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* Corresponding author: mriabova@inbox.ru
Graphic-Stylistic Expressivity in Media Discourse
Marina Yu. Ryabova*
Kemerovo State University, 650000, 6, ul. Krasnaya, Kemerovo, Russia
Abstract. The article deals with the analysis of graphic-stylistic means of the language, such as
punctuation, functioning in modern English based on the language material of literary and media texts (on-
line site of The Guardian). The aim of the paper is to reveal some actual functional characteristics of
punctuation marks compared with their traditional syntactic and stylistic usage. The linguistic analysis is
conducted within the methodology of semantic and syntactic interpretation and description. The following
new functional usage of punctuation marks is described: the playing (ludic) function (creating an ironic,
comic or parody effect in communication) and the expressive function emphasizing the semantics of an
element in a communicative context. The importance of the undertaken analysis is to show the necessity of
studying the English punctuation functions from the point of view of modern theory of communication
and media linguistics as well as with an empirical educational purpose of teaching the English grammar.
1 Introduction
It is not a secret that punctuation rules in the English
language are complex and intricate. Besides, it is not an
easy task to find a compiled theory of English
punctuation in grammar books; punctuation rules are
formulated in special books on style, instructions for
authors or editors. Meanwhile, punctuation often
influences radically the total meaning of the text, e.g.:
A woman, without her man, is nothing;
A woman: without her, man is nothing.
In 2004 Lynne Truss published a book, entitled
“Eats, Shoots & Leaves”, which is devoted to
punctuation in the modern English language, and where
the problem of punctuation is discussed with humor,
irony and deep understanding of the grammatical nature
of the question. In the dedication to the book she wrote,
«To the memory of the striking Bolshevik printers of St
Petersburg who, in 1905, demanded to be paid the same
rate for punctuation marks as for letters, and thereby
directly precipitated the first Russian Revolution» [1,
VI]. Curious enough that a reference to Russian
punctuation is rather symbolic, because the punctuation
rules in Russian are equally intricate and complex as in
English. This fact was mentioned by authoritative
Russian scholar L. Scherba, who said that Russian
punctuation, as well as Russian spelling, developed
rather spontaneously, and nowadays it is absolutely not
clear what it should express – the ideas proper or the
means and ways of their presentation. The complexity of
the question is aggravated by the fact that different
expressive means often contradict to each other in
practice [2]. Thus, punctuation both in English or in
Russian is a rather complex question, and the result of
arranging punctuation marks can be dramatic for the
total meaning of the utterance, and sometimes it can
radically change the meaning.
For the title of the book L. Truss chose a famous
punctuation-fan joke about a panda, who walks into a
café, orders a sandwich, eats it, then draws a gun and
proceeds to fire it at the other patrons. "Why?" asks the
confused, surviving waiter amidst the carnage, as the
panda makes towards the exit. The panda produces a
badly punctuated wildlife manual and tosses it over his
shoulder. "Well, I'm a panda," he says. "Look it up." The
waiter turns to the relevant entry in the manual and, sure
enough, finds an explanation: "Panda. Large black-and-
white bear-like mammal, native to China.
Eats, shoots and leaves”.
2 Discussion: expressivity of graphic
signs of the language
Punctuation is a system of graphic non-alphabetic signs
and rules, codifying the norms of written organization of
a text. Punctuation signs together with graphics and
spelling form the basic written means of a language; the
main aim of punctuation is division and graphic
organization of a written text. One of the best definition
of punctuation is in the book by T. McCormack, who
says that the purpose of punctuation is “to tango the
reader into the pauses, continuities and connections that
the spoken line would convey. Punctuation to the writer
is like anatomy to the artist: he learns the rules so he can
knowledgeably and controllédly depart from them as art
requires. Punctuation is a means, and its end is: helping
the reader to hear, to follow” [3].
© The Authors, published by EDP Sciences. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
SHS Web of Conferences 50, 01151 (2018) https://doi.org/10.1051/shsconf/20185001151
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Common functions of punctuation in Indo-European
languages are as follows: the function of division, and
the function of highlighting text elements or their
groups. There are paired and single punctuation marks.
Signs can serve to divide the text and / or sentence. The
function of division of a sentence is actualized by such
signs as: comma, semicolon, dash, colon, dots, brackets,
quotation marks. The function of division of a text is
conducted by such signs as: a period, a question mark, an
exclamation point, dots, brackets, quotes. In Indo-
European languages, the common functions of
punctuation are: the organization of syntactic relations
within constructions; the expression of semantic links
within the utterance; an indication of the intonational
contour of the utterance; the expression of rhythm and
melody of speech; codification of communicative speech
division; the expression of the emphatic function of an
utterance.
