Название: Английский язык

Жанр: Филология

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Unit 3. register

By «register» we mean the words, style and grammar used by writers (and speakers) in a particular condition. Official documents, for example, are written in a formal register (i.e., an elevated style). So are academic articles. A personal note to a friend is usually written in an informal register (i.e., a colloquial style, suitable for ordinary, or familiar communication: e.g., «You're nuts» is the colloquial equivalent of «You are insane»).

Members of certain professional groups tend to communicate with each other in a jargon (i.e., a language including words and expressions known mainly or exclusively to fellow members of their profession). Other groups of people differentiate between themselves and others by creating their own slang or argot (a style of expressing themselves and a vocabulary peculiar to members of a particular group: e.g., the slang of teenagers, or the argot of criminals).

Writers of popular articles often use a mixed register -i.e., they use both formal and informal language inorder to make their writing more lively and/or amusing.

3.1 Reread Text A in Unit 2 above. Consider especially the underlined words and phrases.

How would you describe the register of Text A?

What type of article do you think this excerpt (Text A) was taken from? (Could it be part of: a literary essay? a chapter of a textbook? a popular essay written by a newspaper columnist?

        C. Read Carr's «What is a Historical Fact?» in Part IV.

In what register was that essay written? Where was it published? Is Carr a «popular» writer? Why do you imagine he might have chosen to write in the style that he did?