All American

>Modern American
>>American English

Terms

ellipsis
elliptical sentence
 

Last updated: 4-18-01

Major Resources:

Good Grief Good Grammar is a 
book that provides grammatical information, examples, and usage in society.

International Encyclopedia of Linguists
a resource that offers research on how the English language is spoken and the correct way one should grammatically speak and when. 

A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language offers an in depth look at how language and grammar originated, the history, and its proper usage. 

Shakespeare Quarterly this journal provides research on William Shakespeare's works and his language usage.

The Glossary of Grammatical and Rhetorical Terms is a site that offers definitions and the rhetorical uses of many grammatical terms.

ELLIPTICAL SENTENCES

Emily Williams, Student at University of North Carolina at Pembroke

*when words or phrase is in parentheses it represents the understood elliptical.

Introduction

-el*lip*ti*cal or el*lip*tic (adjective)
-el*lip*tical*ly (adverb)
The word elliptical has a Greek derivation.  "Falling short" is the latin word for ellipsis because part of their structure has been omitted.  For example,
A. Where are you going?
B. (I am going) To Ohio.
A. When are you leaving?
B. (I am leaving) Early tomorrow morning.
An ellipsis, according to The Glossary of Grammatical and Rhetorical Terms is the omission of a word(s) that are necessary for grammatical completeness but not for understanding of the sentences intentional meaning.   For example, "Is he coming?"  "Yes." Yes may be considered as an ellipsis of yes, he is coming.  Typically, a part of the subject, a part of the predicate, or the entire subject and predicate is missing from the sentence. For example: Although (they were) full, they could not resist desert (2-5). 
     Quirk, Greenbaum, Leech, and Suartvik write that an ellipsis has two different uses in grammar; however, both include the omission of words from a quote or sentence. The first use for an ellipsis is in a form of punctuation.  The ellipsis mark is a series of three dots (...) to indicate that words have been omitted or one can use it so that undesirable words can be left out. For example, 
"Timothy McVeigh was convicted of bombing a federal building..."
"The team...finally won a double header."(889-890).
However, Diane Booner states that some particular writers will use a fourth period in the quote to indicate a period in the original piece; yet,  this still is considered an ellipsis (135). 
The Quark and his fellow authors then describe a second use of an ellipsis which is in the form of a sentence.  An elliptical sentence is the omission of words from a sentence that are automatically understood so do not need to be stated. For example, 
A. I have gone to practice, and so has Lucy (gone to practice).
B. Sara has never been able to read maps as well as Brian (can read maps).
Elliptical sentences are used so often in writing and speech that most omissions go unnoticed. For example, a common overlooked use of an elliptical sentence is those which take a compound subject.
A. Jane and Abby just left.
B. Jane (just left) and Abby just left.
A. Scott opened the door and walked in.
B. Scott opened the door and (Scott) walked in.
Elliptical sentences are grammatically incomplete but can be easily understood from the context of the sentence  885-886). 

Elliptical History

Albert Sturteuant explains that the use of ellipsis was first detected in the ancient German dialect:  Old Norse.  Their use of ellipsis occurred much earlier more extensively than in any other ancient dialects known to most researchers. In the analysis of Norse passages, researchers have uncovered the omissions of whole infinitive phrases and the "to be" verb in much of their writings.  Because they were so often implied to the context of the language, they did not need to be commonly expressed. For example, in the following passages Hjalmar, the brave, is begging the Germanic king for his daughter's hand in marriage.
A. "pykkjumk ek ok makligri mina bin att piggja en berserkir pessir." (76).
If this sentence was in its full form without ellipsis, it would read:
B. "pykkjumk ek ok [vera<to be>] makligri (per) mina bin att piggja en berserkir pessir [pykkjask mer <infinitive phrase>]."(76).
The elliptical omission of the infinitive phrase and "to be" verbs in the ancient Germanic language, Old Norse, has been carried on into the modern Germanic language where these specific omissions are still prevalent today(Sturteauant, 76-77). 
It is illustrated in the article in "The Latin Imprint on Emily Dickinson's Poetry" that famous writers such as Emily Dickinson and William Shakespeare are especially known for their use of ellipsis's.  These writers, and more of their time were applying the Latin rule to English Grammatical Structure called an enallage: "Enallage is a change of words, or substitution of one gender, number, case, person, tense, mood, or voice of the same word for another."
(78).  Instead of applying one word for another, many authors took this rule to justify their applying no word(s) for others.  Eventually, this rule formulated the defining of an ellipsis and elliptical sentence in which grammarians began creating types of elliptical constructions. William Bright describes that men such as Sag and William's, during the 1970's began to research elliptical construction and  words that were applied rather than stated in Middle and Modern English. From there they began prescribing certain types and usage's for an ellipsis.  For example, 
1. The omission of words to escape repetition. 
-Jane went one way, Stephanie the other.

