1. Ellipsis in English
Ahmed Qadoury Abed
PH D Candidate Baghdad University
College of Arts English Dept 2012/2013
1

2. Some preliminary considerations
We find Ellipsis both in spoken and written
texts.
Especially in face-to-face conversation, we
often do not bother to encode information
that can be understood from the linguistic
or situational context.
A: What’re you doing
tonight?
B: [E] Home.
2

3. Let’s…
 Define ellipsis
 Ellipsis vs Substitution
 Classification of the various
syntactic types
3

4. What is ellipsis? 1
 SOMETHING UNDERSTOOD.
 ‘undertood’ in the special sense of ‘going without
saying’.
 We are referring to clauses and sentences ,etc.
whose structure is such as to presuppose some
preceding item, which then serves as the source
of the missing information
 An elliptical item is one which leaves specific
structural slots to be filled from elsewhere.
 There is a sense of incompleteness associated
with it. But it is useful to recognize that this is an
over-simplification, and that the essential
characteristic of ellipsis is that something which
is present in the selection of underlying
‘systemic’ options is omitted in the structure-
whether or not the resulting structure is in itself
‘incomplete’.
4

5. What is ellipsis? 2
 Halliday& Hassan define ellipsis in relation to another
important cohesive device, i.e. substitution, since they
embody the same fundamental relation between parts
of the text.
Joan brought some carnations,and Cathrine (E)
some sweet peas.
 Ellipsis is normally an anaphoric relation.
 Occasionally the presupposition in an eliptical
structure may be it exophoric .
 If a housewife on seeing the milkman approach
calls out
Two please!
She is using exophoric ellipsis ;it is the context of
situation that provides the information needed to
interpret this.
5

6. Examples
 a. This is a fine hall you have
here. I’m proud to be lecturing in
it (R).
 b. This is a fine hall you have
here. I've never lectured in a
finer one (S).
 c. This is a ftne hall you have
here. I've never lectured in a
finer (E).
6

7. Types of Ellipsis
1-Nominal Ellipsis
 Specific deictics
 Non-specific deictics
 Post deictics
 Numeratives
 Epithets
2- verbal Ellipsis
 Ellipsis within the verbal group
 Lexical Ellipsis
 Operator Ellipsis
3- Clausal Ellipsis
 Modal and propositional
 No ellipsis of single elements
 Ellipsis in question-answer and other rejoinder sequences
 Ellipsis in ‘reporting-reported’ sequences
7

8. Nominal Ellipsis 1
 The Nominal Group is
(Premodifiers) + Head + (Postmodifiers)
Those two fast electric trains with pantographs
premodifiers Head postmodifiers
Modifiers
1- Deictic (d) ------those------determiners
2- Numerative (n)-----two---- numerals (or quantifier)
3-Epithet (e)-----fast---adjectives
4- Classifiers (c) ----electric– nouns
5- Qualifier (q)---- with pantographs—(Rel Clause or
pre phrase)
- Adverbs ---so, every, too
- Head –(common noun, proper noun, pronoun)—Thing
- These are by no means exact.
8

9. Nominal Ellipsis 2
 Nominal ellipsis is when Head is omitted
and its function is taken on by one of these
modifiers. Therefore, it involves the
upgrading of a word function not Head from
the status of Modifier to the status of Head.
 Which hat will you wear?
 a- the best (E)
 b- the best hat (no E)
 This is c- the best of the hats (E)
 d- the best of the three (E)
 e- the best you have (E)
9

10. Nominal Ellipsis 3
 An elliptical nominal group is cohesive; it points
anaphorically to another nominal group which is
presupposed by it. But how much of the presupposed
group is in fact included within the presupposition?
 Here are my two red silk shirts.I can lend you one if
you like.
If Head is filled This must be These may be
by presupposed: presupposed:
Deictic Thing N,E,C
Numerative Thing E ,C
Epither Thing C
Classifier Thing ----
10

11. Nominal Ellipsis: Deictics 4
 There are three types of Deictics:
 Specific deictics
 Non-specific deictics
 Post-deictics
11

12. Nominal Ellipsis:Specific
Deictics 5
1- Possessives (Smith’s,my father’s, my,your,mine,hers,…)
Just ask Janet how to polish the brassware. Hers sparkles.
2- Demonstratives (this, that, these, those, which?)
Take these pills three times daily. And you’d better have
some more of those too.
3- The
The word the does not operate elliptically since it designates
defininteness, but by somettimes requires another items
with it as:
The one that got away,
The two,
The small (one),
Where it could have occurred elliptically it is replaced by its
non-reduced cognate form that.
12

