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 (www.geocities.com/eowilliam11/guide.html).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
Can’t swim. Myself
Dutch, aren’t you ?
Ellipsis in noun
phrases
1).
Ellipsis
after adjectives
A repeated noun can sometimes be dropped after an
adjectives, if the meaning is clear, especially when one is talking about
common kind of choice.
What kind of potatoes would you like ? Boiled
(potatoes), please.
2).
Ellipsis
after determines
Nouns can also be dropped after most determines and
similar words, including number, nouns with possessive’s, own and (an) other.
Those are Helen’s
gloves, and these (gloves) are mine.
3).
Well-known
names
The last word of well-known names are often dropped.
He’s staying at the Hilton (…. The Hilton Hotel)
Ellipsis after
auxiliary verbs
1).
Auxiliary
instead of complete verb phrase
We can avoid repetition by using an auxiliary verb
instead of a complete verb phrase, if the meaning is clear. The auxiliary verb
usually has a ‘strong’ pronunciation and contractions are not normally used
except in negatives.
He said he’d write,
but he hasn’t (… hasn’t written)
2).
Ellipsis
of verb + object, complement etc.
Other words, as well as the rest of the verb phrase,
can be left out after the auxiliary – for example an object, a complement, an
adverbial or even a whole clause.
I can’t see you today
but I can tomorrow (= … I can see
you …)
3).
More
than one auxiliary
When there is more than one auxiliary verb, ellipsis
most often happens after the first.
You wouldn’t have
enjoyed the film. ‘Yes I would’ (= …
I would have enjoyed the film).
4).
Short
answer etc
Ellipsis is used regularly in short answers reply
questions and tags.
“Have you finished ?”
‘Yes, I have’
5).
So
am I etc
Ellipsis also happens after so, neither and nor
‘I’ve forgotten the address
‘So have I’
6).
Elipted
form before complete form
Ellipsis normally happens when an expression is used
for second time, after the complete form has already been used once (see above
examples). However, it can sometimes happen the other way round. This is common
in sentence beginning If When …can/could
… or If you like wish want prefer.
If
you can, send me a postcard when you
arrive.
7).
Substitution
wit do
In British English, an ellipted main verb after an
auxiliary can be replaced by do.
Do you think he’ll phone ? ‘He might do’ (US … ‘He might’)
Ellipsis of
infinitives
1).
to used instead of whole
infinitive
We can use to instead
of the whole infinitive of a repeated verb (and a following complement).
Let’s go for a walk.
“I don’t want to”
2).
Ellipsis
of whole infinitive
In some cases the whole infinitive can be left out.
This happen after nouns and adjectives, and after verbs can stand without a
following infinitive.
He’ll never leave
home, he hasn’t got the courage (to)
3).
(would)
like, want etc
We cannot usually leave out to after would like / love / hate / prefer, want and
choose.
My parent encouraged
me to study art, but I didn’t want to.
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