Presented as Partial Fulfillments of the Requirements to obtain the Magister Humaniora (M.Hum) Degree in English Language Studies

GRAMMATICAL AND LEXICAL FEATURES OF JOB

ADVERTISEMENTS IN KOMPAS

A THESIS

Presented as Partial Fulfillments of the Requirements to obtain the Magister Humaniora (M.Hum) Degree

in English Language Studies

by

NUGROHO JOKO SASONO Student Number: 056332002

THE GRADUATE PROGRAM IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE STUDIES SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY

ii APPROVAL PAGE

iii BOARD OF EXAMINERS

v LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN

PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS

Yang bertanda tangan dibawah ini, saya mahasiswa Universitas Sanata Dharma :

Nama : NUGROHO JOKO SASONO

Nomor Mahasiswa : 056332002

Demi pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan, saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma karya ilmiah saya yang berjudul :

GRAMMATICAL AND LEXICAL FEATURES OF JOB

ADVERTISEMENTS IN KOMPAS

beserta perangkat yang diperlukan (bila ada). Dengan demikian saya memberikan kepada Universitas Sanata Dharma hak untuk menyimpan, mengalihkan dalam bentuk media lain, mengelolanya dalam bentuk pangkalan data, mendistribusikan secara terbatas, dan mempublikasikannya di Internet atau media lain untuk kepentingan akademis tanpa perlu meminta ijin dari saya maupun memberikan royalti kepada saya selama tetap mencantumkan nama saya sebagai penulis.

Demikian pernyataan ini yang saya buat dengan sebenarnya.

Dibuat di Yogyakarta

Pada tanggal: 23 Agustus 2011

Yang menyatakan

vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I realized that the writing of this thesis cannot be separated from the role of certain persons who help me in the form technical guidance, moral support, and useful advice.

I would like to thank my advisor, Dr. B.B. Dwijatmoko, MA for his advice and technical direction in the process of my research. I would also like to thank FX. Mukarto, M.S., Ph.D., the Head of Graduate Program in English Language Studies for his understanding and his support.

I would like to thank to all Graduate Program in English Language Studies lecturers: Dr. Fr. B. Alip, M.Pd., M.A., Dr. J. Bismoko, Prof. Dr. Soepomo Poedjosoedarmo, Dr. Novita Dewi, M.S., M.A.(Hons), who have given me some useful suggestions during their lectures.

I would like to give my special thanks to my lovely family for being patient and supportive.

Finally, I would direct my thankfulness to all my classmates in the English Language Studies in Sanata Dharma University for their friendship and solidarity.

vii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE... i

APPROVAL PAGE ... ii

BOARD OF EXAMINERS ... iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ... vi

TABLE OF CONTENTS ... vii

ABSTRACT ... x

ABSTRAK ... xi

CHAPTER 1 ... 1

1.1 Background ... 1

1.2 Problem Identification ... 4

1.3 Problem Limitation ... 5

1.4 Problem Formulation ... 6

1.5 Research Goals and Objectives ... 6

1.6 Research Benefit... 7

CHAPTER 2 ... 9

2.1 Theoretical Review ... 9

2.1.1. Grammatical Features ... 9

2.1.2. Lexical Features ... 10

2.1.3. Phrase ... 11

2.1.4. Clause ... 12

2.1.5. Sentence ... 13

2.1.6. Ellipsis... 15

2.1.7. Advertising ... 16

2.2. Related Research ... 20

2.3. Theoretical Framework ... 21

2.4. Kompas Newspaper ... 21

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ... 23

3.1 Research Data ... 23

3.2 Data Collection ... 24

3.3 Data Analysis ... 24

CHAPTER IV ... 26

4.1. Grammatical Features of Job Advertisement Text ... 26

viii

4.1.2. Modals... 45

4.1.3. Imperatives ... 46

4.1.4. Passive Voice ... 47

4.2. Lexical Features of Job Advertisement Text ... 48

4.2.1. Adjective ... 48

4.2.2. Verbs ... 49

4.2.3. Nouns ... 49

4.2.4. Adverbs ... 50

4.2.5. Abbreviation ... 51

4.2.6. Compound ... 51

4.2.7. Shortening ... 52

4.2.8. Degree of formality ... 53

CHAPTER V ... 54

5.1. Conclusions ... 54

5.2. Suggestions ... 56

BIBLIOGRAPHY ... 58

APPENDICES ... 60

Appendix 1 Advertisement Text Section ... 60

Table 1.1. World Bank Text, Date: November 22, 2008 ... 60

Table 1.2. Mitsui Text. Date: January 18, 2009 ... 61

Table 1.3. Multinational Company Text. Date: January 18, 2009 ... 61

Table 1.4. Raksa Pratikara Text. Date: January 18, 2009 ... 62

Table 1.5. Everbesindo Text. Date: January 18, 2009 ... 63

Table 1.6. Pharmaceutical Company Text. Date: January 18, 2009 ... 64

Table 1.7. Tupperware Text. Date: January 17, 2009 ... 65

Table 1.8. Sentosa Text. Date: July 31, 2010 ... 65

Table 1.9. Chinatrust Text. Date: July 31, 2010 ... 66

Table 1.10. Rehau Text. Date: July 31, 2010 ... 67

Table 1.11. UMN Text. Date: August 1, 2010... 68

Table 1.12. Miura Text. Date: August 1, 2010 ... 69

Appendix 2 Elliptical Text ... 70

Table 2.1. World Bank Text ... 70

ix

Table 2.3. Multinational Company Text ... 72

Table 2.4. Raksa Pratikara Text ... 75

Table 2.5. Everbesindo Text ... 76

Table 2.6. Pharmaceutical Company Text ... 77

Table 2.7. Tupperware Text ... 78

Table 2.8. Sentosa Text ... 79

Table 2.9. Chinatrust Text ... 79

Table 2.10. Rehau Text ... 81

Table 2.11. UMN Text ... 83

Table 2.12. Miura Text ... 84

Appendix 3. Lexical Features Classification ... 85

Table 3.1. Word Bank Text ... 85

Table 3.2. Mitsui Text ... 85

Table 3.3. Multinational Company Text ... 86

Table 3.4. Raksa Pratikara Text ... 86

Table 3.5. Everbesindo Text ... 87

Table 3.6. Pharmaceutical Company Text ... 87

Table 3.7. Tupperware Text ... 88

Table 3.8. Sentosa Text ... 88

Table 3.9. Chinatrust Text ... 89

Table 3.10. Rehau Text ... 89

Table 3.11. UMN Text ... 90

x ABSTRACT

Nugroho Joko Sasono. 2011. Grammatical and Lexical Features of Job Advertisements in Kompas. Yogyakarta: English Language Studies, Graduate Program, Sanata Dharma University

There are two aspects of language that becomes the main issue of this research. These issues are the grammatical and lexical features contained in the text of job advertisement. The main focus of the research is finding these features. Another important point of the research is finding the answers on how these features provide specific characteristics in the composition of job advertisement texts.

