英语广告语篇中的省略探析.doc

PAGE PAGE 1 A Study on Ellipsis in English Advertising Discourse 韦盼盼） Abstract: As an important cohesion device, ellipsis is a vital phenomenon in the language use. Especially it is widely used and plays a crucial role in the advertising discourse. This paper will analyze the basis, characteristics and functions of ellipsis in the English advertising discourse, in order to show that ellipsis is not only the important cohesion device for discourses but also can meet the needs of text rhetoric in advertising. Key words: ellipsis, English advertising discourse, cohesion Introduction Ellipsis is an important language phenomenon, and a vital means of language cohesion in English. It can be simply defined as “ substitution by zero”. Main functions of ellipsis are saving words, avoiding repetition, and making the texts concise. Meanwhile, ellipsis is a means of rhetorical devices which belongs to syntax structure. The major function of advertisements is to persuade readers instantly. In general, an advertisement should express the most information in a limited length. It should simplify the less important information, and employ elliptic sentences which can make the texts clear, prominent, compact and eye-catching. Therefore, employing ellipsis can make an advertisement more eye-catching. Elliptic sentences are the most typical form and feature of advertisements. This paper will analyze the English advertisements, and try to find the ellipsis in the advertisements, which may provide some suggestions when we are reading the English advertisements. Ellipsis According to Halliday Hasan(2001, 88), “ Ellipsis as the omission of an item, it can be interpreted as that form of substitution in which the item is replaced by nothing”. Where there is ellipsis, there is a presupposition, in the structure, that something is to be supplied, or “understood”. This is not quite the same thing as saying that we can tell from the structure of an item wheth