Stylistic Potential Of One-Member Sentences Of Modern Russian Language

Verbal one-member sentences in the advertising slogan structure

The need to emphasize the action itself explains the frequency of the use of one or another type of verbal one-member sentences in the structure of an advertising slogan.

is “a type of one-member sentences where the main part or member is expressed by a personal form of the verb indicating a specific person” (Valgina, 2003, p. 76). In such sentences the verb form not only denotes the action itself, but also clearly indicates the character. That is to say the foregrounding of the predicative semantic subject occurs due to the form of the verb, the main member of the sentence indicating the speaker or his interlocutor (Skoblikova, 2012).

The main member of definitively personal sentences can be expressed by a verb in the singular or plural form of the first or second person, present-future tense, indicative mood, for example: (Sovcombank); (Orient); (Dixi stores chain); singular and plural imperative verb, for example: (Camelot);(Sprite); (Pepsi); (Persen drug). Sometimes to express the meaning of the motivation for a joint action a verb in the first person plural is used, for example: (Persil washing gel);(Head and Shoulders shampoo). In terms of their semantics and structure such sentences are synonymous with two-member sentences and are easily transformed into them by including the corresponding subject-pronouns (Valgina, 2003). However, at the level of functioning, one-member and two-member sentences synonymous with them have fundamental differences, i.e. the general “stylistic tonality” of these sentences is different (Beloshapkova, 2008). Definitely personal sentences give the text more energy, dynamism and make it more concise. It is not without reason that the famous linguist Peshkovsky (2001) when comparing synonymous one-member and two-member sentences came to the conclusion that two-member sentences represent “more sluggish, diluted, calm, but not clearer speech” (p. 44).

In imperative sentences typical of the structure of an advertising slogan, one-member definite personal constructions prevail since the verb in the imperative mood is self-sufficient to foreground the subject of the action, for example: (Beeline); (Brooke Bond); (Nuts);; ! (Skittles); (Samsung);(Jockey); (Mig painkiller);(tic ​​tac);(Hankook).

When functioning in the structure of an advertising slogan, a verb in the form of an imperative mood in a narrative context, there is a tendency towards a softer, recommendatory character (Romanova, 2013). That is, in this case, the advertising text advises and unobtrusively recommends to do things jointly with the advertised product. For example:(Claritin drug); (Garnier);(Princess Nuri); (AVON);(Hochland);(Opel Astra).

are “one-member sentences the main member of which names a process or state independent of the active agent (or a feature independent of its bearer)” (Valgina, 2003, p. 115). The predicative feature of an impersonal sentence is expressed through the most impersonal form of the verb and its lexical meaning. In its turn the action is presented as occurring outside of involvement with its producer. It is the absence of an active agent that is the semantic basis of such sentences, but an indication of an agent or bearer of a feature can be presented in a form that does not allow for a grammatical subject. In general, the appearance of impersonal constructions denoting natural phenomena, the internal or physical state of a person was initially associated with a certain ‘mythical figure’, but as a result of the development of abstract thinking there was a clear distraction of action from a specific figure.

The stylistic possibilities of one-member impersonal sentences are unusually unlimited, which is why they are widely used in advertising texts. They give the advertising slogan a high stylistic color. The advertising is simple and understandable for everyone, for example:(Hylak-Forte); (Lay’s);(Gillette);. (Oreo). The impersonal sentences are irreplaceable when it is necessary to highlight the action itself and its result: (Pyaterochka store).

The grammatical types of impersonal sentences are quite diverse. Valgina (2003) singles out verbal impersonal and nominal impersonal sentences. In the advertising slogan both types are implemented, but the most frequent, according to our observations, are nominal impersonal sentences with an impersonal predicative word in the role of the main member, for example:(Gerber baby food); (Beeline);; (M-Video home appliances store); (Skoda). Impersonal predicative words are etymologically associated with short adjectives and some nouns the semantic feature of which is the expression of various states: easy, fun, healthy, sorry, it is time, etc., and “the meaning of lack of subjectlessness is revealed in relation to the carrier of this feature” (Valgina, 2003, p. 115):(Mezim drug). Such sentences in the composition of the main member often have an adjacent infinitive, for example: (House in the village dairy products);(Golden barrel beer).

are a special type of one-member sentences the main member of which is represented by an independent infinitive expressing various modal-expressive shades: motivation, obligation, permission, desirability, etc. (Babaytseva, 2004).

In the infinitive sentences the main member – the form of the infinitive of the verb – appears outside its relation to the verbal connective, since, if present, the infinitive is an adjoining component and takes a dependent position (Danilova, 2018).