In discussing these two main issues, the supporting variables for grammatical and lexical features were explored. The supporting variables for grammatical aspects are sentence, phrase, clause, and ellipsis. The supporting variables for lexical aspects are adjective, noun, and verb. Subsequently, the answers regarding the role of these variables in job advertisement texts were obtained. The exploration on the grammatical aspects focussed on the use of certain sentence structure, tenses, and their relation to grammatical rules in the composition of job advertisements. The exploration related to lexical aspects was emphasized on the use of certain words, phrases, diction which contained certain meanings and messages.

There were some steps taken in the data analysis. The first one was collecting the data from Kompas newspaper. Second, the selected data were rewritten and compiled into tables. Each of the data was identified according to its parts namely the opening, the body, and the closing. Then, each part was observed to find certain features or characteristics related to grammatical and lexical aspects of the composition.

Based on the data analysis, there were some answers to the questions stated in the problem formulation. The lexical items used in the job advertisement texts are the ones which correlate with the domain of job advertising and contain certain features to meet the efficiency and the effectiveness of advertisement writing style. The words used in the job advertisement are characterized by words that contain positive image the company and positive qualities of the required applicants.

xi ABSTRAK

Nugroho Joko Sasono. 2011. Fitur Gramatikal dan Leksikal dalam Iklan Lowongan Pekerjaan di Harian Kompas. Yogyakarta: Kajian Bahasa Inggris, Program magister, Universitas Sanata Dharma.

Judul tesis ini adalah Grammatical and Lexical Features of Job Advertisements in Kompas. Dalam tesis ini terdapat dua aspek bahasa yang menjadi isu utama penelitian yaitu karakteristik gramatikal dan karakteristik leksikal yang terdapat dalam teks lowongan pekerjaan. Penemuan akan kedua karakteristik ini menjadi fokus utama penelitian. Selanjutnya juga akan digali tentang bagaimana karakteristik tersebut memberikan ciri tersendiri dalam penulisan iklan lowongan pekerjaan.

Untuk mendalami kedua aspek yang menjadi isu utama tersebut, hal pertama yang dilakukan adalah dengan mengeksplorasi variabel-variabel yang mendukung. Variabel pendukung aspek gramatikal adalah sentence, clause, phrase, ellipsis. Sedangkan variabel pendukung aspek lexical adalah adjective, noun, verb. Langkah berikutnya adalah mencari jawaban atas pertanyaan mengapa dan bagaimana peran variabel-variable tersebut dalam iklan lowongan pekerjaan.

Dalam tataran yang lebih praktis, eksplorasi yang dilakukan pada aspek gramatikal berkaitan dengan analisis pada penggunaan pola-pola tertentu dari struktur kalimat, tenses, dan kepatuhan aturan tata bahasa dalam penyusunan iklan pekerjaan. Sedangkan eksplorasi yang berkaitan dengan aspek leksikal menekankan pada penggunaan kata-kata tertentu, penggunaan frase dan diksi tertentu.

Langkah-langkah dalam analisa data adalah, pertama-tama dengan mengumpulkan data dari surat kabar Kompas. Data yang dipilih ditulis ulang dan disusun ke dalam tabel. Setiap data diidentifikasi menurut bagian-bagiannya yaitu bagian pembuka, bagian tubuh, dan penutup. Selanjutnya dilakukan observasi pada masing-masing bagian sehingga dapat ditemukan ciri-ciri tertentu yang mengarah pada karakteristik aspek gramatikal dan aspek leksika dalam teks iklan lowongan pekerjaan.

Berdasarkan analisis data ada beberapa jawaban atas pertanyaan-pertanyaan yang dinyatakan dalam rumusan masalah. Item leksikal yang digunakan dalam teks iklan pekerjaan adalah kata-kata yang berkorelasi dengan domain iklan pekerjaan dan berisi fitur tertentu untuk memenuhi efisiensi dan efektivitas gaya penulisan iklan. Kata-kata yang digunakan dalam iklan pekerjaan yang ditandai dengan kata-kata yang mengandung citra positif perusahaan dan kualitas positif dari para pelamar yang dibutuhkan. Ciri tata bahasa dari teks iklan pekerjaan meliputi pola elipsis, pola imperatif atau perintah, pola modals, dan kalimat pasif. Ciri tata bahasa berfungsi seperti penjembatan yang mendukung komposisi kata-kata dalam teks iklan sehingga pesan untuk pembaca dapat

1 CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background

In recent years, where various kinds of global relations emerge and expand, the role of English as an international language is getting extensive. It meets the global need of a global language, as the world may become interconnected areas in term of communication. Being the global mass communication language, English becomes a common practice in many fields such as education, business, and mass media. In the rapid development of human civilization, mass media plays important role as a medium of information to publish and report the phenomenon. Mass media can take various types: audio such as radio, audio-visual such as television, and printed mass media such as newspaper.

2 Advertisement is a form of non personal or mass presentation and promotion of ideas, goods, and services in mass media which are financed by particular sponsors (C.M. Lingga Purnama, M.M.; 2002:156). The presentation and promotion is meant to present and to promote the ideas, goods, and services of particular company. Clear and correct presentation and promotion may boost the image of the company. Therefore, the advertisement should be written in clear and correct sentences. Clear and correct sentences make sure that the readers may easily understand the message of the advertisement.

