On the Role of Expressive Syntax in the Creation of Image in English Popular Science Media Texts

Abstract

The article is devoted to the problem of the usage of the category of expressive syntax on the basis of English popular science media texts. The relevance of this topic is determined by the huge potential of expressive syntax in the organizing information in the text, by influencing the target audience and actualizing their basic knowledge and by attracting their attention to different important issues described in the article, forming their opinion and giving them a chance to create their understanding of the issue under consideration and try to think about the ways of solving it. The aim of the article is to describe the capacity of the expressive syntax constructions to convey the visual conception of the described object, create the image of the people referred to in the text. The analysis was based on the articles of English popular science editions of National Geographic, The Economist and New Scientist, chosen randomly and unified by a common topic. Because of the common issue the information, represented in the article, focuses on similar ways of influencing readers’ minds and due to this it is of interest to understand what means of influencing are used in texts with different target audience and different communicative aims. After analyzing the material, it can be noted that means of expressive syntax are used for visualizing the material, which helps the readers to understand the meaning of terminology and the description of different scientific processes, for conveying some feeling and emotions, preparing the reader for the development of the topic, and for justifying the choice of the people quoted and proving their expertise.

Keywords

• expressive syntax
• media linguistics
• popular science text
• media text
• creating a visual image