.10.In what way do we usually describe a text?A text can be described by its phonological level and g

26、raphological level. A text has its phonological features such pronunciation, intonation, stress, rhythm and so on. The intonation and stress can often change the meaning of the utterance. Graphological forms of the utterance consist in spelling, capitalization, punctuation and so on. The former is t

27、o be heard and the latter is to be read. In terms of lexis and grammar, an utterance is the result of connecting a number of words by grammatical rules to convey meaning. The re-arrangement of words may lead to the change of meaning.11.What is the use of frequency in stylistic analysis?The style of

28、a text is usually related to the high frequency of certain features. When the writer or speaker makes linguistic choices, s/he normally has the meaning in mind. The high frequency indicates their preference or intention. For example, if the writer wants to be friendly and intimate, s/he frequently u

29、ses informal features. If s/he wants to be cold and distant, s/he makes frequent choices of formal features. 12.What is the effective way of making out the sense of a text?The effective way of making the sense of a text is to place the text in a context. Only when the contextual factors are determin

30、ed, can we interpret the text validly.13.What is norm? How is norm formulated?Norm is the normal practice in speech or writing. That is language use according to conventional rules. These rules are usually based on the language practice by comparison. If in the same context, most people use language

31、 in a certain way, that usage can be said to be the norm. Unusual or peculiar ways of using the language is considered abnormalagainst the norm. This norm results from comparison of large quantities of linguistic data.14.Look at the following passage. In what way is the high frequency of passive voi

32、ce related to the style of the text and its effect?We are now looking at another process. The heated plastics material is extruded through a die in the form of threads. The threads are now drawn through a bath, to cool them. Then they are chopped into granules.This is a piece of scientific and techn

33、ological English. Of the four sentences, three are in the passive voice. The high frequency of passive voice makes the writing impersonal, objective and formal. The one sentence in the active is concerned with people. In all the rest, focus is put on the material.15.Put the following text in three d

34、ifferent contexts and give an interpretation for each. It will be raining tomorrow.In general cases, this is a statement, informing people there will be rain tomorrow. Suppose a class of students have planned to have a picnic in the open-air, this means “We must change our plan and postpone or cance

35、l it.” If one is going to travel, it asks the traveler to take an umbrella or rain coat along. If a place suffers from draught, this statement may mean get ready for the crop, and so on.III.Style Markers in Phonology1.What is usually dealt with in phonology?In phonology, we usually discuss speech so

36、unds, stress, pitch, tempo, loudness, intonation patterns and so on.2.Identify and classify patterns of sound repetition in the following examples.1)Words and phrasesshilly-shallysuper-duperhigh and mightyfair and squarekith and kintoil and moilpart and parcelby hook or by crookshilly-shally= pararh

37、ymesuper-duper= rhymehigh and mighty = assonancefair and square = rhymekith and kin = reverse rhymetoil and moil = rhymepart and parcel = reverse rhymeby hook or by crook = rhyme2)Titles and headlinesPride and PrejudiceThe Loves labour LostOf Mice and ManBill Rogers, Marvelous Marathon ManFather in

38、a FixWitch WatchThe Wonder of WaterfallPride and Prejudice = alliterationThe Loves labour Lost = alliterationOf Mice and Man = alliterationBill Rogers, Marvelous Marathon Man = alliterationFather in a Fix = alliterationWitch Watch = alliterationThe Wonder of Waterfall = alliteration3)Advertisements-

39、Drinka Pinta Milka Day-Extra Pintas Warma Winta-Be different daily. Be dreamy or dramatic. Ex-periment, but still economise. Be bold and be beautifulbut dont break the bank.-Drinka Pinta Milka Day = sound elision-Extra Pintas Warma Winta = sound elision-Be different daily. Be dreamy or dramatic. Exp

40、eriment, but still economise. Be bold and be beautifulbut dont break the bank. = (in order) alliteration; alliteration; reverse rhyme; alliteration 3.The underlined word(s) in each of the following examples is (are) understood as patterned in sound on a word (or words) not present in the sentence. C

41、an you explain the function of the implicit sound patterning?1)A chimp (chimpanzee) is named as Nim Chimpsky.2)A man called his tommy cat Romeow.3) Moby DiscA Whale of a Record shop. (Advert)1)Nim Chimpsky sounds like Noam Chompsky, who believes that man has a language learning device in the mind, w