One of the English written advertisements in newspapers is job vacancy, as found in Kompas. It may have some reasons. One of the reasons is probably the necessity to aim or select particular readers or applicants with particular level of skills and education. The job advertisements which are written in English may be intended as a way of selecting the prospective applicants on a preliminary basis. Another reason may relate to strategies of brand imaging or ways to present corporate images to the public domain. Thus, the choice of using English may not, merely, because English is an international language. Other reasons may lie beyond it. The preference to English may also deal with the aspects of credibility, prestige, and the like. The need of targeting specific readers or applicants along with sustaining the company‟s prestige may become some of the reasons of

writing the advertisements in English.

3 “ …..There are some opportunities for experience people to joint our professional people….. “ (PT. Madani Talatah Nusantara / Kompas, June 7. 2008)

“…..The role will also involve of farm activities, data compilation and integration, working with the technical team to plan future work programs within the project area, and also some component of grid based exploration …..” (PT.

Indo Multi Niaga / Kompas, June 7.2008)

“…..We invited strong candidates who fulfill these below qualifications with the capability to lead a team of HR personnel to create a comprehensive HR services to designated company business areas and contributing to the overall

performance.”(recruitment.development@gmail.com / Kompas, June 7.2008)

In other occasions the errors occur since it is commonly known that the writers of advertisements sometimes deliberately produce sentences that are not complete (R.A. Close; 1975:1). Consequently, the writers of the advertisements mau have to observe and check the composition to meet the standard of English usage.

There are some requirements in order to meet the standard of English usage. First, an English sentence should have subject and verb. Some sentences below show examples of English sentences.

(1) She looks pretty with her blue dress. (2) They are great fire fighters.

(3) The man with a red hat is my uncle.

Second, there is an agreement between the subject and the verb as they are shown in these following examples

(4) a. They looks strong in that game. b. Theylook strong in that game.

4 `The examples in (4) a. and (5) a. are incorrect. Their subjects and their verbs do not show any agreement. In (4) a. They looks strong in that game, the verb looks

is incorrect. It should be look because looks does not show agreement with subject

they since they is a pronoun for third person plural. Therefore, looks should be replaced with look. In (5) a. The collection of books are stored in the museum, the verb are is incorrect. It should be is because are does not show agreement with subject the collection of books since the head of subject here is collection, which is singular, while of books is the post modifier. Therefore, the appropriate verb is

is. Third, English sentence should meet the agreement between verb and time which is expressed in the form of tenses. Some sentences below show some of the agreements between verb and time.

(6) He went to Jakarta last week.

(7) She walks and jogsevery day.

(8) My father will get a new position next week.

Another requirement is related to the word form. An English sentence should consist of appropriate words in order to build a good sentence. There are some factors need to be considered in word form. They are the form of irregular verbs, the correct use of verbs, and the use of articles, prepositions, and pronouns.

1.2 Problem Identification

This research deals with the linguistic features used in job advertisement in

5 simple present tense, present perfect tense, or the voice. Another standard related to verbs usage accuracy is the agreement between the subject of the sentence and the form of the verbs. Articles, plurality, prepositions, and pronouns are also some other focuses which need to be concerned.

This research also deals with question of how are grammatical and lexical features meet the advertisement requirement. It is something to do with the language use in advertisement in term of the message content, the effectiveness of language, and the fascination of the advertisement language form. By observing and analyzing job advertisements collected from Kompas, the standard factors of good job advertisement may be discovered.

1.3 Problem Limitation

This research is limited to analyzing job advertisement since there are many kinds of advertisements published in newspaper. The job advertisements that are used as the data research are written in English since this research is intended to analyze the English use in job advertisement.

An example of textual composition of a classified advertisement is provided below.

URGENTLY REQUIRED

A reputable company in property industry in South Jakarta seeks a: Marketing Manager

The ideal candidate will be 35 – 40 years of age, service oriented and possess strong management organizational and communication skill with at least 5 years experience as a Property Manager. A university degree in a related discipline as well as proficiency in the English language is required.

Please send your complete application letter, CV and photo within 7 days to PO Box 1230 Jakarta 10310

6 The other limitation is that the advertisements are selected and collected from daily newspaper, Kompas. This newspaper is chosen since Kompas is a reputable newspaper in Indonesia. Another reason is that Kompas always publishes job advertisement in English from many reputable companies.

Since many parties may get involved in the advertisement creation process, the information needed in order to meet the goal of this writing will be gathered from relevant resources such as advertising agencies and some experts in public communication when needed.

1.4 Problem Formulation

This research will discuss the use of grammatical and lexical features in job advertisement dealing with the language use in job advertisements in a daily national newspaper, Kompas. In doing so, some research questions related with the object being observed are proposed. They are:

1. What are the grammatical features of job advertisements? 2. What are the lexical features of job advertisements?

1.5 Research Goals and Objectives

7 The second goal is to discover the lexical features in job advertisements written in English. In order to achieve this goal, some theories of English lexical should be explored to elaborate the lexical features in job advertisements.

The last goal is to discover the contribution of grammatical and lexical features in job advertisements written in English. The use of grammatical and lexical features in job advertisements might be discovered by observing the grammatical and lexical features in job advertisements in English. In order to support this observation, theories of advertisements are explored because the theories also state about the requirements of good advertisements. By elaborating the theories of English grammar, English lexical, and the theories of advertisements, it is expected that the requirements for good advertisements in English are discovered.

1.6 Research Benefit

The research, theoretically, may give a contribution to English language studies concerning the discussion that goes around grammatical and lexical issues. It is hoped that the study would also enrich any academic discourse related to the notion of lexis and grammar and give rise to further research since there are some different views that lexis and grammar should be considered as interdependent, ratherthan as two separate entities and vice versa.

8 company in conducting screening and editing before the newspaper is published, and the job seekers in understanding job advertisement written in English.

9 CHAPTER 2

LITERATURE REVIEW

This chapter presents some literature information including theories related to the study. Some notes and critical opinions will be presented also in order to evaluate these information and theories. Three main discussions are presented in this chapter which concern about theoretical review, related research, and theoretical framework.

2.1 Theoretical Review

2.1.1. Grammatical Features

As the study of the thesis is about grammatical and lexical features in job advertisement, this section will elaborate the definition and aspect regarding the terms called grammatical and lexical features. Finch (2000: 20) defines feature as:

A term which refers to any typical or noticeable property of spoken or written language. Like many such terms in linguistics it can be used in either a general or a precise sense. Using it generally, we could say, for example, that a feature of spoken language is the use of INTONATION because intonation is a typical property of speech, or that complete grammatical structures are a feature of written language, on similar grounds. Used more precisely, however, „feature‟ refers not simply to typical but to distinctive linguistic properties.

