Formal business style of speech applies. business text

FORMAL-BUSINESS STYLE OF SPEECH

Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1 Linguistic signs of an official business style of speech. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1.1 Lexical signs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1.2 Morphological and derivational features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1.3 Syntactic signs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2 Genre diversity of the official business style of speech. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Conclusion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

List of used sources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Introduction

Official business style is a style that serves the legal and administrative-public spheres of activity. It is used when writing documents, business papers and letters in government agencies, courts, as well as in various types of business oral communication.

The most important functions of this style - communication and influence - are implemented in such official documents as laws, decrees, decrees, orders, contracts, agreements, business correspondence, statements, receipts, etc. This style is also called administrative, since it serves the sphere of official, business relations, area of ​​law and public policy. Its other name - business speech - indicates that this style is the most ancient of book styles, its origins are in the business speech of the era of the Kyiv state, in which legal documents (contracts, Russkaya Pravda, various letters) were created already in X century.

The official business style stands out among other book styles for its stability, isolation and standardization. Despite the wide variety of business documents, their language is strictly subject to the requirements of an official business presentation: the accuracy of the wording of legal norms and the need for absolute adequacy of their understanding, the composition of the mandatory elements of the document, ensuring its legal validity, the standardized nature of the presentation, stable forms of arranging the material in a certain logical sequences, etc.

For all forms of business writing, strict compliance with the literary norm at all language levels is mandatory: the use of lexical and phraseological means of a colloquial, colloquial nature, dialect, professional jargon words is unacceptable; non-literary variants of inflection and word formation; colloquial syntactic constructions. The official business style does not accept expressive elements: evaluative vocabulary, high or reduced words (joking, ironic), figurative expressions. The most important requirement for the language of the document is the objectivity and "dispassion" of the presentation of facts.

The official business style functions mainly in writing, but its oral form is also not excluded - speeches by state and public figures at solemn meetings, meetings, receptions. The oral form of business speech is characterized by a full style of pronunciation, a special expressiveness of intonation, and logical stresses. The speaker can allow some emotional elation of speech, even interspersed with other-style language means, without violating, however, the literary norm. Wrong accents, non-literary pronunciation are not allowed.

In official papers, the set of language tools used is predetermined. The most striking feature of the official business style is the language stamps, or the so-called clichés (French. clich). The document is not expected to show the individuality of its author, on the contrary, the more clichéd the document, the more convenient it is to use (see examples of clichés below)

Official business style is the style of documents of different genres: international treaties, government acts, legal laws, regulations, charters, instructions, official correspondence, business papers, etc. But, despite the differences in content and variety of genres, the official business style as a whole is characterized by common and most important features. These include:

1) accuracy, excluding the possibility of other interpretations;

2) locale.

These features find their expression a) in the selection of language means (lexical, morphological and syntactic); b) in the preparation of business documents.

Consider the features of the vocabulary, morphology and syntax of the official business style.

2 Linguistic signs of an official business style of speech

2.1 Lexical features

Official and business speech reveals a tendency towards a lexicon that is extremely generalized in terms of semantics, where everything sharply peculiar, specific, unique is eliminated, and the typical is brought to the fore. For an official document, it is not the living flesh of this phenomenon that is important, but its "legal" essence.

Official business speech reflects not individual, but social experience, as a result of which its vocabulary is extremely generalized. In an official document, preference is given to generic concepts with broad and poor semantics, with a limited number of semantic features:

premises (cf.: apartment, workshop, hangar, vestibule, shelter, monastery, apartments), person (cf.: individual, person, man, girl, guy, small, owner, tenant, passerby), parent (cf.: mother , father, father, mother, ancestor), soldier (cf .: soldier, lieutenant general, artilleryman, rookie, warrior, serviceman, sailor), penalty (cf .: reprimand, fine, arrest, scolding, scolding), arrive ( cf .: come, arrive, sail, jump, tumble in, swoop in, welcome) and others.

The lexical (dictionary) system of the official business style, in addition to common book and neutral words, includes:

1) language stamps (clericalism, cliches): raise a question, based on the decision, incoming-outgoing documents, impose control over the execution, after the expiration of the deadline.

2) professional terminology: arrears, alibis, black cash, shadow business;

3) archaisms: I hereby certify this document.

In the official business style, the use of polysemantic words, as well as words in figurative meanings, is unacceptable, and synonyms are used extremely rarely and, as a rule, belong to the same style: supply = supply = collateral, solvency = creditworthiness, depreciation = depreciation, appropriation = subsidization and etc.

2.2 Morphological and derivational features

The word-formation and morphological features of the official business style are inextricably linked with its common features: the desire for accuracy, standardization, impersonal and obligatory prescriptive nature of the presentation.

The inappropriateness of the expressive coloring of official speech makes it impossible to use interjections, modal words, a number of particles, words with subjective evaluation suffixes, adjectives in comparative and superlative degrees. Nouns denoting positions are usually used in the masculine form. (accountant, director, laboratory assistant, postman, controller and etc.).

