Ellipsis
The omission of words that are understood from context, creating economy and naturalism in speech and text. For example, 'He likes chocolate; she does too' omits 'like chocolate' in the second clause.
Real World
Text message exchanges between friends are saturated with ellipsis — 'Coming?' 'Yeah, five mins' — omitting 'Are you coming?' and 'I'll be there in five minutes', creating the rapid, efficient register characteristic of digital informal communication.
Exam Focus
When analysing transcripts, link ellipsis to register and relationship — its frequency signals familiarity and shared context between speakers.
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