About grammar, Finch (2000: 20) defines as:

10 In accordance with the two statements, grammatical features is defined by Kibort and Corbett (2008) in their website on grammatical features as “In attempting to understand language, many researchers use features, the elements into which linguistic units, such as words, can be broken down. Examples of features are number (singular, plural, dual ...), person (1st, 2nd, 3rd), and tense

(present, past ...).” It means that identifying grammatical features of a text means

to observe what features of grammar such as tenses, prepositions, and the like, are used in the text and how they are used.

2.1.2. Lexical Features

The term lexical is the adjective form of the term lexis. According to Leech et al. (2001: 264) lexis means the use of vocabulary, or the choice of words, in a language or a text.

Finch (2000: 102) adds the discussion on these terms where he elaborates,”The „lexis‟ of a language is its vocabulary or word. You will usually

come across the term in its adjectival form, lexical. A lexical item, for example, is a vocabulary unit, or lexeme; in other words, something you will find in a dictionary”. Therefore, it can be said that the discussion on lexical features is related with the use of certain words.

11 more precisely, however, „feature‟ refers not simply to typical but also to

distinctive linguistic properties.”

2.1.3. Phrase

Finch (2000: 112) defines a phrase as “a syntactic unit which typically consists of more than one word, and is intermediate between word and clause level in sentences.” Finch adds that phrases are formed out of the main lexical word classes. Leech et al. (2001: 396) states, “We build clauses and sentences out

of phrases. A phrase may consist of one or more word.” Therefore, the combination of two words such as the cat can be said as a phrase. A single word like man, woman, children can also be called a phrase. A phrase then has no subject or predicate, and can be a part of a sentence.

Leech et al. (2001: 396) add that there are five kinds of phrase namely noun phrase, verb phrase, prepositional phrase, adjective phrase, and adverb phrase. A noun phrase has a noun as its main word or head word, as in these examples: (a). expensive bags, (b). his book. In each of these examples, the nouns

bags and books is the main word. The word expensive is the modifier of the noun

bags, the word his is the modifier of the noun books. The elaboration of other kinds of phrase is as follows: A verb phrase has a verb as its main word, as in (a).

12 adjectives modified by very and so. An adverbial phrase has an adverb as its main word, as in (a). too often. (b). very frequently. The words often and frequently are adverbs modified by too and very.

2.1.4. Clause

According to Leech et al. (2001: 80), clauses are the main structures of which sentences are built. He adds that a sentence contains at least one main clause, and may also contain subordinate clauses. Finch (2000: 88) explains that the distinctive feature of clauses is that they have a subject-predicate structure. Leech et al. (2001: 81) elaborate that a clause itself contains one or more elements. He mentions the elements that can be contained in a clause which are

conjunction, subject, verb phrase, object, complement, and adverbial.

Another terms for main and subordinate clauses are independent and dependent clauses as already discussed in the previous section. Long (1961: 60) states, “Main clauses have characteristics that make them freely usable as

sentences. Subordinate clauses, on the other hand, are normally incorporated within other clauses, and many of them have characteristics which ordinarily make them seem unacceptable as sentences.” It means that a main clause can

stand as a sentence and independent while subordinate clause cannot stand as a sentence and dependent.

In line with Long are Young and Strauch (2006: 183) who mention that “Dependent clauses cannot be sentences on their own. They depend on an

13 sentence carries the main meaning, but either clause may come first. When the dependent clause comes first, it is always followed by a comma.”

There are some points of discussion regarding clauses. First, a clause can be independent or dependent and each of them contains a subject and a predicate. The meaning carried in the dependent clause, although structurally meets the grammatical standard in that it contains a subject and a predicate, cannot be understood without referring the context carried by the independent clause. So, it can be said that the dependent clause can be meaningful only if a reader relate it to the independent clause. In the sentence, yesterday I went to the supermarket where I met my old friend, the meaning of the clause where I met my old friend

is not clear without relating it to the clause yesterday I went to the supermarket. Therefore the clause where I met my old friend is dependent.

2.1.5. Sentence

Ralph B. Long (1961: 9) states, “Sentences are linguistic units of a certain

magnitude”. He adds that in written discourse, “sentences are ordinarily the most

clearly marked units smaller than paragraphs and larger than words, beginning with capital letters, completed by periods or equivalent marks end them, and there is characteristic spacing before and after”. Stated in his remarks are that

14 Regarding the structural form of sentences, there are three main kinds of sentences; which are simple sentence, compound sentence, and complex sentence. Baack (2011) states, that a simple sentence contains a subject and verb and expresses a complete thought. But they can also contain a compound subjects or verbs. Baack gives examples on simple sentences as in (a) some students like to study in the mornings. (b). Juan and Arturo plays football every afternoon. (c).

Alicia goes to the library and studies every day. Baack states that those three sentences are written in simple sentences. In (b) the sentence contains a compound subject: Juan and Arturo, and in (c) contains a compound verb: goes and studies.

The other structure of sentence is compound, which Baack mentions as “containing two independent clauses joined by a coordinator”. The coordinators

are: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so. Baack gives examples that in the sentence I tried to speak Spanish, and my friend tried to speak English, there are two independent clauses: I tried to speak Spanish and My friend tried to speak Spanish. The coordinator that joins these clauses is and. Another use of coordinator such as so can be seen in the sentence Alejandro is sick, so he doesn’t

go to school. There two independent clauses in the sentence, the first clause is

Alejandro is sick, the second clause is Alejandro doesn’t go to school. When these sentences are joined using coordinator so the pronoun he is used in the second clause to avoid repeating the subject Alejandro and in that context, the pronoun he

is known as referring to Alejandro.

15

since, after, although, or when. In the sentence the students are studying because they have a test, there is a subordinate because joining the independent clause the students are studying, with the dependent clause they have a test. Another example of complex sentence is the sentence when he left my house, he forgot to bring his bag. There is a dependent clause when he left my house and an independent clause he forgot to bring his bag. The subordinator used in that complex sentence is when. In the complex sentence the position of the clauses can be interchanged. The sentence when he left my house, he forgot to bring his bag

can be rewritten as he forgot to bring his bag when he left my house. In the latter sentence there is no comma after the independent clause.

