| This thesis aims to analyze discourses of advertisements from a social functional approach, focusing on the register theory and its application. Advertising language is first argued as a special register activated by a combination of register variables, namely the Field, the Tenor and the Mode. Consumer advertisements in magazines are then studied through case analysis and a generalization is drawn within the model proposed.Chapter One is a general description of the purpose of the thesis, the research methodology and the language data for analysis. The research methodology adopted is qualitative in nature under the guidance of the register theory, and the language data used are mostly from some 68 samples collected from such magazines as Time, People and Newsweek magazines. In Chapter Two, former studies on advertising discourse are briefly reviewed and a modified model of the register theory is proposed. Chapter Three analyzes the selected examples in three major parts to illuminate how the three variables in the register theory represent and affect the linguistic forms of the advertisement message in persuading the reader to purchase the product or service promoted. The three major parts are as follows: 1: Choice on the Field is shown in Processes, Participants and Circumstances of sentences in advertisements, based on the ideational function of language.2: Advertisers try to establish a friendly relationship with the audience, so "Tenor" chosen defines the linguistic presentation of the propositions and proposals, sense, modal and adjunct choices, and specific wordings in advertising discourse. 3: "Mode" in the register theory echoes the textual function of language. Theme-Rhyme and Old-New structures are the focus.Chapter Four summarizes the whole thesis, and states the possible contributions of the thesis to the register theory and its practical application. Limitations are also pointed out in this chapter, with suggestions on further related research.
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