Dr. See-Young Cho Summer term 1996
UE: English Dialectology
Functional Varieties: Styles
-- Martin Joos, The Five Clocks (New York: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, 1967)
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1. Frozen -- the most careful and elegant variety, reserved for very important or symbolic moments. 2. Formal -- our generally serious level of language use. 3. Consultative -- the plain, everyday style. 4. Casual -- our normal, relaxed style, appropriate to conversations with friends. 5 . Intimate -- the most grammatically and phonologically reduced style, used exclusively with our closest friends and family.
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Listen to Audiocassette Sample #15 and try to assign an appropriate stylistic label of each performance of the narrator.
(1) Narrator: Hello. Today we're going to hear from Roger Shuy from Washington, D.C. and Dennis Preston from Fredonia, New York about language change in different situations....
(2) Narrator: Ladies and gentlemen, we take great pleasure in presenting for today's discussion of the ranges of appropriateness in American English two distinguished scholars in the field. First, Professor Roger W. Shuy, the eminent sociolinguist, Director of the Sociolinguistics Program at Georgetown University in Washington, D. C. and Associate Director of....
(3) Narrator: Hi! Here's Roger and Dennis to talk to you about the way we use different words in different ways ....
(4) Narrator: Welcome to today's program: Varieties of American English, Stylistic Differences. Your hosts are two well-known sociolinguists, Dr. Roger Shuy of Georgetown University and the Center for Applied Linguistics and Dr. Dennis Preston from the State University of New York, College at Fredonia.
(5) Dr. Shuy: And so goodbye from Dennis and me.
Board Chairman: On behalf of this committee, we wish you a fond farewell.
Mary Hastings: Goodbye, ladies and gentlemen.
Driver: Goodbye.
Girls: Bye now. See you.
Couple: Got to go now, darling. See you later.
'Kay, hon. Bye-bye
1. The Frozen Style
(1) Judge:
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, have you reached a verdict?
(2) Minister: Our Father, who art in heaven ....
(3) Chairperson: Do I hear a motion?
Member 1: I so move the resolution.
Chairperson: Is there a second?
Member 2: I second it.
Chairperson: Any further discussion?
Member 1: Call the question.
Chairperson: All in favor of the resolution, signify by saying "Aye."
Members: Aye.
Chairperson: Opposed?
Member 3: Nay.
Chairperson: The Ayes have it. The resolution passes.
2.
The Formal Style
(1) Chairperson:
Ladies and gentlemen, the company cannot ascertain why this has happened. We're unable to explain the drop in prices, but we do not feel that the trend will continue.
(2) Chairperson: Bill, as I told them in the boardroom this morning, you really can't tell why it's happened. We can't explain the drop in prices, but I don't think it'll go on.
(3) Mother: Liz.. .
Elizabeth?
Elizabeth Ann!
ELIZABETH ANN WERNER!
3.
The Consultative Style
(1) AT A FILLING STATION:
Filling Station Attendant:
Hi. Run out of gas?Driver: Sure did. Must not have been paying attention.
Attendant: Regular or unleaded?
Driver: Regular, please.
Attendant: Need a ride back to your car?
Driver: Thanks a lot. That's really nice of you.
Attendant: Sure is hot today, isn't it?
Driver: Sure is. Seems like we can't get a break from this heat.
(2) THE "WELCOME WAGON":
Man: Hi.
Welcome Wagon Woman: Hello. Are you Mr. Andrews?
Man: Yes, I am.
Woman: I'm from the local Welcome Wagon Service and I've come to welcome you to our community.
Man: That's very nice of you.
Woman: Here are a few small gifts from some of our local merchants.
Man: Thanks a lot.
Woman: Is there any information about buses or schools or shopping that I could help you with?
Man: Oh, yes. We really would like to talk to someone about the local schools. Look, why don't you come in and meet my wife? We can have a cup of coffee and talk about these things.
Woman: Sure, I'd be happy to.
(3) IN AN OFFICE:
Service Woman:
Secretary: Uh-huh.
Service Woman: Then just flip the switch.
Secretary: I see.
Service Woman: Isn't that easy?
Secretary: Uh-huh. (I guess I can do it now.)
Service Woman: Think you've got it?
Secretary: I guess so.
Service Woman: Good.
Secretary: What's that thing next to the power switch?
Service Woman: That's the pressure selector. You won't need that.
Secretary: OK -
(4) BUYING SOCKS:
Clerk: Hi. Can I help you?
Customer: Yes, I need some socks.
Clerk: What color, sir? (What color socks would you like, sir?)
Customer: Brown, I guess. (I would like some brown socks, I guess.)
Clerk: These? (Would some like these be what you are looking for?)
Customer: Fine.
4. The Casual Style
(1) AT A SODA FOUNTAIN:
Joe:
Bill: Can't. Got to clean up.
Joe: I'm taking off, then.
Bill: Right. See you down at Tony's.
Joe: About six?
Bill: 'Kay.
Joe: Later, sucker.
Bill: Yeah, you lucky dog.
(2) ON CAMPUS:
Sarah: Can you beat that! I read my stupid eyes out last night and couldn't pass that Bio exam.
Mary: Oh, yeah. That Davidson, he's a real jerk. You know, I'll bet he gets his tests from old Ph.D. exams.
Sarah: Wouldn't put it past him. (Well,) Got to go. Catch you later.
Mary: Right. See you at the dorm. So long.
(3) AT A GARDEN PARTY:
Speaker 1: That blows my mind!
Speaker 2: You could have knocked me over with a feather!
Speaker 3: If that doesn't beat everything!
Speaker 4: Far out!
Speaker 5: Well I'll be a monkey's uncle!
5. The Intimate Style
(1) AT HOME:
Wife:
Husband: Uh-huh.
Wife: How'd it go?
Husband: Couldn't get him to look at it until next week. Covered up.
Wife: (Well,) It's going to get so bad we may have to get somebody else do it.
Husband: Hmmmmmm. Check with Fred?
Wife: Mmm-hmm.
Husband: Try next door?
(2) AT THE LIBRARY: [Audiocassette Sample #221
Man: Did you eat yet? /dzà itsà E t/
Woman: Not yet. Did you? /natsà E t dI dzu/
Man: Let's go eat. It's late. /skwit slet/
Woman: 'Kay. /ke/
(1)' AT HOME:
Wife: That you? (Hi.)
Husband: Uh-huh. (Hi.)
Wife: How'd it go? (Did you persuade the man from the repair shop to come over and look at the washing machine?)
Husband: Couldn't get him to look at it until next week. Covered up. (I couldn't get him to look at it until next week. He said he was very busy.)
Wife: Well, it's going to get so bad we may have to get somebody else to do it. (Well, it's going to get so bad we may have to have somebody else to do it.)
Husband: Hmmmmmm. Check with Fred? (Let me think. Maybe I should ask Fred if he could look at it. He knows a lot about machines.)
Wife: Mm-hmm. (Yes, that's one possibility.)
Husband: Try next door? (Maybe I could try asking Joe from next door to look at it. He's good with machines, too,. and he owes me a favor for starting his car last week. Fred doesn't owe me any favors.)