Commentary or Response Writing

Language Devices used in Advertising

Advertising aims to persuade, using a mixture of the following devices :

Imperative verbs Questions Exclamations Clichés Superlatives and intensifiers Evocative and emotional adjectives Alliteration Rhyme Statistics

Advertising Devices

What Is an Imperative SentenceAn imperative sentence gives a direct command. It can end in a full stop or an exclamation mark,depending on the forcefulness of the command.

The main verb in an imperative sentence is said tobe in the imperative mood.

Examples of Imperative Sentences:Clear this desk by tomorrow!Please tidy your room.Consider the lily.Drive to the roundabout and then turn left.

Adverting devices : Imperative verbs

A cliché is an overused and worn-out expression used to convey a popular thought or idea.

Examples of Clichés:The ball is in your court.Think outside the box.As useful as a lead balloon.Every cloud has a silver lining.

Adverting devices : Clichés

Types of Clichés :Proverbs.A proverb is a short, well-known saying which states a general truth or a piece of advice.

For example:A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. A leopard cannot change its spots. Idioms

An idiom is commonly used expression whose meaning does not relate to the literal meaning of its word.

For example:I am over the moon.You have a Sword of Damocles hanging over you.

Adverting devices : Clichés

Catchphrases.A catchphrase is a well-known term, especially one that is associated with a particular famous person.

For example:"Come on down!" (The Price Is Right)"Yabba dabba doo!" (Fred Flintstone)"You're fired!" (Donald Trump or Alan Sugar from The Apprentice)Similes

A simile is a figure of speech which compares one thing with another to create an analogy.

For example:This is about as much use as a chocolate teapot.He drinks like a fish.

Adverting devices : Clichés

Metaphors A metaphor is a figure of speech which states one thing is

another to create an analogy.For example:That will put the final nail in the coffin.I am banging my head against a brick wall here.

Overused and Worn-out ExpressionsRemember, a cliché is a worn-out expression. It is one that has

lost its effectiveness through over-usage.

Not all proverbs, idioms, catchphrases, similes, and metaphors are clichés.

Adverting devices : Clichés

An intensifier is a word (usually an adverb) that strengthens or weakens another word (usually the word immediately to its right).

An intensifier will have no real meaning in itself and can usually be removed from the sentence.

The sole purpose of an intensifier is to tell us about the intensity of another word.

Examples of Intensifiers in Sentences:The pie is tasty.(There is no intensifier in this sentence.)This pie is very tasty.(In this example, the

intensifier very strengthens the adjective tasty. ) The delegation is late.(There is no intensifier in this sentence.)The

delegation is very late.

Adverting devices : Superlatives and Intensifiers

Intensifiers can also weaken the words they govern.

For example:She feels quite lonely.Jack is working fairly hard on the report.He was talking a bit anxiously.

Adverting devices : Superlatives and Intensifiers

Negative-sounding Intensifiers Provide Strength

Negative-sounding words such as awfully, dreadfully, insanely, and terribly

provide strength to the words they govern.

For example:You look awfully pale.I am dreadfully sorry.That is an insanely clever plan.

Adverting devices : Superlatives and Intensifiers

Alliteration is the repetition of the same initial letter in successive words. It is done for effect.

Alliteration is a stylistic literary technique in which neighbouring words repeat the same initial consonant sound. This is not to be confused with consonance as alliteration refers to only the beginning sound of the word and consonance refers to any other part.

Alliteration is used for emphasis or to make a sentence more pleasing to the ear. It is used in every day language, poetry, and literature.

Adverting devices : Alliteration

To form alliteration we need two or more words that have the same starting consonant sound.

It's important to focus on the sound rather than the letter because it is the sound that catches the audience's attention.

Adverting devices : Alliteration

The bouncing ball went high into the sky.(In this example, the "B" sound is repeated back to back by two words to create

alliteration.)

Finally friends find Friday fun.(In this example, we can easily see that the "F" sound is in each and every word in the

sentence. This makes our alliteration very obvious and the repetition easily spotted.)

The quick cat climbed carefully.(This example shows the importance of the sound instead of the letter as all make a "K"

noise to create the alliteration.)

Decadent depletion of our resources is a sign of our definite demise.

(In this example, we repeatedly use the "D" sound to create the alliteration.)

Adverting devices : Alliteration