新型英语文体学课本5-10.docVIP

5 Formal vs Informal Language 5.1 The Interpersonal Function of Language We know language performs various functions: the ideational or referential, the interpersonal or expressive/social, and the textual (see 1. 4 for detail). But many treatments of language tend to emphasize only the ideational or referential function of language. Language is used to talk about objects, persons and ideas, to name and define them, to impart and communicate information, etc. That language can be doing other things at the same time is often ignored. We know, for instance, that greetings like Hello. How are yo