MEETING 7

THE FEATURES OF SPOKEN ENGLISH

A. OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

After studying these materials, the students will be able to :

1) Understand the using of Elipsis.

2) Undertand the using of heads and tails in English.

B. MATERIAL DESCRIPTION

1. Elipsis in Englih

Frank (1972:226) defines ellipsis as the kind of abridgment of “understood” words. He

defines that the omission of words are necessary for the full of subject - predicate

structure. Frank states that the omission can be in independent clause and dependent

clause. In independent clause, can be seen from the example below, He says he will

finish the work on time (,) and he will. In dependent clause can be seen from the

example below, She visits her parents whenever she can.

Chomsky (1982 :27) defines ellipsis as the elimination from consideration.

Ervin-Tripp (In Richards and Schmidt 1983 :100) defines ellipsis as elliptical

form often happens in action in direct or indirect object. For example in the data

specified the direct object below, Now this one. [i.e. Now look at this picture]. The

sentence in the [ ] indicates that actually the speaker ask the hearer to look at the picture.
 Azar (1989:288) states that the form of parallel structure, in which unnecessary

words are omitted but are understood, is termed ellipsis. The example below is about

ellipsis in which the same words have been omitted,

Mary opened the door. Mary greeted her guests.

Mary opened the door and greeted her guests.

Ellipsis is something that left unsaid but understood, Halliday and Hasan (In

Amri :1993 :17-18). They also divide ellipsis into three. They are nominal ellipsis,

verbal ellipsis and clausal ellipsis.

Halliday (1994: 318) defines ellipsis as the following quotation,

A clause, or a part of a clause, or a part (usually including the lexical element )

of a verbal or nominal group, may be presupposed at a subsequent place in the
text by the device of positive omission – that is, by saying nothing, where
something is required to make up the sense. Either the structure is simply left
unfilled, as in not for I will not wake him, which is ellipsis properly so called; or
else a place holding element is inserted to signal the gap, like the do in for if I
do, which is referred to as substitution.

He also divides ellipsis in to three main contexts. These are (1) the clause, (2) the verbal

group, and (3) the nominal group.

Biber at al (2000 :1099-1107) define ellipsis as the omission of word or words

in order to avoid the repetition of words that have been spoken. They state that ellipsis

happens in syntactical non-clausal Meetings, elliptic phrasal non-clausal Meetings and

in clausal Meetings. Elliptic replies, elliptic exclamation, elliptic question-and-answer

sequences occur in syntactic non-clausal Meetings.

 Besides that, ellipsis also occurs in clausal Meetings. In this term, ellipsis is

classified in to three context, they are initial ellipsis, final ellipsis and medial ellipsis.

In initial ellipsis, there are three kinds of ellipsis. These are ellipsis of subject,

ellipsis of operator and ellipsis of subject and operator.

Ellipsis is leaving out of words (Sinclair (ed.) 2000 : 396-400). He states that

ellipsis is common be used by people because they prefer omit the words to repeat

them. Ellipsis is commonly happens in conversation. It is used in replying, asking

questions, and also agreement.

Leech, Cruickshank and Ivanic (2006: 141) state that ellipsis refer to the way we

omit words in grammar. For instance, we went to Rome last year, and [we] really

enjoyed it.

He also states that ellipsis is especially common in speech. For example,

A : I suppose Kathy is still living in that same place

B : Yes, she is [still living in that same place]

From the example above, it can be concluded that ellipsis [ ] shows the link between the

first sentence and the second one.

English Grammar (2009) defines ellipsis as (...) is three dots used for a pause or

to show that words have been left out. Example:

A. A credit card stolen in London was used to pay for a Chinese meal five hours

later...in Bangkok. (pause for effect)

 B. The brochure states: "The atmosphere is tranquil...and you cannot hear the

trains." (words omitted)

2. Heads and tails.

Compare these sentences:

Arnold’s really nice Arnold, he’s really nice He’s really nice, Arnold.
(John=subject) (John=head) (John=tail)

Heads are used to introduce and emphasise who or what you are going to talk

about.

Tails help you to emphasise who or what you’ve been talking about.

We often use it + be + adjective as a head to show our feelings about

something.

It was terrible, that day at

the beach. It’s lovely, your

garden.
C. EXERCISE

Exercise 1 Recognising spoken language

A. Match the extracts, 1-6, to the types of texts, a)-d), in the box.

a) a conversation between frieds b) a meeting c) a holiday postcards d) a formal

letter

1. We’ve been having a great time, swimming every day, and visiting lots of
interesting places. Mike’s getting fat on the fantastic food, even though we’re
playing lots of tennis. I;m not looking forward to coming home because there will
be too much you do. I’ll try not to think about it now.
………………..