2.1.6. Ellipsis

Leech et al. (2001: 141) explain ellipsis as the omission of words in grammar. As an example, Leech et al show that in the sentence “We went to Rome

last year, and [we] really enjoyed it”, the word in the brackets is the one which can be omitted. Leech et al. add that ellipsis can be very useful because it allow us to omit words, instead of repeating them.

16 because it is already understood or implicit by the context provided in the sentence.

There are other forms of elliptical sentences such as sentences with omitted verbs or verb phrases. In the sentence, John bought some books and Jack some folders, there is an omission of the verb bought since it is implicit by the context. Another example of ellipsis is the omission of certain phrases as in the sentence, John wears a jacket, but Jack didn’t [wears a jacket]. The verb phrase in the bracket which is omitted is already understood by the context in the sentence, that Jack did not wear a jacket as John does.

2.1.7. Advertising

Weilbacher states, “Advertising is communication” (1984: 470). Referring to Weilbacher‟s statement, it can be said that advertising is related to giving

messages. In the matter of advertising, there are certain media that are commonly used by advertisement companies to put their messages. In conveying the advertising message, each of these media has some advantages and disadvantages. Televisions rely on both audio and visual advantages, radios on their audio advantages while newspapers on the textual aspect of the message. Advertising messages in television and radio are more punctual and real time then the ones in newspaper. However, people can not easily trace back the data. Whereas advertising messages in newspaper can easily be traced back because they are printed.

17 comprehensive messages are not always composed in long sentences. Goddard (2002: 125) writes, “Advertising language often attempts to reproduce the elliptical nature of spoken language…” Goddard also states that ellipsis is used for economical reason. Sentences such as “We need applicants to join our team” can be shortened into “Join our team”. Since the subject “we” and the object

“applicants” are already known, the use of ellipsis is possible. However, ellipsis

may not reduce the point of the message. Therefore, since the form of classified advertisement provides limited space, the use of ellipsis is necessary. Besides ellipsis, Goddard mentions that the message of an advertisement is especially clear at the beginning of a text, often by using bold or large type for the “headline” or “slogan” to capture the attention of the reader.

According to Goddard (2002: 10), “…advertising is not just about the

commercial promotion of branded products, but can also encompass the idea of texts whose intention is to enhance the image of an individual, group or organization”. Hence, the use of certain words or lexical items may fulfill the

intention to enhance the image of individual, organization, or the company that put the advertisement.

Other feature that characterizes advertising language is proposed by Grey (2011). He notes that these features among others are the frequent use of adjectives and adverbs, long noun phrases, frequent use of pre and post modifiers for descriptions, the use of short sentences for impact on the reader. The use of adjective and adverb can be seen in the phrase such as “highly motivated

18 significant experience in the related field….” The use of pre modifier can be seen in the sentence “A fast growing company is looking for ….” The phrase a fast

growing modifies the noun company. The phrase makes the sentence more concise since the other form of sentence can be “We are a fast growing company which is looking for ….” The use of post modifier can be seen in the sentence

“We are a joint venture company with Mitsubishi Corporation Japan is looking for

….” The phrase with Mitsubishi Japan modifies the noun company. The phrase makes the sentence more concise since the other form of sentence can be “We are

a joint venture company having a relation with a Japanese company namely Mitsubishi”.

In accordance with the use of short sentences in advertising, Chapman (2001: businessballs.com) suggests some tips of writing a job advertisement. Included in his suggestions are:

Make the advert easy to read. Use simple language, avoid complicated words unless absolutely necessary… Less is more…. Use language that your reader uses. ….and limit your vocabulary to that found in the newspaper. Use short sentences. More than fifteen words in a sentence reduce the clarity of the meaning.

Thus, sentence construction is important in advertising because it deals with creating messages to the readers. Weilbacher (1984: 462) writes that “…message

content does matter…”he also adds, “…sales do go up when particularly effective advertising messages are introduced, and sales do fade when weaker advertising messages are run…. much more emphasis would presumably be placed upon media planning and the fine tuning of message delivery procedures”.

19 mentioned by Goddard (2002: 8) that “…advertising is not just about the texts

whose intention is to enhance the image of an individual, group or organization”. This means that the concept of advertising also goes for job vacancy.

To impress the message, the choice of word or diction in advertising is important. Proper choice of word may trigger the reader to find out more about the information as stated in the advertisement. In other words, the use of appropriate diction can attract the attention of readers. This is in accordance with Goddard‟s statement (2002: 74) that “Vocabulary is carefully chosen to promote positive

associations in the minds of the target audience”.

In relation to vocabulary matters, Sells and Gonzalez (2002) in their website presents Leech‟s findings about the frequency of words taken from a sample of television advertisements. These words fall into twenty adjective and twenty verbs. The twenty most frequent adjectives are: new, good/better/best, free, fresh, delicious, full, sure, clean, wonderful, special, crisp, fine, big, great,

real, easy, bright, extra, safe, rich. The twenty most frequent verbs are: make, get, give, have, see, buy, come, go, know, keep, look, need, love, use, feel, like, choose,

take, start, taste.

It is interesting to see that most of those words, especially the verbs, are monosyllabic which make them also easier to be pronounced. Those monosyllabic words as listed by Leech may meet the need to be economical when writing advertising texts. From Leech‟s finding it is shown that word choice is important

in making advertisement message.

20 if they are needed. What is more, there is no harm in writing English”. Thus, it is quite apparent that beside word choice, the use of brief and concise writing is also crucial in advertisement.

2.2. Related Research

There are several research conducted on the study of reading strategies. As we know that literary reading research is not well-documented, most of the existing reading researche focused to investigate reading strategy used by college students to read the academic texts. They are varied in using the research methodologies. Some of those studies used qualitative method and they mostly used quantitative method or even mix-methods.

One of the findings that Dattamajumdar (2006) found on her research paper about the linguistic patterns of advertising text is that messages are often being shortened or reduced. She also found that short phrases are also used.

21 2.3. Theoretical Framework

Advertisement means communication and delivering messages. It also goes to various kinds of advertisement including job vacancy. The language of job advertisement written in English is composed as brief as possible without ignoring the communicative aspect and the aspect of effective message. Two important aspects in the textual composition of English job vacancy advertisement are grammatical and lexical features. Grammatical features deal with the required elements to compose sentences orderly. Lexical features deal with particular words used in the composition.

