Professional Documents
Culture Documents
English Advertising
by
Xia Lei
Supervised
by
Professor Tan Weiguo
Submitted
to
The Foreign Languages College
Shanghai Teachers University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for a degree of
Master of Arts
in the Subject of English Language and Literature
July, 2003
Acknowledgements
Throughout the process of writing my thesis, I obtained much
help and encouragement from my supervisor Professor Tan Weiguo.
I benefited a great deal from his meticulous scholarship, great
attainment, and patient guidance. I wish to take this opportunity to
express my sincere gratitude to him.
Also, I heartily thank Professor Gu Daxi, Professor Cai Longquan,
Professor Deng Mingde, Professor Zhou Zhongjie, Professor Xiao
Chunlin, Professor Cheng Xinghua, Professor Su Chengzhi, and
Professor Guo Jianzhong for their help and support which
accompanied me when I studied as a postgraduate.
Besides, I am grateful to my friends and colleagues for their kind
concern and great encouragement to me.
Finally, I am indebted to my parents and my husband, who
rendered me much help and great support, which made it possible
for me to finish this thesis on time.
Abstract
With increasing communication in the world and acceleration of
international economic globalization, English advertising has found its
way into peoples life. But how to understand, assess and create English
advertising is a challenge to most of us. This thesis makes an attempt to
explore the language characteristics of English advertisements so that we
may be able to appreciate and write English advertising texts better.
The thesis attempts to approach the main language characteristics of
English advertising mainly from the angles of advertising and linguistics.
First, the thesis defines advertising, clarifies its objectives, mentions its
components, and discusses its classification and the significance of
studying advertising in English. Next, it investigates the main wording
characteristics, concentrating on simple verbs, adjectives and compounds.
Then it probes into the fundamental grammatical features, focusing upon
the tenses and frequently employed sentences and constructions of
English advertisements. The final part of the thesis body explores the
most frequently employed rhetorical devices in English advertising texts,
such as simile, metaphor, alliteration, antithesis, repetition, parallelism,
parody, etc.
In conclusion, the thesis points out the influence of English
advertising on the English language, the existing trend and problems of
English advertising so as to provide readers with some enlightenment and
reference.
Key words: language characteristics, English advertising, wording,
grammatical features, rhetorical devices
CONTENTS
Acknowledgements
Abstract
Chapter One Introduction
11 Definition of Advertising
12 Elements of Advertising
1. 3 Classification of Advertising
1. 4 Objectives of Advertising
1. 5
1.
2.2
2.3
2.4
2.5
2.6
3.2
3.3
3.4
3.5
3.6
3.7
3.8
3.9
Listing language
Simile
4.2
Metaphor
4.3
Personification
4.4
Pun
4.5
Antithesis
4.6
Alliteration
4.7
Repetition
4.8
Parallelism
4.9
Parody
5.2
5.3
Notes
Bibliography
Definition of Advertising
-Colgate3
(4) Things go better with Coca-Cola.
-Coca-Cola4
(5) Youll feel good about it.
-Water pik Lipstic5
(6) In touch with the world.
-Toshiba6
The above advertising slogans accompanied by the respective famous
brands either directly or indirectly tell us about the advantages or benefits
or peculiar functions of the advertised products. They are informative,
persuasive and likely to result in positive responses and to create good
images of both the products and the manufacturers.
13
service. This is indeed the most frequent type, including almost all
the television commercials. The second type is known as prestige or
goodwill advertising, where firms advertise not a commodity or a
service, but rather a name or an image. This type of advertising aims
at creating long-term goodwill with the public rather than at an
immediate increase in sales (Torben V. & Kim S. 1985 1). The
third type is industrial or trade advertising, where a firm advertises
its products or services to other firms. Industrial or trade advertising
is most likely to be found in specialized trade journals or in the
business pages of newspapers.
Noncommercial
advertising
is
sponsored
by
charitable
conviction
and
action
(ACCA).
