This study investigates the pragmatic functions of ellipsis in English movie dialogues through a corpus-based approach. Its primary objectives are to systematically identify and classify ellipsis in these lines, examine their pragmatic functions across different contexts, and investigate the practical applications of these findings. Utilizing a framework combining the Cooperative Principle and Relevance Theory, the study analyzes a diverse corpus of English movie lines. The findings reveal five key pragmatic functions of ellipsis: redundancy reduction, identity symbol, emotional reinforcement, humor elicitation, and intimacy strengthening. Notably, a single line can embody more than one pragmatic function, enhancing character development and plot progression. This research not only enriches pragmatic theory but also provides valuable insights for movie line translation.
Siyuan Hong (Mon,) studied this question.