In official business speech, there is the highest percentage of the infinitive from other verb forms among all functional styles. This is due to the target setting of most official business documents - to express the will of the legislator. Here is an example from the "Convention on the Rights of the Child": "The child has the right to freedom of expression; this right includes freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of any kind, regardless of grant, whether orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other means of the child's choice".

Of the conjugated forms, the forms of the present tense are most often used here, but with a different meaning compared to the scientific style. This value is usually defined as the present prescription. The verb form does not denote a permanent or ordinary action, but an action that is prescribed by law to be performed under certain conditions:

"The accused is guaranteed the right to defense."

When designating a person in an official business style, nouns are used that designate a person on the basis of some action or attitude, which is intended to accurately indicate the "roles" of the participants in the situation: defendant, tenant, tenant, reader, guardian, adopter, plaintiff, witness, etc.

Nouns denoting positions and titles are used in the masculine form and when they refer to females: police officer Smirnov, defendant Proshina and the like.

Of the word-building models of nouns, verbal formations are widely represented, including sometimes with a prefix and non-: non-compliance, non-recognition, decision, execution. For example: "Children left without parental care and staying in educational institutions, medical institutions, institutions of social protection of the population and other similar institutions have the right to: maintenance, upbringing, education, comprehensive development, respect for their human dignity, ensuring their interests .... "(Family Code of the Russian Federation, p. 149).

The stringing of nouns with the suffix -nie can be considered a bright sign of the official business style: "Preparation for a crime is the search for and adaptation of means or tools or the deliberate creation of conditions for the commission of crimes...."

The official business style is rich in constructions with a verb that takes on purely grammatical functions. The number of verbs that act as a grammatical reference word and serve to express almost only grammatical meanings is many dozens: conduct (agitation, installation, observation, negotiations, preparation, search, development, investigation); make (additions, corrections, clarifications); give (consultation, appointment, justification, explanation, refutation, refusal, assessment, assignment, permission, clarification, order, recommendation, consent, indication); conduct (voting, meeting, research, testing, search); pass (examination, training, testing) etc.

Extremely typical for official speech are the methods of composite word formation - basic and word formation, fusion, as a result of which two- (or more) root formations are represented in the lexicon of the business language by a very extensive collection: marriage, offense, taxation, land use, passenger transportation, disability, tenant, landlord, country owner, paper holder, cultural and entertainment, logistical, repair and construction, administrative and economic, autumn-winter, bakery, apartment brokerage, science-intensive, transport saturated, low-paid , low-income, person-ruble, ships-day, passenger-seat-mileand many others.

The predilection of business style for complex words is easily explained: they are transparent in structure and meaning, and have idiomatic effects. To an even greater extent, the need for semantically clear names is answered by the phrase, the number of names created in this way in the official business style has many thousands of units: vehicles, wages, official, confectionery, securities, travel document, collection point, executive committee, cashless payment, work injury, bodily injury, common areas, occupational disease, public catering establishment, high-demand goods, education without interruption, right to rest, search warrant, demotion, disqualification....

With particular clarity, the convenience of "analytical" models is expressed in the nomenclature of institutions, professions, positions, etc., which constitutes a giant layer of official names: Chief Researcher, Deputy Regiment Commander for Engineering Service, Moscow State University, St. Petersburg State Mining Institute (Technical University). Transcaucasian railway, Volyn plant of household chemicals, deputy of the State Duma...

Sometimes, after reading the next contract, it becomes clear why it is customary to use specially trained people to work with them. This happens due to the peculiarities of the official business style, making it difficult to understand. But this style of presentation has its advantages, otherwise it would have been abandoned long ago.

Signs of an official business style of speech

Of course, for us, the main indicators of the officiality of the document are the seal of the organization and the signature of the responsible person, but when it comes to the style of speech, completely different signs come to the fore.

1. Objectivity, informativeness and reliability.
2. The absence of words that can be interpreted in two ways.
3. The perfection of the construction of phrases and the document from a legal point of view.
4. Conciseness of wording, the desire for maximum brevity, the use of complex sentences with frequent use of complex conjunctions and verbal nouns.
5. Neutrality of presentation, lack of emotional coloring, preference for the direct word order, almost complete disregard for the individualization of style.
6. The use of speech clichés in the construction of phrases.
7. The use of standard phrases in the case of describing typical situations.
8. Logical presentation, its narrative character.

All these features of the official business style of speech make it the most closed and stable among all book styles. Time brings its changes to this language, but the main points - phraseological units, specific speech and syntactic turns, remain unchanged. In other styles of speech, the use of stamps has long been considered a disadvantage, but in formal conversations they are only welcome. Actually, this cliche of the text, combined with the lack of emotional coloring and a large number of enumerations, which are also a sign of the official style, make documents so difficult to read and .