Firstly,
of
English
advertisements
in
English.
advertising,
They
include
particularly
three
press
categories:
20
Chapter Two
Wording Characteristics of English Advertising Texts
The Worlds Fair and New Orleans. Its a magical combination that
can only happen once. So come on down the river, join America and
other great nations in a celebration the likes of which the world has
never seen.
Sense firsthand the wonders of Egypt. Walk from the French
Quarter into a part of Chinas mysterious past. Stroll through an
22
very careful efforts not to use the word buy. Instead they often use
such synonyms as: try, ask for, get, take, send for, use,
choose, look for. Please examine the following ad of Microsoft.
(9) Come and learn how to leverage Microsofts family of
adaptable, scalable embedded platforms to enable you to quickly
develop your 32-bit connected Windows powered solutions. This is
the only event that will up-date you on all the latest developments in
todays supercharged connected device industry. Well deliver hardcore information for developers with both beginner and advanced
tracks.
Get an early preview of the Microsoft roadmap and direction in
embedded and appliance technologies.
Master the latest customizable embedded platforms for building
smarter devices---from simple data-collection tools to the fullfeatured.
Hear direct from the product team including the program
managers, developers and architects who are building these
technologies.
Learn all about the tools and business models that this new
market-place is demanding.
Register now!9
In the above-mentioned example, the action verbs show the
26
(11)
27
software?
People prefer IBM Personal Computer software for a variety.
Because, for just about anything you want the IBM Personal
Computer to help you do, theres software to help you do it.
Software to help improve productivity, efficiency and planning. To
help teachers teach and students learn.
Or help you become an even more astute games player. Every
program in our software library makes the IBM Personal Computer a
truly useful tool for modern times. Thats why a lot of buyers like
you have made them best sellers. And the library is still growing.
So the best may well be yet to come.
---- IBM Personal Computer software15
30
Good and new are much more frequently used than any other
adjectives; wonderful, fine and great are adjectives of commendation
in most cases; delicious , crisp , fresh and rich are key words in
food advertising; fresh and clean are often used in the
advertisements of toothpaste; of course, clean can collocate with
cleaning products, too , such as :detergent, shampoo and soap; sure
is only used in the products which have something to do with human
beings; safe and sure are inevitably used in connection with products
related to hygiene, such as deodorants and germicides. E.g.
(18) This babys nappy is Lux-safe. Safe with the safety that you get
with pure soap.16
(19) Youre sure of personal freshness---lasting day and night
freshness---and sure of a lovely, lingering perfume. This winter be
sure. Use double-sure Body Mist, the perfumed deodorant.17
Extra and special have a function similar to that of new, but they
express the differences of products. There are other words frequently
used relative to new products, such as now, suddenly, announcing,
introducing, its here, improved, revolutionary, just arrived,
important development, miracle, surprising, challenge. Free,
obviously cannot collocate with nouns denoting products or brand
names. It is often used with an added attraction to consumers.
Delicious, good and fresh are used as adjectives to recommend
31
food products. Sometimes, they are found with other adjectives, such
as chunky, crunchy , crisp, flaky, juicy, homemade and light.
In English advertisements, good and wonderful are more
frequently used than nice and marvelous. The other adjectives
mentioned above are associated with products, and show their
qualities and properties.
2.4 Compounds
In English advertisements, you can see compounds everywhere.
Some compounds are written as single words and some with a
hyphen, but others appear as two separate words. Because lexical
restraints on compounds are few, the advertisers are relatively free to
create English compounds which are appropriate to the copy text.
As a result, English compounds become a conspicuous characteristic
of English advertisements.
As we know, compound nouns are coined in many different ways.
In the following examples, we can see structural types of the most
common compound nouns. (a) adjective + noun: high-fashion
knitwear, top-quality bulbs; (b) noun + noun: color freshness,
economy-size shredded wheat; (c) adverb + noun: the any-time
cereal, up-to-the-minute cycling; (d) present participle + noun:
arriving time, chewing gum; (e) past participle + noun: purified salt,
married couple.
