A Comparison of Learner and Native Speaker NP Ellipsis in Mandarin

Abstract

This article focuses on the question of the frequency of ellipsis in informal written Mandarin texts. It compares the output of native speakers with that of learners in their second year of study, describing their use of NP ellipsis, pronouns, and nouns in short written texts. Subsequent analysis investigates the syntactic structures in which ellipsis occurs.

It is hoped that a better understanding of such differences will suggest areas where explicit instruction might be profitably given, and indicate areas where it is unnecessary.