Discourse analysis

Conclusion

And finally, it can be helpful to use these words and phrases to indicate the conclusion of what we are saying:

• 
  In conclusion
  
• 
  This brings us to the conclusion that
  
• 
  What this all means is
  
• 
  To wrap up
  
• 
  In summary
  
• 
  I’ll end by saying that
  

LESSON 13 ELIPSIS

What is ellipsis?
In speaking and writing we generally try to provide only as much information as is necessary to convey what we want to express, and this involves leaving out words and phrases that we think form part of the complete grammatical unit. This 'leaving out' of words and phrases is 'ellipsis'. We can divide ellipsis into two distinct kinds: 'situational' and 'textual.'

Situational ellipsis occurs mainly in speaking. In the example which follows, the pronoun / is left out. This is an example of situational ellipsis because only the context makes it clear what is missing:
A: What time is it? B: Don't know. ([I] Don't know.)
The clearest and simplest examples of situational ellipsis are found in the answers to questions, where one word (or a few words) stands for a whole phrase.
A: Could you help me? B: Possibly. ([I could] possibly [help you].) A: When are you coming back? B: Tuesday. ([We are coming back on] Tuesday.)

A: You OK now?
B: Can't grumble. Better than this time last year.
A: Your leg?
B: Stuck here with my leg. Missed
In informal conversation we often leave out grammatical words such as articles, pronouns, prepositions, auxiliary verbs and forms of the verb be used as a complement verb. We leave these out at the beginning of sentences in particular.
[Are] You OK now?
[I] Can't grumble. [I'm] Better [1 was] than this time last year.
[Was the probleml Your leg? [I was] Stuck here with my leg. [I] all the parties, Christmas parties. Missed all the parties, [that is, the]
Christmas parties.
The more informal the conversation and the more we refer to the immediate environment in which the conversation is taking place, the more use we make of situational ellipsis.
Dialogue in novels provides plenty of examples.
'Pity you had to dash off last night, Trev,'said Al. '.. .. Good thing Mrs Swinburne came along.'