Expressive means and stylistic devices

Stylistics studies the special media of language which are called stylistic devices and expressive means. Expressive means and stylistic devices form three large groups of phonetic, lexical, syntactical means and devices. Each group is further subdivided according to the principle, purpose and function of a mean or a device in an utterance. Stylistics studies the types of texts which are distinguished by the pragmatic aspect of the communication and are called functional styles of language. Expressive means of a language are those phonetic, morphological, word-building, lexical, phraseological and syntactical forms which exist in language-as-a-system for the purpose of logical and/or emotional intensification of the utterance. These intensifying forms have special functions in making the utterances emphatic. A stylistic device is a conscious and intentional intensification of some typical structural and/or semantic property of a language unit (neutral or expressive) promoted to a generalized status and thus becoming a generative model. A stylistic device is an abstract pattern, a mould into which any content can be poured.

10. 10.. Polysyndeton is connection between parts of a sentence or between sentences by using (the same) connectives (mostly conjunctions and prepositions) before each component part. ▲ She stirred the fire, and shut the door, and sat as near to it as she could, quite on the edge of her chair. Another function of this type is disintegrating.

There also exists synonymic repetition. The two terms frequently used to group all kinds of synonymic repetitions are pleonasm and tautology.The distinction between them is rather fine.

The Shorter Oxford Dictionary defines pleonasm as ‘the use of more words in a sentence than are necessary to express the meaning; redundancy of expression.’

Tautology is defined as ‘the repetition of the same statement; the repetition (especially in the immediate context) of the same word or phrase or of the same idea or statement in other words; usually as a fault of style.’Certain varieties of synonymic repetition and their stylistic effect are in detail described by
Y.M. Skrebnev and I.R. Galperin

Pleonasm, or syntactic tautology, is often presented by recurrence of the noun subject in the form of the corresponding personal pronoun.

The stylistic function of this construction is laying emphasis or underlining prominence.

It is also a typical feature of popular speech (the speech of uneducated people).

E.g. ‘Bolivar, he’s plenty tired, and he can’t carry double.’ (O’Henry

11. 11. Ellipsis is deliberate omission of at least one member of the sentence. It is typical in conversation, but in direct intercourse it’s not a stylistic device, but a norm of the spoken language. Ellipsis is the basis of the telegraphic style, which presupposes omission of connectives and redundant words. A kind of ellipsis, a construction in which the subject of one sentence is at the same time the subject of the second, is called apokoinu construction. ▲ Everyone found him attractive. It was his temper let him down. The noun “temper”, being the subject of the first sentence, is also the subject of second one.

Asyndeton is connection between parts of a sentence or between sentences without any formal sign. It becomes a stylistic if there is a deliberate omission of the connective where it is generally expected to be according to the norms of the literary language. ▲ The boys all hated him, he was so good. In this sentence the conjunction “because” is omitted.

a one-member sentence has only one member, which is neither subject, nor predicate, but they are not missing; the one member makes the sentence complete, these sentences are often used in emotional speech, descriptions.

if the main part is expressed by noun-it is a nominal sentence

one-member sentense often has its main part expressed by an infinitive

to stay here- enjoying life, having a wife and little children.

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