Stylistics 10.pptVIP

Stylistics Chapter 4 Linguistic Description Phrases can be classified into NP, AdjP, AdvP, PreP, VP, etc. But Noun Phrase is stylistically more critical, because it can function as S, O, C, and A in a clause, and it can be made very complex by the attachment of modifiers. Chapter 4 Linguistic Description E.g.: Determinative Premodification Head Postmodification Some old building on the street Chapter 4 Linguistic Description Premodification is concise, while post modification is potentially open-ended, because there is in principle no limit to its length. Chapter 4 Linguistic Description Usually emphasis falls on the last part of the phrase: An irregular shaped building ---- a building of irregular shape Chapter 4 Linguistic Description Premodification carries the status of permanent or characteristic features. E.g.: A man who is timid ---- a timid men A dictionary on the desk ---- a desk dictionary Chapter 4 Linguistic Description Premodification is more compressed and less explicit. E.g. An oil man ---- a man selling oil,  a man who drinks oil, … Chapter 4 Linguistic Description In most cases the choice of pre- or post-modifiers involves the difference in emphasis, in the degree of permanence of the attributes, in the degree of the explicitness of the message. Chapter 4 Linguistic Description The degree of explicitness in the NP is closely related to the linguistic and situational context. Typically, as a discourse develops, the degree of explicitness in the NP becomes lower; since the participants of the discourse are cumulatively sharing more and more knowledge of the context, the inexplicitness in the NP will not cause any problem in communication. 要喝可乐的男孩 --- 可乐男孩 Chapter 4 Linguistic Description Frequent use of premodification in newspaper headlines is not just an effort for economizing space, it is also a device to arouse the reader’s interest so that he will go on to read the text of the news item, which sp