2. It’s great, this pizza. Why didn’t you have it?

Don’t know. I thought the chicken would be nicer

………………..

3. Thank you for coming today. We have quite a lot to do, so let’s start with a review

of last year’s sales.

………………..

4. Dan? Want anything from the shops?

Yeah. Can you get me a paper? And could you hurry, it always sells out of papers

quickly, that shop, so don’t worry if you can’t get one

………………

5. I would be greatful if you could send me your latest brochure. I am particular

interested in traveling to South East Asia.

……………..

6. Doing anything special this weekend. Sarah?

No. what about you?

 Can’t think of anything, no. perhaps we ought to do something together?

Well. Nick he’s having a party, but I wasn’t going to go because I wouldn’t know

anyone there. But we could go. I suppose

…………….

B. Look at the convertations between friends in A. Find and underline examples

of :

1. Ellipsis (there are four examples) 2. Heads (one example) 3. Tails (two
examples)

 Exercise 3 Heads and tails

Underline the heads or tails in sentences a)-g)

a) The music, it was much too loud.

b) I think it’s broken, the light.
c) I didn’t understand it at all, that letter from the lawyer.
d) Bees, they can find their way home from up to ten kilometres away!
e) Your mum, she’s been to the new sports centre, hasn’t she?
f) My dad, he’s never liked flying.
g) I didn’t enjoyed it all, the meal.

Now choose a sentence from a)-g) for the gap in each short conversation.

Example: A: we went to that new bar last night.

B: Oh, did you? What was it like?
A: a), otherwise it was OK.

1. A: I think we should go out somewhere this afternoon.

B: Yes, let’s. ……..
A: Yeah. She said it was great.

2. A: Some people are frightened of really common lights, Like spiders, or heights.
B: …………
A: Really? Has he always been like that?

3. A: I think the trial is finakky coming to an end

B: I hope so. ………
A: Yes, it was confusing.

4. A: What a boring avening

 B: Yeah. ……. The film was all right, though.
A: I didn’t think so.

5. A: …….
B: You’re full interesting facts, you are.
A: Wish I could remember more useful information, though.

Exercise 5

Underline the heads or tails in those sentences!

a) The music, it was much too loud.

b) I think it’s broken, the light.

c) I didn’t understand it all, that letter from the lawyer.

d) Bees, any can find their way home from up to ten kilometres away!

e) Your Mum, she’s been to the new sport centre, hasn’t she?

f) My dad, he’s never liked flying.

g) I didn’t enjoy it at all, the meal.

Exercise 6

Put words or phrases that can be left out of these spoken sentences into bracket/

parentheses (like this).

Example: (Are you) going shopping?

a) Do you come here often?

b) I don’t much like football.

c) We’re not sure we can come on Monday, I’m afraid.

d) I think I’ll go now.

 e) Have you seen James anywhere this morning.

3) Fill in the gaps to complete the sentences.

Example: My teacher, her husband, he …………… plays football for the city

team.

a) My brother, his friend Sarah, …………… ‘s got a swimming pool in the

garden.

b) Her next door neighbour, his parrot, …………… ‘s got an orange tail and

green wings.

c) It’s got four doors and a more powerful engine than the old one, her new

…………….

d) She’s not very good at cooking but she always make a meal for the family,

my ……………

D. REFERENCE

Azar, Betty Scrampfer. 1992. Fundamentals English Grammar second edition. New

Jersey: Prentice Hall.

Biber, Douglas, Stig Johansson, Geoffrey Leech, Susan Conrad, and Edward Finnegan.

1999. Longman Grammar of spoken and written English. London: Longman.

Frank, Marcella. 1972. Modern English a practical reference guide. New Jersey:

Prentice Hall.

Frank, Marcella. 1972. Modern English a practical reference guide. New Jersey:

Prentice Hall.
Halliday, M.A.K..1994. An Introduction to functional Grammar (second edition).

London: Edward Arnold.

Krohn, Robert and the staff of the English language institute. 1990. English Sentence

structure. Jakarta: Bina Rupa Aksara.

Leech, G., Cruickshank, B., and Ivanic, R. 2006. An A-Z of English Grammar and

Usage (Seventh Impression). Pearson Education Limited.

Lim, Tan Cheng. 2002. Practical English Grammar For Secondary Levels. Henderson

Industrial Park Singapore: Singapore Asian Publications (S) Pte Ltd.

Murphy, Raymond.1994. English Grammar in Use A reference and practice book for

intermediate students (second edition). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Nettle, Mark and Hopkind, Diana, Developing Grammar in Context, Grammar

Reference and Practice. Italy: Cambridge University Press

Sinclair, John. (ed.). 2000. Collins Cobluid (Collins Birmingham University

InternasionalLanguage Database), English Grammar. London : Harpers Collins

Publishers.