A GRAPHO-SYNTACTIC ANALYSIS OF SELECTED ADVERTISEMENTS IN THE NIGERIAN PUNCH NEWSPAPER

OLANIYI OLADIMEJI

Abstract

This paper sought to investigate the stylistic variations in newspaper advertisements to assess creativity as demonstrated by the advertisers in the Punch newspaper. Data for this study were selected, based on their types as: business, obituary, political, birthday and congratulatory adverts. The graphology of the advert types as well as the likely syntactic inappropriateness in each sample was the goal of the paper. Data were then isolated in terms of marked-ness in patterns and deviance in choices of advertisers. We found after all that details such as dates, venues and phone numbers are vital information in advertisements. Secondly, major syntactic disorders in advertisements are meant to achieve stylistic purposes. Moreover, the syntactic errors in advertisements are typographical and graphological. Above all, there is nothing as graphological errors but graphological features. We conclude that advertising is a form of communication about ideas, things, services, events or people, which is paid for by an individual or organization. The type of advert has been observed to be a determiner of the style of graphology and syntax (language) which is employed by the advertiser to ensure appropriate meaning-making. Therefore, graphology and syntax are not particularly errors but meant for stylistic purposes.

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