As M.V. Divakova rightly noted, recognizing the
multiplicity and diversity of the factors determining the
choice and use of punctuation signs, it is possible to
determine the functional significance of punctuation
marks. "It is difficult to do this because the current
system of rules is both rigid, strictly regulated, and
mobile, open for variable use. It is generally accepted
that the punctuation rules in modern Russian are mostly
optional. This is the main property of punctuation, which
makes it possible to give accuracy, expressiveness, and
consistency to a written text. The influence of the
context on the choice of a sign has long been noted by
researchers. However, sometimes the choice of a single
possible sign is dictated not by the semantics of the
sentence, but only by the author's setting. In this aspect,
the task is to clarify the distinction between optional
punctuation marks and author's signs "[4, p. 2]. In
English, the punctuation system is a complex and
multifunctional area. According to the authoritative
English researcher, the author of the encyclopedia
"Language" D. Crystal, the punctuation system in
English has two main functions: the function of the
division of a written text and the function of indicating
the rhythmic and intonational pattern of the text. He
distinguishes two groups of signs: signs that separate,
and signs that convey meaning. The group of features
that separate includes the following signs: 1) space:
separates words, identifies paragraphs; 2) period (full
stop): identifies the end of the sentence, used to mark
abbreviations, a sequence of periods indicates that the
text is incomplete; 3) semi-colon: identifies the
coordinate parts of a compound sentence, or separates
complex points in a list; 4) colon: used mainly to show
that what follows it is an implification or explanation of
what precedes it; 5) comma: a wide range of uses, such
as marking a sequence of grammatical units, or a unit
used inside another; displays a great deal of personal
variation (such as whether it should be used before and
in such lists as apple, pears, and plums); 6) parentheses
( ) and brackets []: used as an alternative to commas to
mark the inclusion of a grammatical unit in the middle or
at the end of a sentence; 7) dash: used in pairs with the
same function as parentheses or brackets; used singly to
separate a comment or afterthought occurring at the end
of a sentence or to express an incomplete utterence; in
informal writing, often replaces other punctuation marks;
8) quotation marks (inverted commas): identify the
beginning and end of an extract of speech, a title, a
citation, the ‘special’ use of a word; 9) hyphen: marks
two kinds of divisions within a word – to show that a
word has been split in two because of the end of a line,
and to relate the part of a phrase or compound word to
each other (as in pickled-herring merchant – vs. pickled
herring-merchant) [5, p. 207]. Punctuation signs that
convey meaning are: 1) question mark: usually expresses
a question, but occasionally found with other functions,
such as marking silence or uncertainty (e.g. this is an
interesting (?) point); 2) exclamation mark: shows
varying degrees of exclamatory force (e.g. !!!); also
some special uses (e.g. John (!) was there); 3)
apostrophe: used to mark the genitive singular or plural,
and grammatical contractions ( I’m, won’t), in certain
words (o’clock, fish’n’chips), subject to a great deal of
usage variations (St Johns or St John’s? Harrods or
Harrod’s?) [Ibid].
The punctuation marks listed above characterize the
standard, normative use of a written speech. Today,
under the influence of virtual electronic communication
forms (sites, blogs, chats, instagram and other social
networks, etc.), the norms of punctuation are
increasingly violated, becoming freer and more mobile,
which is reflected in the fact that some punctuation
marks start to perform unusual functions, i.e. they are
used in an unusual context, sometimes erroneously,
sometimes performing other functions (for example,
playing or ludic). So, some interesting examples of the
unusual use of an apostrophe in the modern English
language are cited by L. Truss, cf. .: Come inside for
CD's, DVD's, VIDIO's and BOOK's [1, p.1], where the
apostrophe marks the plural forms of nouns.
In another example, the misuse of the apostrophe
leads to misunderstanding and distortion of information,
since the article is not about a raging fan, but about a
crowd of fans who organized riots, cf. .: FAN'S FURY
AT STADIUM INQUIRY [Ibid: p. 2]. Researchers note
that a deviation from the norms of punctuation can lead
to a distortion of the meaning and, consequently, to
misunderstanding.
However, sometimes a deviation of the normative
use of punctuation is intentional and reflects a playing
function of the language [7], designed to attract the
attention of the reader or listener to the text. Typically,
this use of punctuation is characteristic of an advertising
discourse, in which unusual punctuation is intended to
catch the reader’s attention «relying entirely on a visual
association of ideas»[7, p. 94]. This problem was
analyzed in the study of Yu.V. Popova, who noted that at
present it is possible to talk about the formation of a
special direction in linguistics - graphic stylistics,
designed to study graphic stylistic devices of the
language, which have certain signs of language play on
the basis of reference to written and oral discourses [8,
p.112]. According to the author, a distinctive feature of
graphic-stylistic devices is that their understanding is
impossible without visual contemplation. "Graphic play
as an expressive technique is a font, color, spatial,
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punctuational actualization (quotation marks, dashes,
brackets, hyphens) of the component" [Ibidem, p. 112].
