A course of modern english lexicology

3. PUBLICISTIC STYLE

Publicistic style exists in two forms: written and oral.
Essays and articles appear in written form; speeches, oratories appear in oral form.
The aim of the publicistic style is to influence the public opinion, to convince readers and listeners of something and make them accept the point of view expressed in the speech, article or essay. This can be reached both by logical argumentation and emotional appeal.
A. Oratory and Speeches
Their aim is to inform and convince the audience to evoke a desired reaction on its part and to stimulate it to some activity. The main features are:

1. 
   the direct address to the audience (ladies & gentlemen, honorable members);
   
2. 
   the use of contracted forms (I’ll, you’ve, he’s, don’t);
   
3. 
   the use of the 2^d person pronoun “you”;
   
4. 
   intonations, pronunciation & gestures are of great importance;
   
5. 
   the vocabulary comprises a great number of formal bookish words and terms;
   
6. 
   the excessive use of emotionally coloured language, stylistic devices which are mainly trite, not genuine (metaphors, similes, periphrasis, rhetorical questions, repetitions).
   

B. The Essay
It is a short prose composition on philosophical, aesthetic or literary subject.
The style of the essay depends on the author’s individuality. The main features are:

1. 
   moderate length;
   
2. 
   the use of the 1^st person of pronouns;
   
3. 
   the use of lexical stylistic devices;
   
4. 
   literary vocabulary;
   
5. 
   logical argumentation;
   
6. 
   the use of logical language of scientific fiction together with the emotional language of fiction.
   

C. Articles
The main aim of the articles is to interpret the news, to comment on the political & cultural events of the day, to explain and to convince the reader.
The style of an article depends on the newspaper or magazine chosen for its publication, and on the subject matter treated. In an article dealing with sociopolitical life we find a lot of bookish literary words, terms and abstract notions.
Literary reviews are richer in emotionally colored vocabulary and expressive means.