This study aims to find out and discuss these features. In doing so some linguistic theories are used. This study includes the theory of sentence, clause, phrase, elliptical construction, and other related principles. The point of this study is that grammatical and lexical features are complementary to each other in the construction of textual composition of English job advertisement.

2.4. Kompas Newspaper

23 CHAPTER 3

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

In conducting this research, some procedures are emplyoed. First, the data are collected. The data used in this research are obtained from the daily newspaper namely Kompas. Beside data collection some other processes regarding the treatment of the data are also conducted. This chapter explains the methodology used in this research.

3.1 Research Data

The collected data used in this research were in the form of advertisement texts published in daily newspaper Kompas. This research was on lexical and grammatical aspects of texts used in job advertisements. The data used in this research were published in the year of 2008 to 2010. Referring to advertising terminology, the advertisement texts taken for this research were categorized into classified display advertisement. Classified display advertisements usually have larger columns than classified advertisements.

Since the research was related to the field of English language studies, the writer selected the classified display job advertisements written in English to be used as the research data. All of the data used in this research were taken from

Kompas newspaper.

24 3.2 Data Collection

The process of data collection also included the selection of the collected data. The writer selected the data which have three sections in their textual presentation. These three sections were heading, body, and closing. Sentences, clauses, phrases, words used in the three sections were observed and studied. At first, there were thirty job advertisements to be studied for this research. The writer decided to reduce the number to twelve job advertisements to be used for this research because from the thirty job advertisements all shared the same patterns grammatically and lexically in that there were no new findings other than these patterns.

3.3 Data Analysis

The selected data were rewritten and arranged into tables in order to ease the presentation and analysis. Each of the data was converted into a table which was divided into three parts namely heading, body, and closing. In analyzing the selected data, the writer referred to the two questions stated as the research questions. The research questions were:

1. What are the grammatical features of job advertisements? 2. What are the lexical features of job advertisements?

25 Observation and analysis were also conducted on any pattern of preferential use of certain lexis or words including nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and phrases used in the job ads. The writer would find out if there was any omission of certain clauses or phrases, and whether the omission made the advertisements message less clear or not.

After the analysis, concerning with the sectional identification of job advertisement texts was done the writer continued with another analysis to identify grammatical and lexical features found in the data. In this matter, each of the points contributing to grammatical aspect of job advertisement texts was identified and discussed.

The next discussion dealt with the lexical items found in the data of this research. The discussion focused on the use of certain words belonging to the classes of adjectives, nouns, verbs, and adverbs that were found in the composition of job advertisement texts. The use of certain phrases was also discussed. The discussion was provided with the corresponding tables presented in the appendix that could be referred to.

26 CHAPTER IV

DATA ANALYSIS

The questions that should be answered in this research are what are the grammatical and the lexical features of job advertisements advertised in Kompas? To find the answer of the questions, in this chapter all collected data is presented, analyzed, and discussed. There are two steps in presenting, analyzing, and discussing the data. The first step is transforming the data into tables having three main sections of job advertisement text: opening, body and closing. In this step, the writer is also dividing the sentences in the data into numbers. The second step is analyzing the grammatical and lexical features in the data.

4.1. Grammatical Features of Job Advertisement Text

The grammatical features of a text may have some aspects such as, tenses, prepositions, and other function words. These aspects are observed and identified through the use of other textual forms presented in the job advertisement. These textual forms are ellipsis, modal patterns, imperative patterns, and passive voice.

4.1.1. Grammatical Features 1: Ellipsis

Ellipsis refers to the omission of certain words or elements of sentences from writing. In general, elliptical form is found in most of job advertisement text used as the research data. The use of this elliptical form is generally applied regardless of the company line of business, type of work field, or type of applicant‟s qualifications. The use of ellipsis in job advertisement is clearly

27 Elliptical forms are generally used in the body section of job advertisement texts to explain the job requirements and job applicant‟s qualification. Elliptical

forms are also used to explain job description.

There are some reasons for using ellipsis in the job advertisement texts. First, generally, the reader already knows the context of the elliptical sentence. Second, it is used to avoid repetition of words which accordingly would spare more space. Third, the readers usually only seek important points of the advertisement, hence they read by scanning the texts. Finally, from the business viewpoint, using ellipsis would be more efficient and economical as it uses less space.

In advertising, the use of ellipsis is common in order to make use the limited advertising column or space efficiently. In newspaper, there are elliptical forms found in the job advertisement texts as shown in the collected data. The omitted forms or structure are clauses and phrases with certain patterns. These patterns are S + modal should + be, S + modal should + possess/have,S + modal should, S + who + have/has, S + be + v1 (+ing) + preposition, noun phrase +

modal would be.

4.1.1.1. The elliptical sentence pattern 1: S + modal should + be

28

subject (S) followed by should and be. The clause the applicant should be is logically understood by the context presented in the opening section of the advertisement. Sentence agreement test is also used to determine the appropriate pattern that would come before the elliptical sentence. From the examples, it can be seen that each of the elliptical texts (1), (2), (3), and (4) begins with an adjective. These adjectives are experienced, able, graduated, and fluent. The pattern that would appropriately come before these adjectives is the clause with the pattern of S + modal should + be. The modal should expresses obligation that should be fulfilled related to the job position requirements. The pattern contains a lexical item applicant since by the context of the job advertisement it refers to the person who would apply for the job position.

Example:

1) [The applicant should be] experienced in financial modeling and analysis. (2.1.5).

2) [The applicant should be] able to manage and complete multiple projects simultaneously and to meet deadlines under pressure. (2.1.11)

3) [The applicant should be] graduated from a reputable university. (2.2.3) 4) [The applicant should be] fluent in English and Japanese. (2.2.4)

4.1.1.1.1. Grammatical Features of Ellipsis pattern 1

The following are the examples of the job advertisement texts in their elliptical forms.

29 2) Able to manage and complete multiple projects simultaneously and to

meet deadlines under pressure.

3) Graduated from a reputable university. 4) Fluent in English and Japanese.