32
as
better-than
leather-miracle-covering,
look
at
the
oh-so-
(Ronald Carter,
1997:199)
The real writer is the copywriter, although in the advertisement
the narrator will be masquerading as the text producer. The
advertisement
Stylishly designed, you will find the slim, classic lines of this
continental tea and coffee maker---known as a Cafetiere ---will set
the mood for a relaxing break at any time of the day. The easy-to-use
Cafetiere will give you the ideal opportunity for indulging yourself
with delicious tea and coffee while you soak up the music of
StraussThe perfect match.
(ibid.)
makes full use of repetition: here you need is repeated six times and
video-tape six times too, impacting peoples nerves strongly and
repeatedly. Naturally, the most impressive are the two phrases : you
need and video-tape. They form a sentence with a clear meaning:
you need a video-tape. Example (22) is an advertisement of the
accounting software --- Omicrons DOS. Here, the advertiser aims to
persuade you to buy this kind of accounting software, but from the
text the advertiser seems to consider consumers interests, so that the
potential consumers might take real action.
why does the copy writer or advertiser favor the use of you in the
process of composing ads? Because you not only suggests a one-toone personal relationship, but also implies that the advertiser can not
know whom they are reachingThe use of you is powerful because
it is slippery, not because it picks up one person (Greg Myers,
1944:79). To sell like a sales person, ads have to address up
personally, even when they address millions of us at once.
Besides you, we is the second most common personal pronoun in
English advertisements. Since we often appears in ads, our, ours and
ourselves naturally emerge in the context. We has different
references in different contexts: we may refer to the advertiser, or the
secondary advertiser, or the sales person, or the producer, or the
agent, and it may or may not include the addressee. Since you
39
safety standards. Free from the constraints of the cold war and with
the help of our friends at VW, our work force have built a car that
ranks alongside the best in Europe.
But, perhaps more importantly, the whole experience has
produced a company that ranks alongside the best in Europe.
Weve changed the car. Weve changed the company.
The question is, are you open enough to change your mind?
Weve changed the car. Can you change your mind ?
(THE TIMES MAGAZINE, NOVERMBER 18, 1995) (
)
(24) Lately youve been hearing a lot of auto companies talking
about safety. And at Ford, were proud to say that safety has been a
part of our heritage for years. After all, we were the first U.S. car
maker to offer safety class standard, and the first to offer a protection
package that included safety belts and padded instrument panel.
Because to us, safety is more than just the latest trend: its a key
ingredient in the trust weve built with our customers over the
years.20
In the above-mentioned examples, we and its possessive form
our turn up several times. It goes without saying that we and our are
used in the exclusive sense, that is, the customers are excluded.
Through the use and repetition of we and our, the advertiser, who
41
seems to be talking face to face with you, the reader or the customer,
is telling you what effort the company has made and what successes
it has achieved, thus creating a wonderful personal image of the car
company. Of course, the advertiser usually employs we and you in
the same context, where the two sides of discourse become quite
clear, as can be seen from the examples quoted above. However, the
copy writer will prefer using You attitude to using Me attitude,
because You attitude rings more cordial to consumers, and it can
express readers needs, desires, and hopes more effectively. Lets
observe the following examples.
Me attitude:
(a) We are pleased to announce our new flight schedule from
Cincinnati to Philadelphia, which is any hour on the hour.
(b) We believe this vacuum cleaner to be technically superior to any
other on the market.
You attitude:
(a) You can take a plane from Cincinnati to Philadelphia any hour on
the hour.
(b)Your house will be more beautiful because youll be using the
most powerful, easy-to-use vacuum we have ever offered.
From the above-mentioned examples, we can come to the
conclusion that You attitude can communicate an advertising idea
42
TOM SEAVER
Gardener, Baseball Hall-of Fame
Gardening is an important part of my life.
Im often out in my garden by seven.
I love the smell in the air, the early morning light.
My wife Nancy gave me a bronze plaque.
43
Some people are always looking for the next mountain to climb.