13. Nominal Ellipsis:Non-Specific
Deictics 6
Each , every, any, either , no, neither, a, some , all ,
and both
Of these, all occur as Head of an elliptical nominal
except every, but a, and no have to be represented
by the forms one and none ,respectively.
 a. I hope no bones are broken ?-None to speak o£
 b. I won't be introduced to the pudding, please. May
I give you some?
 c. Have some milk.- I don't see any milk- There isn't
any.
 d. Write an essay on the Stuart kings. Two pages
about each will do.
 e. His sons went into business. Neither succeeded.
13

14. Nominal Ellipsis:Post-Deictics
7
 Post-deictics are not determiners but adjectives.
These are some thirty to forty adjectives used
commonly in deictic function: other ,same
,different, identical, usual, regular, certain, odd,
famous, well-known, typical, obvious ,etc. They
combine with the ,a or other determiner ,and may
be followed by a numerative, unlike adjectives in
their normal function as Epithet:
 Deictic Epithet
 the identical three questions three identical questions
 the usual two comments two usual comments
 a different three people three different people
 the odd few ideas a few odd ideas
 the obvious fint place to stop the first obvious place to
stop
14

15. Nominal Ellipsis:Numeratives
8
 The Numerative element in the nominal group is
expressed by numerals or other quantifying words,
which form three subcategories:
1-ordinals
2- cardinals
3- indefinite quantifiers
 The ordinals are first, next, last, second, third,
fourth, etc; they are often used elliptically. generally
with the or a possessive as Deictic:
Have another chocolate.- No thanks; that was my
third.
15

16. Nominal Ellipsis:Numeratives
9
Cardinal numerals are also frequent in
ellipsis, and may be preceded by any
Deictic that is appropriate in number,
eg; the three, these three, any
three, all three, and also by post-
deictic adjectives as in the usual
three, the same three.
a. Have another-chocolate.- No thanks;
I’ve had my three.
b. 'The other messenger's called Hatta.
I must have two, you know. One to
come, and one to go:
16

17. Nominal Ellipsis:Numeratives
10
 The indefinite quantifiers are items such as much,
many, more, most ,few, several. a little • lets, a
bit, hundreds, etc; they include numerous transient
and more or less slang expressions especially used
by children. Like other items with a numerative
function, they are very frequently used in ellipsis;
being indefinite. they are usually not accompanied
by a Deictic, except where a is demanded as in
alot, although the comparative forms more, fewer
and less may be preceded by no or any. Some of
them are specific to either count or mass nouns.
 a. Can all cats climb trees.?-They all can; and most
do.
 b. 'You ought to have a wooden horse on wheels.,
that you ought !. – ‘ I’ll get one’: the Knight said
thoughtfully to himself . ‘One or two - several.’
17

18. Nominal Ellipsis: Epithets 11
The function of Epithet is typically fulfilled by an adjective.It is not
common to find adjectives occurring as Head in ellipsis:
1- colour adjectives
Green suits you very well.
2- opposites
I like strong tea. I suppose weak is better for you.
3-Attribute
The rich , the poor, the honest
4-comparative
I’ll buy you some prettier.
Mary is the cleverer.
5- superlative
They are fine actors. Jones always gets hold of the finest.
18

19. Verbal Ellipsis 1
 An elliptical verbal group presupposes one or more words
from a previous verbal group. Technically, it is defined as
a verbal group whose structure does not fully express its
systemic features:
1- finiteness (finite or non-finite)
If finite :indicative or imperative
If indicative: modal or non-modal
2- polarity :positive or negative
3- voice :active or passive
4- tense: past or present or future
a-Have you been swimming? – Yes, I have.
b- What have you been doing?- swimming
The elliptical swimming has the features of finite, positive,
active, present in past in present.
19

20. Verbal Ellipsis: Lexical Ellipsis
2
 Lexical ellipsis is that type in which the lexical verb is
missing from the verbal group. Thus, Any verbal group not
containing a lexical verb is elliptical. Any verbal group
consisting of a modal operator only can immediately be
recognized as elliptical:
- Is John going to come?- He might. He was to, but he may
not, - He should, if he wants his name to be considered.
 The modals are always finite, and hence always occur in
first position in the verbal group.
 Be, have, and do can be elliptical and substitutes (non-
elliptical):
-Did Jane know?-No, but Mary did (no E).
- Did Jane know?- Yes ,she did (E).
Here, the distinction between elliptical and non-elliptical forms
has to be recovered from the presupposed clause ,since
did is a lexical verb replaced by knew in the first
sentence ,while an operator in the latter.
20

21. Verbal Ellipsis: Operator
Ellipsis 3
 It involves only the omission of operators; the lexical
verb always remains intact, and the subject is
always omitted from the clause; it must therefore be
presupposed:
a. What have you been doing?
b. swimming.
 This constitutes the first type of operator ellipsis:
sequences such as questions and answers, in
which the lexical verb either supplies the answer to
‘do what?’ as in the above example , or repudiates
the verb in the question:
Has she been crying?- No, laughing .
 The other type in coordination:
Some were laughing and others crying.
21

