小试牛刀

What is register?

参考答案：

Register is a term widely used in sociolinguistics to refer to “varieties according to use”, in contrast with regional dialects and socialects, both of which are “varieties according to user”. Dialect shows who you are and where you are from. The register shows what you are doing and with whom.

Register is analyzed on three dimensions: field, mode and tenor. Field is concerned with the purpose and subject-matter of communication; mode refers to the means by which communication takes place, through speech and writing. Tenor depends on the relations between the participants.

Field is concerned with why and about what we communicate; mode is related to how we communicate; tenor is about with whom we communicate. All the three dimensions function simultaneously in determining the variety of language in use.