ABSTRACT
In the course of the several other researches done in the past, it was realised that many works have been done on stylistics but none is related to sports columns and so this essay aims at visiting these vacuums and filling them. Two of the most widely read newspapers were selected for this study. In the study, it was found out that most of the columnists use sports registers and words peculiar in their field. It also realised that they use reader friendly features like pictures, colours and short paragraphs. We can then say that sports columns use simple and less formal languages they try to avoid the use of bogus words for easier understanding and readers’ comprehension.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 A BRIEF HISTORY OF MASS MEDIA 2
1.2 PURPOSE OF STUDY 5
1.3 SCOPE AND LIMITATION 5
1.4 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 5
CHAPTER TWO
2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW 7
2.1 STYLE 7
2.2 STYLISTICS 9
2.3 MORPHOLOGY 11
2.4 COMPOUNDING 12
2.5 GRAPHOLOGY 14
2.6 COHESION 15
2.6.1 REFERENCES 15
2.6.2 CONJUNCTIONS 17
2.6.3 ELIPSIS AND SUBSTITUTION 17
2.7 LEXICO-SEMANTIC CHOICES 18
2.7.1 ACRONYMING 18
2.7.2 COLLOCATIONS 19
CHAPTER THREE
3.0 ANALYSIS OF DATA 21
3.1.0 GRAPHOLOGY 21
3.1.1 BOLDENING 21
3.1.2 CAPITALISATION 22
3.1.3 PICTURE/IMAGES 24
3.1.4 COLON 25
3.1.6 GOTHIC WRITING 25
3.1.7 QUOTATION MARKS 26
3.1.8 DASHES 28
3.1.9 APOSTROPHE 29
3.1.10 ELLIPSIS PERIODS 30
3.1.11 TOPIC IN TOPIC 30
3.2.0 MORPHOLOGICAL PROCESS 31
3.2.1 COMPOUNDING 31
3.2.2 ACRONYMS 32
3.3.0 COHESION 33
3.3.1 REFERENCE 33
3.3.2 CONJUNCTION 33
3.3.3 LEXICAL COHESION 35
3.4.0 LEXICO-SYNTACTIC PATTERNS 37
3.4.1 ANASTROPHE 37
3.4.2 PARENTHESIS 37
3.5 ANALYSIS OF DATA B (COMPLETE SPORTS) 38
3.5.0 GRAPHOLOGY 38
3.5.1 BOLDENING 38
3.5.2 CAPITALISATION 42
3.5.3 SYMBOLS AND BULLETS 44
3.5.4 COLOURS 45
3.5.5 UNDERLINE AND BORDERS 46
3.5.6 PICTURE 47
3.5.7 GRAPHICS 49
3.5.8 QUOTATION MARKS 49
3.5.9 BRACKETS 50
3.5.10 APOSTROPHE 50
3.5.11 COLONS 51
3.6.0 MORPHOLOGICAAL LEVEL 52
3.6.1 COMPOUNDING 52
3.6.2 ACRONYMS 53
3.7.0 COHESIVE DEVICES 54
3.7.1 REFERENCE 54
3.7.2 CONJUNCTIONS 55
3.7.3 LEXICAL COHESION 56
3.8.0 LEXICO-SYNTACTIC CHOICES 59
3.8.1 HYPERBOLE 59
3.9 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS 60
CHAPTER FOUR
SUMMARY 61
FINDINGS 62
CONCLUSION 63
BIBLOGRAPHY 64
INTRODUCTION
This essay is done in an attempt to examine the language and style used in sports columns of some selected Nigerian newspapers.
In recent days, we have known several modes of disseminating information down to the public and the modes are radio, television, digital media and the print media (Newspapers and Magazines). Of the different modes of dissemination, the print media is the most important because it is durable, visible and appealing to the sense of sight at the time of its reading, because of its durability it can be kept for several years and it allows for its keeper or owner to go through them over and over again thoroughly. Another of its edge over the electronic media (Television and Radio) is that it can be kept and stored either in the homes, schools, institutions, public and private universities, places of worship and companies. The print media (Newspapers and Magazines) is for all purposes.
Due to the importance of sports columns to newspaper, we cannot but look into the way their language and styles are used by the various newspapers.