1. What commentary is?

Commentary is one of the most distinctive of all uses of English. It's involved in far more other things than only broadcasting, as it is noticeable in many various contexts. To add, as far as broadcasting is concerned commentaries appear not only with sporting occasions. To be precise, the following definition can be found in Cambridge International Dictionary of English:

‘ a spoken description of an event on the radio or television
that is broadcast as the event happens, or a set of written
remarks on an event, book or person which explains its subject
or expresses an opinion on it ‘

Nevertheless, the most common and most frequently encountered are sports commentaries on which I would like to focus my project. Even though there exist many varieties and styles many common features that will be discussed later in my project can be found.

2. Oral commentary analysis

At this point, two elements can be distinguished: ‘play-by-play' and ‘colour-adding' commentaries. The latter typically includes three things: pre-event background, within-event interpretation and post-event evaluation. In short, it is conversational in style and frequently consists of dialogues. On the other hand, play-by play commentary is much more interesting in terms of my project. As the range of spoken sports commentaries is still quite big, for the sake of my project let me focus on one type, that is football radio commentary.
In depth analysis based on four pieces of enclosed radio broadcast of football match brought me to draw the following conclusion:

The style is formulaic in order to reduce memory overloading, which could lead to pauses and unavoidable silence. It allows some time for commentator to think, for he has to remember quite big amount of players and facts as well as follow the action that takes place on the pitch very carefully.

The commentator is extremely fluent in order to attract audience attention and sustain interest. It is difficult to find pauses whereas hesitant markers such as er, em, ah are rare but also unavoidable in live broadcast. The need for fluency is quite obvious since radio broadcasting gives its audience only sound effects unlike TV broadcasting that also transmits pictures on screen and as a result TV audience can catch information easier through double receiving.

The pace of speech is equal to the pace of action that takes place at the moment of speaking. Thus, when the action speeds up, the commentator's voice grows more enthusiastic as well as he speaks faster e.g. "the ball goes towards Bakke who shots right footed; just wide" In that moments when the atmosphere is getting interesting and tense, the commentator starts to speak incredibly fast and it is even difficult to understand his words. The fact that his pace equals the pace of the match catches listeners' attention during the most interesting actions.

There are no features of spontaneous speech such as hesitations, false starts and nonsense words perhaps, because professional commentators are specially trained to be fluent in speech. However, since there are more broadcasters short pauses give them time to prepare as well as make turn-takings.

The commentator's voice expresses all the atmosphere and drama that can be observed by him live to the radio audience which has to use imagination in order to feel as one of the participants of the match. As a result the speaker uses wide variations in speech range and articulation. High pitch of the voice is used when something interesting or dangerous happens on the football field (e.g. "the ball goes towards Bakke who shots right footed" );at the same time the commentator accelerates and speaks much louder; whereas the low pitch is used when the action slows down or some disappointment or failure occurs (e.g. "just wide", "too easy for Arsenal", "auuuuch")

The use of present tenses is rather noticeable. Both, Present Progressive is used (e.g. "they are taking the ball off their toes every time") and Present Simple (e.g. "everything is very simple", "the ball goes towards Bakke").

Present Progressive is used to make activities faster
e.g. "Kelly challenging young Rotman", "Kewell clipping it forward", "Smith trying to work himself forward". Present Progressive is used also, when Present Simple could be, to emphasise certain notorious things e.g. "they are taking the ball off their toes every time"

Personal pronouns are rarely used (e.g. "he's found the right ball", "they are taking the ball off..."); instead players' names are used for it indicates specific player and is less confusing.

Adverbials of place e.g. "Smith trying to work himself forward on the half way line" to portrait to the audience where on the pitch action takes place.

Coherence in "time" , for time ties the atmosphere of the game and audience must sense there is not much time left e.g. "for the last fifteen minutes", "two minutes of stoppage time at the end of this first half"

The commentator sometimes has to cut short his words in order to follow the continuance of the game. Thus, what is important to get the meaning clear is context e.g. "Wiltor has it" is cut short from "Wiltor has the ball" in the particular context.

Inverted word order e.g. "Back the ball goes totoward Lawrenc"

The use of passive voice (it allows the commentator time to think for example of a name of a player as the action is very fast and there is little time to recall some names from memory)
e.g. "he's given handball there"

Discourse structure is rather cyclical as football consists of a limited number of activity options. Moreover, such information about state of play is a need for radio listeners who have just started to listen to the live commentary

The commentator tells ‘the story' in verbs (e.g. challenging, goes, shots, played, changes, clipping, pushed)

The use of modal forms, which allow to express attitudes towards the event e.g. "Viduka can't control the ball"

Personal opinions are expressed e.g. "too easy for arsenal", "I think he probably was (pushed)"

Informal use of language. Sports broadcasting is quiet different from sports report on newspapers since the language is less formal and less cohesive

Specific vocabulary and sports idioms are used
e.g. clipping, play game, play percentages, shot right footed, take the ball off sb's toes, stoppage time, half way line...

Often some background knowledge is the key to understand commentaries (e.g. numbers are often used to indicate player, time, score depending on context)

Bibliography:

Crystal, D. 2002. “The Encyclopaedia of the English Language”. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

“International Dictionary of English”. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 1995

The live radio commentaries are taken from: http://www.leedsunited.com/live/audio.asp


APPENDIX

Transcripts of live radio commentaries from enclosed CD

Track 4
(...) Kelly challenging young Rotman. Kelly inside to Alan Smith. Look up- he’s found the right ball all afternoon; Alan Smith. Nothing spectaculus, but just play game or play the percentages. Yeah, everything is very simple but you’ve just said the last attack for Leeds United, Viduka again, in everything great control; ... the ball goes towards Bakke who shots right footed; just wide. Viduka played him in twenty-five yards out right- footed shot from the Norwegian and it was just a way; Leeds are gonna make the change. Freedman changes Milner, by the way for the last fifteen minutes; so while this change is being made, let’s go back to Tim for the very latest scores. OK., have a more goals to tell you about: Cardiff-one...... (...)Viduka can’t control up the ball thrown in coming from Wilcox.

Track 1
...too easy for Arsenal; they are taking the ball off their toes every time.
Wiltord has it. Back the ball goes toward Lawrent. Two minutes of stoppage time at the end of this first half. We are now into that stopping time.

Track2
There is Kewell clipping it forward. Now Smith. Auuuch... He’s given handball there... Kewell’s saying he was pushed. I think he probably was (...) Smith trying to work himself forward on the half way line.