Ellipsis Definition


Apart from being convenient, ellipsis also helps in advancing the story.The part of a sentence or an event that is left out by substituting it with ellipses is often used to either save time or use it as a stylistic element by allowing the reader to fill in the gaps by using their imagination. Ellipsis can be dated back to Earnest Hemingway who also presented the Iceberg theory, which is also called the theory of omission.

Ellipsis Examples

Example #1

Among the famous examples of ellipsis in literature, the best would be Virginia Woolf’s novel, To the Lighthouse. The book involves two parts, one before the World War I was fought and won and the later one accounts for the events occurring afterwards. All the events that occurred in between have not been mentioned in the book. Rather it has left to the readers to deduce the events from the notable changes that have occurred in the characters’ lives.

Example #2


(Ben Zimmer, “Crash Blossoms.” The New York Times, Jan. 27, 2010)

Function of Ellipsis



Importance of Ellipsis in Avoiding Superfluity



Sir Philip Sidney’s concern is slightly different from what has been stated above but he still emphasizes that every component bears significance, as he said, “one word cannot be lost but the whole work fails” (An Apology for Poetry, 122). This idea is not just limited to the classical narratives and poems. The idea of functionality, referring to the notion that every part is important and what is not important is not necessary, assembles economic and organic principles. It is founded on the concept that there is no waste in nature. The relevance of economy does not become any less important if we move from looking at the inherent structure to studying the meaning of the narrative as a representation of the ideas and perspective of the author.

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