Spoken and Written Registers

Main differences between spoken and written registers

In the spoken registers there is no possibility of editing or revision of what we want to say.

In written registers on the contrary there is time and possibility to think and edit what we want

to express. So we can say that spoken registers are more sincere and spontaneous because

they reflect our emotion in the moment of the utterance.

INTERPERSONAL SPOKEN REGISTERS

Situational characteristics

 2 or more partecipants

 direct interaction

 same time and space

 produced in real time

 no time for revision

Linguistic features

 Repetitions

 shortcuts

 yes/no questions

 wh questions

 lots of verbs

 semi modal verbs

 participants taking turns

 imperatives

 pronouns

 simple syntax

 same time and place

Face to face conversation

Conversation is aquired naturally when we are babies. On the contrary, few adults learn to

produce specific written registers like newspaper writing or academic prose.

Sub-registers include telephone conversation and workplace conversation.

It has an emphatic element (the use of adjectives e.g. It was REALLY funny).

The participants take turns and work together to create coherent interactions, at times even

completing each other's sentences.

University office hours

Takes place in a university office between a student and a professor. The student starts the

interaction by coming to the office. It has many markers – Ok, well, alright. Use of

imperatives. Main purpose: problem solving.

Service encounters

Interaction between a customer and an employee. Focus on completing a business transaction.

Genre markers: Can I help you? There you go – Thank you. Politeness.

WRITTEN REGISTERS, GENRES AND STYLES

Situational characteristics

 Many participants

 Indirect interaction

 different time and place

 not in real time

 a lot of time to edit

 no personal feelings -> objectivity

 main goal: sharing information/personal feelings

Linguistic features

 less prononuns

 main use of present and tense in newspapers

 use of passive forms which allows quick skimming

Newspaper writing

subregisters: news analysis, sport reports, editorials, reviews.

An editorial's main purpose is to express an opinion overtly and persuade readers to that

opinion. The newspaper article, usually focused on current and newsworthy events, can be

skimmed. There is an high frequency of verbs and a lot of time for planning. Present and past

participle are the main used tenses. High use of passive forms. In editorials high use of

conditionals to discuss hypotheticals.

Academic pr