Ellipsis

Ellipsis

Ellipsis is another cohesive device. It happens when, after a more specific mention, words are omitted when the phrase needs to be repeated.

Ellipsis is the omission of the item. If writers wish to avoid repeating a word, they can use substitution or ellipsis.

A simple conversational example:

A: Where are you going?

B: To town.

The full form of B's reply would be: "I am going to town".

A simple written example:

The younger child was very outgoing, the older much more reserved.

The omitted words from the second clause are "child" and "was".

•         It entails the omission or deletion of some items of the surface text, which are recoverable in terms of relation with the text itself.

•         Within the frame of Text Linguistics, ellipsis is considered a major cohesive device, contributing to the efficiency and compactness of a text (Beaugrande-Dressler, 1981; Halliday-Hasan, 1976)

Ellipsis is ‘substitution by zero’

The relation between these two linguistic phenomena is so tight that a relevant problem is trying to trace a border between them: ‘The question whether a given example is truly elliptical or not must be decided empirically’ (B-D, 1981)

            English has braodly three types of ellipsis, nominal, verbal and clausal

Nominal

•         It entails the omission of elements within the nominal group.

•         It varies according to the logical function of the modifier that is the Head in the elliptical group

•         Deictics       determiners

v  Novel (The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger)

I felt this hand on the back of my neck, and it was Jane’s

•         Epithets      adjectives

v  Novel (The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger)

I could see my mother going in Spaulding’s and asking the salesman a million dopey questions – and here I was getting the ax again. It made me feel pretty sad. She bought me the wrong kind of skates – I wanted racing skates and she bought hockey.

•         Numeratives     numerals and other quantifying words

v  Novel (For whom the bell tools, E. Hemingway)

‘How many men are there?’ He pointed at the mill.

‘Perhaps four and a corporal.

‘And below?’

‘More. I’ll find out’.

‘And at the bridge?’

‘Always two. One at each end’.

v  Movie Script (Notting Hill)

Martin: Shall I go get a cappuccino? Ease the pain.

Will: Yes, better get me a half. All I can afford.

Verbal

•         It entails cases of omission within the Verbal group

•         It can be of two types

Lexical Ellipsis

It involves the omission of the lexical verb, so that the verbal group consists only of the operator – expressing modality (can, will, would, may, might) or tense (be, have, do)

•         Novel (The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger)

v  ‘Hey,’ I said, ‘is it ok if I sleep in Ely’s bed tonight? He won’t be back till tomorrow night, will he [E]?’ I knew I damn well he wouldn’t. Ely went home damn near every weekend. ‘I don’t know when the hell he’s coming back,’ Ackley said. Boy, did that annoy me. ‘What the hell do you mean you don’t know when he’s coming back? He never comes back till Sunday night, does he?‘No, but for Chrissake, I can’t just tell somebody they can sleep in his goddam bed if they want to’

•         TV series script (Friends)

Monica: Well… honestly ever since we got engaged, I have been waiting for something to… to flip you out.

Chandler: Honestly? Me too.

Monica: Really?

Chandler: Yeah. Y’know, I keep thinking that something stupid is gonna come up and I’ll go all… Chandler. But nothing has

Operator Ellipsis

It involves the omission of the operator, so that the lexical verb is always explicit.

Generally, the Subject is also omitted from the clause

•         Novel (The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger)

v  ‘How’s your brother?’ ‘He’s fine. He’s in Hollywood.’ ‘In Hollywood! How marvellous! What’s he doing?’ ‘I don’t know. [E] Writing.’

v  ‘What’re ya gonna do – [E] sleep in Ely’s bed?’ Ackley said. He was the perfect host, boy.

•         Transcript (London Lund Corpus)

v  B: will you have a drink?

            C: oh that’s all right then – it’s just as well – (laughs) yes, [E] love one.

•         Newspaper headline (The Times)

v  Migrants [E] found dead on trailer

Clausa

•         It entails the omission of other elements of the clause belonging to the verbal group.

•         It is frequent in question-and-answer sequences and other rejoinder sequences, i.e. where more than one speaker is involved.

•         This type of ellipsis allows to convey only the focus component of the response

•         Novel (The great Gatsby, F.S. Fitzgerald)

v  ‘She’s a nice girl,’ said Tom after a moment. ‘They oughtn’t to let her run around the country this way.’ ‘Who oughtn’t to?’ inquired Daisy coldly. ‘Her family’

•         Movie script (The Dead Poets’ Society)

v  Nolan: Your family moved into that new house, Mr. Overstreet?

            Knox: Yes, sir. About one month ago.

•         Movie script (Notting Hill)

v  William: Would you like a cup of tea before you go?

            Anna: No, thanks.

            William: Coffee?

            Anna: No.

•         TV series script (E.R.)

v  Lucy: Pacer pads?

            Carter: Third drawer on the left                                      

References

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cohesion_%28linguistics%29

2. Dr. Veronica Bonsignori A/A 2006-2007 University of Pisa

Compiled by IV D:

Dewiyah

Elis Nurfajar R

Hasanah

Iis Darmayanti