But the graphic play used in the message, as it were, is
"layered" over the verbal component of the utterance,
amplifying or weakening it. The playing effect can be
achieved by using an apostrophe in the title, e.g. St'ile de
Beaute, or a hyphen: Bar-B-Q (the name of the bar);
dots: Jaguar. The art of performance. Grace ... space ...
pace ....V. Z. Sannikov notes that sometimes authors
deliberately violate the rules of punctuation as a method
of parodying the stylistics of another author [9, p.58].
Thus, we know that, the stylistics of Russian poet
Vladimir Mayakovsky is characterized by a broken line
and an intricate punctuation, creating a special rhythm
and space, cf.:
Ты
Пришла —
деловито,
за рыком,
за ростом,
взглянув,
разглядела просто
мальчика.
Взяла,
отобрала сердце
и просто
пошла играть —
как девочка мячиком.
You
You came ―
attracted
by my roar
and my height,
but looked closer
and saw there, merely a
boy.
You
took my heart away,
like it was all right,
and went on playing,―
just a girl with her toy.
(translation)
As can be seen, the most typical stylistic device
employed by the poet here is parcellation, actualized by
means of commas and dashes. His style is easily
parodied by another poet G. Kareisha:
Во
!
Маяковский
тебе
не
икается
?
У
тебя
два
слова
на
строчку,
а
у
нас
уже
полагается
строчка
даже
на
точку.
Oh
!
Mayakovsky
don’t
you
hiccup
?
You
have
two
words
in
a
line,
while
we
have
a
line
even
for
a period.
(translation)
3 The analysis of syngraphemics in
media discourse
In its expressive function, punctuation can increase the
emotional impact on the addressee, attract the reader’s
attention, emphasizing the unusualness of other language
expressive means. This method of using the mechanisms
of punctuation variation is known as the phenomenon of
syngraphemics [10], and it involves the use of quotes, a
hyphen, an exclamation mark or other punctuation marks
in the title or in a word.
Very often, this method of an expressive use of
punctuation marks is found in the headlines of media
texts, especially on the pages of the British online edition
of “The Guardian”, e.g.: Brit(ish) review – what does it
mean to be black and British now? [11]. In the title, the
attention is drawn to the spelling of the word Brit(ish), in
which the suffix is highlighted in parentheses, this
unusual graphics allows the reader to think about the
ambiguous reading of the given word, in which two
semantic meanings actualize: British as a nationality and
citizenship, and the meaning associated with the
semantics of the suffix -ish (something like that, roughly,
approximately; the meaning of the word can be
interpreted as "something similar to Britishness"). Thus,
the author of the article draws the reader's attention to
the problem of non-white population of Britain who,
being citizens of this country, feel their foreignness.
The expressive, emphasizing function of punctuation
is observed not only in the headlines of media texts, but
also within the content of the texts, as practically all
punctuation marks are characterized by the ability to
emphasize additional meanings. See another example
from “The Guardian” [12]: the title of the article reads:
Ignore the naysayers: the 2017 election youthquake was
not a myth. In this case, the opposition of theses in the
composition of the first and second subordinate clauses
is emphasized with the help of the colon, which adds
more emotional expressiveness to the content of the
sentence. Below in the text of the article, expressive
punctuation potentials help to make the necessary
semantic accents: Labour’s surprise election result in
2017 changed all of that. Or so we thought. The team
behind the British Election Study have now said that the
largely reported “youthquake” (word of the year, don’t
you know) was a “myth”. As we can see, in this
fragment the increased emphasis and emotionality in the
expression of irony about the election results is
emphasized with the help of the so called parcellation
(Or so we thought), in the expression of which the period
is used. The keyword “youthquake” is quoted to
emphasize its novelty and special status. Finally, an
additional comment on this matter is introduced in
parentheses, where with the help of a comma another
ironic remark is added to those who might not have
known this fact. Here the second keyword “a myth” is
also enclosed in quotation marks to accentuate the
author’s detachment from the given opinion, which
obviously is the opposite. Thus, a whole spectrum of
shades of meanings and thoughts is formed by means of
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punctuation, to explain the meaning of which in
translation will require a fairly detailed presentation.
