Abstract

With the rapid development of commodity economy, more and more advertising language floods into people’s daily life. Advertising is playing an important role in modern commercial society. As English is the common language spoken in many countries, it makes advertising English have a far-reaching influence. Advertising English has its own individuality. In order to persuade customers, the language of advertising English must be forceful and effective enough to attract their attentions, to arouse their interests and to encourage their purchasing actions. The use of rhetorical devices in advertising English can not only enhance the appeal of language, but also promote customers to buy the products. The application of oxymoron in advertising English is of great artistic charm. It has two inconsistent, even totally opposite features to describe something, which can always bring confusion and surprise to customers, so it can receive unexpected results.

This paper mainly discusses the pragmatic functions of oxymoron applied in advertising English, so that we can have a better understanding of advertising English.

Key words: advertising English; oxymoron; pragmatic functions

Contents

Abstract

摘要

1 Introduction-1

2 Literature Review-3

2.1 Previous studies on advertising English-3

2.2 Previous studies on oxymoron-4

3 Oxymoron in Advertising English-6

3.1 Structure of oxymoron in advertising English-6

3.1.1 Absolute antonymy-6

3.1.2 Relative anotonymy-7

3.2Values of oxymoron in advertising English-7

3.2.1 Value of attention-8

3.2.2 Value of memory-8

3.2.3 Value of aesthetics-9

4 Pragmatic Functions of Oxymoron in Advertising English-9

4.1 Information function-10

4.2 Demand creation function-11

4.3 Persuasion function-12

4.4 Purchasing function-13

4.5 Economy function-14

5 Conclusion-15

References-16