1.2.1 Theoretical Significance 2

1.2.2 Practical Significance 3

1.3 Research Structure 3

II. The Theory of Conceptual Metaphor 5

2.1 Definition 5

2.2 Classification 6

2.3 Working Mechanism of Conceptual Metaphor 7

2.4 Structural features 8

III. An Analysis of Conceptual Metaphors in English Public    Service

Advertisements 9

3.1 Building Metaphors 9

3.2 War Metaphors 10

3.3 Journey Metaphors 10

3.4 Human Metaphors 11

3.5 Container Metaphors 12

IV. The functions of Conceptual Metaphors of English Public  Service

Advertisements 13

4.1 Facilitating promotions of English Public Service Advertisements 13

4.2 Improving cultural taste of English Public Service Advertisements 14

4.3 Elevating aesthetic value of English Public Service Advertisements 15

VI.Conclusion 17

Bibliography 19

Conceptual Metaphors in English Public Service Advertisements

I. Introduction

1.1 Research Background

Public service advertisement refers to a form of advertisements for social public interests and social environment but not for profit. Modern public service advertisement was born in the early 1940s in the United States, also known as a piece of public service advertisement or morality advertisement.

Public service advertisement is a special form of advertisements to coordinate the contradiction between economic development and public moral level, cultural inheritance, social development. It is not for profit, but it plays an immeasurable role to improve public  cultural  quality, moral level, fine traditions and carry forward healthy development of society.

With the emergence of a large number of English public service advertisements, plenty of experts and scholars at home and  abroad explore and study it according to datum collected.

The research on English public service advertisements starts a little late, however, its development is rather rapid. Since the 21st century, it presents the tendency of vigorous development, and gains  enough research results. And as we all know, there are rather few researches on analyzing conceptual metaphors in English public service advertisements. So, it is extremely crucial for us to study and analyze them, which will help the public to understand the meaning of English public service advertisements more easily.