LABORATORIO DI INGLESE SPECIALISTICOLABORATORIO DI INGLESE SPECIALISTICO

FIGURES OF SPEECH CONTINUED…. + SOME FIGURES OF SPEECH CONTINUED…. + SOME GRAMMAR (RELATIVE CLAUSES - GRAMMAR (RELATIVE CLAUSES -

COMPARISON FORMS AND SUPERLATIVESCOMPARISON FORMS AND SUPERLATIVES

FIGURES OF SPEECH CONTINUED…FIGURES OF SPEECH CONTINUED…

ANTONOMASIAANTONOMASIA

THE “SUBSTITUTION OF AN EPITHET OR THE “SUBSTITUTION OF AN EPITHET OR APPELLATIVE, OR THE NAME OF AN OFFICE APPELLATIVE, OR THE NAME OF AN OFFICE OR DIGNITY, FOR A PERSON’S PROPER OR DIGNITY, FOR A PERSON’S PROPER NAME”.NAME”.

E.G.: ‘THE IRON DUKE OF WELLINGTON’, ‘HIS E.G.: ‘THE IRON DUKE OF WELLINGTON’, ‘HIS GRACE THE ARCHIBISHOP’, AND SO ON. GRACE THE ARCHIBISHOP’, AND SO ON.

ALSO, THE USE OF A PROPER NAME TO EXPRESS ALSO, THE USE OF A PROPER NAME TO EXPRESS A GENERAL IDEA, e.g.: CALLING AN ORATOR A GENERAL IDEA, e.g.: CALLING AN ORATOR A A CICEROCICERO; A ; A CASANOVACASANOVA, A , A CASSANDRACASSANDRA, ETC., ETC.

IT EXPLOITS METAPHOR AND SIMILITUDE.IT EXPLOITS METAPHOR AND SIMILITUDE.

IT USES ALSO PERIPHRASES (OR IT USES ALSO PERIPHRASES (OR CIRCUMLOCUTION):CIRCUMLOCUTION):

THE ATHENS OF THE NORTHTHE ATHENS OF THE NORTH: EDINBURGH: EDINBURGH

CAN YOU GUESS THE SUBJECTS IN THESE CAN YOU GUESS THE SUBJECTS IN THESE EXAMPLES?EXAMPLES?

THE DIVIDED CITY THE DIVIDED CITY (some 15 years ago….) (some 15 years ago….)

THE EMERALD ISLE / THE ETERNAL CITY THE EMERALD ISLE / THE ETERNAL CITY

THE IRON LADY / THE BIG APPLETHE IRON LADY / THE BIG APPLE

HOW WOULD YOU NAME A LONG, COMPLEX HOW WOULD YOU NAME A LONG, COMPLEX JOURNEY, FULL OF EXPERIENCES?JOURNEY, FULL OF EXPERIENCES?

... AN ODYSSEY... AN ODYSSEY

EUPHEMISMEUPHEMISM

USED MAINLY IN FORMAL SPEECH. ITS AIM IS USED MAINLY IN FORMAL SPEECH. ITS AIM IS TO TONE DOWN THE IMPACT OF OFFENSIVE, TO TONE DOWN THE IMPACT OF OFFENSIVE, EMBARASSING EXPRESSIONS OR PAINFUL EMBARASSING EXPRESSIONS OR PAINFUL SITUATIONS. SITUATIONS.

USE OF ACRONYMS TO ‘HIDE’ THE ACTUAL USE OF ACRONYMS TO ‘HIDE’ THE ACTUAL MEANING OF THE SINGLE WORDS.MEANING OF THE SINGLE WORDS.

C.WC.W.: CHEMICAL WEAPONS / .: CHEMICAL WEAPONS / PLWAPLWA: PERSON : PERSON LIVING WITH AIDS / LIVING WITH AIDS / OAPOAP: OLD-AGE PENSIONER : OLD-AGE PENSIONER ETHNIC CLEANSINGETHNIC CLEANSING: GENOCIDE: GENOCIDEELDERLY/ SENIOR CITIZENSELDERLY/ SENIOR CITIZENS: OLD PERSON : OLD PERSON NEUTRALIZENEUTRALIZE: KILL: KILLNON-PERFORMING ASSETNON-PERFORMING ASSET: LOAN, OR SOMETHING : LOAN, OR SOMETHING BADBADKILLED BY FRIENDLY FIREKILLED BY FRIENDLY FIRE: KILLED : KILLED ACCIDENTALLY BY WEAPONS FIRED BY THEIR ACCIDENTALLY BY WEAPONS FIRED BY THEIR OWN SIDEOWN SIDEBRACELETSBRACELETS: HANDCUFFS: HANDCUFFSA FAMILYA FAMILY: A MAFIA GROUP: A MAFIA GROUPTO PASS AWAYTO PASS AWAY: TO DIE: TO DIEEASY MONEYEASY MONEY: STOLEN OR ILLEGALLY GAINED : STOLEN OR ILLEGALLY GAINED MONEYMONEY

