Cohesive Devices: Reference, ellipsis , substitution

1. Reference: Humphrey, S., Love, K., & Droga, L. (2011). Working Grammar: An introduction for secondary English teachers. Victoria: Pearson. Cohesive Devices: Reference, ellipsis, substitution

2. Cohesive devices are resources which connect ideas within and between sentences (Humphrey et al., 2011, p. 123). • They assist in making ideas, thoughts, arguments and information clearer for the reader to follow and understand. • They assist you in structuring and expressing your ideas and arguments simply and clearly. • They help the ideas in your spoken or written texts to flow logically and to ‘stick together’. Definition and Uses

3. Reference refers to grammatical resources which introduce and keep track of the people and things being talked about in the text. • People and things are typically introduced through noun groups but are then referred back to through pronouns (he, she, it, they, them). e.g. The book, The Cay, by Theodore Tayloris set in the Caribbean during World War II. Itis a story about survival and friendship with a powerful message about racial prejudice. • The first time the book is mentioned, it is explicitly named, giving all of its identifying details. The second reference to the book just uses the pronoun ‘it’. • This has the effect of formality in and clarity in the first reference, with the second reference providing ease of understanding and clarity without unnecessary words. • It is also very important to use a variety of language in your writing to avoid becoming repetitive. Reference

4. The table below shows the main resources for introducing and tracking people or things in texts. Resources for ‘Reference’(Humphrey et al., 2011, p. 124)

5. Read the text below: (teacher to underline and highlight student suggestions on Ppt) • Underline the tracking resources (personal and demonstrative pronouns) which are used. • Highlight the grammatical elements (nouns or clauses) the tracking resources refer to. Extract from ‘The Sudden Snow’ by Paul Collins How can one person see a reality that most others can’t? It’s way too deep a question for me, but Inga knew it all along. We always knew something was wrong, of course. The constant tremors and sightings of people who weren’t actually there – who vanished like ghosts. It happened with buildings, too. Skyscrapers prodding the sky – with no damage whatsoever. Then they too just disappeared. It made lots of people go crazy. That’s why our group sticks together. We’re reasonably sane. Exercise (verbal/class) – Reference (Humphrey et al.,2011, p. 129)

6. Extract from ‘The Sudden Snow’ by Paul Collins How can one person see a reality that most others can’t? It’s way too deep a question for me, but Inga knew it all along. We always knew something was wrong, of course. The constant tremors and sightings of people who weren’t actually there – who vanished like ghosts. It happened with buildings, too. Skyscrapers prodding the sky – with no damage whatsoever. Then they too just disappeared. It made lots of people go crazy. That’s why our group sticks together. We’re reasonably sane. • In this text, ‘it’ and ‘that’ always refer back to whole events rather than simple noun groups. Answers

7. Like reference, ellipsis and substitution allow us to track people and things without unnecessary repetition. Ellipsisoccurs when an element of a clause (e.g. a word or a group) is left out, in such a way that the reader or listener can replace it from meanings in the surrounding text. e.g. How can one person see a reality that most others can’t [see]? In this example, the verb ‘see’ is left out but the reader can retrieve it from an earlier part of the sentence. Substitution occurs when an element is replaced with a shorter word such as ‘one’ or ‘some’. e.g. Event theatre performances such as the one [event theatre performance] given by Year 9 students… Ellipsis and substitution are common in spoken mode because much of what is being said can be taken for granted and need not be constantly repeated. In written mode, however, they need to be used sparingly as it can be very tiresome for the reader to have to constantly retrieve missing information. Ellipsis and Substitution (Humphrey et at., 2011, pp. 131-132)

8. 1. Identify examples of ellipsis in the following extract. 2. Discuss how the use of ellipsis helps to create the character of Martin’s grandmother. Extract from ‘Like a Long-legged Fly’ by Ursula Dubosarsky Martin’s grandmother had an English accent, like someone on an English television program. ‘I’m a Londoner, of course,’ she said. ‘Always a Londoner, that’s me.’ She’d left London years and years ago, after the end of World War Two. ‘I was about your age,’ she said to Snow. ‘Hopped on a boat. All by myself. Couldn’t get out of there quick enough.’ Exercise – Ellipsis and Substitution (Humphrey et al., 2011, p. 132)

9. ‘[I’ve] Always [been] a Londoner, that’s me.’ ‘[I] Hopped on a boat. All by myself. [I] Couldn’t get out of there quick enough.’ Ellipsis shows the working class social background of the character; suggesting that she has had to work hard in her life. This helps to build sympathy for the character, who has looked after Martin. (Humphrey et al., 2011, p. 180) Ellipsis and substitution are very important resources for developing a sense of character in dialogue. These resources can be used to reveal social and cultural aspects of a character, and are often used to suggest that a character is reflecting or thinking aloud. (Humphrey et al., 2011, p. 132) Answers

10. Create either a monologue or a short scene of dialogue between two characters. In your dialogue, use ellipsis and substitution to help build a sense of who your characters are, their relationship to each other and mood of the conversation (formal/ informal etc). After you have written your dialogue, underline or highlight your examples of ellipsis and/or substitution. • Some examples of characters: • An old labourer • A young child • A poorly educated teenager • A posh, well-groomed socialite • A well-spoken receptionist • A radio presenter • OR – create your own character(s) • An old tramp • A learned professor • A rebellious child/teenager • A high-achieving student • A stay-at-home mum • A streetwise young adolescent Perform your monologue/dialogue to the class. If you are doing a dialogue, choose a partner to perform it with you. The class must comment on how effective they think your characterisation is, giving positive feedback and/or constructive suggestions for improvement. HAVE FUN WITH IT – try to create interesting characters. Extension writing task