The people at Philips are no exception. Im Edward Tonino, Product
Designer, Remote Control. As a product designer, its my job to
make remote control technology as simple and convenient as
possible. Im also exploring the possibilities of harmonizing all
aspects of remote controls, wherever theyre used in the home. And
who knows where the latest technology might take us: handset with
fewer buttons, or a cursor to run you home. Impossible? Well, that
has never stopped us before.
PH
ILIPS22
(27) Recently I had to go to St. Louis for a meeting. Instead of
44
flying, as I having been doing for the past four years, I decided to
take an overnight Pullman. It happened to be raining when I left . No
matter. The train was exactly on time, and whats more, I didnt get
drenched before boarding.
By the time I reached my roomette, my suitcase was there waiting
for me. I hung my suit in the locker and changed into a pair of
slacks. Then I settled back in that big, comfortable seat and managed
to get more work done---in an hour---in the privacy of my roomette
than I am able to accomplish in my own office in half a day.
I couldnt have slept better.
We arrived at the St. Louis station 30 seconds early. When I left
the train, I was fortified with a good breakfast, an unwrinkled suit,
shined shoes and a serene description. The cab ride to my
engagement was a matter of seconds. What all this adds up to is that
a journey I usually consider an ordeal turned out to be a pleasure
event. I am looking forward to many more trips by Pullman.23
Example (27) is a testimony provided by an American authority.
The personal testimony of the first-person narrator may become even
more confidential. Such device creates an impression of letting you
into the most secrete wishes and experiences of the author.
In some advertisements what ordinary customers or clients have
said is quoted as part of the advertisement to add force to it. e.g.
45
(28) WOMAN: One reason why I bought this Eagle Summit is that
I once tried to put all of my luggage in the back of a Toyota Tercel
and it just wouldnt fit.
OFF-CAMERA VOICE: Sounds like a bad experience.
WOMAN: Yeah, but its all behind me now.
Advantage : Eagle24
(29) Hi , my names Messy Marvin.
I got that name because no matter how hard I tried, my room and
my clothes were always messy. But then one day, Mom brought
home thick, rich, yummy Hersheys Syrup in the no mess squeeze
bottle. And before I knew it, I was making the best chocolate milk
Id ever had. But I wasnt making a mess. Its fun, too. I just pull the
cap and squeeze. Nothing drips, nothing spills.
Now Moms happy and so am I.
My room and my clothes are still a mess, but at least theres
hope.25
In Example (28), part of the original ad is quoted above----the
advertiser has quoted what the woman has said. In fact, what she has
said is linked to the advantages the Eagle offers, with the use of the
first person pronoun I, the advertisement becomes much more
persuasive and convincing and much more reliable and attractive
than if presented by the advertiser himself. Example (29) is an
46
(31)
(32)
(33)
(36)
TWOGETHER
Chapter Three
Syntactical Features of English Advertisements
As a particular branch of language, advertising language should be
50
Honda has always made good cars. People love them. But with a
loved one, things can sometimes get emotional.
Honda understands. And on our own we have set up a third party
51
Dont just sit there. Get more active. Ride a bike. Take a walk.
Swim some Laps. Thats the way to begin.
And then, come home to Stouffers Right Course entrees. These
satisfying low-fat, low-cholesterol meals have great tastes youll
love. (All with less than 600 mgs of sodium and under 350 calories.)
So feast on Sliced Turkey, Chicken in Barbecue Sauce, Spaghetti
with Meatballs and more.
Discover Stouffers Right Course and get on the Right Course for
life!
STOUFFERS RIGHT COURSE34
52
Let TUGU INSURANCE keep you afloat in the face of the worst
of elements.
TUGU INSURANCE
---the back-up you can count on.
TUGU INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED39
(44)
MOVING TO BANGKOK?
MARTINI
55
(47)
(49)
(50)
(51)
(52)
Get Volvo power behind you to take you far and away.48
58
(53)
(54)
Buy your new suit direct from the UKs premier manufacturer
and save literally hundreds of pounds .(The Times, 15th Dec.
