Formal Language - Text Types

Speeches

• Syntax -  parallelism, repetition, antithesis., interrogatives (often rhetorical)

• Lexis - simple, monosyllabic (more forceful); hyperbole (emotive), figurative language, jargon

• Phonological - rhythmic (carefully selected stress), intonation, alliteration and rhyme. Also careful use of prosodics. Also note the pauses - they are conscious, not non-fluency.

Lectures

• Syntax - declaratives and imperatives

• Lexis - jargon, proper nouns/proper noun phrases, talk about how the semantic field allows speakers to exploit covert prestige

• Phonology - capture audience interest through variation of prosodics and patterning

Liturgy and Oaths (Pleading to god or religious customs)

• Symbolism

• Formulaic openings and closings

• Subject specific

• Archaisms are frequent

• Vocatives (e.g O God)

• Compound and complex sentence structures indicate a sense of balance and reason to the plea.
  

Archaism

An old word or phrase used in another era

e.g. “thy” or “thee”

Legal Documents

• Audience of legal experts

• Lexis - jargon, archaisms, abstract, precise and exact so that interpretation is consistent, avoid verbs, pronouns, a lot of adverbials

• Syntax - declaratives, compound/complex sentence structures to show all relevant information, a sense of conditionality, causation, possibility (via complex) and balanced, fair and reasonable (compound); self-contained sentences.

Informational prose (informative writing - can have fictional elements in it - e.g. essay or editorial)

• Academic writing

• Lexis - impersonal, few pronouns, avoid emotional expressions, concise and abstract

• Semantics - aim for objectivity

• Syntax - agentless passive and nominalisation to focus on concepts and ideas, depersonalise the text

• Discourse - linking words, adverbials, conjunctions for cohesion and coherence; logical ordering, formatting

Literature (Poems, Novels)

Letter

• Might be an apology, plea or informative letter. 

• Apologies - face needs, hedging, positive connotations, declaratives, attend to negative face needs.

• Plea - hedged imperatives, emotive language, high modality modal verbs, jargon and expertise to make it more compelling

• Informative - declaratives, clarity, reinforce authority.

Features Of Formal Text