THE FUNCTIONAL STYLE OF OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS.

The style of official documents is divided into four substyles:

1) the language style of business documents,
2) the language style of legal documents,
3) the language style of diplomatic documents,
4) the language style of military documents.
The aim of official documents is to state rights and obligations of the parties in an undertaking
and to reach agreement between them. Therefore the language of documents is formal, accurate,
concrete, concise and clear. It is characterized by conventionality of expression, absence of
emotiveness, encoded character, and peculiar syntactic organization.
Layout of official documents.
1. There are no paragraphs, the whole document is one sentence divided into separate clauses,
often marked by commas or semicolons, and not by full stops. This specific organization serves
to show the equality of the items, to avoid ambiguity and cheating.
2) Punctuation marks, even full stops, are not used in traditional legal English to avoid fraudulent
additions, double interpretation or misunderstanding.
3) Capitalization is highly significant. Capitalized words can mark the beginning of a document
or a new part of the same document. They can also emphasize important words.

II) Vocabulary of official documents.

1) The vocabulary is highly bookish. The words are used 1) in their logical dictionary meaning.
Words with emotive meanings are excluded.
2) Archaic words (especially compound words with adverbs here/there and preposition
(hereunder, hereinafter) and archaic forms (witnesseth) are still used in legal English:
We are sending you herewith statement of your account.
All expenses connected therewith begin born by .
Subject to General Conditions on Sale endorsed hereon

3) Pairs of synonyms (an English word and its French counterpart) are common for documents.
These words explain each other, thus accuracy of meaning is achieved: made and signed; terms
and conditions; able and willing; reasonable and proper.
4) There is a special set of terms, phrases and chliches : hereinafter, aforesaid, it is understood
and agreed, including without limitation, assignees and licenses, without prejudice, as between
us, solely on condition that;
5) The use of Latin (pro rata, pari passu, ad hoc) and French words (force majeure, amicably);
6) marks is peculiar to the style, e.g.: C&F (Cost and Fright), C&I (Cost and Insurance), et al.
(and others), v.v. (quite the opposite). There is a special set of terms, phrases and clichés: The
use of abbreviations, conventional symbols and
III) Grammar of official documents.
1) Noun phrases are extremely long and complex with many modifiers in postposition. It aims at
pressing all the details together as one organic whole that is inseparable and should be taken as
one unit.
2) The most widespread tense forms are Indefinite and Perfect Tenses. Continuous and Perfect
Continuous Tenses are absolutely not used. The specific character of official documents
presupposes a rare use of the past tenses: Sellers have sold and Buyers have bought ...
3) Sentences in the passive voice beginning with the introductory word it and abstract nouns are
statistically more recurrent than sentences with a verb in the active form.
4) Non-finite forms of the verb (the infinitive, the ing-form, the participles) are extensively
exploited: Property in goods, to have passed to Buyers when goods have been put a board; The
delivery of goods was to have taken place last month and we have been caused serious
inconvenience through the delay; The letter of credit is to be valid for 90 days, all bank charges
being at the expense of the Buyers.
5) The modal verb shall is used in the sense of must to indicate obligations but not to refer to the
future: The result shall be considered .
6) Adjectives and intensifiers are rarely used to avoid ambiguity.
7) Adverbs of time and place (hereto, hereby, hereto, thereof, hereunden are widely used to
achieve a required precision of reference.
8) Pronouns as substitutes for nouns are quite rare to avoid ambiguity of reference.
IV) Syntax of official documents.
1) Sentences are usually very long, complex and complicated which helps to present information
precisely and to avoid ambiguity.
2) Declarative sentences dominate in legal language. Their function is to reflect dictating and
obligatory nature of legal documents.
3) Clauses are complex and complicated due to many insertions and interruptions to reflect the
compactness of the whole document and every detail of it.
Consider the following document and analyse its peculiarities in layout, choice of vocabulary,
grammar and syntax:
Notwithstanding the termination of the hiring under Clause 6 the Hirer shall pay all rent accrued
due in respect of the hiring up to the date of such termination and shall be or remain liable in
respect to any damage caused to the Owner by reason of any breach by the Hirer of any
stipulation herein contained and on the part of the Hirer to be performed or observed.
At any time before the owner shall have recovered possession of the goods and before the Hirer
shall have terminated the hiring under section 4 of the Hire-Purchase Act 1938 (as amended) the
Hirer may on the payment to the owner of the total amount of any instalments then remaining
unpaid of the rent hereinbefore reserved and agreed to be paid during the terms and the further
sum of ten shillings purchase the goods.
Provided that such payment as aforesaid shall be a condition precedent to the exercise of the
option to purchase sc conferred this agreement not being an undertaking by the owner to sell the
goods on credit or without such payment as aforesaid being first made and accordingly any
notice unaccompanied by such payment as aforesaid of an intention to exercise the said option
shall be void and shall not constitute a binding agreement to purchase or sell the goods.

Vocabulary
1. The words are used in their logical dictionary meaning. Words with emotive meanings are
excluded.
2. Archaic words: hereinbefore, aforesaid
3. Pairs of synonyms : performed or observed, reserved and agreed, made and accordingly
4. There is a special set of terms, phrases and chliches: the termination of the hiring, remain
liable in respect, any stipulation herein, payment, total amount of any instalments, unpaid of the
rent, hereinbefore, aforesaid, condition precedent, agreement, payment
Grammar
1. Noun phrases – Notwithstanding
2.Non-finite forms of the verb: to be paid
3. The modal verb shall is used in the sense of must to indicate obligations but not to refer to the
future: shall be or remain liable, shall be a condition, shall be void
3. Adjectives and intensifiers are rarely used to avoid ambiguity.
4. Adverbs of time: hereinbefore
5. Pronouns as substitutes for nouns are quite rare to avoid ambiguity of reference: hereinbefore,
aforesaid,
Syntax
1. Sentences are very long, complex and complicated which helps to present information
precisely and to avoid ambiguity.
2. Declarative sentences dominate in legal language. Their function is to reflect dictating and
obligatory nature of legal documents.
3. Artikle is complex.