HYPERBOLEHYPERBOLE

WORDS OR EXPRESSIONS THAT TEND TO WORDS OR EXPRESSIONS THAT TEND TO EXAGGERATE SOME SITUATIONS OR ASPECTS EXAGGERATE SOME SITUATIONS OR ASPECTS OF REALITY.OF REALITY.

A FLOOD OF TEARS A FLOOD OF TEARS / / TONS OF MONEYTONS OF MONEY

I’VE GOT A THOUSAND AND ONE THINGS TO I’VE GOT A THOUSAND AND ONE THINGS TO DODO

THE OFFICE WAS FLOODED WITH THE OFFICE WAS FLOODED WITH APPLICATIONS FOR THE JOBAPPLICATIONS FOR THE JOB

MILLIONS OF EXAMPLESMILLIONS OF EXAMPLES

WHAT ARE THE FIGURES OF SPEECH TO WHAT ARE THE FIGURES OF SPEECH TO REMEMBER?REMEMBER?

METAPHOR / METONYMY AND SYNECDOCHE METAPHOR / METONYMY AND SYNECDOCHE

SIMILITUDE / ANTONOMASIA SIMILITUDE / ANTONOMASIA

EUPHEMISM / HYPERBOLEEUPHEMISM / HYPERBOLE

EXAMPLES:EXAMPLES:

RED TAPE - TURKEY: AN AWAKENING RED TAPE - TURKEY: AN AWAKENING GIANT - A TONS OF FIASCOS - THE GIANT - A TONS OF FIASCOS - THE EMERALD ISLE - NEUTRALIZE - THE EMERALD ISLE - NEUTRALIZE - THE WOUNDED BEAR (RUSSIA) - DISCREET AS A WOUNDED BEAR (RUSSIA) - DISCREET AS A TOMBSTONE - PUPPET GOVERNMENT - TOMBSTONE - PUPPET GOVERNMENT - WHITE KNIGHT - WALL STREET - A FLOOD WHITE KNIGHT - WALL STREET - A FLOOD OF TEARS - BRACELETS OF TEARS - BRACELETS

RELATIVE CLAUSES (RELATIVE CLAUSES (WHO/WHICH/THATWHO/WHICH/THAT))

WHOWHO OR OR THATTHAT ARE USED IN A RELATIVE ARE USED IN A RELATIVE CLAUSE TO CLAUSE TO IDENTIFY PEOPLEIDENTIFY PEOPLE::

““HE HAS THE AIR OF A MAN WHO/THAT HAS HE HAS THE AIR OF A MAN WHO/THAT HAS DONE THIS MANY, MANY TIMES BEFORE”DONE THIS MANY, MANY TIMES BEFORE”

WHICHWHICH OR OR THATTHAT ARE ARE USED FOR THINGSUSED FOR THINGS::

““BOLDNESS AND VISION ARE QUALITIES BOLDNESS AND VISION ARE QUALITIES THAT/WHICH ALL LEADERS SHOULD HAVE”.THAT/WHICH ALL LEADERS SHOULD HAVE”.

IF THE RELATIVE PRONOUN DEFINES IF THE RELATIVE PRONOUN DEFINES THE THE SUBJECTSUBJECT OF THE SENTENCE, THEN OF THE SENTENCE, THEN IT MUST BE INCLUDED:IT MUST BE INCLUDED:

““A COUNTERFEITER IS A PERSON A COUNTERFEITER IS A PERSON WHO/THATWHO/THAT COPIES GOODS IN ORDER TO COPIES GOODS IN ORDER TO TRICK PEOPLE”TRICK PEOPLE”

““WHERE IS THE DOCUMENT WHERE IS THE DOCUMENT WHICH/THAT WHICH/THAT WAS ON THE TABLE”?WAS ON THE TABLE”?