1995)()
(55)
(56)
(57) For the brightest gloss choose from Gaymels wonderful color
range.52
(58)
(59)
(60)
(64)
(65)
(66)
(67)
Just see how marks and smudges disappear when you use
Handy Andy.62
(68)
(69)
-Citizen Watch64
The above-mentioned imperative sentences chosen from various
advertisements are always seen in newspapers and magazines. If you
carefully look at them, you will find that such verbs as get, buy, let,
choose, have are directly associated with the acquisition of products;
that verbs like look for, ask for, try are indirectly associated with the
acquisition of products; that verbs like enjoy, use are obviously
associated with the consumption of products or with the use of
service; and that verbs such as look, see and watch act as appeals for
notice or attraction.
look, see, and watch are common in commercials of the
demonstration type, where they call the consumers attention
to what is happening before the consumers eyes.(Leech,
1966:46)
Other verbs such as remember, make sure are favored by the
admen, too. In imperative sentences such verbs perform the function
of advising consumers to note some important points in the process
of choosing or using the product or service.
60
Freshness you
can feel.65
(71)
Instead of soap, try a whole new way to wash your face. Ponds
Facial Cleaning Foam. Its a light, refreshing foam that cleans
61
thoroughly, cleans gently, but doesnt dry your skin like soap.
New Ponds leaves your skin feeling soft and smooth every time
you wash your face. Try it and see. No one knows more about
beautiful skin than Ponds.
PONDS CLEANS LIKE NO SOAP CAN.
-Also available for sensitive skin66
Example (70) is an advertisement of Fa Shower Gel. It shows that
Fa Shower Gel enables your skin to be soft and smooth with
enchanting fragrances. Example (71) is an advertisement of Ponds
Facial Cleaning Foam. The use of the simple present tense in these
two examples shows the eternal particular characteristics and special
functions of the two commodities, Fa Shower Gel and Ponds Facial
Cleaning Foam, enabling customers to think of them as things
beyond any shadow of doubt.
As a matter of fact, the simple present tense is always employed in
advertising texts. Why is the simple present tense always preferred
in English advertisements? This is because A much more frequent
meaning of the simple present tense in anchoring advertising texts is
the eternal truth variety (Greg Myers, 1994:39). As the simple
present tense is used to express a habitual, permanent, or repeated
action, or a perpetual condition or state, its frequent use in
advertising texts adds eternity and durability to the products being
62
know.67
(73)
is made with good honest plain flour then this flour, made by
McDougalls, is the flour for you68
(74) JAMAICA, THE PERFECT PLACE TO UNWIND
Soft golden sands, shady blue lagoons, heart-stopping scarlet
sunsets, wherever you look, Jamaica is stepped in romance.
If youve ever dreamt of strolling hand in hand across glorious,
unspoilt beaches as the warm Caribbean licks gently around your
63
ankles and the smell of tropical blooms fills the air, then this is the
place for you(THE TIMES MAGIZINE, NOVEMBER 18 1995,
P24)()
(75)
GILLETTE Sensor
Even rinsing is innovative. The new blades are 50% narrower than
any others allowing water to flow freely around and through them,
for effortless cleaning and rinsing.
Gillette73
(81)
For the first time, theres a remarkable gel that can give your hair
any look you want sleeker, fuller, straighter, curlier, more natural,
even wet- without a drop of alcohol or oil. It gets your hair into
shape in the morning and keeps it under control all day. Whatever
your management style, Maltplexx is for you. Get the full facts at the
Aramis counter.
ARAM
67
All new Mitsubishi Galant has more power and economy, less
economy, less weight and noise than old Mitsubishi Galant. b) All
new Mitsubishi Galant has more power and economy, less weight
and noise than the same competing type of cars. c) All new
Mitsubishi Galant has more power and economy, less weight and
noise than old Mitsubishi Galant and the same competing type of
cars.
It is easy to see that the copy writer creates countless comparative
constructions, many of which contain implied or ambiguous
comparison. But no matter how deep the implied comparison is, no
matter how ambiguous the comparison may be, the message of
comparison is always positive, invariably in favor of the advertised
product or service. Moreover, as implied and ambiguous
comparisons usually bring about profound thinking, and are capable
of being understood in different ways which are favorable to the
advertised product or service, so they are conducive to creating a
wonderful image of what is being advertised.
