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张明明
西安外国语大学商学院 陕西 西安 710128
Abstract：With the acceleration of internationalization of China, lots of international brands come into Chinese market. We can see many different kinds of advertisements everywhere in our daily life, such as on TV, radio, newspaper, the internet and so on. Therefore, it is very necessary to explore English advertisements. This essay will analyzes advertising language from the perspective of presupposition.
Keywords：English advertisements；presupposition
1.A Brief Introduction to Presupposition
“A presupposition is something the speaker assumes to be the case prior to making an utterance.” (Yule 157). It is put forward as a philosophical logic term by a famous German philosopher Frege in 1892. Until the nineteen sixties, presupposition began to become the linguists’ focus of study. In the seventies, some linguists combine it with context. In the eighties, it is integrated into the theoretical framework of cognitive linguistics.
2.The Characteristics of English advertisements
2.1lexical characteristics of English advertisements
(1)using lots of comparative and superlative adjectives.
To beauty their products, it is very natural to use a lot of adjectives( such as beautiful, good, new, fresh, big and so on). For example,
The clear look: it’s fresh, natural look of clean make-up.
This advertisement is from American cosmetic company, Cover Girl. In this sentence, there are four adjectives, taking natural and clean as the theme, which make product more easy-going.
(2) the use of compounds
In English advertisements, compounds are used commonly, which mainly contain following kinds:
adj+noun (these twenty top-quality bulbs, high-fashion knitwear)
adj+v-ing (the best- looking small car in the world)
adv.+v-ing (best- selling soft toilet tissue)
2.2syntactic construction
In English advertisements, Imperative and assertive sentences are the most popular among them. However, too much assertive sentences will make advertisements plain but imperative and questions can free readers from passive situations. Here is an example,
Why is it more fun to go to California on the Sunset Limited?
2.3Rhetorical devices
(1)Pun
A pun is a play on words, either on different sense of the same word or on the similar sense of sound of different words. For example:
I am More satisfied.
In this sentence, pun is used to express two meanings, and More is not only the logo of cigarette, but also as a modifier.
(2)Alliteration
Alliteration can be seen as a kind of rhyme. It is repetition of the same inntial consonant sound within a line or a group of words. For instance:
Go for Gold
This advertisement not only makes full use of the meaning of “gold”, but also let readers think that the wine has the quality as good as gold.
3. Presupposition in English Advertisements
3.1 lexical presupposition in English Advertisements
(1) simple words
Words appearing in advertisements are almost very simple, but they are so powerful. For example,
All you need is a taste for adventure.
In this sentence, all words are very simple, and “a taste for adventure” is the presupposition.
(2)Informal words
Advertising language is not formal, so it need not be formal. Besides, it is easy for them to understand.
Keep the frog out of your throat.
This sentence is from a kind of medicine, “Frog” is the presupposition of the advertisement.
(3)Pun
Some English words have the same pronunciation, but their meaning are totally different. Here is an example,
OIC
It is the name of an American glasses shop. OIC is the presupposition in the advertisement. OIC sounds like the sentence “ oh, I see”.
3.2 Sentential presupposition in English advertisements
(1)Questions
Using questions can make readers think about the answers to the question. Let us see a simple example,
If you have this safety, won’t you be afraid again?
This advertisement is from a kind of pickproof safety. The presupposition in this sentence is: there is no doubt that the customers are afraid of being robbed by burglars before buying this pickproof safety.
(2)Imperative
Imperative sentence are commonly used in English advertisements. For example,
Never spend unnecessary money from now on.
It is from a kind of Chinese digital machine. In this sentence, the presupposition is that consumers have spent a lot unnecessary money on other digital machine before they buy this digital machine.
Conclusion
Advertisement can be seen as a very simple language, which always express something in few words. Advertising writers usually use several words and concise grammar structures.
Reference
[1]Levinson, S.C. J. Pragmatics. Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, 2001.
[2]Yule, G. (2000). Pragmatics. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Languages Education Press.
[3]曹红霞. 论广告语中的预设[J]. 湘潭师范学院学报，2005(1): 123-26.
作者简介：张明明1993年6月5号，女，汉族，现就读于西安外国语大学商学院2016级商务英语专业。主要研究方向：企业伦理，跨文化研究。
论文作者:张明明
论文发表刊物:《文化研究》2018年第11月
论文发表时间:2018/11/23
标签：西安论文; 商学院论文; 汉族论文; 外国语大学论文; 湘潭论文; 期刊论文; 陕西论文; 《文化研究》2018年第11月论文;