Discourse analysis

Key Takeaways: Ellipsis
• An ellipsis occurs when a word or a group of words is deliberately left out of a sentence.
• Ellipses can be marked or unmarked. When they are marked, they are indicated by the punctuation "...".
• Specific examples of ellipses are known as gapping, pseudogapping, stripping, and sluicing.
The adjective form of an ellipsis is elliptical or elliptic, and its plural form is ellipses. The first definition of ellipsis above is also known as an elliptical expression or elliptical clause. The term comes from the Greek elleipsis, meaning "to leave out" or "fall short."
In her book "Developing a Written Voice," Dona Hickey notes that ellipsis encourages readers to "supply what isn't there by stressing heavily what is."
How to Use Ellipsis
In speech, people often leave out unnecessary information and speak in shorthand. It's a way to be brief—and not repetitive—and still communicate clearly with others. For example, someone presented with a sensible argument might respond with a simple approval:
"Sounds logical."
To be grammatically correct, this sentence would need a noun—"It sounds logical" or "That sounds logical to me." In its abbreviated form, it's an elliptical expression, but native English speakers will have no trouble understanding it since the elided "it" or "that" can be inferred from the context.
Ellipsis is often used by fiction writers to create dialogue that resembles the way people really talk. After all, people don't always talk in full sentences. They trail off, they use halting speech, and they leave out words that other people in the conversation will be able to understand without hearing them stated explicitly. For example:
"I don't know how to say this," she said, looking down.
"You mean he's..."
"Yes, he's gone. I'm sorry."
Ellipsis can also be used in the narration itself. Few writers, for example, will describe everything a character does from one moment to the next, since these details are often unrelated to the main drama of the story. If a scene begins with a character walking out the door to go to work, the reader will easily fill in that the character already woke up and got dressed. This basic information can be elided in the interest of concision.
"When used well," author Martha Kolin writes, "the ellipsis can create a bond of sorts between the writer and the reader. The writer is saying, in effect, I needn't spell everything out for you; I know you'll understand."
Types of Ellipsis
Several different types of ellipsis can be used.
Gapping occurs in a sentence when words are left out, such as verbs after a conjunction.
Elizabeth likes the Minnesota Vikings and her father, the Patriots.
The word left out in the second half of the sentence is "likes." If it were complete, the end of the sentence would read "...and her father likes the Patriots."
A verb phrase ellipsis occurs in a sentence when a verb phrase (a construction made up of a verb and a direct or indirect object, such as "buys food" or "sells cars") is omitted.
Bob wants to go to the store, and Jane wants to as well.
In the second half of this sentence, the verb phrase "go to the store" is omitted.