I. Introduction

   The conversation is from the first season of the sitcom Friends which is mostly about the humor stories of the six friends. The text consists of the conversation between Monica, Joey, Chandler, Phoebe, Ross and Rachel. It mainly talks about Monica’s date, Chandler’s dream, Ross and Rachel’s sad experience. The conversation between them is full of the style of native language. By analyzing the conversation, I hope I can learn more about the knowledge of stylistic.

The passage will focus on the phonological, lexical, grammatical and semantic level. Because the graphology refers to the writing system of a language, the passage will not analyze it.

 

II. Textual Analysis

1. At the Phonological Level

  Phonology is the study of sounds in a language. (Thornborrow, J, 2000:16) In daily conversation, the participants naturally use different phonological devices, such as tempo, elision, stress and different kinds of intonation patterns.

1.1 quick tempos

    In this sitcom, the tempos of the conversations are quick because, first, there are lots of monosyllables in their conversations which words are easy to understand, second, they are friends and talk everything and the familiar environment and the close friends make them more at ease, third, the different tempos reflect the character’s special emotion.

  Eg. (1) Chandler: Sounds like a date to me.

     (2) Rachel: Oh God... well, it started about a half hour before the wedding. I was in the room where we were keeping all the presents……(see from the text)but you're the only person I knew who lived here in the city.

    We can see that the words of (1) are monosyllables and very easy to understand. The (2) is a very long conversation, but Rachel finished it in 48 seconds and it reflects her emotional emergency.

   1.2 elisions and contractions

   Elision is the omission of one or more sounds in a word or phrase, producing a result that is easier for speaker to pronounce. In the daily conversation, people often speak very fast and focus on their main ideas. Thus, they will contract the auxiliary verbs, conjunctions, pronouns, etc. For example, from the text we can find I’m, you’re, there’s, there’re, I’d, that’s, don’t, ‘cause, etc. These words make the conversation fluent and concise.

   1.3 stress

   Language consists of different sentences which consist of words and phrases which play different roles in the passage. In order to reflect some purposes and emotion, we’ll use stress.

Eg. (3) Ross: No, no don't! Stop cleansing my aura! No, just leave my aura alone, okay?

Phoebe: Fine!  Be murky!

Ross: I'll be fine, alright? Really, everyone. I hope she'll be very happy.

Monica: No you don't.

Ross: No I don't, to hell with her, she left me!

   In (3), the words of overstriking are stress in the conversation. Ross divorced and was emotional. He strongly required Phoebe stopped cleansing his aura and was very angry about his wife.

      

2. At lexical level

  Stylistic features of daily conversation at the lexical level are very obvious. It refers to the choice of words and expressions. Simple words and ordinary words are used as much as possible. Long learned, scientific, technical words are rarely used. (张国，2008,15)

  2.1 monosyllabic words

  The monosyllabic words are very popular in the conversation especially in the film because it is very easy to understand and it can reflect the most information in the limited time. Moreover, monosyllabic words are easier to speak. For example, we can see that there are 44 words in (4), but there are 34 monosyllabic words.

Eg. (4) Joey: This guy says hello, I wanna kill myself.

Monica: Are you okay, sweetie?

Ross: I just feel like someone reached down my throat, grabbed my small intestine, pulled it out of my mouth and tied it around my neck...

Chandler: Cookie?

Monica: Carol moved her stuff out today.

2.2 colloquial words and exclamatory words

Conversation is produced in oral medium. (Leech 2000:18) Unlike the writing language, the colloquial words, exclamatory words are frequently used to give more emotion colouring and express more familiar and intimate feeling. For example, gotta, all right, wanna, ok, ‘cause, oh, C’mon, just, god, ect.

2.3 slot filling words

In the conversation, some slot filling words, such as you know, I mean, are used to filling in the pauses when the speaker strives for meaning and words or when he or she strives to politeness or lessen the degree of imprudence.

Eg. (5) Rachel: And then I got really freaked out, and that's when it hit me: how much Barry looks like Mr. Potato Head. You know, I mean, I always knew looked familiar, but... Anyway, I just had to get out of there.

In (5), Rachel found she didn’t love her fiancé Berry and even said he looked like Mr. Potato Head. At that time, everyone was shocked by her words. Thus, in order to lessen the degree of her imprudence, she used you know, I mean.

2.4 exaggerated words

For the sake of coloring effects and for more effectiveness of express one’s ideas, the speakers often use some exaggerated words and expressions.

  Eg. (6) Ross: I just feel like someone reached down my throat, grabbed my small intestine, pulled it out of my mouth and tied it around my neck...

   The words in (6) express Ross’s extremely painful which because his wife Carol moved her stuff out just now.

     

3. At the Grammatical Level

   3.1 short sentences and loose sentences

    Most of the sentences in the daily conversation are short, simple logical and with few words in sentences. Sometimes, there will be some long sentences but most of them are loose sentences which are connected by ands and can be divided into several simple sentences.

