The cohesive relation of verbal ellipsis in English and its counterparts in Portuguese

Abstract

Abstract: This paper deals with the cohesive relation of verbal ellipsis within Halliday's wider systemic model of linguistic description. The discussion on verbal ellipsis is based on "Cohesion in English" by M.A.K. Halliday and R. Hasan. The paper first presents Halliday's concepts regarding language, including the nature of language, the functions of language, and the structure of language; and then discusses verbal ellipsis in detail. Also included in this paper is an attempt to identify similarities and points of divergence between certain cases of verbal ellipsis in English and Portuguese. By examining a restricted corpus of examples of verbal ellipsis and their counterparts in Brazilian Portuguese, it becomes evident that there are, in fact, similarities and differences between the two languages with regard to this topic. These must be taken into consideration in the teaching of verbal ellipsis in English to Brazilian students.