Another vivid example of a special function of
punctuation in a media discourse can be the intentional
absence of quotes in the citation of direct speech in the
headline of “The Guardian” [13]: Russia is aiming to
interfere in US midterm elections, warns CIA chief. The
absence of quotes in this utterence emphasizes the fact
that this statement can be seen as a piece of objective
information rather than a private opinion of an
individual, thereby strengthening the emotional impact
on the reader, convincing the latter of the faithfulness of
the author’s opinion. In the subtitle of the article, the
Director of the CIA’s words, are marked with quotations
to emphasize the authenticity of the information and
point to its source: Mike Pompeo says ‘I have every
expectation that they will continue to try’ to meddle in
House and Senate races in November [Ibid]. And further
in the article it is said: Mike Pompeo, director of the
agency, told the BBC he had not seen a “significant
decrease” in Russian activity and his concerns extend to
the House and Senate polls in November [Ibid]. In this
sentence, the phrase "significant decrease" is written in
quotation marks to emphasize the verifiability of the
opinion and, on the other hand, to point out its
precedence, since the discussion of the "intervention
company of the Russians" has repeatedly occurred in
various sources.
Thus, the analysis of punctuation marks in the
modern communicative space indicates the appearance
of new functional potentials associated with its
expressive, emphatic and ludic functions.
Together with the expressivity of punctuation the use
of typographic play can considerably reinforce a
message. As means of typographic play let us take such
devices as the use of capital letters, colours, font, a
special design of lines, space, pictures, cartoons, etc.,
and other visual effects that enhance the language play
[7]. The repertoire of typographic and punctuation
devices are often widely employed within discourses of
mass media editions. Thus, as an example of a
typographic play we can offer the text from “The
Harper’s Bazaar”, entitled “Is Time's Up the Next Step in
the Me Too Movement?” by Jennifer Wright [14].
Firstly, the expressivity of the title is underlined by the
use of a question mark in an utterance, which does not
presuppose an answer, this being a rhetorical question,
i.e. technically, it is a very strong emotional statement.
Besides, the name of the movement is not marked with
quotations, which implies that it is a common cliché
everybody is aquainted with. Immediately after the title
there is a funny ironic picture of doggies, the implication
of this cartoon is that all creatures can fight for their
trampled rights:
Further, in the text of the article we find various
typographic devices to reinforce the message, such as:
words in italics, bold formatting, parentheses, cf.:
“Sexual harassment isn’t just a problem in the
glamorous upper echelons of Hollywood and the Media
and Capitol Hill. It’s a problem at fast food restaurants,
and hotels, and farms and just about every other
underpaid industry across America. Make no mistake,
it’s a worse problem in those places. Minority women
are more likely to experience sexual harassment than
white women. Women in the lowest income bracket (with
household incomes of less than $7,500) are six times as
likely to be sexually victimized as women in the highest
income bracket (household incomes of over $75,000.)
Women without high school diplomas are 400 percent
more likely to be assaulted than those with a bachelor’s
degree.”[Ibidem].
So typography is an obvious domain together with
punctuation, for language play, expressivity and written
communication in general.
4 Conclusion
As a result of undertaken analysis it can be assumed that
the category of expressivity of media discourse is related
to a great extend (besides the verbal component of the
message) to the usage of non-alphabetic signs, such as
punctuation, graphics, typographic means (font, color,
space, pictures, photoes, etc.). The major role in the
function of text expressivity is played by punctuation,
which constitute the sphere of syngraphemics, operating
with the functions of emphasis, emotional coloring, or
producing playing effect in discourses of modern media.
Reference
1. L. Truss, Eats, shoots & leaves. The zero tolerance
approach to punctuation (Fourth Estate, London,
2007)
2. V. G. Scherba, Theory of Russian Writing (Nauka, L,
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3. T. McCormack, The fiction editor, the novel, and the
novelist (Sidgwick&Jackson, 1989)
4. M.V Divakova, Punctuation principles and syntactic
norms of the Russian language of the first decades
of the XX century (works of Russian writers and
poets of XX c. (M, 2005)
5. D. Crystal, The Cambridge encyclopedia of language
(Cambridge University Press, NY, 1997)
6. M. Ryabova, Lambert Academic Publishing, LAP, 42-
59 (2011)
7. D. Crystal, Language play (Penguin Books, 1998)
8. Yu.V. Popova, Phenomen of language play in an
advertising discourse (English, German and Russian
texts) (Rostov-na-Donu, 2014)
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9. V.Z. Sannikov, The Russian language through the
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(date of access: 29.01.2018).
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a14754192/metoo-2018-ending-sexual-assault/
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