The purpose of the official business style of speech

At first glance, all this linguistic inertia and conservatism are invented to emphasize the isolation of business from other spheres of life. As a result, the average person gets a headache from trying to figure out all the intricacies, and is forced to carry money to specialists.

On the one hand, it is true, a number of specialists (documentation specialists, lawyers, archivists) are partially translators from official business speech to colloquial, understandable to most of the population. But you should not look for the tenacious paws of a global conspiracy here, because on the other hand, the official business style of speech is designed to minimize the likelihood of errors and simplify work with various kinds of documentation. In colloquial speech, we often use expressions with a bright emotional coloring, love ambiguity, often use slang and do not disdain irony. Can you imagine what, for example, a supply contract written in colloquial language would look like? About observance of terms of delivery, responsibility for violation of the agreement and conformity of the delivered goods ordered could be forgotten. That is, a special style of presentation for official papers was created to exclude the possibility of speculation and various interpretations of information depending on the education of the people working with them. And to speed up work with documents of various kinds, drafting standards were invented. Everything is regulated: from the location of the details to the order of writing the address on the envelope. This allows you to quickly find the information you need without revisiting the entire document. For example, an accountant paying for the rent of a room is only interested in the terms of payment, details and the duration of the contract. The clear structure of the document allows you to quickly access this information, otherwise, the time for processing the contract would have increased greatly.

The official business style (ODS) serves the sphere of official relations, in which communication participants perform certain social functions. Situations in such communication are as typical as possible, which gives rise to the standard speech behavior of their participants, therefore many documents are ready-made forms in which only the passport data of the submitter of the document needs to be entered.

The term "official business style" is used to denote the features of the language of official (organizational and administrative) and diplomatic documents. The main function of the official business style is that, requiring a certain form in the written presentation of the content, it gives the text the character of a document and translates the various aspects of human relations reflected in this text into the category of official business documents.

The main features of the ODS are the accuracy of the wording, the standard arrangement of the material, the regulation (a limited set of language tools), the rigor and simplicity, the richness of information, the written form of presentation and the impersonality of the statement.

ODS is subdivided into three sub-styles - legal, diplomatic and clerical and business. Each of them is reflected in a number of genres. The genres of the legal substyle include the constitution, code, law, charter, resolution, the genres of the diplomatic substyle include a letter of credence, protest note, declaration, communiqué, the genres of the clerical and business substyle include an order, contract, notification, order, as well as all types of documents. personal nature (statement, complaint, receipt, power of attorney, letter, memorandum / service / explanatory note, autobiography, etc.).

Of the linguistic features of the official business style, the following should be highlighted. To the lexical features of the ODS includes the presence of stable expressions and terms denoting the realities of social life, as well as clericalism, which immediately catch the eye, are imprinted and later pop up in colloquial speech in a spontaneous and unprepared form ( proper, undersigned, hear, plaintiff, individual, consumer and etc.). In the texts of the ODS, there is no emotionally expressive vocabulary, evaluative and introductory-modal words ( good, bad, like, want, probably, maybe, etc.). The words used in the texts are characterized by limited lexical compatibility, for example, official letter not spelled, a is drawn up.

In morphological terms the use of short forms of adjectives with the meaning of obligation is noted ( obligated, responsible, accountable) and participles ( the decision was made, the candidacy was supported), an abundance of denominative prepositions and conjunctions ( accordingly, in continuation, for the purposes of, due to the fact that). To express imperativeness, infinitive constructions are used, reinforced with adverbs and modal words ( repairs should be made, I order measures to be taken, it is necessary to proceed to ... etc.).

To syntactic features ODS texts include the active use of passive constructions ( order completed, not possible, negotiations completed) and an abundance of sentences with homogeneous members and isolated phrases, various kinds of clichés and clichés with elements of archaism ( according to the deed, the punishability of the act).

SDS texts are characterized by sentences with inversion - the subject with an objective meaning follows the predicate ( Everyone is guaranteed freedom of conscience). Sentences with participial and participle phrases make the text informatively saturated. The texts are dominated by constructions with "stringing" genitive cases of nouns without prepositions ( Any form of restriction of the rights of citizens of the Russian Federation is prohibited).

Official business texts are characterized by a high degree of segmentation, which allows you to clearly structure the text, dividing it into articles, paragraphs, paragraphs, subparagraphs. The text is built according to a template (form), which includes all the elements required for a given genre.

The texts of the ODS, or documents, occupy a significant place in the life of a modern person. They regulate our social life, so we feel the need for them every day. That is why each of us must be able not only to correctly interpret the document, but also to compose it correctly. The author compiling this or that document must use in it those linguistic means that the genre of the document requires from him, and not “invent” his own, different from the standard phrases.

The document is created in accordance with the genre model of the text with an unchanged composition, which includes the obligatory thematic blocks, i.e. details.

For example, a job application contains the following details:

1) indication of the addressee (name of the head and enterprise);

2) indication of the addressee;

3) the name of the genre of the document (statement);

4) the main content of the request (please accept me ...);

5) indication of the date of preparation of the document;

6) signature (handwritten signature).

