TASK 1 ELLIPTICAL STRUCTURE

English Grammar: Elliptical Structure

Ellipsis

Leaving out words to avoid repeatation or in other cases when the meaning ca be understood without them is called ellipsis (Swan, 1996:172). The use of ellipsis was first detected in the ancient German dialect. It is often used in writing and speech. In writing, ellipsis can be found easily in the literary works, articles, etc. Roedig describes that ellipsis is also used in the newspaper reporting frequently. It is especially used because word omission implies hidden implications which captivates the imagination and attention of an audience

In accordance with a demand of news writing which must be brief, solid, simple, fluent, clear, unadorned, and interesting language, the use of ellipsis can not be avoided especially in writing a news title. In compiling a news title, the writer leaves out some words from a sentence in order that it is attractive and catchy so it can create enthusiasm and expectation in readers.

There are many kinds of ellipsis in English. They have different structure and use. In his book, Swan writes some types of ellipsis, such as:

1.      Ellipsis with and, but, and or

2.      Ellipsis at the beginning of sentence

3.      Ellipsis in noun phrases

4.      Ellipsis after auxiliary verb

5.      Ellipsis with infinitives

In this study, the researcher uses types of ellipsis described by Swan to analyze elliptical sentences used in the titles of headline news in the The Jakarta Post.

Type of Ellipsis

Ellipsis is the omission of words from sentences that are automatically understood so that the words do not need to be stated (www.geocities.com/ eowilliam11/guide.html). There are some types of ellipsis in English. Here, they will be discussed in detail.

Type of ellipsis described by Swan below can be found in spoken and written text. They can be in a formal style. The headline news titles analyzed in this research are in formal forms. Therefore, the researcher doesn’t use some types of ellipsis in informal forms like: (and) then in ellipsis with and, but, and or, ellipsis after adjectives in noun phrases, short answer and so am I in ellipsis after auxiliary verbs, and ellipsis of infinitives because most of them are often used in informal styles and in spoken languages.

Ellipsis

1.      Various kinds of word left out

When expressions are joined by and, but or or, we often leave out repeated words or phrases of various kinds.

Example:

A knife and (a) fork

Antique (furniture) or modern furniture

2.      Word order

When two verbs, objects etc are the same, it is not always the second that it left out. We leave out the first if that will produce a simpler word order and sentence structure.

Example:

Cats (catch mice) and dogs catch mice. (Not Cats catch mice and dogs.)

3.      Singular and plural

When one verb follows two singular subjects connected by and, a plural verb forms is of course used if necessary.

Example:

My mother and father smoke. (Not My mother and father smokes.)

When two singular subjects are connected by or, the verb is singular.

Either Jake or Steve was here this morning.

4.      Other conjunctions

Ellipsis is not normally possible after other conjunction besides and, but and or.

Example:

She didn’t know where she was when she woke up. (Not … when woke up).

5.      (and) then

In an informal style, ellipsis is sometimes possible after then even if and is dropped.

Example:

Peter started first, (and) then Colin (started).

Ellipsis at the beginning of a sentence

1.      Words that can be left out

Words that can be left out include articles (the, a/an), possessives (my, your etc), personal pronouns. (I, you, etc), auxiliary verb (am, have etc) and the preparatory subject there.

Example:

Car’s running badly (= The car’s …)

Wife’s on holiday (= My wife’s …)

2.      Unstressed forms of be, will, would, have

We do not usually drop so as to begin sentences with unstressed forms of be, will, would or auxiliary have (though this sometimes happens in postcard, diary entries and other kinds of very informal writing).

Example:

I’m coming tomorrow or coming tomorrow.

But not Am coming tomorrow (Am is not stressed)

3.      I and it

Auxiliary verbs can be left out before personal pronouns excepts I and it.

You ready? (= Are you ready ?)

4.      Tags

Ellipsis is very common in sentences that have some sort of tag.

Example:

Can’t swim. Myself

Dutch, aren’t you ?