I got a pleasant surprise when an English grammar enthusiast popped on my Facebook page this totally unexpected question sometime ago: “Is there any difference between an elliptical sentence and an elliptical clause, or are they just the same?”
Such complicated grammar questions normally find their way directly to my English-usage Forum in the course of a full-blown discussion of the subject. In any case, I gladly replied that although closely related, an elliptical sentence and an elliptical clause are definitely distinct grammatical constructions.
An
elliptical sentence is a form that knocks off some of its words or phrases for brevity’s sake, taking for granted that the reader or listener—aware of the context—would just logically fill in the missing grammatical elements. For instance, a sentence that runs this way, “
You may go when you’re done
with your school assignments,” can drop the words “you may” and “with your school assignments” to become this neat, more forceful ellipted statement: “Go when you’re done.”
IMAGE CREDIT: SLIDEPLAYER.COMOn the other hand, an
elliptical clause is either an independent or subordinate clause in which some words have been left out or ellipted, with the writer or speaker assuming that those missing words would just be supplied by the reader or listener based on the pattern or logic of the statement. For instance, the runaround-sounding sentence “Many
did favor the maverick candidate, but others
didn’t favor the maverick candidate” is normally ellipted to “Many did favor the maverick candidate,
but others didn’t (…).” Note that the repetitive phrase “favor the maverick candidate” is routinely knocked off in the second clause.
Effective writers use
ellipses—that’s the plural of ellipsis—to economize with words, methodically dropping off redundancies and pruning out needlessly repetitive phrasing that might just turn off readers. In fact, when there’s little danger of breaking the flow of the exposition and of being misunderstood, certain predictable words and phrases can be dropped from sentences and the reader can be expected provide them mentally with ease. Ellipsis is a very neat streamlining device if handled well.
IMAGE CREDIT: SLIDEPLAYER.COMHere are some of the most common elliptical forms in English:
(1) Routine omission of the conjunction “that” in modifying clauses. Unellipted: “They somehow knew
that they would be routed by the maverick candidate.”
Ellipted: “They somehow knew (...) they would be routed by the maverick candidate.”
(2) Elliptical noun phrases. Unellipted: “Amelia ordered the regular-size orange drink but the salesclerk
gave her the large-size orange drink.”
Ellipted by dropping “orange drink” in the second clause: “Amelia ordered the regular-size orange drink but the salesclerk
gave her the large-size (...).”
(3) Ellipsis of the verb and its objects or complements. Unellipted: “The ailing candidate declared that she would campaign to very end if she could campaign to the very end.”
Ellipted by dropping “campaign to the very end” in the second clause: “The ailing candidate declared (...) she would campaign to very end
if she could (...).”
(4) Medial (middle) ellipsis. Unellipted: “Edwin will take care of the urban sector voters and Carina will take care of the rural sector voters.”
Ellipted by dropping “will take care of” in the second clause: “Edwin will take care of urban sector voters and Carina, (...)
the rural sector voters.”
(5) Ellipsis of clause. Unellipted: “They can start voting now if they want to start voting now.”
Ellipted by dropping “start voting now” in the second clause: “They can start voting now
if they want to (...).”
Actually an advanced form of exposition, ellipses or grammatical holes in sentences can make writing and speech more cohesive, compact, and forceful. Once we get familiar with their various patterns, it becomes a simple matter to apply them logically, unobtrusively, and gracefully in both our written and spoken English.
(Next:
Use of “hopefully” and other grammar bugbears) May 30, 2019
This essay, 1,145th of the series, appeared in the column “English Plain and Simple” by Jose A. Carillo in the , © 2019 by the Manila Times Publishing Corp. All rights reserved.Campus Press section of the May 23, 2019 print edition of The Manila Times