Eg. Rachel: (7)Oh God, Monica, hi! Thank God!

(8) I just went to your building and you weren't there and then this guy with a big hammer said you might be here and you are, you are!

The (7) are short sentences and the (8) is a long sentence, but you can find that (8) is connected by three ands and it can be divided into three independent sentences.

3.2 elliptical sentence and incomplete sentence

Daily conversation is not as formal as the written variety, thus, elliptical sentences are used commonly. Usually, between the speakers, they share common background knowledge and they know each other, so it’s common for them to use of elliptical sentence and interrupt others which lead to incomplete sentences.

Eg. (9)Chandler: Then I look down, and I realize there's a phone... there.

Joey: Instead of...?

Chandler: That's right.

Joey: Never had that dream. (I never have that dream.)

    From (9) we can see that Chandler interrupted Joey that lead to the incomplete sentence “Instead of...?” and the last sentence ellipts the subject “I”.

   3.3 interrogative sentences

    It’s natural to have many interrogative sentences in the conversation because they are mostly made up of questions and answers. One of the marked features in conversation is interactive. Like the following examples:

(10)Ross: No, just leave my aura alone, okay?

Phoebe: Fine!  Be murky!

    (11)Waitress: Can I get you some coffee?

Monica: (pointing at Rachel) De-caff.

    3.4 nominal phrases and verbal phrases

    The nominal phrases in conversation tend to simple structures, and have fewer pre-modifiers and post-modifiers such as (12), (13).

Eg, (12) Monica: A wrong number?

(13) Joey: Strip joint! C'mon, you're single! Have some hormones!

    The verbal groups are simple in structure which are mostly a single verb or “adverbial + verb”. The voice is mostly active and the tenses are mostly past tense and simple present sentence.

    Eg. (14) Monica: Carol moved her stuff out today. (active voice, past tense)

        (15) Chandler: And I just want a million dollars! (adv. +v., simple present sentence)

 

    4. At the Semantic Level

    Semantics is the study of word meaning. (Thornborrow, J, 2000:82) It focuses on the relation between signifiers, such as words, phrases, signs and symbols, and what they stand for, their denotation in other words.

    4.1 inexplicitness of meaning

    There are many inexplicit meaning in the conversation because the participants share a lot of extra-linguistic features.  

   4.1.1 exophoric expressions

   There are many exophoric expressions in conversation. In (16), you can’t understand what the “it” and “this” stand for if you don’t know the context. But the participants did because they shared the knowledge they have.

(16)Chandler: Finally, I figure I'd better answer it.

Monica: Okay, everybody relax. This is not even a date.

4.1.2 missing links

There are missing links between the utterances: Can I get you some coffee?—(Yes, please give me a cup of) De-caff.

4.1.3 background information missing

There are a lot of background information missing, such as (17), which you don’t know what is talked about but for the listener in the context, it’s perfectly clear.

(17)Phoebe: Just, 'cause, I don't want her to go through what I went through with Carl- oh!

    4.2 randomness of subject matter unplanned

    Unlike the written genre or in a formal speech or lecture which the participant should prepare his speech well and focus on a specific topic, in conversation, there is no fixed topic to discuss, that means the topics of conversation change frequently. In (18), because of the appearance of Ross, their topic began to go to Ross.

    Eg. (18)Chandler: Finally, I figure I'd better answer it, and it turns out it's my mother, which is very-very weird, because- she never calls me!

[,Ross entered.]

Ross: (mortified) Hi.

Joey: This guy says hello, I wanna kill myself.

   4.3 the lack of fluency

   In all written genre or spoken, language should be fluent. But in the daily conversation, non-fluency is a normal feature which is also called normal non-fluency. The time non-fluency is one of the type of non-fluency, which means pauses in inappropriate position within a phrase or groups, hesitations, the use of um or er to delay the time, the repetition of some expressions, such as (19).

Eg. (19)I just... I just- I just wanna be married again!

III. Conlusion

    The analysis mainly involves four levels, the phonological, lexical, grammatical and semantic level. The phonological level contains quick tempos, elisions and contractions, stress. The lexical level contains monosyllabic, colloquial, slot filling and exaggerated words. The grammatical level contains short and loose, elliptical and incomplete sentences, interrogative sentences, nominal and verbal phrases. The semantic level contains inexplicitness of meaning, randomness of subject matter, the lack of fluency. All in all, the stylistic of daily conversation contains a plentiful of knowledge and reflects a lot of native language, which if you know more, your oral English will be better.

 

 

 

References

[1] 张国，张德禄. 英语文体学论文教程[M]. 北京：高等教育出版社，2008[2012-6-14].

