An Analysis of Nominal Ellipsis in “Treasure Island-by Robert Louis Stevensen” Novel

By
Nurul Fajar Alhakima
1708103012

Introduction
Novel is an invented story in prose, long enough to fill a complete book (Hornby, 1995,
p. 792). Furthermore, in the novel consist of sentences, phrases, and clauses. Sentences is a
set of words expressing a statement, a question or a command. Furthermore, Phrases is a
combination of words that fills in the sentences. Meanwhile, clauses is a combination of
words or phrases which functions as a predicate.
In any case, there are some type of sentences, phrases and clauses which omitted some
occurrence in their form, it’s called by ellipsis. An ellipsis is a word unmentioned from a
series words or sentences. There are three types of ellipsis, namely nominal ellipsis, verbal
ellipsis, and clausal ellipsis (McCarthy, 1991, p. 43).
The main purpose of this paper is want to discuss more deeply about nominal ellipsis in
the novel “Treasure Island-by Robert Louis Stevenson”. To answer the problem the
researcher employs ellipsis theory (Haliday & Hasan, 1976, p. 153-166). In addition, this
research employs descriptive method. Ary. et. al., (2010) state descriptive method is used to
describe occurrence as they naturally occur (p. 440). The process of this method are
describing, analyzing, and interpreting of condition that exist.

Literary Review
Halliday and Hasan (1976) state that ellipsis something omitted which related with the
grammatical relation between words (p. 142). Ellipsis is slightly similar with substitution, but
it must be discussed separately because the ellipsis stand as something unsaid but predictable
or understood. The significant point about the type of ellipsis is that it applies only to
complete phrase (Miller, (2002), p. 17)
Type of ellipsis consist of three type, they are nominal ellipsis, verbal ellipsis, and
clausal ellipsis (McCarthy, 1991, p. 143). Moreover, nominal ellipsis is ellipsis which belong
to the nominal group (Halliday & Hasan, (1976), p. 167). Nominal ellipsis consist of five part
they are deictic, numeratives, epithets, classifiers and qualifiers (Halliday & Hasan, (1976), p.
153-166). For more specifically, below:

a. Qualifier
The qualifier is usually a relative clause or prepositional phrase (Halliday and Hasan,
1976:143).
b. Deictic

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 Deictic ellipsis consists of three categories, specifically to indicate people, place and time
(Halliday & Hasan (1976), p. 155).
c. Numerative
Numerative is an expression the noun that indicates an individual or class referred to. For
instance, a kind of person, animate, institution or relation (Halliday and Hasan, 1976, p.
147).
d. Classifier
Classifier usually a noun, if it functioned as head it would be liable itself to interpreted as
the thing (Halliday and Hasan, 196, p. 148).
e. Epithets
Epithets is usually found in many adjectives. It‘s uncommon to find adjective occurring
as head in ellipsis (Halliday and Hasan, 1976, p. 163).

Discussion
To find the data the writer tried to analyse the novel “Treasure Island- by Robert Louis
Stevenson”. Furthermore, in that novel the writer found some type of nominal ellipsis, there
are:
a. Qualifier
Based on theory before, the writer found the data below:

I looked at the Hispaniola, out on the sea, and saw the pirates’ flag (p. 22).

In the sentences above there are two expression, the first is “I looked” and the second is
“saw”. In the first expression before word “looked” there is a subject, but in the second
expression it’s not replaced. However, means of the second expression is “I saw”.

b. Deictic
In this element the writer found the data below:

1. “I like this place,” he said. “Do many people come here?” (p. 1)
2. The house was strong and it was in a good place (p. 18)
3. “Your friends are in the house now.” Said Ben Gunn “I must go to them” I said. (p. 22)

In the two example mentioned above, in the first sentence word “Here” explained
about the expression before which indicate about the place of the conversation in the
novel. Similarly in the second example, the word “it” indicate to “the house” that has
mentioned before. However, in the third sentence the word “them” called also by deictic
ellipsis because it indicate to the word “your friend” it’s mean that the word them indicate
about the people which mentioned in the conversation.

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c. Numerative
There is the data that found in this type below:

“No, find the boy! He’s near here somewhere, I know” (p. 6)

In that sentence, the word “He” called by numerative ellipsis because the word “He”
was indicate to “The boy” in the previous expression.

d. Classifier
As explained before, classifier ellipsis usually refers to noun. Moreover, the writer found
some data of this type, they are:

He gave me some money, “Take this and look out for a sailor with one leg” (p. 3)

In the instance above, the word “this” is classifier ellipsis because it indicate to the
word “money” that mentioned in the sentence before.

Conclusion
From the finding data above the writer conclude that there are some nominal ellipsis in
the novel “Treasure Island-by Robert Louis Stevenson”. As the theory explained that there
are five types of nominal ellipsis, namely deictic, numeratives, epithets, classifiers and
qualifiers. However, based on the data above the writer only found four types, there are: 3
data of deictic, 1 data of numeratives, 1 data of classifiers and 1 data of qualifiers.
Meanwhile, in that novel the writer didn’t found the data of epithets.

References
Ary, D., Jacobs, C., & Sorensen, C. (2010). Introduction to Research in Education. New
York: Nelson Education, Ltd.

Halliday, M., & Hasan, R. (1976). Cohesion in English. New York: Longman Group Ltd.

Hornby, S., A. (1995). Oxford advanced learner’s dictionary. Walton Street, Oxford: Oxford
University Press.

McCarthy, M. (1991). Discourse analysis for language teacher. United Kingdom:

Cambridge University Press.

Miller, J. (2002). An introduction to English syntax. 22 George Square,

Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press Ltd.

Robert, S., L. (1995). Treasure Island. London: Penguin Books Ltd.