It is necessary to strictly observe the requirements for the location of details in relation to each other. In the application, the addressee and addressee are indicated in the upper right corner of the sheet. The title of the document (with a capital letter and without a dot at the end, if the addressee is with the preposition "from", or with a lowercase letter and with a dot at the end, if the addressee is without the preposition "from") is located in the middle, and the main content is the width of the sheet. The date is placed on the bottom left, and the signature is placed on the right, on the same line as the date. In this case, blank lines are left between the details. Under the date and signature, free space is left for resolution. Resolutions are also located in the upper left corner.

The official business style is the most common style that functions not only in office work and diplomacy, but also in any official relations, for example, at work, at a university, in medical institutions, in a newspaper, etc.

When compiling documents, generally accepted stable speech turns are used: I ask for your permission to…; I, the undersigned ...; reference is given ... that ... really ...; let me invite you…; I, who live at the address ..., trust ...

The correct use of verbs such as trust, assure, guarantee, declare, notify, insist, confirm, notify, offer, order etc. These verbs are used in the form of the first person plural or singular in sentences without a subject, as well as the third person singular when referring to the addressee, for example: “I ask” and not “I ask”; “commit” not “we commit”.

The drafter of the document should be able to accurately and concisely state his point of view on the problem of interest to him. To do this, he must know the language means that express causal and other logical relationships, which, first of all, include complex conjunctions and denominative prepositions: due to, for the purpose of, on the basis of, in order to avoid, according to, according to, thanks to, due to etc.

In official business papers, etiquette formulas of address should be used correctly, indicating the respectful attitude of the addressee to the addressee: Thank you for…, We kindly ask you…, Unfortunately… It should be borne in mind that in a business letter, second person pronouns ( you, your) are written with a capital letter, while in ordinary written speech such a spelling contradicts the norms of Russian spelling.

In official business papers, familiar address to the addressee is not allowed ( Expensive…), indication of the response time in the ultimatum form ( Please answer me immediately...) or refusal to the addressee's request without giving reasons.

Typical business speech errors include the following violations:

1) unmotivated use of foreign words ( roll over instead of extend; appeal instead of address);

2) the use of archaisms ( which instead of which the, this year instead of this year);

3) incorrect use of paronyms ( graduated from high school instead of graduated from high school; introduce the products instead of familiarize yourself with the products);

4) violation of the rules for the use of prepositions ( thanks to, according to, in spite of, according to combined with the dative case; as a result, during differ in their spelling from prepositional case combinations an experienced detective is involved in the investigation; there are rapids along the river.

Here are two options for writing a statement.

Option 1 (statement from whom):

prof. A.M. Shammazov

from a second year student

Faculty of Technology

Nikolaev Denis Yakovlevich

Statement

I ask you to transfer me to a correspondence course for family reasons. An extract from the academic certificate of the tests and exams I passed is attached.

07/25/2012 Personal signature

Option 2 (whose statement):

Rector of the Ufa State

Petroleum Technical University

prof. A.M. Shammazov

second year student

Faculty of Technology

Nikolaev Denis Yakovlevich

statement.

In connection with the request of the enterprise that sent me to study at its own expense, I ask you to transfer me to the specialty “Drilling oil and gas wells”. The letter from the HR Department of Burintekh LLC is attached.

The Russian language allows you to express your thoughts in five different ones, each of which is something special and is used in a particular field of activity. In the administrative and public - official business style of speech is used, applied both in written and oral form.

In contact with

Peculiarities

This style has pronounced characteristics, which are clearly seen in the morphology and syntax of texts. The stylistic features are as follows:

Concerning lexical features, then there are only three of them:

1. A certain set of lexical phrases and the use of official words: prescribe, allow, notify, plaintiff, law, etc.
2. Dry vocabulary, full of purely clerical expressions: there is a place to be, etc.
3. The use of set phrases: based on, taking into account, etc.

Important! Despite the necessary impersonality, these texts allow the use of first person verbs and pronouns.

Syntactic constructions- these are the signs that easily allow the reader to determine the type of presentation. This type of texts has several characteristic syntactic features:

1. The presence of small structures - simple sentences, the absence of homogeneous members of the sentence or introductory words.
2. High structural standardization - each type of document has its own structural features. So, all statements begin with a stamp at the top of the sheet, and all protocols are characterized by signatures at the end of the document.

This form of presentation of thoughts is quite actively used in various spheres of life. Everyone should be able to use it, since any relationship with organizations take place in business language.

Usage

The scope of application is extremely narrow, and at the same time quite extensive. Examples of text of this nature are often found in government organizations and are divided into:

1. Legislative level - legislative documents, official papers, charters, rules.
2. Everyday business level - official correspondence, private office work.

Both types are used in different areas:

• jurisprudence;
• economy;
• politics;
• business;
• international relations;
• marketing.

