ELLIPTICAL FORMS IN JEAN WEBSTER’S DADDY-LONG-LEGS
The novel is enriched with elliptical constructions – sentences from which one or more
words are omitted for the sake of conciseness.
The author uses elliptical sentences to avoid repeating the same words or phrases when
unnecessary and also to make the sentences understandable even though they aren’t quite
completed.
For greater understanding, I’ll provide some instances of elliptical constructions in the book.
Elided parts are written in square brackets.
Example 1: “My sister Isobel gave me the silk stockings, and Aunt Susan [gave me] the
Matthew Arnold poems;”
The type of ellipsis used here is called gapping – repetition of the verb gave me is deleted.
Although the verb isn’t repeated for the second time, the sentence still makes sense.
Example 2: “I wish you'd come and have tea some day and let me see if I like you. But
wouldn't it be dreadful if I didn't [like you]? However, I know I should [like you].”
In this sentence, like you is omitted twice and the type of this elliptical construction is
called verb phrase ellipsis. In this type of ellipsis, omitted verb phrase(s) (like you) should be
identical to the antecedent verb phrase (like you), and as we see, both of them are
completely identical.
Example 3: “Sallie and I decided last spring that we should like to room together, and Julia
made up her mind to stay with Sallie—why [she made up her mind to stay with Sallie], I
can't imagine, for they are not a bit alike.”
Here ellipsis is introduced by a WH-expression why; therefore, the elliptical construction, in
this case, is sluicing.
Example 4: “I ate my fish with the wrong fork, but the waiter very kindly gave me another
[fork] so that nobody noticed [I ate my fish with the wrong fork].”
The novel is enriched with elliptical constructions – sentences from which one or more
words are omitted for the sake of conciseness.
The author uses elliptical sentences to avoid repeating the same words or phrases when
unnecessary and also to make the sentences understandable even though they aren’t quite
completed.
For greater understanding, I’ll provide some instances of elliptical constructions in the book.
Elided parts are written in square brackets.
Example 1: “My sister Isobel gave me the silk stockings, and Aunt Susan [gave me] the
Matthew Arnold poems;”
The type of ellipsis used here is called gapping – repetition of the verb gave me is deleted.
Although the verb isn’t repeated for the second time, the sentence still makes sense.
Example 2: “I wish you'd come and have tea some day and let me see if I like you. But
wouldn't it be dreadful if I didn't [like you]? However, I know I should [like you].”
In this sentence, like you is omitted twice and the type of this elliptical construction is
called verb phrase ellipsis. In this type of ellipsis, omitted verb phrase(s) (like you) should be
identical to the antecedent verb phrase (like you), and as we see, both of them are
completely identical.
Example 3: “Sallie and I decided last spring that we should like to room together, and Julia
made up her mind to stay with Sallie—why [she made up her mind to stay with Sallie], I
can't imagine, for they are not a bit alike.”
Here ellipsis is introduced by a WH-expression why; therefore, the elliptical construction, in
this case, is sluicing.
Example 4: “I ate my fish with the wrong fork, but the waiter very kindly gave me another
[fork] so that nobody noticed [I ate my fish with the wrong fork].”
