A Stylistic Analysis of Business English Writings

A Stylistic Analysis of Business English Writings


Liu Biao
A Thesis Submitted in
Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of
B.A. in English


Supervisor
Yu Qiu




SCHOOL OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES
SOUTHWEST UNIVERSITY

May 10, 2012

      Acknowledgements

    My deepest gratitude goes first and foremost to Professor Yu Qiu, my supervisor, for her constant encouragement and guidance. She has helped me walk through all the stages of the writing of this thesis. Without her consistent and illuminating instruction, this thesis could not have reached its present form.
　　 Special thanks should also be granted to all the professors and teachers who taught me and enlightened me in the past years of my second major study, including prof.Huang Xue-jun, Huang Min, Li Xing-yin, Li Yu-hua, Lin Wen-zhi, Liu Qi, Wang Hui-jing, Xiao Dan, Zhang Yong, Zhao Xin, Zhao Xuan, Zhu Xiao-feng.
    Last but not least, my heartfelt thanks also go to my classmates and roommates for their friendship, constant comfort and encouragement.



































Contents

Abstract 5
内容摘要 6
1. Introduction 7
2. Literature review 7
  2.1 Business English 7
  2.2 Stylistics 9
      2.2.1 The definition of stylistics 9
      2.2.2 The features of stylistics 9
      2.2.3 The functions of stylistics 10
  2.3 Stylistics of business English 11
3. The characteristics of English business writings 11
  3.1 Discourse feature 11
      3.1.1 Courtesy 11
      3.1.2 Completeness 12
      3.1.3 Clarity 12
      3.1.4 Conciseness 14
      3.1.5 Concreteness 15
      3.1.6 Correctness 16
  3.2 Vocabulary feature 16
      3.2.1 Formal and serious 16
      3.2.2 Terse and clear 17
      3.2.3 Accurate and strict 17
      3.2.4 Common words with commercial meaning 17
      3.2.5 Breviative words 18
      3.2.6 Positive words 18
  3.3 Syntactic feature 18
      3.3.1 Fixed expressions...