HOWEVER, IF WHO/THAT OR HOWEVER, IF WHO/THAT OR WHICH/THAT INDICATES THE WHICH/THAT INDICATES THE OBJECTOBJECT IN THE SENTENCE, THAN IT CAN BE IN THE SENTENCE, THAN IT CAN BE OMITTED:OMITTED:

““PEOPLE (WHO/THAT) WE EMPLOY ARE PEOPLE (WHO/THAT) WE EMPLOY ARE VERY HIGHLY QUALIFIED”.VERY HIGHLY QUALIFIED”.

“ “HAVE YOU READ THE REPORT HAVE YOU READ THE REPORT (WHICH/THAT) I LEFT ON YOUR DESK”?(WHICH/THAT) I LEFT ON YOUR DESK”?

NON-DEFINING CLAUSES PROVIDE NON-DEFINING CLAUSES PROVIDE EXTRA EXTRA INFORMATIONINFORMATION ABOUT THE SUBJECT OR ABOUT THE SUBJECT OR OBJECT OF A SENTENCE. THE SENTENCE STILL OBJECT OF A SENTENCE. THE SENTENCE STILL MAKES SENSE WITHOUT THIS INFORMATION; MAKES SENSE WITHOUT THIS INFORMATION; THE EXTRA INFORMATION IS SEPARATED BY THE EXTRA INFORMATION IS SEPARATED BY COMMAS.COMMAS.

WHOWHO (NOT (NOT THATTHAT) IS USED FOR PEOPLE:) IS USED FOR PEOPLE:SIR LINDSAY, SIR LINDSAY, WHOWHO TURNS 62 THIS MONTH, IS TURNS 62 THIS MONTH, IS NOW THE CHAIRMAN.NOW THE CHAIRMAN.

WHICHWHICH (NOT (NOT THATTHAT) IS USED FOR THINGS:) IS USED FOR THINGS:JOHN TOLD ME ABOUT HIS NEW JOB, JOHN TOLD ME ABOUT HIS NEW JOB, WHICHWHICH HE’S ENJOYING VERY MUCH.HE’S ENJOYING VERY MUCH.

COMPARISON AND SUPERLATIVESCOMPARISON AND SUPERLATIVES

1. 1. The comparative and superlative forms of The comparative and superlative forms of one-syllable adjectives are formed by adding one-syllable adjectives are formed by adding ––er er andand est: est:““The country enjoys an advantage because of The country enjoys an advantage because of lowerlower labour costs”. labour costs”.““All countries, including All countries, including thethe poorestpoorest, have , have assets (beni, risorse)”.assets (beni, risorse)”.2. We often use ‘than’ after a comparative:2. We often use ‘than’ after a comparative:My salary is My salary is higher than higher than yours.yours.John’s car is John’s car is more expensive thanmore expensive than mine. mine.

Adjectives of 3 ore more syllables have Adjectives of 3 ore more syllables have moremore and and the most the most before the adjective before the adjective itself:itself:

It’s It’s more expensivemore expensive thanthan the old model the old model. . (COMP.)(COMP.)

It’s It’s the most expensivethe most expensive model in the range model in the range. . (SUPER.)(SUPER.)

‘‘The’ is normally used before a superlative. The’ is normally used before a superlative. But possessives can be used instead of But possessives can be used instead of ‘the:‘the:

““The oldest car manufacturer in Italy / The oldest car manufacturer in Italy / Italy’s oldest car manufacturer”.Italy’s oldest car manufacturer”.

After a superlative we can use ‘in’ or ‘of’. After a superlative we can use ‘in’ or ‘of’. In is used for places and groups of people:In is used for places and groups of people:

It’s the most expensive hotel It’s the most expensive hotel in Oxford.in Oxford.

Who is the best player Who is the best player in the team?in the team?

This question is the most difficult This question is the most difficult of all.of all.

August is the wettest month August is the wettest month of the yearof the year..

4. After the superlative there is often 4. After the superlative there is often a a clauseclause::

This is the best model This is the best model we have ever we have ever producedproduced..

That was the most delicious meal That was the most delicious meal (that) (that) I’ve ever eaten.I’ve ever eaten.

IRREGULAR FORMSIRREGULAR FORMS

Adj./Adv.Adj./Adv. ComparativeComparative SuperlativeSuperlative

good/well better best good/well better best

bad/badly worse worstbad/badly worse worst

far farther/further far farther/further fartherst/furthestfartherst/furthest