In text (1) the full structure is The applicant should be experienced in financial modeling and analysis. The function words in this structure are the,

should, be, in, and and. This structure is written in the present tense consisting of the subject the applicant which is consisting of the as determiner and applicant as noun. The function of the limits the subject applicant. The subject applicant

means the one that applies for the vacancy advertised by the company. The modal

should is used to indicate a condition that should be possessed by the applicant. The verb be is in the basic form of agreeing with the tense of the texts which is written in the simple present. The preposition in carries the idea of inclusion or involvement related to the applicant expertise in certain field of work. The conjunction and is actually joins two phrases which are also elliptical; financial modeling and financial analysis. The content word financial is omitted in the second phrase, because it is already understood by the context.

30 should be met by the applicant. The verb be is in the basic form of agreeing with the tense of the texts which is written in the simple present. The preposition to

follows the content word able. The use of this preposition is to introduce two verbs which are complete and meet.

In text (3) the full structure is The applicant should be graduated from a reputable university. The function words in this structure are the, should, be, from, and a. This structure is written in the present tense consisting of the subject the applicant which is consisting of the as determiner and applicant as noun. The determiner the limits the subject applicant, which means only the one who applies for the vacancy advertised by the company. The modal should is used to indicate a condition that should be possessed by the applicant. The verb be is in the basic form of agreeing with the tense of the texts which is written in the simple present. The preposition from follows and co-occur with the content word graduated.

In text (4) the full structure is The applicant should be fluent in English and Japanese. The function words in this structure are the, should, be, in and and. The tense of the structure is simple present tense. The subject the applicant

consists of the as determiner and applicant as noun. The determiner the limits the subject applicant, which means only the one who applies for the vacancy advertised by the company. The modal should is used to indicate a condition that should be possessed by the applicant. The verb be is in the basic form of agreeing with the tense of the texts which is written in the simple present. The preposition

31 The features of elliptical patterns can be elaborated as follows:

Elliptical Pattern 1:

a. The head of the sentence uses particular phrases indicating the applicants‟ qualification such as master degree, university degree,

S1/S2 degree, diploma degree.

b. Other words and phrases are adjectives indicating specific skills, gender, academic status, and applicant‟s personality such as

experienced in, able to, male, fluent in, computer literate, self driven,

graduated, excellent, willing, attractive, proportional, goal oriented,

hard worker.

4.1.1.2. The elliptical sentence pattern 2: S + modal should +possess/have

Below are the sentences in the job advertisement that are written in ellipsis structure with the omission of clauses. The omitted clauses have the pattern of

S + modal should + possess/have. The elements in the brackets indicate that they are omitted. Each of the omitted clauses has the pattern consisting of subject (S) followed by should followed by either have or possess.

The clause the applicant should have/posses is logically understood by the context presented in the opening section of the advertisement. Sentence agreement test is also used to determine the appropriate pattern that would come before the elliptical sentence. In these examples below, each of the elliptical texts (1), (2), (3), and (4) begins with noun phrases. These noun phrases are (1). at least 5 years professional experience, (2). good knowledge. (3). excellent communication. (4).

32 functions as the main word or the headword of each phrase. The words that come before the underlined nouns are modifiers.

The pattern that would appropriately come before these noun phrases is the clause with the pattern of subject + modal should + possess/have. The main word of the phrase is the noun experience which is also an object that needs a predicate

possess/have. Examples:

1) [The applicant should posses]at least 5 years professional experience in private participation in infrastructure. (2.1.2)

2) [The applicant should have]good knowledge of Indonesia public private partnership, project management and project financing. (2.1.4)

3) [The applicant should have]excellent communication and presentation skills in English and Bahasa Indonesia. (2.1.11)

4) [The applicant should have] product knowledge in windows, door, and curtain-wall. (2.1.17)

4.1.1.2.1 Grammatical Features of Ellipsis pattern 2

In text (1) the full structure is The applicant should possess at least 5 years professional experience in private participation in infrastructure. The function words in this structure are the, should, in. This structure is written in the present tense. The subject is the applicant consisting of the as determiner and applicant as noun. The determiner (the) limits the reference only to the subject applicant

33 the idea of inclusion or involvement related to the applicant activities of related work field. There is the use of at least which is a phrase, which means at the minimum.

In text (2) the full structure is The applicant should have good knowledge of Indonesia public private partnership, project management and project

financing. The function words in this structure are the, should, of, and. This structure is written in the present tense consisting of the subject The applicant

which consists of the as determiner and applicant as noun. The determiner the

limits the reference related to the subject applicant. The modal auxiliary should is used to indicate a condition that should be possessed by the applicant. The preposition of shows a relation of reference between two content words,

knowledge and Indonesia. The coordinate conjunction and connects the words and phrases of the same idea which stated in the phrase good knowledge of.

In text (3) the full structure is The applicant should have excellent communication and presentation skills in English and Bahasa Indonesia. The function words in this structure are the, should, and, in, and. This structure is written in the present tense consisting of the subject The applicant which is consisting of the as determiner and applicant as noun. The determiner the limits the reference of the subject applicant. The modal auxiliary should is used to indicate a condition that should be met by the applicant. The preposition in carries the idea of inclusion or involvement related to the applicant activities or work field.

34 structure are the, should, in, and. This structure is written in the present tense consisting of the subject the applicant which consists of the as determiner and

applicant as noun. The determiner the limits the reference of the subject applicant

to the one that applies for the vacancy advertised by the company. The modal auxiliary should is used to indicate a condition that should be met by the applicant. The preposition in carries the idea of inclusion or involvement related to the applicant work field or activities. The coordinate conjunction and connects the words and phrases of the same idea which stated in the phrase product knowledge in.

The features of elliptical patterns can be elaborated as follows: Elliptical Pattern 2:

a. The ellipsis in this pattern begins with a noun phrase. b. The ellipsis in this pattern are written in the present tense.

4.1.1.3. The elliptical sentence pattern 3: S + modal should

In this pattern the clauses in brackets are omitted. Each of the omitted clauses has the pattern consisting of subject (S) followed by modal should. The clause the applicant should be is logically understood by the context presented in the opening section of the advertisement. Sentence agreement test is also used to determine the appropriate pattern that would come before the elliptical sentence. In these examples below, each of the elliptical texts (1), (2), (3), and (4) begins with a verb. These verbs are posses, have, demonstrate, and understand.

35 should be fulfilled related to the job position requirements. The pattern contains a lexical item applicant since by the context of the job advertisement it refers to the person who would apply for the job position.

