A Guide to Elliptical Constructions

A Guide to Elliptical Constructions A Guide to Elliptical Constructions A Guide to Elliptical Constructions By Mark Nichol An elliptical construction is one in which a word or phrase implied by context is omitted from a sentence, usually because it is a repetition of a preceding word or phrase. The three principal types of elliptical construction, with the omitted text enclosed in brackets, follow: Noun ellipsis: â€Å"I went swimming, and John went [swimming], too.† Verb ellipsis: â€Å"She favors romantic comedies, and Jane [favors] musicals.† Verb-phrase ellipsis: â€Å"He went for a walk, but they didn’t [go for a walk].† In a sentence in which repeated elements recur in more than one clause, a comma marks the elision of these words or phrases, and the clauses are separated by semicolons: â€Å"Igneous rock is formed from the cooling and solidification of magma of lava; sedimentary, from sedimentation of surface and underwater material; and metamorphic, from heat or pressure action on igneous, sedimentary, or another metamorphic type of rock.† In simpler sentences, you may omit the comma if you also replace a semicolon with a conjunction: â€Å"Molten rock is called magma in its subterranean form and lava during and after eruption.† But if you retain the semicolon, retain the marker comma as well: â€Å"Molten rock is called magma in its subterranean form; lava, during and after eruption.† Elliptical construction is particularly useful when listing statistics: â€Å"In 2010, he hit fifty-five home runs; in 2009, thirty-seven; and in 2008, forty-six,† or â€Å"In the school election, Tom received 345 votes and Tina 322.† Proper ellipsis in sentences spoken by different people varies: When John says, â€Å"Mary graduated,† Jane can simply reply, â€Å"She did?† rather than echoing, â€Å"She did graduate?† or â€Å"Did she graduate?† But if John says, â€Å"Mary graduated with honors,† Jane can’t respond, â€Å"Jim with highest honors.† When a verb form is omitted in one of two instances, its repetition, not its original appearance, should be omitted: â€Å"My sister has never gone mountain climbing, and never will,† not â€Å"My sister has never and will never go mountain climbing.† (â€Å"My sister has never . . . go† is ungrammatical.) When using an elliptical construction that in its full form would employ the comparative terms as and than, do not omit the first instance of the terms before the conjunction: â€Å"Golden eagles are as large as and just as majestic as bald eagles,† not â€Å"Golden eagles are as large and just as majestic as bald eagles.† Similarly, do not omit than: â€Å"Coyotes are smaller than but just as impressive as wolves,† not â€Å"Coyotes are smaller but just as impressive as wolves.† To test for grammatical soundness, temporarily omit the phrase including the conjunction and the comparative up to the object: â€Å"Golden eagles are as large . . . bald eagles† and â€Å"Coyotes are smaller . . . wolves† are ungrammatical. Also, be sure to omit only the words not essential for clarity: â€Å"The bus doesn’t go to or return from the city,† not â€Å"The bus doesn’t go or return from the city.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:7 Examples of Passive Voice (And How To Fix Them)English Grammar 101: Verb MoodNarrative, Plot, and Story