This paper investigates whether the syntactic features of current advertising slogans are still congruent with Leech’s concept of Standard Advertising Language (established in 1966) since it is a linguistic framework still widely accepted among scholars. But more importantly, because it can provide an answer to a more far-reaching question lying behind the issue of the applicability of Leech’s claims to advertising slogans today: in the course of almost half a century, has advertising language changed and does a new syntactic framework need to be established? The syntactic analysis is based on syntactic features such as sentence force, number of adjuncts, finiteness of verbs, tense and aspect, voice, type of co-ordination and number of adjectives. The findings suggest that the majority of the syntactic features of current advertising slogans are still congruent with Leech’s findings. As a result, the applicability of Standard Advertising English can be extended to current advertising slogans. However, certain deviations from Leech’s concept have been detected in the sample and they suggest a significant development: advertising slogans have changed in certain respects since the 1960s.
In Linguistics, four different types of sentence force can be distinguished, denoted as “mood” by Leech: declarative, imperative, interrogative and exclamative. The one occurring most frequently in Leech’s sample is the imperative force: in his sample, “…over one in four major independent clauses were imperative.” However, only very few imperative clauses are accompanied by a negative form since advertising aims at inciting actions instead of prohibiting them. The infrequency of negative forms, thus, represents a general principle of advertising language. Likewise, interrogative clauses are a common feature of advertising, but with only one in thirty major independent clauses being interrogative. As Leech does not mention declarative and exclamative clauses, they will not be treated as salient features of advertising language in this paper.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Establishing a Syntactic Framework
2.1 Sentence Force
2.2 Grammatical Simplicity
2.3 Verbal Groups
2.4 Nominal Groups
2.5 Coordination
3. Research part
3.1 Hypotheses
3.2 Methods and Material
3.3 Results
4. Discussion
Research Objective & Topics
The primary objective of this paper is to conduct a syntactic analysis of modern advertising slogans to determine if their linguistic features remain congruent with Leech’s 1966 concept of "Standard Advertising Language" or if the field has evolved, necessitating a new syntactic framework.
- Syntactic analysis of current advertising slogans
- Evaluation of Leech’s "Standard Advertising Language"
- Examination of sentence force and grammatical complexity
- Investigation of verbal and nominal group structures
- Application of Chomsky’s minimalist program to advertising language
Excerpt from the Book
2.2 Grammatical Simplicity
Advertising English contains very little grammatical complexity (Leech, 1966: 120). This aspect is attributable to its tendency to employ disjunctive grammar, “…an abbreviated mode of discourse…” (Leech, 1966: 173). Since, in the disjunctive mode of English, there are no restrictions on the simplicity of a grammatical unit, the relation between the different parts of a discourse must be concluded from the context (Leech, 1966: 90). Turning to Leech’s study, the sample includes predominantly independent instead of dependent clauses. If, however, a clause should be dependent, it commonly begins either with when, if or because. Out of the independent clauses, one in five was a minor clause. (Leech, 1966: 116, 120) A minor clause, in comparison to a major clause, is an irregular type of clause lacking a finite verb (Manser, 2006: 374). In particular, discursive grammar has an integral implication on advertising language: almost all minor and non-finite clauses are independent, the exception being embedded non-finite clauses and certain minor clauses headed by a conjunction (Leech, 1966: p.93). Likewise, the infrequency of adjuncts in Leech’s sample – one clause containing on average less than one adjunct – confirms the grammatical simplicity of advertisings. Especially prepositional phrases introduced by for are typically used adjuncts. (Leech, 1966: 115)
Chapter Summary
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the research context and highlights the neglect of syntactic studies in advertising, setting the stage for evaluating Leech’s established framework against modern slogans.
2. Establishing a Syntactic Framework: This section details the linguistic criteria—such as sentence force, grammatical simplicity, and verbal/nominal group structures—that constitute Leech's concept of standard advertising language.
3. Research part: This chapter presents the hypotheses, describes the methodology of using 30 current slogans, and reports the findings regarding the syntactic structures observed.
4. Discussion: This chapter synthesizes the results, concludes that Leech’s framework is still largely applicable, but notes significant developmental shifts and introduces findings on "null constituents" using Chomsky’s framework.
Keywords
Advertising Language, Syntax, Slogans, Leech, Standard Advertising Language, Grammatical Simplicity, Sentence Force, Nominal Groups, Verbal Groups, Coordination, Subordination, Minimalist Program, Null Constituents, Linguistic Analysis, Disjunctive Grammar
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The paper focuses on a syntactic analysis of modern advertising slogans to examine whether current advertising language still aligns with the "Standard Advertising Language" defined by Geoffrey Leech in 1966.
What are the primary themes addressed in the study?
The study investigates sentence force, grammatical complexity, the structure of verbal and nominal groups, and the use of coordination versus subordination in advertising copy.
What is the main research question?
The central question is whether the syntactic features of current advertising slogans remain congruent with Leech’s claims after nearly half a century, or if a new framework is needed.
Which scientific methodology is employed?
The research uses a comparative approach, establishing hypotheses based on Leech’s work and testing them against a sample of 30 advertising slogans collected in 2013, followed by a quantitative analysis.
What topics are covered in the main section?
The main section covers the establishment of a syntactic reference framework, the formulation and testing of 15 specific hypotheses, and a discussion of the results including the application of Chomsky’s minimalist program.
How would you characterize the keywords of this work?
The work is characterized by terms like syntactic analysis, advertising slogans, Standard Advertising Language, and grammatical simplicity, which reflect the linguistic focus on structural patterns in media discourse.
What did the analysis reveal about the role of nominal groups?
Contrary to Leech’s findings of complex nominal groups, the analysis revealed that modern slogans prefer simple, unmodified nominal groups without adjectives.
How does the author apply Chomsky’s minimalist program?
The author applies the program to identify "null constituents," such as null subjects, null tense, and null determiners, which are common in slogans but were not covered in Leech’s original study.
What is the conclusion regarding the applicability of Leech's theory?
The author concludes that while Leech’s findings are still largely applicable, there are deviations, such as a shift toward subordination and the frequent use of non-linking coordination, suggesting subtle developments in advertising language.
- Quote paper
- Marie-Kristin Hofmann (Author), 2014, Has the Syntax of Advertising changed? A Syntactic Analysis of Slogans on the basis of Leech’s Concept of Standard Advertising Language, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/373247
