Style
A
characteristic way of conveying information e.g. humorous, journalistic,
casual, business-like (ironic, poetic, literary)
Register
Levels
of formality
The
formality or informality of the language used in a particular situation. Formal register or language is that used in
serious
or important situations, e.g. in a job application. Informal register or language is that used in
relaxed or
friendly
situations, e.g. with family or friends.
Domain
– specific vocabulary
Register
may also refer to language which is specific to a particular group, e.g. technical
register, scientific register.
“Registers
are varieties of language defined by their topic and context of use; the
language of medicine, education, law, computers, etc. come into this category:
e.g.
minor is the legal term for child
insolvent is
the banking term for penniless
cardiac arrest is
the medical term for heart attack”
“Working with Words” Pages 20, 21, Ruth Gairns
and Stuart Redman, Cambridge University Press, 1998
These items are similar in conceptual meaning but
different in register and style
Children (neutral)
Offspring (formal, sometimes humorous)
Nippers (colloquial, often humorous)
Kids (colloquial)
Brats (colloquial, derogatory)
These are some more examples taken from “Working
with words”
Emoluments: Formal (usually financial)
Cosine: Mathematics (technical, trigonometry)
A shrink: colloquial, US, usually humorous.
Hence: Formal (e.g. a mile hence), but can be
neutral (e.g. I’ve got a job- hence the new suit)
Loo: colloquial, GB
Communicative competence: language teaching
register
Bonkers: slang, GB