3.7 Disjunctive Elements
It is often observed that the advertising copy writer has a tendency
to chop up sentences into shorter bits by using full stops, dash, semicolon and hyphen, where ordinary prose would use commas or no
punctuation at all. Leech (1966:90-7, 113-16,148-50, 170-4) refers to
this phenomenon as disjunctive syntax. Disjunctive elements
69
(83)
(85)
December 5-8,1982.
On the beautiful Monterey Peninsula.
The oldest, most established wine event in the country.
A sellout success over the years.
For years of Wine testing. Californias Finest Wineries.
Taste Hundreds of Select Wines. Extravagant Gourmet Meals.
Famous speakers from the world of Wine and Food. Complete
Program, $250 per person. Special Festival rates at fine Monterey
Peninsula Hotels.80
70
In todays world, your skin demands extra special care. The kind
youll find with Cabots Vitamin E. From extra rich moisture creams
to smoothing masques and skin oil. Cabots Vitamin E products give
you all the skin care you need.81
72
A mild way.
74
---Alitalia Airlines86
(94)
Champion.
first is merely a nominal group, the second has no subject, the third
consists of three adjectives; example (93) is made up of five
elliptical sentences and one complete sentence, the first is without
predicate, the second, third, fourth, and fifth are nominal groups, the
last one is a complete sentence; in example (94), participle phrases
replace complete sentence; example (95) is without subjects and
predicates, this sentence tends to be colloquial.; example (96) is
made up of three nominal groups; example (97) is a verbless
expression made up of three adjectives and an adverbial group. (
)
The point of an advertisement is to persuade people of the merits of
a particular product or service, in order that they will part with some
of their money. In the above-mentioned examples, what is omitted
can be clearly understood, it is easy to scan and find the key words.
these words are usually what people would like to find in such
advertisements. Elliptical sentences
are likely to render the style more concise and compact. They are
rhythmical and forceful. They are easy to remember and more
appealing to customers.
76
Chapter Four
Rhetorical Devices in English Advertisements
Rhetorical devices are various forms of expression deviating from
the normal arrangement or use of words, which are adopted in order
to give beauty, variety or force to a composition. Many of them are
used in English advertising to achieve three goals: first, it is to form
the brand image or corporate image in consumers mind; second, to
stress the uniqueness of the advertised product; thirdly, to stress the
unique sales proposition of the advertised product. Among them, the
third is the most important because of its attraction.
Hegel says, beauty comes out of image(Albert E. Dipippo,
1986:3). The beauty of English advertising is first characterized by
its idiographic image. It embodies the materialized labor in a lively
and vivid way. Psychologically, image is realized through
imagination. With the help of rhetorical devices advertising leads
people to an artistic conception.
In order to make their advertisements unique and eye-catching,
the copywriters have to make elaborate designs and draw up
remarkable verbal blueprints by working creatively and aptly
applying rhetorical devices. It can be said without any exaggeration
77
the tourists. The use of simile in this example paints a vivid picture
of the people and climate there : the climate is warm and
comfortable , and the people there are friendly and enthusiastic and
always ready to offer you welcome as warm as the climate there.
Though simile is an important rhetorical device in English
advertisements, it is far less frequently employed than metaphor,
which is one of the most frequently used rhetorical devices in
English advertisements.
4.2 Metaphor
There are some definitions about metaphor, such as It is like a
simile, also makes a comparison between two unlike elements, but
unlike a simile, this comparison is implied rather than stated. For
example, the world is a stage. ( ,
English Pizza Landhttp://epizza.nease.net); Myers described it in
(Holiday
France
and
Europe
,1996,p.148,
In Example
(102), readers are compared to big birds who spread their wings,
which creates a vivid picture. In Example (103), Spain and magnet ,
two different things, are compared along the dimension of
81
product. Or, to put the matter the other way round, a brand image is
a metaphor by which a product is identified with an object of the
consumers desires (Leech, 1966:182).
