A Study Of Restatement

Restatement hammers at the key idea by using different words. It is widely used in prose, stories, especially speeches. However, it hasn't been paid due attention to. This paper, based on a great quantity of material in the Chinese and English languages, makes a detailed study of restatement from the following aspects: Firstly, it reviews the previous researches on restatement and queries the validity of some statements in them. Secondly, it makes a detailed classification of restatement, respectively according to its frequency, lexis, grammar, and content. The difference between restatement and some other similar devices is also distinguished. Thirdly, restatement is approached from the angle of discourse analysis. It believes that the lexical cohesion in restatement is mainly realized by synonyms, hyponyms, and the related words, which construct cohesion both within the sentence and between sentences. Fourthly, the psychological states of the participants in restatement are explored. It holds that the repetition in restatement helps the rhetor reach the optimum level of arousal and the different words in it give him the pleasure of change. For the receiver, restatement is easy to attract his attention, quick to be comprehended, and apt to be remembered. Fifthly, restatement is researched from the aesthetic aspect. It maintains that this rhetorical device provides us a feeling of beauty at least in three points: symmetry and balance, unity in variety, and various aesthetical associations. Lastly, it makes a brief conclusion of the whole paper and believes that restatement plays a particular role in rhetoric, especially in writing.