Elliptical Sentences in English. Monograph

Sandy and Noreen: Me. me. me [108]. Lady Chiltern: Who is that?

Lord Goring: Yourself [109].

Tatiana: What else do you want to buy? Kitty: Everything [108].

The identification can be of uncertain nature: Sandy: What's in your bag, Mummy? Tatiana: Something nice for a good boy [108]. Fred: Who told you about them?

Kitty: One of our designers [106].

This sentence structure can include the semantic meaning of singularity and plurality as well as clarification and selectivity. For example:

Did you fight them again and win?

One of them [101].

Lady Windermere: Are all men bad?

Duchess of Berwick: Oh, all of them, mу dear, all of them without any exception [108].

Sir R.Chiltern: You prefer to be natural? Mrs. Cheveley: Sometimes [108].

Adverbial answering ES

One-member adverbial elliptical sentences have semantic meanings of identification of quantity and quality, place and time. For example:

Big Mama: Yes, bless his heart, where's Brick? Mae: Outside [98].

Alvaro: Where is it torn?

Serafina (sobbing): Down the back [117]. You want to be alone?

For a while [101].

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What did you make it?

Forty. Nick said [91].

How old were you?

Twenty [101].

Lord Goring: Have you missed me?

Anabel Chiltern: Awfully [109].

It hasn't been going well?

Swimmingly for a while, after their first row [101].

Adjectival elliptical answeri ng questions

The semantics of ES in this type of QADU was studied by such linguists as L.А. Leonova-Eliseeva (1969), N.A. Avganova (1975), E.M. Wolf (1985). L.A. Leonova-Eliseeva believes that these elliptical structures represent the emotional and emotional-evaluative response to the previous sentences [39].

The linguistic literature emphasizes that answering ES which express the attitude of the speaker can’t be used as answers to the questions relating to the propositional content of the action expressed.

One-member adjectival answering ES to the special question beginning with the question words «what», «how» contains the qualitative characteristics of persons, actions. Their main semantic function

is evaluative or qualificative function. For example: What is he like?

Oh. Big and forceful. And he watches you [118]. How do you feel? He said.

Fine [101].

There are QADU in which the semantics of the quality is contained both in the questions and in the answers of elliptical sentences. For example:

It hasn't been going well?

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Swimmingly for a while after their first row [101].

Often the elliptical answering sentences possess the intensifiers which strenghen the qualitative characteristics of the subject or actions which are expressed in the initerrogative sentences (absolutely, very, just a little, pretty, etc.; surely, exactly, rather, assuredly, definitely, precisely, quite, probably, apparently, evidently, obviously, decidedly, etc.). For example:

Are you still tired after your nap? Pretty, he said [101].

Anna: Do you enjoy it? Deeley: Enormously [62].

The elliptical answers with the qualitative semantics can not be only affirmative. For example:

She is your sister? You don't look a bit alike.

Not very much [101].

What kind of a guy is your husband? Is he аn old jerk or what?

Not so old [101].

Elliptical answering sentence to the special question beginning

of a subject (object). For example:

Marion: How do you think father is looking? Jean: Not too bad.

Father: How is he behaving?

Extremely well [101]. How are you? I said.

Oh. Surviving, he said [114]. Did he drink?

Not heavily [101].

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Verbal (personal and impersonal) elliptical answering sentences

The semantic functions of personal and impersonal elliptical answering sentences are different. One-member personally-verbal elliptical answer sentences are usually characterized by the semantic identification of a process, of an action.

Н: What do you do after June 17-th?

P: Use the executive privilege on that [112]. Joan: What did you do with the last one? Kay: Burnt it.

One-member impersonal elliptical answering sentences are characterized by a great variety of semantic function, such as:.

a) identification of the process of action, for example: French: What are you going to do?

Blanche: To get your letters, your false letters, and your presents – your hateful presents, to return them to you!

Hey, whať re you gonna do that for? Bronckin asked.

To check and see if those movies were playing Sunday night. What were you doing in that car?

