Elliptical Sentence:
In the grammar of a sentence, an elliptical construction is a construction that lacks an element that is, nevertheless, recoverable or inferable from the context. The elliptical construction is a sequence of words in which some words have been omitted. Because of the logic or pattern of the entire sentence, it is easy to infer what the missing words are.
Would you like an example of modern usage of an Elliptical Sentence? I have one for you. The bullets below set it up. I did the underlining...
- U.S. Representative Michael Grimm (R) of New York has pleaded guilty to Federal Felony Tax Charges.
- However, following his guilty plea he said he will not resign.
- He said, “As long as I’m able to serve, I’m going to”.
- He noted he easily won a third term in November despite a 20-count federal indictment unveiled last April.
- He pleaded guilty to aiding the preparation of a false tax return in connection with a health food restaurant he co-owned before his political career.
- He said in court, “While operating a restaurant, we underestimated the gross receipts and used some of the money to pay employees off the books and some other expenses”.
- As part of a plea deal Grimm, whose trial had been scheduled for February, also signed a statement of facts, admitting to concealing over $900,000 in gross receipts from 2007 to 2010 and lying during a 2013 deposition.
Here is my Elliptical Sentence. The Inferred Part is in brackets:
I will not resign (because everyone else in Congress does this kind of thing).
The Fella can see his point. Why should he be the only one to do the honorable thing? Why should he be held to a higher standard? That’s just asking too much.
Would I kid u?
Smartfella
(322)