Obviously, appropriate application of metaphors plays an
important role in English advertisements, which can not only render
advertisements attractive and picturesque, but also informative and
persuasive. So metaphors contribute to promoting the sale of
products and help make advertised service thrive and flourish.
4.3 Personification
According to A Hand Book to Literature, published by the Bobbs
Merrill Company in 1972, personification is a figure of speech
which endows animals, ideas, abstractions, and inanimate objects
with human form, character, or sensibilities; the representing of
imaginary creatures or things as having human personalities,
intelligence, and emotions; whether real or fictitious, by another
person. However, the definition in Oxford Advanced Learners
Dictionary
Of
Current
English
With
Chinese
Translation
English Pizza
Oxford Advanced
Example (110) is very typical of this kind of pun. The copy writer
makes good use of homophones good-bye and good buy to satisfy
customers psychology , to attract them and to promote the sale of
the product. A play on words in this advertisement is used to draw
the attention ofthe reader to the product because people might be
amused by such a pun .
Secondly, in terms of homonym, which means one word can be
taken in two senses. For instance, in example (114), can in the
second sentence is used as a pun: it can be regarded either as a
modal verb or as a container (can=tin ) containing drink or beer. So
can in this advertisement has double meanings, which is humorous,
witty and impressive; in example (115), spirit is used as a pun with
double meanings: one is the strong distilled alcoholic drink, the other
refers to the characteristic quality or mood of something. In addition,
bottle here has double meanings, too---one means putting the wine
into bottles, and the other means keeping the unique spirit of Canada
in by sealing. This example is an implicit pun.
Thirdly, there is another type of pun, which means a word have
two different senses: one in its common use, the other representing
the brand name or the name of company. For instance, in Example
(111), Sharp is used as a pun. In the first sentence, it is used as an
adjective in its actual literal meaning, in the second sentence, it has
88
4.5 Antithesis
The definition in Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary Of
Current English With Chinese Translation (1991:55), contrast of
ideas marked by the choice and arrangement of words might sound
abstract. We can quickly catch the meaning of antithesis by the
following definition, It is the deliberate arrangement of contrasting
words or ideas in balanced structural forms to achieve emphasis. For
example, speech is silver; silence is golden. (,
English Pizza Land http://epizza.nease.net). In other
words, antithesis means that words of opposite meanings are used in
the sound rather than the sense of words for effect. It is a device that
repeats the same sound at frequent intervals and since the sound
repeated is usually the initial consonant sound, it is also called front
rhyme. For instance, the fair breeze blew, the white foam flew, the
furrow followed free.( , English
Pizza Landhttp://epizza.nease.net). Alliteration is a common
PULLING
WEEDS CAN BE
REPETIVE AND
REDUNDANT
NOT TO MENTION
REPETIVE AND REDUNDANT
Or you can kill the roots with Roundup
And those weeds wont be back.
NO ROOT.
NO WEED.
NO PROBLEM.111
92
NEVER
NEVER
NEVER
NEVER
NEVER
NEVER
NEVER
NEVER
NEVER COMPROMISE QUALITY
EVER116
(126)
Pick up on mighty Pentium Processor power.
Pick up on outstanding value for money.
Pick up on better desktop choice.
Pick up on increase mobility.
Pick up on assured peace of mind.117
(127) ARE YOU
Looking for that special place to relax?
95
( Mitsubishi Car)123
(134) By
the
people.
For
the
people.
To
the
people.
For example the word mackintosh originally was the brand name
of raincoat. It was named after its inventor, Charles Mackintosh.
However, in modern English, it almost becomes the substitute for
any raincoat. The association between the brand name and the
product has been cut off. In this category we also can include
jacuzzi, the brand name of a bathing service; crock pot, the
brand name of an electric cooker; aspirin, the brand name of a
medicine treating headache; xerox, the brand name of photo copier
; biro, the brand name of a ball-pen.