An example of official business style documents is office and official papers, starting with explanatory and ending with the Constitution.

Cliche

As in any other, in an official business text there are some clichés. Usually, the use of such stamps is considered unacceptable and negative.

Stamps are words that are overused and have an indefinite meaning (defined, therefore, some), deforming the meaning, or losing it altogether in an abundance of unnecessary phrases.

Despite the negative meaning of stamps, they can and should be used in business conversations and papers. It was stated above that business speech uses standards as the main means of language. The presence of a certain standard or stamp at times simplifies creation and filling all questionnaires, forms and other documents.

Important! In such forms, it is unacceptable to freely express one's thoughts: the secretary cannot be answered in business correspondence “We are waiting for an answer, like the nightingale of summer” - this is unacceptable.

Official speech, standard situations - all this determines essence and purpose of such documents, as well as their clear structure and arrangement of all elements of the proposal. It does not allow:

• conversational elements;
• poeticisms;
• archaisms;
• emotional words and colorings;
• artistic elements: hyperboles, metaphors, etc.;

Any text of this category, which is correctly constructed in terms of grammar and vocabulary, is correct and fully complies with the requirements of the official business style of speech. And if it contains the above elements, even with the correct structure, it is perceived as incorrect. Standardness in this type of speech is a lexical feature, and has its own markers, for example:

• to fine;
• express gratitude;
• call to account;
• put forward an argument;
• be responsible;
• delivery notice.

Thus, cliches in general are a negative phenomenon, but their use in this category acceptable and even welcome.

However, there is another side to the excessive use of clericalism - texts must carry information, despite the use of many clichés.

Therefore, you should carefully proofread all papers to make sure that the recipient and reader get the necessary information load from them.

Style Text Analysis

Any text is subject to analysis to determine the style to which it belongs and other features. Examples of texts can be found in legislative documents, official notices and other official papers. To define a style, analyze text:

Reveal style features:

• accurate presentation of information and detailed;
• the severity of the composition;
• lack of expression and emotion.

Lexical features:

• use of special terminology;
• an abundance of bureaucracy (taking into account, have the right);
• words of need and duty.

Morphological features:

• use and verbs in the present tense;
• frequent use of verbal nouns;
• naming people based on their actions.

Syntactic:

• high particularity of homogeneous members;
• the presence of complicated sentences;
• frequent use of the genitive;
• use of passive and impersonal constructions;
• the presence of simple unemotional sentences;
• direct word order.

If all these features are found in the text, then it belongs to the official business style. Examples of texts of a similar plan are found in educational literature, stationery and personal documents. For example, an autobiography is often written in a similar language, and certain rules should be followed when writing it:

1. Structured text: each important date begins with a paragraph and a new paragraph follows it, the date is always indicated at the end of the document.
2. Strict observance of the chronological sequence, starting from birth and ending with the last year before writing the document, illogical transitions are not allowed.
3. Conciseness: the autobiography is not written on more than 2-3 pages.
4. A statement of accurate, reliable facts that can always be confirmed by evidence papers.

When writing a biography use of words from other styles is allowed, but the presence of cliches is welcome. Often you can find autobiographies in a completely artistic style, but such a document is more like an autobiographical story than a dry statement of facts.

Dialog

Oral speech can also be delivered in a business style. Compliance with the cliché of the official style is also welcomed in dialogues, despite the fact that the usual arrangement of information on papers differs from oral speech.

She is usually full of emotion and rather asymmetrical. If oral speech is emphatically logical, the communication environment is clearly official.

Main characteristic oral business communication is the flow of a conversation in a positive way in the key of sympathy, respect or goodwill. Oral speech differs depending on the varieties of style:

• clerical and business - oral speech is full of clericalism and cliches, but it also allows the use of ordinary, non-business words;
• public administration - the use of phraseological units, anarchisms, slang expressions and other words that are not related to the business style is unacceptable.

To main features oral official speech include:

• brevity;
• accuracy;
• influence;
• corresponding words;
• well-designed structures;
• correct syntax;
• standardization of mentally prepared speech.

Oral business speech cannot be emotional. A good example is the following business dialogue:

- Hello!

- Hello. How can I help you?

— I would like to submit my resume to your company.

- Do you have a higher education?

— Yes, I graduated from the university with a degree in Management.

Are you familiar with our terms and conditions?

— Yes, in full.

- Good. Then take your resume and other documents, and come tomorrow at 9:00 to the main office for an interview. All the best!

- Thanks. Goodbye.

Official business style in Russian, examples where it is applied

We study speech styles in Russian - official business style

Conclusion

Business speech may seem boring and dry at first glance, but when mastering it, it becomes clear that it is as rich as artistic speech, just the scope of its application requires certain conditions and rules, to which it corresponds. Formal business style is feature of the state and business sphere, and sooner or later you will have to learn to own it in order to become a full-fledged member of society.

