Ellipsis

and
Substitution
E3C
Stacey
E3C

Lin-

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?

Would you like another drink?

B: Large.

Yes please. Id like a lager.

A: Pint?

Would you like a pint?

B: Half.

No thank you. Id like half a pint.

C: My round.

I think its my turn to buy a 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
thingthing
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
onofthe
thetop
library.
self of the library. Disguised
Theyre disguised
as the works
as theofworks
Willy Shakespeare He took a card from his wallet. Youre a
solicitor, Mr Duggan, so Im trusting you to be honest. Thats where
Im
IExpect
llstaying.
expect
to hear
to hear
fromfrom
you you
on this
on this
in a in
couple
a couple
of days
of days
or so.
or so.

IdGrateful
be grateful
if youd
if youd
treattreat
it as ita 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).
b. Classify the example (e.g. situational
ellipsis; substitution of a that clause
with so).
c. Explain and specify what information is
left out or implied.

(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

THANKS FOR YOUR

ATTENTION!