Ellipsis refers to the phenomenon where linguistic expressions can be omitted if a suitable antecedent for them is present to provide the content of the missing category. In this section, a description of the different types of clausal ellipsis is provided. The elided material is marked by strikethrough.
In LSC it is possible to identify different types of clausal ellipsis and they can all be found in coordination and adjunct clauses. The clause that contains the ellipsis always needs to follow the antecedent clause. The ellipsis site can always be followed by a focus particle like too.
The classification of clausal ellipsis depends on the elements that are left in the ellipsis clause and on the category of the material that is omitted in the ellipsis site. It is possible to distinguish among: i) stripping, ii) VP (verb phrase) ellipsis, iii) gapping, iv) pseudogapping and v) sluicing.
In stripping, everything but one constituent and the focus particle too are left in the ellipsis clause.
marina chocolate eat can, jordi chocolate eat can too.
‘Marina can eat chocolate, and Jordi, too.’
(© Giorgia Zorzi 2018. Reprinted with permission from Zorzi, 2018b: 260)
In the case of VP ellipsis, instead, in the second clause only the subject of the clause and an auxiliary or a modal verb occur, possibly together with a focus element, as in the example below. The category omitted is the VP.
marina fruit 3give1, jordi 3aux1fruit 3give1 too.
‘Marina gave me some fruits, and Jordi did, too.’
(© Giorgia Zorzi 2018. Reprinted with permission from Zorzi, 2018b: 260)
Gapping [SYNTAX 3.1.4.2] is characterized by the omission of the verb and the elements left are at least two constituents. The remnants in the elliptical clause are in contrast with similar elements of the same category in the antecedent one. The focus particle too can be found in sentence final position.
friend ix3pl flower 3cl(5): ‘give’1, jordi watch 3cl(5): ‘give’1.
‘Some friends gave me flowers and Jordi a watch.’
(© Giorgia Zorzi 2018. Reprinted with permission from Zorzi, 2018b: 260)
It is also possible to identify pseudogapping, even if this structure is not very productive and can be used only with verbs that are realized in space [LEXICON 3.2]. As in gapping, the verb is omitted, but an auxiliary is also produced, together with at least two constituents that are in contrast with corresponding ones in the antecedent clause.
friend poss1 flower 3give1, jordi bracelet 3aux1 give.
‘My friend gave me flowers and Jordi did (give me) a bracelet.’
(© Giorgia Zorzi 2018. Reprinted with permission from Zorzi, 2018b: 260)
Another type of clausal ellipsis is sluicing. It is characterized by an indirect constituent question headed by an interrogative wh-sign in the elliptical clause that contains the omitted material.
yesterday marina buy++, but what marina buy++ ix1 know^not.
‘Yesterday Marina bought many things, but I do not know what.’