Ellipsis and Substitution

E3C Stacey E3C Lin-lin E3C Erica

Key considerations

Comprehension of ellipsis and substitution is the biggest problem for learners. They may be confused when words are left out or when short grammatical words like one, do are used.

Ellipsis
Situational ellipsis
Ex: 1.A: [Are] You ok now? B: [Im] Fine. 2.A: When are you coming back? B: [We are coming back on] Tuesday.

 Textual ellipsis
Ex: 1. You ought to clean your teeth and brush your hair. You ought to clean your teeth and [You ought to] brush your hair. 2. The police are interviewing a man seen just after the robbery. The police are interviewing a man [who was] seen just after the robbery.

Substitution
Yes and no
Ex: 1.A: Have you ever thought of trying to get a job? B: No. [I have never thought of trying to get a job.]

 Replacing longer stretches of text

Ex: 1. She invited me to her house but I wouldnt go there. (there her house) 2. Weve had a few unexpected problems. That is why Ive called another meeting. (that Weve had a few unexpected problems.)

Typical difficulties for learners

Comprehension use realistic and informed expectation about authentic language use Ex: What information is missing? What does this word refer to? Speaking and writing Avoidance already know

Consolidation exercises
The greater the intimacy between participants in conversation correspondence, and the greater the mutual familiarity with the topic, the greater the scope for ellipsis. The following interaction assumes a large amount of common knowledge.

a Identify the context. b Re-write the conversation so that there is less ellipsis and the whole conversation would be more easily understood by an outside.

A: Drink?
B: Large.

Would you like another drink?

Yes please. Id like a lager. Would you like a pint? No thank you. Id like half a pint.
I think its my turn to buy a round.

A: Pint?
B: Half.

C: My round.

A: About time. Its about time you bought a round.

B: Pint in the case. Since you frequently avoid buying a round

Ill change my order from half a pint of lager to a pint of lager.

Consolidation exercises
The following is from a crime novel. An unsavory character named Gillespie is speaking to his late wifes solicitor( Mr Duggan). Gillespie claims that his late wife (Mathilda) not only robbed him but boasted of doing so in her diaries. Look at how the author has used situational ellipsis in the dialogue.

a Identify instances of situation ellipsis

b In this context, how does this situational ellipsis contribute to the characterisation of the two participation in the conversation?

Read her diaries, he growled. Theyll prove she stole them off me.

Couldnt She couldnt resist resist boasting boasting to herself, to herself, thatthat waswas Mathildas Mathildas trouble. trouble.
She every Put put every damn damn thing thing of those of those miserable miserable pages, pages, thenthen overover and and overover Wouldnt wouldnt have have left left again to remind herself how clever she was. She out a triumph like this. Read her diaries.

The young man kept his face deliberately impassive. I will. As a matter of interest, do you know where she kept them? Itll save me the trouble of looking for them Them.
Theyre Top self on of the the top library. self of the library. Disguised Theyre disguised as the works as the of works

Willy ShakespeareHe took a card from his wallet. Youre a solicitor, Mr Duggan, so Im trusting you to be honest. Thats where Im staying. Expect I ll expect to hear to hear from from you you on this on this in a in couple a couple of days of days or so. or so.

Id Grateful be grateful if youd if youd treattreat it as it a as matter a matter of urgency. of urgency.

Consolidation Exercises
In the following extracts, examples of ellipsis and substitution have been singled out. In each case explain and specify what information is left our or implied.
(i) This extract is from an article written by a film critic: Heres a useful rule of thumb: never trust those (1) - usually substitution/ellipsis those people comedians, entertainers and the like who say, I love people. And heres another (2): never trust film critics who say. I love substitution/ellipsis another rule of thumb Movies.

What keeps a film critic going and enjoying his job is optimism. Each film, you fervently hope, will be the one (3) that makes up substitution the one the film for all the dross you saw last week. Usually it isnt. (4) ellipsis isnt the one (i.e. the film) that makes up for all the dross you saw last week. (ii)

A character in a novel pretended to like the river that her father was passionate about in order to win his love: She yearned for his love and approbation. She had listened dutifully, (5) asked the right questions, ellipsis she had (6) had instinctively know that this was an interest he assumed ellipsis she that she would share.

But she realized now that the deception had only added guilt to her natural reserve and timidly, (7) that the river had ellipsis she realized now become the more terrifying because she could acknowledge Its terrors and her relationship with her father (8) more distant ellipsis had become because it (9) was founded on a lie. substitution it her relationship with her father

In the following extracts, the examples of ellipsis and substitution have not been identified. Answer the questions about each extract.
a. Identify examples of ellipsis and substitution (ignore personal pronouns like I and they, but include the use of impersonal pronouns like one and it). Classify the example (e.g. situational ellipsis; substitution of a that clause with so). Explain and specify what information is left out or implied.

b.
c.

(i) On the tables of a Caf: Every member of our Food Services Team shares one common aim to ensure that your visit here today is an enjoyable one. a. an enjoyable one b. substitution of noun phrase c. an enjoyable visit (i.e. this is indefinite and singular)

(v)

From an article about the problem of providing a meal of both children and adults: There are three ways of dealing with the problem. 1.One is to find a bland menu that children eat happily 2.and grownups grudgingly. 3.The second is to cook whatever you feel like eating 4,and let the children fend for themselves.
1. ellipsis 2. ellipsis 3. ellipsis 4. ellipsis one way of dealing with this problem that grown-ups eat grudgingly The second way of dealing with this problem The second way of dealing with this problem is to let

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