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Ideological viewpoint
Our commentary for task A
Property of the Week
Charming compact, yet airy, country cottage in secluded rural setting
with convenient transport links.
Commentary
Estate agents' language seems to be on the borderline between straightforward
attitudinal viewpoint and the kind of viewpoint that is usually called
ideological. Attitudinal viewpoint normally relates to a particular individual's
'take' on the world. The term 'ideological' is usually reserved for attitudes
that are (a) attributable to significant numbers, or groups, of people,
and (b) where the attitude expressed is related to social, political or
cultural matters. The estate agent advertisement is an example of the
former, but not the latter.
Although it is not related to ideological viewpoint (attitudinal and
ideological viewpoint are largely, though not exclusively, signalled lexically),
it is worth noting the elliptical sentences, consisting merely of noun
phrases. This 'telegraphic' language is typical of language varieties
where space is at a premium, including property advertisements. The graphological
foregrounding resulting from our lineation and bullet points help to suggest
that each part of the description is important and a significant advantage.
Our advertisement is clearly 'over the top' in accentuating the positive.
The 'property of the week' heading suggests that other buyers will be
competing for the property. The reality is that it could well have been
on the market for some time and the estate agent can't shift it! The lexical
items in estate agent descriptions are usually descriptive terms with
positive connotations for most people. Our first adjective 'charming'
is a clear example of this 'accentuate the positive' strategy. It has
merit connotations but tells us little about the physical characteristics
of the house. The adjective 'compact' is a synonym for 'minute' but with
much more positive connotations, playing up the advantages of small size.
'Yet airy' is the substitute descriptor for the leaking roof, and because
it is placed next to 'compact' and contrasted with it, it turns being
open to the elements into an apparent advantage - the property apparently
feels larger than it is! Where items are placed in relation to one another
can clearly show how persuasive they are.
'Country cottage' is designed to help the reader associate the building
with the traditional English picture of a cottage with thatched roof and
a flower garden beloved of jigsaw makers. 'Secluded' and 'rural' play
up similar associations. 'Convenient transport links' uses abstract terms
to disguise the unpleasant reality. The term 'kitchenette' takes the small
and mundane and makes it sound modern and convenient (most people who
want to live in old properties still want to have the conveniences of
modern living). 'DIY enthusiast's dream' suggests that it would be possible
to increase the value of the property significantly by working on it.
'Offers in the region of £200,000' leaves open the possibility of
offers above the stated exorbitant price (compare the '£200,000
or near offer' alternative, which suggests that you could offer an amount
below the stated price.
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