[2] Leech, G.et.al. Longman Grammar of Spoken and Written English [M]. Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press. 2000[2012-6-14]

[3] Joanna Thornborrow. Patterns in Language: Stylistics for Students of Language and Literature [M]. Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching and Reseach Press, 2000[2012-6-15]

 

Appendix

 

101 The One Where Monica Gets a New Roommate (The Pilot-The Uncut Version)

[Scene: Central Perk, Chandler, Joey, Phoebe, and Monica are there.]

Monica: There's nothing to tell! He's just some guy I work with!

Joey: Come on, you're going out with the guy! There's gotta be something wrong with him!

Chandler: All right Joey, be nice.  So does he have a hump? A hump and a hairpiece?

Phoebe: Wait, does he eat chalk?

(They all stare, bemused.)

Phoebe: Just, 'cause, I don't want her to go through what I went through with Carl- oh!

Monica: Okay, everybody relax. This is not even a date. It's just two people going out to dinner and- not having sex.

Chandler: Sounds like a date to me.

[Time Lapse]

Chandler: Alright, so I'm back in high school, I'm standing in the middle of the cafeteria, and I realize I am totally naked.

All: Oh, yeah. Had that dream.

Chandler: Then I look down, and I realize there's a phone... there.

Joey: Instead of...?

Chandler: That's right.

Joey: Never had that dream.

Phoebe: No.

Chandler: All of a sudden, the phone starts to ring. Now I don't know what to do, everybody starts looking at me.

Monica: And they weren't looking at you before?!

Chandler: Finally, I figure I'd better answer it, and it turns out it's my mother, which is very-very weird, because- she never calls me!

[Ross entered.]

Ross: (mortified) Hi.

Joey: This guy says hello, I wanna kill myself.

Monica: Are you okay, sweetie?

Ross: I just feel like someone reached down my throat, grabbed my small intestine, pulled it out of my mouth and tied it around my neck...

Chandler: Cookie?

Monica: (explaining to the others) Carol moved her stuff out today.

Joey: Ohh.

Monica: (to Ross) Let me get you some coffee.

Ross: Thanks.

Phoebe: Ooh! Oh! (She starts to pluck at the air just in front of Ross.)

Ross: No, no don't! Stop cleansing my aura! No, just leave my aura alone, okay?

Phoebe: Fine!  Be murky!

Ross: I'll be fine, alright? Really, everyone. I hope she'll be very happy.

Monica: No you don't.

Ross: No I don't, to hell with her, she left me!

Joey: And you never knew she was a lesbian...

Ross: No!! Okay?! Why does everyone keep fixating on that? She didn't know,  how should I know?

Chandler: Sometimes I wish I was a lesbian... (They all stare at him.) Did I say that out loud?

Ross: I told mom and dad last night, they seemed to take it pretty well.

Monica: Oh really, so that hysterical phone call I got from a woman at sobbing 3:00 A.M., "I'll never have grandchildren, I'll never have grandchildren." was what?  A wrong number?

Ross: Sorry.

Joey: Alright Ross, look. You're feeling a lot of pain right now. You're angry. You're hurting. Can I tell you what the answer is?

(Ross gestures his consent.)

Joey: Strip joint! C'mon, you're single! Have some hormones!

Ross: I don't want to be single, okay? I just... I just- I just wanna be married again!

(Rachel enters in a wet wedding dress and starts to search the room.)

Chandler: And I just want a million dollars! (He extends his hand hopefully.)

Monica: Rachel?!

Rachel: Oh God Monica hi! Thank God! I just went to your building and you weren't there and then this guy with a big hammer said you might be here and you are, you are!

Waitress: Can I get you some coffee?

Monica: (pointing at Rachel) De-caff. (to All) Okay, everybody, this is Rachel, another Lincoln High survivor. (to Rachel) This is everybody, this is Chandler, and Phoebe, and Joey, and- you remember my brother Ross?

Rachel: Hi, sure!

Ross: Hi.

(They go to hug but Ross's umbrella opens.  He sits back down defeated again.  A moment of silence follows as Rachel sits and the others expect her to explain.)

Monica: So you wanna tell us now, or are we waiting for four wet bridesmaids?

Rachel: Oh God... well, it started about a half hour before the wedding. I was in the room where we were keeping all the presents, and I was looking at this gravy boat. This really gorgeous Lamauge gravy boat. When all of a sudden- (to the waitress that brought her coffee) Sweet 'n' Lo?- I realized that I was more turned on by this gravy boat than by Barry! And then I got really freaked out, and that's when it hit me: how much Barry looks like Mr. Potato Head. Y'know, I mean, I always knew looked familiar, but... Anyway, I just had to get out of there, and I started wondering 'Why am I doing this, and who am I doing this for?'. (to Monica) So anyway I just didn't know where to go, and I know that you and I have kinda drifted apart, but you're the only person I knew who lived here in the city.

Monica: Who wasn't invited to the wedding.

Rachel: Ooh, I was kinda hoping that wouldn't be an issue...