2. The omission of words which are apparent because of the situation at hand or because of accompanying words.
-Slow down!(409-410).

Elliptical Usage in Literature

It is easy for one who is reading a piece of work to become confused in labeling  an elliptical sentence  because sometimes it is difficult to pin down exactly the words being omitted. For example,
A. He is happy, because I saw him smiling.
B. He is happy, (and I claim this) because I saw him smiling. 
According to A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language  when analyzing an omission in a sentence, one of the following rules must apply for it to be considered an ellipsis.
1.  The elliptical words are recoverable in which there is no doubt which words are to be in the sentence or phrase.  For example, "She can't go to practice because she is hurt, so she won't (go to practice)."
2.  The elliptical construction is grammatically "defective" in which the ellipsis is a claim where a certain element is missing from the sentence to make it grammatically correct. For example, "Come and see me tomorrow if you want."
3.  The insertion of the missing word(s) results in a grammatical sentence that has the same meaning as the original sentence. This particular criteria distinguishes between the following comparative construction:
A. "He always goes to practice later than I." (formal)
B.  "He always goes to practice later than me." (informal)
To letter A can be added the elliptical words "wake up" but not to letter B.  This may contribute to why prescriptive teaching has favored letter A sentence structure as formality.
4.  The missing word(s) are textually recoverable and are present in the text in exactly the same form.  For example, in comparing the following sentences:
A. She might sing tonight, but I don't think she will (sing tonight).
B.  She rarely sings, so I don't think she will (sing) tonight.
In elliptic sentence A it is an exact copy of the antecedent "sing tonight," but in sentence B the elliptic verb is morphologically different.
     There are a number of ways an ellipsis can be used in written literature just in the form of a declarative sentence.
1. The first person pronoun, normally I.
-(I) Beg your pardon. 
-(I) Told you so.

2.  The second person pronoun, you (which will be put in the form of questions for the following examples).
-(You) Want a drink?
-(You) Had a good time did you?

3.  Used as understood "it."
-(It) Serves you right.
-(It) Looks like rain.

4.  Used as understood "there." 
-(There) Ought to be some coffee in the pot.
-(There) Appears to be a big crowd in the hall.

5. Used as a preposition.
-(Of) Course he is there.

6.  Used as an article.
-(The) Fact is I don't know what to do.
-(A) Friend of mine told me (888-899).
     Ellipsis and elliptical can be found in "canon" literature from Shakespeare to Emily Dickinson to Langston Hughes.  Writers have all implemented ellipsis in their work for a variety of reasons such as:  emphasis, mystery, hesitation, complication, and for aesthetic reasons etc.  For example, Shakespeare is noted for his use of ellipsis, especially.  In his poem The Winter's Tale,
Mac Donald describes that his use of ellipsis for a dramatic and suspenseful tone is in order to gain poetic "momentum."  Furthermore, ellipsis of the subject and verb in the second of two conjunctional clauses is also how Shakespeare frequently implements ellipsis (315).  For example in his work,  in Henry VII iii:  "for his Nose was as sharpe as a Pen, and [it was] a Table of greene fields."(Fogel 487-488).  Emily Dickinson's frequent omission of auxiliary verbs in her poetry is also worth noting when studying ellipsis.  For example, "Before it [can] see the Sun" (poem 1255), and "Beauty [can] be not caused-It Is." (poem 516).  Another example of Dickinson's usage of ellipsis is in poem 89:  Some things that fly there [may] be."  According to the journal, American Literature, one may assume that because of Dickinson's lack of education that these uses of ellipsis were accidental.  However, poem 494, verse II reveals her full intentions:  "Tell Her, I only said-the syntax-And left the Verb and the Pronoun-out..."(78).   She may have used ellipsis because leaving words out of her poetry contributes to its erie and mystery, or it may have been used to ensure an aesthetic nature because by omitting words it adds to her poetry's rhythmic stress and unstressed pattern.
     In Ranno's article, he claims that elliptical simple sentences are often used in modern newspapers and advertisement slogans,and a body of text giving additional information or explaining the slogan usually accompanies it. For example, "Portsmouth to Cherburg in minus 2 hours." (an advertisement for a ferry service.)(5).   Specifically in newspaper reporting, Roedig describes that ellipsis is also used in newspaper reporting frequently.  It is especially used because word omission implies hidden implications which captivates the imagination and attention of an audience (41-42).

