Ellipsis and Substitution Plan Ellipsis Definition Situational ellipsis

Ellipsis and Substitution

Plan �Ellipsis �Definition �Situational ellipsis �Textual ellipsis �Substitution � Definition � Examples �Pro-forms � Definition � Categories

Ellipsis �Definition: An ellipsis is the omission of one or more words, which must be supplied by the listener or reader for the sentence to be understood.

Ellipsis 1) Situational ellipsis: �(1) Would you like a cup of tea? �(2) Tea? The situation or context makes the missing elements clear.

2) Textual ellipsis Set 1: �I am sure that she will succeed. �I am sure she will succeed. Set 2: �I went to the bakers to get some bread and I went to the butchers for lamb chops. �I went to the bakers to get some bread and to the butchers for lamb chops. we can easily understand everything in the sentence because of the surrounding text.

Substitution �Definition: The easiest way to think about substitution is to consider it as a form of ellipsis. Something is missing, but instead of just leaving it out, we substitute it with

E. g 1. Replacing a noun (phrase): �What kind of cupcake would you like? � A chocolate one, please.

E. g 2. Replacing a verb phrase: �I didn’t like the film, but everyone else did. (liked the film)

Pro-forms �Pro-nouns A pro-noun is a word that substitutes for a noun. �Pro-verbs The most common pro-verb is do. �They speak to groups. I do too. Where do replaces speak.

�Jack could lift heavy weights. So could Mary. We can consider could in the second sentence to mean could lift. In the second sentence could is a pro-verb.

�Pro-adjectives �Her dress is green. Mine is too. The word too is a pro-adjective, standing for the adjective green. We can use so instead of too: �Her dress is green. So is mine. Where so is a pro-adjective meaning green.

�Pro-adverbs �He exercised regularly. I did too. The word too stands for regularly, so it is a pro-adverb. (did stands for exercised, and is a pro-verb).

�Other pro-forms �You should not walk on the grass. Fido did not heed this. The word, this, stands for 'the rule about not walking on the grass'. Pro-forms can replace sentences

Conclusion �Ellipsis refers to omitting a part of a sentence which can be understood through the context(situational ellipsis) or through the surrounding text(textual ellipsis). �Substitution can be considered as a form of ellipsis where a pro-form substitutes for the missing part.

References �https: //www. thoughtco. com/substitution- grammar-1692005 �https: //elt-resourceful. com/tag/ellipsis-andsubstitution/