The semantic specificity of infinitive sentences is their designation of an unreal (potential) action, that is, an action that “is destined to take place, which is desirable or undesirable, possible or impossible, expedient or inappropriate” (Valgina, 2003, p. 115), for example:(Nissan Nout);(Tchibo); (Korega gel). The infinitive sentences, as a rule, always have different modal shades, conveyed by intonation differences.

Despite some synonymy with impersonal sentences infinitive sentences differ from them in structural features: In infinitive sentences modal shades are contained in the infinitive itself and in an impersonal sentence they are expressed by lexemes, in combination with the infinitive, for example:(Calcium D3 Nycomed); (Maisky tea); Pampers.; (Pampers).

Nominal one-member sentences in the advertising slogan structure

The analysis of modern advertising texts made it possible to single out from all types of nominal one-member sentences the nominative ones (in their various categories), which regularly function in the structure of advertising slogans.

are one-member, segmented sentences where the semantic subject and its predicative attribute express the fact of existence, presence in objective reality. The main member of such sentences is a noun in the nominative case, which denotes the subject of thought and at the same time serves as a sign of a certain situation (Danilova, 2018).

The frequency of the use of nominative sentences in the advertising text is explained by the fact that they concisely inform consumers about a new product or service. Nominative proposals in advertising affect the addressee through the presentation of facts, avoiding advice, conditions and appeals, leaving the addressee to make their own decisions, for example: (cosmetics advertising).

A distinctive feature of nominative sentences is fragmentation and, at the same time, a large capacity of the expressed content. They name individual details of the situation, but the details are important, calculated for the experience and imagination of the listener or reader, such that it is easy to imagine the overall picture of the described situation or event, for example: (Eldorado store); (Nescafe Classic); (Colgate Total 12).

Nominative sentences are used to emphasize the uniqueness and quality of the advertised product in advertising texts, for example:(Alpen Gold Express).

Besides, with the help of nominative sentences, a brevity, conciseness of the message is achieved and, thanks to the use of epithets, the essential characteristics of the advertised product are highlighted, for example: (Mentos);(Fairy);.

To express the maximum degree of quality in nominative one-member sentences, the superlative adjectives with the value of evaluativeness are used:; nouns and metaphorical expressions with evaluative semantics: (advertising of lingerie). In these examples, we observe the implementation of such a category of nominative sentences as evaluative-being. They have an expression for a particular object, product, situation and phenomenon.

The function of nominative interrogative sentences is the possibility of posing a problem, the key to which will be the subject of advertising:f(face-cream ad).

Exclamatory nominative sentences enhance the emotional fullness of the advertising appeal and give it additional expressiveness:(Bounty);(Mirinda);(The shoe factory network).

The chain of incomplete nominative sentences also makes the text expressive and even dramatic. Here is how the nominative sentences are used in an insurance company advertisement: Or the names of goods, services and their properties are simply listed: (car advertisement).

Sometimes nominative sentences in advertising slogans are built on the principle of antithesis. This allows you to emphasize the merits of the advertised item, highlight its positive qualities. For example:; (Nestle Classic for men); (Rostelecom).

Beside, when creating advertising texts based on nominative sentences, the parceling technique is sometimes used: (Photo studio 4Foto.ru); Parceled structures stand out from the general speech flow, they have an expressive emotional coloring and they enhance speech.

Advertising slogans consisting of nominative sentences often use words that refer to internal resources: soul, intuition, inner voice, knowledge, memory. When using them, the creators of advertising texts emphasize respect for the personality of the consumer and help him or her make the right choice, for example: (Stary Melnik beer).

A nominative sentence can consist of contextual synonyms in an advertising text:.

One of the special varieties of nominative sentences is the so-called nominative representation (nominative theme) (in the terminology of A.M. Peshkovsky). In such constructions, the nominative case, which is in the initial position performs the function of designating the subject of the message, the logical selection of the topic of the statement. According to Peshkovsky (2001), a similar form of the nominative case arises “from the desire to highlight a given representation and facilitate the forthcoming connection of this representation with another. At the same time, the idea is presented in two stages: First, an isolated object is displayed and the listeners only know that something will be said about this object, but now they must observe the object; the next moment the very thought is expressed” (p. 175). It is not surprising that such constructions are very frequent in the syntactic design of advertising slogans as this technique allows a potential consumer of a product to first imagine it, think about it and then listen to the proposed characteristic. For example:

It should be noted that almost no genitival nominal one-member sentences are found in the advertising texts. The main member of such sentences, expressed by the form of the genitive case of a noun, expresses the quantity in its existentiality, for example: This semantics of sentences is not really typical characteristic of the advertising genre, but quite often the genitival sentences function in a different genre of journalism, i.e. in newspaper headlines, for example: (Rossiyskaya Gazeta, No. 195, dated 17.05.2019); (PROgorod, No. 24 (405), dated 16.06.2019).