The official business style serves legal relations between citizens and the state and is used in various documents - from state acts and international treaties to business correspondence. The most important functions of this style - communication and impact - are implemented in such official documents as laws, regulations, decrees, orders, contracts, agreements, business correspondence, statements, receipts, etc.

This style is also called administrative, as it serves the sphere of official, business relations, the field of law and public policy. Its other name - business speech - indicates that this style is the most ancient of book styles, its origins are in the business speech of the era of the Kyiv state, in which legal documents (contracts, "Russkaya Pravda", various letters) were already created in X century.

The official business style stands out among other book styles, and is characterized by stability, relatively clear stylistic isolation, extreme standardization and unification, maximum specificity and absolute accuracy.

Despite the wide variety of business documents, their language is strictly subject to the requirements of an official business presentation: the accuracy of the wording of legal norms and the need for absolute adequacy of their understanding, the composition of the mandatory elements of the document, ensuring its legal validity, the standardized nature of the presentation, stable forms of arranging the material in a certain logical sequences, etc.

For all forms of business writing, strict compliance with the literary norm at all language levels is mandatory - the use of:

1) lexical and phraseological means of colloquial, colloquial nature, dialectal, professional jargon words;

2) non-literary variants of inflection and word formation;

3) colloquial syntactic constructions.

The official business style does not accept expressive elements: evaluative vocabulary, high or reduced words (joking, ironic), figurative expressions. The most important requirement for the language of a document is the objectivity and "dispassion" of the presentation of facts.

The official business style functions mainly in writing, but its oral form is not excluded - speeches by state and public figures at solemn meetings, meetings, receptions. The oral form of business speech is characterized by a full style of pronunciation, a special expressiveness of intonation, and logical stresses. The speaker can allow some emotional elation of speech, even interspersed with other-style language means, without violating, however, the literary norm. Wrong accents, non-literary pronunciation are not allowed.

The vocabulary of official speech is characterized by the widespread use of thematically determined special words and terms (legal, diplomatic, military, accounting, sports, etc.).

The desire for brevity leads to the use of abbreviations, complexly abbreviated names of state bodies, institutions, organizations, societies, parties, etc. (Security Security Council, Airborne Forces, Ministry of Emergency Situations, Air Force, Scientific Research Institute, DEZ, LDPR, NZ, PE, CIS, GVMU MO RF, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Health), as well as reductions (illiquid assets, cash (black), federal, etc.).

Business texts are distinguished by the use of words and expressions that are not accepted in other styles (the above, the following, the above, proper, prohibited, preventive measure, deed, punishability, etc.). These include stable phrases: a cassation complaint, an act of civil (state), an act of disobedience, a written undertaking not to leave, etc. The regular use of such words and expressions that do not have synonyms contributes to the accuracy of speech, excludes other interpretations.

The inappropriateness of the expressive coloring of official speech makes it impossible to use interjections, modal words, a number of particles, words with subjective evaluation suffixes, adjectives in comparative and superlative degrees. Nouns denoting positions are usually used in the masculine form (accountant, director, laboratory assistant, postman, controller, etc.).

In official speech, non-finite forms of verbs are more common - participles, gerunds, infinitives, which especially often act in the meaning of the imperative mood (take note, make a suggestion, recommend, withdraw from use, etc.).

The syntax of the official business style reflects the impersonal nature of speech (Complaints are filed with the prosecutor; Carriage of goods is carried out). In this regard, passive constructions are widely used, which allow you to abstract from specific performers and focus on the actions themselves (According to the competition, enrolled ... 10 patients were admitted; 120 applications were registered; The deadline for the order is extended provided ...).

Syntactic constructions in official speech are full of clichéd phrases with denominative prepositions: in order, in connection with, along the line, on the basis of, etc. (in order to improve the structure; in connection with the indicated complications; in the line of cooperation and mutual assistance; based on the decision made ). These syntactic clichés are a specific feature of the formal business style. The use of such syntactic constructions is necessary for expressing typical situations. They facilitate and simplify the compilation of standard texts.

At the same time, a characteristic feature of business speech is the predominance of complex sentences: a simple sentence cannot reflect the sequence of facts to be considered in an official business plan.

In order to achieve conciseness and accuracy in a business style, parallel syntactic constructions are often used (participial and participle constructions, constructions with verbal nouns).

Business style syntax is characterized by a strict and definite word order in a sentence. This is due to the requirement of consistency, consistency, accuracy of presentation of thoughts in business texts.

A stylistic feature of business speech is also the predominant use of indirect speech. Direct speech in an official business style is resorted to only in cases where verbatim citation of legislative acts and other documents is necessary.

In the design of texts, official business style, paragraph division and heading play an important role, details are constant elements of the content of the document: names, dates, signatures, as well as the graphic design adopted for this document. All this is of paramount importance in office work, testifies to the literacy of the compiler of documents, his professionalism and culture of speech.