Looking at dirty pictures, Mc. Carthy said [97].

b) identification of the action reason and aim, for example: Tatiana: Then why did we go to Batumi by air last year? Fred: To save time, sweetheart [106].

How soon will you be ready, Alfred? For what?

To go [101].

In some cases answering ES begin with the conjunctions, which serve as a demonstration of the structural-semantic unity of the QADU. Coordination is made by the coordinating conjunctions «and, or, but», expressing, identifying, disjunctive, and contradictive semantic relations.

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For example:

Robert: So God says you are to raise the siege of Orleans? Joan: And to crown the Dauphin in Reams Cathedral.

Carol: I believe you're all hot and angry inside, aren’t you?

Ernst: Or disappointed [112].

It is noteworthy to say that the polysemantic conjunctions, when used in answering ES, loose their ambiguity. So sentences beginning with «but» are used to express doubt or disagreement with the content of the preceeding dialogue replicas. In the dialogue

А: Не is extremely good.

В: But he is slow.

it is unclear whether the respondent shares the opinion of the person who answers the question or not. With the ellipsis discussed above, the dialogue loses its ambiguity. Elliptical dialogue

А: Не is extremely good. В: But slow.

can be interpreted unambiguously.

Elliptical answer sentences, expressed by « Yes, No» and their modal equivalents

A special variety of one-member elliptical answer sentences is presented by the sentences «Yes, No» and their modal equivalents (of course, indeed, probably, sure, perhaps, certainly, rather, exactly, naturally, really, no doubt, assuredly, quite, precisely, undoubtedly definitely, hardly, etc.). Many linguists were engaged in the study of these syntactic units: I.B. Vasilieva, D. Wunderlich, F.A. Aronova, P.A. Afanasiev [6, 7, 74, 81]. However, the linguistic nature of these sentences is interpreted contradictory. Analyzing the text of the modern Russian language, V.G. Alimova considers «Yes», «no» as substitute of sentences and classifies them as informative units that are not sentences. T.K. Vlasova attributes «Yes, No» as the nonintentional responsive

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replicas to logical-semantic content of the previous replica-stimulus and refers them to elliptical structures that fulfill their predicative function, which consists in expressing truth or falsity.

D. Wunderlich, calling them markers of agreement or disagreement, writes: «Yes, No were not designed for expressing answers. This is merely one of their possible functions, provided there is a preceding question that seeks agreement or disagreement» [81].

Thus, in the linguistic literature ES «yes», «no» are interpreted in different ways: as sentences and not sentences. We share the point of view of those linguists who consider «yes», «no» as independent shortened sentences.

Elliptical answering sentences «yes, no» fulfill the communicative-semantic function of confirmation or negation of the idea of a general interrogative sentence.

Interjections, modal words when used with answering elliptical sentences «Yes, No» emphasize their main content.

Then I take it Mrs. Stratton is a cousin of yours?

Yes, indeed [116].

The Nobleman: Oh, You are an Englishman, aren’t you?

The captain: Certainly not, my lord... [111].

Jack: Oh, Charley, will – will you introduce your aunt? Charley: Оh, yes, of course [96].

When the structure of elliptical sentences «Yes, No» is expanded by the different determinants, then their semantic enrichment with additional meaning takes place. For example:

Was she a wise child? Нe asked.

For about two years, yes. Did you enjoy it?

Yes, very much, thank you [56].

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Elliptical sentences expressed by modal words are wider in the semantic sense than the elliptical words-sentences YES, NO, because they convey the speaker's attitude to the question asked.

Can he do that?

Sure.

Babbs: ... Am I related to him? Jack: Of course not, you idiot [96].

Elliptical sentences expressed by modal words are characterized by a variety of semantics and convey the following feelings of:

a)confidence (of course, certainly, sure, indeed, surely, rather, exactly, etc.):

Eddie: I'm talking to you confidentially, am not I? Alfreri: Certainly [92].

