24. Elliptical sentences. Types of ellipsis

According to structural aspect, the sentences can be complete and incomplete (elliptical)

Elliptical sentences exist in any languages. They are incomplete and reflect changes in our flow of thought. They are usually not discussed in grammas.

Incomplete sentences are structures in which one of the main parts or both are omitted. They are treated as secondary forms to regular complete sentences.

There are 2 types:

1. Sentences that are dependent on what has gone before

John. - It can be a reply to questions Who did it? Or Who do you see?

They are contextually conditioned – their complete structure can be restored from the previous sentences. This kind of ellipsis is called contextual or syntagmatic.

2. Want to go to the movies?

Impossible to hear you.

Such sentencesdo not depend on what has gone before. They are not contextually conditioned. Their structure can be restored from the paradigm of analogous complete sentences.

Want to go to the movie? = Do you want...

This incompleteness is purely grammatical. Such s-s are termed grammatical or paradigmatic.

There are 2 subtypes:

- structures which can be completed only in one way with the help of one paradigm only:

Want to go

- ^{structures which can be restored employing one or two paradigm}

Cigarette?-Doyou want a...

Would you like a ...

Such elliptical sentences don’t depend on previous s-s but they depend on speech situation.

Some grammarians consider elliptical s-s of the second subtype as an independent structural group. They argue that they should be treated as s-s wit thei own right, as they belong to a particular sphere of speech (informal)

24. Elliptical sentences. Types of ellipsis.

In any language(lng)we can come across incomplte s-s,which appear due to interruptions or changes of mind on the part of the speaker. “I was only....”- incomplete sentense(sent.)

The s-s can`t be regarded as an object of analysis, since there`re incomplete and are easily recognised as such. If we use the word incomplete as a gram.term, we shall focus on the so called elliptical s-s.

By them most grammarians understand structures in which one of the main parts or both main parts are omitted(ellipted). El.s-s are treated as secondary forms in regard to complete s-s,where both main patrs are present.

El.s-s – s-s with 1 or more of their parts left out,which can be unambiguously (недвусмысленно,однозначно) inferred(логически выводить) from the context

El.s-s can be of 2 types:

1)dependent on what has gone before F.e. “John” may be an answer to a question(“?”) “Who did it?””Who did you see?” These s-s are contextually conditioned,so their full structure can be restored from a previous sent.

This type of ellipsis is called contextual or syntagmatic

2)El.s-s such as “Want to go to the movie?” “Can`t hear you” do not depend on the previous context,their full structure can be restored from the paradigm of the analogous complete s-s(по веритикали). Such incompleteness is purely grammatical,because ir`s not conrextually dependent. That`s why we call them grammatical or paradigmatic.They are further subdivided into 2 groups: 1. there are structures which can be completed in 1 way only with the help of 1 paradygm only 2. there exist structures which can be completed in several ways: F.e. “Cigarette?= Would u like a cigarette?Can I offer u a cigarette?Do u care for a cigarette?” The meaning of such El.s-s doesn`t depend on the previous context either but on the speech situation. Some linguists prefer to term them “situational El.s-s”

El.s-s are to be found in oral or pseudo-oral speech. Depending on the presence of the secondary parts of the sent.,El.s-s can be exrended and unextended.