Depending on the area of ​​use official business style is divided into sub-styles:

1) diplomatic, implemented in the texts of a communique, note, convention, memorandum, international agreement;

2) legislative (legal), represented in the texts of the law, constitution, decree, charter, civil and criminal acts;

3) administrative and clerical, used in clerical correspondence, in administrative acts, orders, contracts, various documentation (applications, powers of attorney, autobiographies, receipts, characteristics, protocols, etc.).

Official business documents differ in the degree of standardization of speech.

There are three types:

1) documents that lose their legal force without a standard form (passport, marriage certificate, birth certificate, matriculation certificate, diploma);

2) documents that do not have a standard form, but for the convenience of their use, drawn up according to a certain model (notes, contracts, etc.);

3) documents that do not require a mandatory specified form when they are drawn up (minutes, resolutions, reports, business letters). However, for these types of business papers, certain standards have been developed that facilitate office work.

The variety of genres in the official business style gives reason to single out official documentary and everyday business genres in its composition; the first presents the features of the language of diplomacy, laws, and secondly - official correspondence, business papers.

Note the linguistic features of official documents belonging to different genres.

The language of diplomatic documents is very peculiar: it has its own terminology (attache, communiqué, demarche, summit, pact, convention), some terms are native Russian (ambassador, envoy, chargé d'affaires). Sometimes words in diplomacy take on a special, special meaning. For example, the word protocol, known to us in its common sense (minutes of a meeting - a document recording everything that happened at a meeting, cf.: protocol of interrogation - an accurate reflection of questions and answers), in the speech of diplomats acquires a different meaning: it is "a set of generally accepted binding rules, traditionally observed in international communication.

The rules of diplomatic courtesy require addressing high-ranking persons with their titles and title forms (Prince, Queen, His Highness, His Excellency, etc.).

Strict forms of the beginning and end of various documents have been developed. For example, a personal note must be written in the first person (on behalf of the one who signs it). The appeal requires the addition of the word respected, and at the end, before the signature, a courtesy formula (“compliment”) is obligatory: I ask you, Mr. Ambassador, to accept the assurances of my very high consideration.

The syntax of diplomatic documents is complex, it is dominated by long sentences, complicated by participial phrases, subordinate clauses (mainly definitive and explanatory), a lengthy list of homogeneous members, often graphically underlined with the help of paragraph division of the construction.

For example, the introductory part (preamble) of the Charter of the United Nations looks like this:

WE THE PEOPLES OF THE UNITED NATIONS ARE RESOLVEDdeliver future generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lives has brought unspeakable grief to humanity, andto reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women, and in the equal rights of nations large and small, andcreate conditions under which justice and respect for obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be observed, andto promote social progress and better living conditions in greater freedom,AND FOR THESE PURPOSEbe tolerant and live together, in peace with each other, as good neighbors, andcombine our forces to maintain international peace and security, andto ensure, by the adoption of principles and the establishment of methods, that the armed forces shall not be employed except in the general interest, anduse the international apparatus to promote the economic and social progress of all peoplesWE DECIDED TO COMBINE OUR EFFORTS TO ACHIEVE OUR GOALS.

This whole long piece of text is one sentence, in which infinitive phrases are underlined by paragraphs, paragraph indents and significant parts (subject of the contract, goals, etc.) are in font.

The language of laws is distinguished by a different stylistic design: it should always be simple and concise, the main thing in it is the accuracy of the expression of thought. The clarity and accuracy of the wording is absolutely necessary here, since the laws are designed for unambiguous perception, they should not be interpreted in different ways.

Let us cite as an example the classical formulations of human rights from the Universal Declaration adopted by the UN General Assembly half a century ago.

Article 1 All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards each other in a spirit of brotherhood.

Article 3 Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.

Article 4 No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade are prohibited in all their forms.

Article 5 No one shall be subjected to torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

The vocabulary of such important documents is not devoid of some pompousness, which is determined by the content of the text. The elevated sound of speech is quite natural in such cases. This is how government notes, international treaties, etc. are written. However, among the legislative documents there are quite a few that are distinguished by dry, even boring language. Such a reputation is created for him by the use of special words and expressions, the so-called clericalisms (living space, living, enrolling, providing time off (vacation), endorse, hear, proper, after the expiration of the term, in the prescribed manner, enter into force, etc. .). This style is replete with standard wording, a lot of repetition, which is also functionally conditioned.

Here is an example of an excerpt from the "Law on Pensions of the Russian Federation":

II. old age pension

Article 10. General grounds determining the right to a pension.

Pension on a general basis is established:

- for men - upon reaching the age of 60 and with a total work experience of at least 25 years;

- women - upon reaching the age of 55 and with a total work experience of at least 20 years.

The repetition of situations considered in legislative documents leads to the standardization of ways of expression, this leaves a mark on the morphology of this substyle. It is characterized by the frequent use of denominative prepositions (for purposes, at the expense of, in business, in the area), which, as a rule, “pull” verbal nouns (achievement, settlement, recovery, establishment, appeal, inquiry, etc.).