Elliptical Usage in Rhetoric

In the definition of "elliptical" it states that it is "of or relating to deliberate obscurity (as of literacy or conversational style)."  In Saccone's article he states that the elliptic use in a rhetorical status is considered a phenomena. Leaving something unspoken and compressed while in dialogue is at first considered difficult to maintain, but will becomes fluid through practice (37).  For example, many foreign speakers learning English, especially, do not use the ellipsis while speaking.  This causes them to not be grammatically incorrect or semantically wrong, but just repetitious and awkward to fluent English speakers who frequently and unnoticeably talk in ellipsis on a regular basis. Furthermore, Chatzitoulousi claims that many requests are represented by means of an elliptical sentence both in English and Greek.   In Greek, ellipsis is used with friends, family, or at places such as bars and restaurants.  In English it usually only occurs in the same circumstances.  Elliptical sentences are not used frequently in formal speaking in these cultures because they sound to abrupt and demanding.  There is a preference towards more formal and elaborate speech in a setting of prestige; however, the more close or informal a relationship is, the less correct and particular the people tend to be in grammatical use and sentence structure (2-3).

Elliptical Exercise

Read these elliptical sentences and supply the understood words into the sentence.

1.  Come here.

2.  He trusts her and she him.

3. My brother Vince is younger than I.

5.  I understood Glenn better than you do.

6.  Stephanie went one way. Jane the other.

7.  Stop now!

8.  Stop at the grocery store, if you can.

9.  She always drives more.

10.  She doesn't like to eat sweets, so she won't.

Works Cited

Booner, Diane.  Good Grief Good Grammar.  Facts on File  Publications,      New York:  1988.

Bright, William ed.  International Encyclopedia of Linguists.  Oxford University Press, New York:  1992.

Chatzitoulousi, Iuronia. "Cultural and Linguistic Differnces Leading
    to Transfer Errors.": htp://www.thrace-net.gr/bridges/page6htm

Fogel, Ephim.  "A Table of Green Fields:  A Defense of the Folio Reading." 
     Shakespeare Quarterly: Vol 9, No. 4: 1997.

Glossary of Grammatical and Rhetorical Terms: 
     http://english.oLiuet.edu/holt/html/glosteim.htm

McDonald, Russ.  "Poetry and Plot in The Winter's Tale." 
     Shakespeare Quarterly:  Vol 36, No.3:  1987.

Saccone, Edward.  "MLN"  Italin Issue: Vol 107, No. 1: 1995.

Stufteuant, Albert  Modern Language Notes:  Vol 27, No. 3:  1998.

Rannu, Aet.  "Advertising Language in Mass Media." 
http://www.ech..eelteaduspaeu/1998/ette kanded/aet.html

Roedig, Charles.  Yale French Studies:  No. 18:  1997.

"The Latin Imprint on Emily Dickenson's Poetry."  American Literature:
     Vol 50, No. 1:  1999.
 

Quirk, Randolph and Greenbaum, Sidney and Leech, Geoffrey and Suartvik,  Jan. A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language.  Logman Inc London and New York:  1985.