42、hich enables the child to learn the language however badly it is taught. This makes man different from animal, which does not have such a device. That is why chimpanzee (who is considered to be the most intelligent animal) can never learn the language however hard it is taught.2) Romeow is a word im

43、itating the sound made by a cat and shares the same pronunciation with the main character in Shakespeares tragedy Romeo and Juliet. Romeo has deep love for Juliet. It indicates that Romeow the cat has affection for the master. 3)Record shop named Moby Disc, which implies it is a huge shop of its kin

44、d, for it reminds one of the Moby Dick, a book which depicts people hunt a huge whole called Moby Dick. 4.Point out phonological devices in the following extract.A creak of hinges and a booming thud at the back of the church indicates the arrival of a latecomer. As the priest turns back to the altar

45、 to read the offertory prayer, and the rest flutter the pages of their missals to find the English translation in its proper places, all hear the hurried tiptap of high-heeled shoes on the tiled surface of the central aisle.(David Lodge, How Far Can You Go)In this passage the authors uses alliterati

46、on high-heeled, assonance tiled surface of the central aisle. What is more conspicuous is the use of onomatopoeic words such as creak, booming thud, flutter, tiptap, which present the different kinds of noises heard in the church. The use of such words help the reader share the same experience of th

47、e writer and make the description vivid and believable.IV. Style Markers in Graphology1.What is graphology concerned with?Graphology deals with types of letters, spelling, capitalization, italicization, punctuation, hyphenation, paragraphing and all other forms.2.Explain the functions of punctuation

48、.The written language is considered to be the graphological form of the spoken language. Punctuations take the place of pause, intonation, stress, tempo, loudness and so on in spoken form. A good writer can always manipulate punctuations to express different kinds of mood, tone, emotions such as ang

49、er, happiness, excitement, urgency, warning, surprise and so on. 3.How would you account for the role of paragraphing?As we know, each genre such as poem, pose, letter, and advertisement has its conventional graphological forms and requires different ways of paragraphing. The proper way of arranging

50、 paragraphs can contribute to the meaning of the text as well as attract attention and arouse the readers interest. For example, journalists favour short paragraphs, regulations and rules are usually arranged in blocks numbered, business letter and a letter to a friend certainly require different pa

51、ragraphing, and so on. In a novel, the conversations between characters and the language of the narrator are clear because of the paragraphing. Often just by paragraphing, reader can understand the intention of the writer.4.Read the following extract from the novel Adventures of Tom Sawyer and comme

52、nt on the graphological forms.“TOM!”No answer.“Tom!”No answer.“Whats gone with that boy, I wonder? You, TOM!”No answer.The old lady pulled her spectacles down and looked over them about the room, then she put them up and looked out under them. She seldom or never looked through them for so small a t

53、hing as a boy; they were her state pair, the pride of her heart, and were built for “style”, not serviceshe could have seen through a pair of stove lids just as well. She looked perplexed for a moment, and then said, not fiercely, but still loud enough for the furniture to hear:“Well, I lay if I get

54、 hold of you Ill”She did not finish, for by this time she was bending down and punching under the ed with the broom, and so she needed breath to punctuate the punches with. She resurrected nothing but the cat.“I never did see the beat of that boy!”She went to the open door and stood in it and looked

55、 out among the tomato vines and “jimpson” weeds that constituted the garden. No Tom. So she lifted up her voice at an angle calculated for distance, and shouted:“Y-o-u-u, Tom!”There was a slight noise behind her and she turned just in time to seize a small boy by the slack of his roundabout and arre

56、st his flight.“There! I might a thought of that closet. What you been doing in there?”“Nothing.”“Nothing! Look at your hands. And look at your mouth. What is that truck?”“I dont know, aunt.”-Mark TwainAnalysis: This is one episode of the novel Adventures of Tom Sawyer, depicting how Granny is lookin

57、g for Tom, who is naughty and hiding under the bed. The different form of letters with punctuation marks indicates how Granny speaks. When we read it, we have the feeling of watching Granny on a stage play. For example, “TOM!” is said louder than “Tom!”. “Y-o-u-u, Tom!” indicates Granny drawls her voice and with unusual loudness so as to be heard far away. The exclamation marks “!” show her emotion, and the dash “ implies her sudden stop. The italicized through emphasizes the contrast with “over” and “