In addition to verbal nouns, personal ones are also frequent here, that is, nouns denoting the names of people according to their actions, social roles, other signs: adoptive parent, witness, detainee, vacationer, client, applicant, buyer, visitor, spectator, passenger, etc. All these and similar words receive a negative assessment outside of official business speech as typical clericalisms, but here their use is justified, they perform a style-forming function.

The language of laws is characterized by an impersonal form of presentation, since the will of the state is not reflected in the legislation (Pension is assigned; At the end of the investigation, an indictment is drawn up). This explains the abundance of passive voice verbs (cf .: The house is being built by the joint-stock company "Theme"; The stadium was built and equipped by the sponsors of the boarding school). Of the other verb forms, infinitives are especially common here: they are needed for imperative constructions expressing a prescription, an order (to ensure timely payment of wages; to reinstate; to report ... to refuse).

The syntax of legislative documents is characterized by the predominance of complex sentences; in complex subordinate clauses, conditional clauses are common. There are many conditionally infinitive constructions here, which is determined by the target task - to stipulate the conditionality of the legal norm, as well as the fact that laws do not have retroactive effect.

In the legislative language, a type of sentence has developed, associated with a special composition of the text of laws. In such cases, rubrication, which reflects the compositional structure of the text, plays an important role. The simplest heading is a paragraph, which serves as an indicator of the transition from one thought (topic) to another. A paragraph is always an internally closed semantic unit.

A characteristic feature of the legislative sub-style is the use of special coordinating conjunctions: as well as, as well as, as well as, as ... and. Here, the predominant use of indirect speech is noted (direct speech is possible only when legislative acts are quoted verbatim, as well as in the oral judicial speech of lawyers, prosecutors and other members of the court).

The way of presentation in the legislative sub-style is directive.

The language of the administrative and clerical substyle deserves special attention, since knowledge of it is important for every citizen, since such business papers as an application, receipt, explanatory note and many others constantly accompany us at work and even on vacation. The ability to write the necessary "paper" is an integral feature of literacy, the culture of human speech.

However, the purpose of the administrative and clerical substyle is wider than the preparation of everyday business documentation. The scope of functioning of the clerical substyle is administrative-departmental relations, which are associated with various kinds of offices that are in charge of official correspondence and paperwork.

The administrative and clerical substyle has two functions:

Informational content (agenda, announcement)

Organizational and regulatory (instruction, order, business correspondence).

The administrative and clerical sub-style includes many genres. These include the so-called subordinate (that is, issued on the basis of and in pursuance of laws) documents issued by executive and administrative bodies (administrative acts, circulars, orders, orders), and contractual documents, as well as various clerical documentation: application, description, autobiography , power of attorney, receipt, etc.

Administrative and clerical documents stand out against the background of other business texts by some features in the use of language tools.

The vocabulary of this documentation includes various terminology (professional, accounting, trading, sports, etc.), the use of which is determined by the situation.

Nomenclature designations of various enterprises and institutions are used (Central Bank of Russia, State Tax Inspectorate, Open Joint Stock Company (OJSC), Moscow Commodity Exchange, etc.); titles of positions, academic titles, degrees; special terminology related to the execution of business papers (incoming, outgoing (document), document flow (movement of documents in an institution), index (symbols assigned to documents in the process of their accounting (registration) and execution), stamp (a mark indicating a special nature document - “secret”, “urgent”, “personally”), register (list, list of something used in office work), details (mandatory elements of a service document), document form (a set of document details located in the established sequence), etc. .d.

Many turns of speech that are constantly used in business correspondence have gained a stable character.

The arsenal of these language blanks is quite extensive, for example:

I am hereby responding to your letter of...

In accordance with the Protocol on mutual deliveries, I ask you...

I hope for further fruitful cooperation...

We look forward to receiving your reply as soon as possible...

Addressing them to the writer of the letter simplifies the task: he chooses a ready-made wording, inserting it into the appropriate part of the text.

The standardization of business writing has led to the creation of ready-made texts (standard texts, stencil letters), in which you only need to enter specific information. The appearance of such samples for business letters is associated with the need to solve the same type of problem situations in production, transport, and trade.

Such letters have advantages due to much less labor time spent on their composition (in stencil letters - filling in the gaps) and processing.

A typical text is built on the basis of not only clichéd phrases, but also clichéd sentences:

In response to your request, we send you the information you are interested in.

We hereby confirm our participation in the exhibition.

Expression is alien to administrative and clerical speech, but in special cases (holiday order for an institution, diploma, address to the hero of the day), it is possible to use evaluative suffixes, degrees of comparison of adjectives, figurative expressions.

The syntax of clerical documents is complex: complex sentences are used, a long list of homogeneous members, participial and adverbial phrases. In clerical documents, narration, description and reasoning are very often combined with each other. The directive style of presentation in these documents is rare (mainly in orders, instructions).

An important role in the stationery is played by graphics, writing and location of details.