22. Verbal Ellipsis: Polarity 4
 Polarity is normally expressed at the beginning of the verbal
group. A negative verbal group, if it is finite, hasn't or not
attached to the first word, eg: didn't know. did not know. If it
is non-finite, it has not, usually as the first word, eg: not
having known. not to have known, although the not may
sometimes follow the first verbal operator, eg: having not
known, to have not known. Other negative adverbs such as
never, hardly, hardly ever, may occur in place of not. The
category of negative is not very sharply defined~ but it is
revealed by the choice of tag.
 In lexical ellipsis, whatever else is omitted the first operator
is always present. This means that the polarity will always
be expressed:
Were you laughing?—No, I wasn’t.
 In operator ellipsis among the items omitted is always the
one which carries polarity:
What are you doing?- Thinking
22

23. Verbal Ellipsis: Finiteness and
Modality 5
 The Systems of FINITBNBSS and MODALITY are also closely
associated with first position in the verbal group. and this
largely determines the possibilities of their presupposition
by means of ellipsis.
 A verbal group which is finite always expresses its
finiteness in the first word. Either the group consists just of
a finite form of the lexical verb, present or past (walk. walks ,
walked)~ or it begins with a finite verbal operator; the latter
is either a tense operator.
 In lexical ellipsis, the verb group is always explicitly either
finite or non-finite:
a-What was the point of having invited all those people?
In operator ellipsis, since the first word must be omitted,so
the verb group cannot express the choice between finite and
non-finite:
What are they doing now?-Finishing their essays.
All that has been said with regard to finiteness applies equally
to modality, since modality is a subcategory of modality.
23

24. Verbal Ellipsis: Voice 6
 In lexical ellipsis, the rule is quite
clear ;the voice selection is always
presupposed:
They haven’t finished the picture. If it
had been(E) ,I would have brought it.
 In operator ellipsis, the subject is
always omitted; It must therefore be
carried over by presupposition:
a. Were Australia leading England at
the time, then?
b. No, England were winning.
24

25. Clausal Ellipsis 1
 The clause has two-part structure consisting of
modal and proposition:
 The Duke was going to plant a row of poplars in the park
Modal Propositional
In the park the Duke was going to plant a row of poplars .
A row of poplars the Duke was going to plant in the park.
The elements in circles are the modal
25

26. Clausal Ellipsis 2
 Typically ,modal ellipsis occurs in responses to a Wh- questions
‘what (did, does, do):
a. What were they doing?- Holding hands.
The usual type of non-finite dependent clause is simply a clause with
modal ellipsis
 Typically, propositional ellipsis occurs in responses to statements
and yes/no questions, where the subject is presupposed by a
reference item:
a. The plane has landed.—Has it?
b. Has the plane landed?—Yes, it has.
Clausal ellipsis may be found unaccompanied by ellipsis in the
verbal group when operator ellipsis may be avoided in simple
past and present simple; and substitution may be used in most
instances of lexical ellipsis:
What did he do? Ran away.
What do they do? Run away.
What does he do? Runs away.
26

27. Clausal Ellipsis: No ellipsis of
single elements 3
 It is not possible in English to say:
Has she taken her medicine?-She
has taken.
 Either we must reply with a full ,non-
elliptical clause, or we must omit
both ‘her medicine’ and the lexical
verb ‘take’, or ‘do’ as substitution:
She has taken her medicine. Or
She has. Or
She has done (S).
27

28. Clausal Ellipsis:Question-
Answer 4
 The ‘question-answer’ sequence is a standard
pattern in language, and the cohesive relation
between them has its own characteristic
grammatical properties.
 An observation by a speaker may be followed by an
observation by another speaker that is related to it
in a cohesive tie. This is called rejoinder.
 A rejoinder can be direct response or indirect
response.
 A direct response as in yes/no question and wh-
questions.
Has John arrived? –Yes , he has.
When did John arrive?- Yesterday.
28

29. Clausal Ellipsis:Question-
Answer 5
An indirect response can be:
1- one which comments on the question
(commentary):
How did they break in? –I’ll show you how.
Is it Tuesday today? – I don’t know.
2- one which denies its relevance (disclaimer):
Why didn’t you tell John? – I did.
When did they cancel the booking?- Did they.
3-one which gives supplementary information implying
but not actually expressing an answer
(supplementary):
Did you tell John?- He wasn’t there.
Are you coming back today?- This evening.
29

30. Clausal Ellipsis:reporting-
reported sequences 6
 This is another context for clausal
ellipsis, that of reported speech. This
type found in the context is closely
related to some of the instances that
we have already met, particularly the
‘commentary’ type of indirect
speech, and the elliptical wh-
question as rejoinder.
 a.(that) he was coming.
 John didn’t tell(E) me b.if/whether he was coming (or
not).
 c. why he was coming.
30

31. Thanks
31