And do you like it here, Roberts? Sure [116];

b)assumption, doubt, uncertainty, hesitation: perhaps, maybe, probably, possibly, obviously, apparently, etc.

Phoebe:... You haven't broken off the engagement? Jean: I don't know. Probably [84].

Two-member elliptical answering sentences with represented members

Two-member elliptical sentences with represented members used in the answers to general or disjunctive types of questions in the QADU are used to express confirmation or negation. For example

Dо you care whether I miss the other party?

I don't, but you do. I said [116]. Do you remember? – I do [102].

Often these structures determine the elliptical sentences «Yes, No» For example:

Dinah: You've been quarreling here, haven't you? Rex: No, we haven't.

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You are not in that kind of textiles?

Yes. I am [116].

In the student teacher communicative situations they serve for the expression of the exaggerated politeness. For example:

Do you know the answer?

Yes, I do.

3.2. Elliptical interrogative

and answering sentences with repetitions

In the linguistic literature these syntactic structures were studied by Y.M. Skrebnev, Y. Weiss, B.M. Leikin, S.M. Evgrafova, K.P. Svyatogor.

Elliptical interrogative and answering sentences with repetitions are characterized by various semantic functions.

In semantic terms, the elliptical repetitions are sinsemantic. The lack of independence of these sentences is due to their structure, since they do not exist outside the unity with the first replica, which structure determines their lexical composition. Thus, the elliptical repetition is a structurally and semantically dependent part of QADU. Elliptical repeated question expresses astonishment, indignation of a person who answers. For example:

Amanda: You didn't mention that he was engaged to be married. Tom: Jim? Engaged? [110].

Bessie: As a matter of fact, we were discussing the details of getting rid of your father's business.

David: Getting rid of it? Oh, no you're not [98].

In these examples, there is clearly the main semantic function of one-member elliptical questions sentences with repetitions. It is an emotive function which expresses an emotional reaction of the person who answers the statement of the person who asks a question.

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of a question word and the repeated lexical unit that requires clarification. For example:

What did you tell him, Parker?

Tell who?

Mr. Spratling [101].

A gangster sent me flowers once.

Do you think I should have picked him instead?

What gangster?

Oh, I don't remember his name [101]. George, is there anything wrong? Said Alfred. Wrong? Who with?

There is, isn't there [101]. Basho: This is the Emperor. Gecrgina: What Emperor?

Basho: The head of the city killed the old emperor, and this is his son [106].

In one-member elliptical answering sentences with repetitions the logical category of identity is expressed. Elliptical sentences with verbal repetition express the speaker's consent, confirming (identifying) the component of the question, about which information is requested. For example:

Birling: If we were all responsible for everything that happened to everybody, we'd had anything to do with, it would be very awkward, wouldn't it?

Inspector: Very awkward [112].

Marion: You've always hated it here, haven't you? Mrs. Lindent: Always-always [112].

Hester: And the man should be punished in the same way?

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Mr. Arbuthnot: In the same way [109].

Elliptical interrogative and answering sentences with extended repetitions contain additional correcting semantic information. For example:

Do you remember those pictures? We should have saved some for our old age?

The hotel pictures? My shape was much better then. Birling: Is this true?

Mrs.Birling: Yes, quite true [112]. Did you forget to do something?

Yes, he said. Something at the office [101].

One of the most common subtypes of the three-member QADU-3 are those in which there is a combination of one-member elliptical repetition-requestions with the subsequent one-member elliptical repetition-answer. For example:

Gutman: She cries at daybreak. Lady Kulligan: Only at daybreak? Gutman: Yes, at daybreak only [97]. Confidence?

Confidence in myself that you love me [101]. I'll be here about six.

Six?

Six or six thirty [101].

Algernon: But, my dear child, do you mean to say you couldn't love me if I had some other name?

Cecily: But what name?

Algernon: Oh, any name you like – Algernon – for instance

[109].

In the semantic sense elliptical repetitions are rhematic structures, in questions they serve to clarify the implicit information and in answers

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