Examples:

1) [The applicant should] possess strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively with senior government officials in the areas of

infrastructure and finance. (2.1.6)

2) [The applicant should] have experience in dealing with government institutions related to PMA. (2.3.14)

3) [The applicant should] demonstrate good interpersonal and communication skills. (2.12.5)

4) [The applicant should] understand the technical basic knowledge. (2.12.6)

4.1.1.3.1 Grammatical Features of Ellipsis pattern 3

In text (1) the full structure is The applicant should possess strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively with senior government

officials in the areas of infrastructure and finance. The function words in this structure are the, should, and, to, with, in, of. This structure is written in the present tense consisting of the subject the applicant which consists of the as determiner and applicant as noun. The determiner the limits the reference of the subject applicant. The modal auxiliary should is used to indicate a condition that should be met by the applicant. The preposition to suitably comes after the noun

36 In text (2) the full structure is The applicant should have experience in dealing with government institutions related to PMA. The function words in this structure are the, should, in, with, to. This structure is written in the present tense consisting of the subject the applicant consisting of the as determiner and

applicant as noun. The determiner the limits the reference of the subject applicant. The modal auxiliary should is used to indicate a condition that should be met by the applicant. The preposition in carries the idea of inclusion or involvement related to the applicant work field or activities.

In text (3) the full structure is The applicant should demonstrate good interpersonal and communication skills. The function words in this structure are

the, should, and. This structure is written in the present tense consisting of the subject the applicant which consists of the as determiner and applicant as noun. The determiner the limits the reference of the subject applicant. The modal auxiliary should is used to indicate a condition that should be met by the applicant. The coordinate conjunction and connects two phrases of the same idea. These phrases are good interpersonal and communication skills.

In text (4) the full structure is The applicant should understand the technical basic knowledge. The function words in this structure are the, should, This structure is written in the present tense consisting of the subject The applicant which is consisting of the as determiner and applicant as noun. The determiner the limits the reference of the subject applicant. The modal auxiliary

should is used to indicate a condition that should be met by the applicant. The features of elliptical patterns can be elaborated as follows:

37 a. The ellipsis begins with transitive verbs like have, possess, demonstrate, understand followed by objects that specify the required skills.

b. The elliptical patterns are written in the present tense.

4.1.1.4. The elliptical sentence pattern 4: S + who + have/has

There is another pattern of omitted clause. The clause consists of subject

(S) followed by relative pronoun who. This clause implicitly precedes the phrase written in the body section of job advertisement. In the following examples the clauses in brackets are omitted and implicitly understood. Sentence agreement test is also used to determine the appropriate patterns that would come before the elliptical texts. In these examples below, each of the elliptical texts (1), (2), (3), and (4) begins with a noun phrase. There are modifiers that precede the nouns. These noun phrases are good knowledge.(2). wide network. (3). good experience. (4). some experience.

The pattern that would appropriately come before these noun phrases is the clause with the pattern of S + who + have/has. The modal should expresses obligation that should be fulfilled related to the job position requirements. The pattern contains a lexical item applicant since by the context of the job advertisement it refers to the person who would apply for the job position.

Examples:

38 2) [The applicant who possesses] wide network among government officials

in the infrastructure sector is desirable. (2.1.7)

3) [The applicant who has] good experience in reputable Public Accountant Firm is preferred. (2.3.8)

4) [The applicant who possesses] some experience in reputable Law Firms or as Company Secretary is preferred. (2.3.13)

4.1.1.4.1 Grammatical Features of Ellipsis pattern 4

In text (1) the full structure is The applicant who possesses good knowledge of World Bank operational procedures and procurement process is

desirable. The function words in this structure are the, who, of, and. This structure is written in the present tense consisting of the subject The applicant which is consisting of the as determiner and applicant as noun. The determiner the limits the reference of the subject applicant. The relative pronoun who refers to the noun

applicant. The preposition of suitably comes after the noun knowledge. The coordinate conjunction and connects the words and phrases of the same idea which stated in the phrase good knowledge of.

39 In text (3) the full structure is The applicant who has good experience in reputable Public Accountant Firm is preferred. The function words in this structure are the, who, in. This structure is written in the present tense consisting of the subject the applicant which consists of the as determiner and applicant as noun. The determiner the limits the subject applicant. It only refers to the applicant who applies for the position advertised by the company. The preposition

in conveys the idea of inclusion or involvement related to the activities or work field of the applicant.

In text (4) the full structure is The applicant who possesses some experience in reputable Law Firms or as Company Secretary is preferred. The function words in this structure are the, who, some, in, or, as. This structure is written in the present tense consisting of the subject The applicant, which is consisting of the as determiner and applicant as noun. The determiner the limits the reference related to the subject applicant. The preposition in brings the idea of inclusion or involvement related to the applicant activities.

The features of elliptical patterns can be elaborated as follows:

Elliptical Pattern 4:

a. The elliptical patterns are written in the present tense. b. The elliptical patterns begin with noun phrases. c. The omitted elements contain relative pronoun who.

40 4.1.1.5. The elliptical sentence pattern 5: S + be + v1 (+ing) + preposition

Another pattern related to elliptical structures used in job advertisement texts is the omission of a clause from a full sentence. When the clause is omitted, the other part of the sentence becomes a phrase as written in the body section of the job advertisement. Below are the texts that are written in ellipsis structure. The clauses in brackets are omitted and implicitly understood. Each of the omitted clauses has the pattern consisting of subject (S)followed by be and verb in present progressive form with a preposition as in we are looking for.

In these examples below, each of the elliptical texts (1), (2), (3), and (4) begins with a noun phrase. These noun phrases are (1). a consumer business division staff. (2). an assistant accounting manager. (3). an assistant legal manager. (4). an accounting officer. Each of the underlined nouns is the main word of the phrase.

Examples:

1) [We are looking for] a Consumer Business Division Staff. (2.2.1) 2) [We are looking for] an Assistant Accounting Manager. (2.3.1) 3) [We are looking for] an Assistant Legal Manager. (2.3.2) 4) [We are looking for] an Accounting Officer. (2.3.3)

4.1.1.5.1 Grammatical Features of Ellipsis pattern 5

In text (1) the full structure is We are looking for a Consumer Business Division Staff. The function words in this structure are for, are, a. This structure is written in the present progressive tense with the subject we as noun followed by