U S E A N D A B U S E O F M O D I F I C A T I ON IN TELL AND TIME NEWS MAGAZINES

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorOYEDOKUN-ALLI, WASIU ADEMOLA
dc.date.accessioned2014-02-17T12:22:05Z
dc.date.available2014-02-17T12:22:05Z
dc.date.issued1998-12-11
dc.descriptionA THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE POST GRADUATE SCHOOL, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA, NIGERIA. IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS (M.A) IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH FACULTY OF ARTS, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA.en_US
dc.description.abstractToday, the world over, no single agent disseminates information and controls language, as does the media. We rely much on the media for information and knowledge. Language is the sole medium through which both these can be achieved. In effect, therefore, the importance of language in the media cannot be too strongly emphasised. However, much as we seek to be informed (and, often, act on such information) we realise that through the same mediumlanguage - we receive wrong information. The reception of such wrong information is not inherent in the code itself, but in the manner in which it is coded. The use of modification is one aspect of language that preponderates every single statement in the media - to describe, to limit, to intensify, to colour, and, above all, to achieve precision and conciseness in information dissemination. If, however, these modifiers are misused, much damage would be done to information - which is the cornerstone of the media. This study, therefore, examines the use and abuse of modification in selected features in Tell and The News magazines with a view to inferring the possible effects such use and abuse have on communication. In Chapter one, we seek to determine: Whether the structure of modification in English has fixed or regular patterns. the patterns and why they should be strictly adhered to or conformed with, andiii. the possible effects of irregular pattern in the chosen magazines, and on communication. In chapter two we examine the relevant approaches to the study of modification. From our analyses of the grammatical models, and in view of the complex structure of modification, it became intuitively evident that it is not possible for only one grammatical model to adequately account for all the issues raised on modification. Therefore, and as a result of this, we adopt an eclectic approach as the scaffold upon which the theoretical thrust for the study is anchored. A general approach, such as the eclectic, covers the wide spectrum of the scope of modification. Our analysis covers such areas as syntax, Semantics, lexicon, morphology, and phonology. And, for sake of analytical expediency, these have been grouped into three Syntactico-semantics, Lexico-semantic, and Morpho-phonological. Chapter three provides methodology for the study, using Quirk and Greenbaum's (1973) "Performance and Judgement Tests", which involve the frequency and percentage formulae for analysis. Within the scope of methodological preliminaries in chapter three, chapter four carries out the analysis of the selected four features - two each from Tell and The News magazines. The statistical analysis comes under the different linguistic analysis - syntactical, semantical, morphological, lexical, and phonological. The study concludes that errors resulting from the use of modifiers at the different linguistic levels bring about nuances in meaning and distortions in communication, and posits that writers, especially in the media, should adhere strictly to the ordered patterns of the structure of modification, to make room for effective communication. Finally, the researcher makes strong case for further research on multiple modification, articles, squinting modifiers, dangling modifiers, attachments, misplaced structures, ambiguities, and more focus on the use of language in the media.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/123456789/1790
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.subjectU S E,en_US
dc.subjectA B U S E,en_US
dc.subjectM O D I F I C A T I ON,en_US
dc.subjectTELL,en_US
dc.subjectTIME NEWS,en_US
dc.subjectMAGAZINES.en_US
dc.titleU S E A N D A B U S E O F M O D I F I C A T I ON IN TELL AND TIME NEWS MAGAZINESen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
USE AND ABUSE OF MODIFICATION IN TELL AND TIME NEWS MAGAZINES.pdf
Size:
10.98 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Download
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.58 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Download
Collections
ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN