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

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.

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