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Notes on style

  • The imaginative writer has at his disposal a wealth of linguistic means to appeal to the reader, to express and convey his thoughts. Here are some general principles to be considered in the analysis of a piece of writing.

  • Functional styles of speech. Depending on the contents and the aim of the utterance we usually distinguish several functional styles of speech: a) the style of fiction (стиль художественной прозы); b) the style of scientific prose (стиль научной прозы); с) official style (официально-канцелярский стиль) and d) publicistic style (публицистический стиль) which includes oratorical style (ораторский стиль).

  • The choice of vocabulary and sentence patterns is to a great ex­tent determined by their being used in spoken or written speech, each possessing distinctive charateristics of its own.

  • Oratorical style is especially noted for abundant use of expressive means and stylistic devices because it is often the effective use of the language that plays a major part in winning the listeners over the speak­er's side. Atticus's speech in court can serve as vivid example of it.

  • The purpose of a writer of fiction is to reproduce in the reader his °wn thoughts and feelings, to make the reader visualize and feel what

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    1. he wants him to visualize and feel. The choice and arrangement of appropriate words and sentence patterns, the use of various stylistic expressive means to a great extent determine the effect the literary production will have on the reader.

    2. Among stylistic devices used by the writer we distinguish syntac­tical and lexical stylistic devices (синтаксические и лексические стилистические приемы).

    3.