The other type of words contributing to the English language are
the advertising coinages, whose abundance is one of the lexical
features of English advertising. The most typical example is the
word pinta in the advertising slogan of British milk: Drinka pinta
milka day, which is mentioned in the second chapter. This slogan
acquired its popularity immediately after its appearance and became
a household word. And later the coined word pinta became the
substitute for milk, and many people would use pinta rather than
milk, although the latter are also found in everyday usage. The
other advertising coinages coming into the common core of the
English
language
include:
cellophane,
escalator,
travolator, ??????????????etc.
All of these words contributed by English advertising are used by
108
MOUTAI
BUTTER COOKIES
This
product has been to be insured for the foodstuff quality and hygiene
116
itch,
resisting
bacteria.
Leaves
children
clean,
membrance
and
Healthing
Bath,
ect.
The
Sterculia
Royal jelly can nourish the body, stimulate the appetite. It has the
function for chronic diseases with supplementary curative effect and
restored health. It is helpful for youth and children to build up their
intelligence and physique.
There are three sentences in this advertisement, and the last two
sentences are redundant. In addition, restored health is a
grammatical mistake. This advertisement can be rewritten as :
Royal jelly can nourish your body and stimulate your appetite. It
has a supplementary curative effect for chronic diseases and can
restore health. It is helpful for youngsters to build up their
intelligence and physique.
At present, when many copywriters begin to write advertising
texts of products, they know little about the products and dont take
a lot of time to read through the related materials. Without sufficient
knowledge of the products, the advertising texts will be poor.
Advertising is certainly a science as well as an art. It covers several
fields of knowledge, including language, culture, marketing,
aesthetics and consumers psychology. As a science, it should follow
the norms of languages. As an art, it attempts to create desirable
advertisements with cultural and aesthetic value. If the advertiser
does not have such kind of senses, how can he convey the essence of
an advertisement appropriately in another language?
122
123
NOTES
1---6. 8.
1992, pp.33-34, p.22.
7. 9.
, 2002 p.64, p.66.
10.11. 12.13.14.15.17. 1---6. pp.77-78, p.271, pp.77-78. p.271 .
16. ,
1987p.42.
18. 3000 :
, 1993pp.172-173.
19. 1---6. p.194
20. 21. 18. p.130.
22.23.:
, 1999p.69, p.108.
24.25. 22. p.69.
26. 27. 1---6. p.282.
28.29.30. ,
2001 2 , p.24
31.32. 33.34.35. 1---6. pp.265-266, p.274, p.89, p.275.
124
36. 18p.57.
37. 38.39.40.41. 1---6. p.275. p.214, p.218, p.227, p.73.
42. 16. p111.
43. 1---6p.209.
44. 48. 49. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 60.61. 63 16. p111, p112, p113.
p.120.
64.65.66. 1---6. pp.125-126.
67.68. 16. p.122.
69.70.71.72.73.74. 1---6. p.171, p.107, p.98, p.150, p.2, p.66.
75. 18. p.133.
76-79. 1---6. p.277.
80-81. 16. p.127.
82.83-88. 1---6. p.278.
8990. 91. 92., ,
(),2000 1 18 1
93.:
2002 1
94. 18. p.197.
95.96. 16. p133.
97.98.99.100. 18. p.83, p.82, p.86, p.53.
101.102. 28. 29. 30. p.24.
103. 105
125
2001 5
104. 18. p.36.
105. 103.
106. 16. p.136.
107.108.109.110. 18. p.12, p.20, p.33, p.35
111-112.113.114.115. 18. p.79, p.120, pp.89-90.
116.
2000 19 3
117.PC DIRECT, Pentiums and Spreadsheets Buyers Guides, Fast
CD-Rom Drives, Internet-Ready PCs, Plug and Play, November
1995, p.2)
118.ST. ANDREWS, 1996, SCOTLAND, P.9
119.120. 18. pp.72-73, p.57
121. 1---6. p.115
122-124.125. 103
126-130. 18. pp.113-115,p.119.
135. 103
136---146. cited from the packings of products.
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