THE TRAIN TO OXFORD (a good example of how to avoid wasting words!)

This dialogue is a good example of the process of ELLIPSIS. It was originally assigned as an excercise to show the importance of intonation to convey meaning but I find it interesting also for you to supply what has been left out in the process of ellipsis; you will need to punctuate accordingly too. (source: English course for teachers, Bath, England 2000; not done by me!)

A: Um cigarette

B: Thanks

A: Oxford

B: Yes you

A: Um that's right student

B: Nurse you

A: Unemployed

B: Long

A: A year er married

B: Divorced

A: Really me too

B: Kids

A: One you

B: Three

A: Erm dinner

B: When

A: Tonight

B: Ah busy tomorrow

A: Lunch

B: OK where

A: Um Browns

B: Browns

A: When

B: One

A: Fine Oh Oxford

B: Already

A: Tomorrow

B: Tomorrow

A: Oh

B: Yes

A: Name

B: Sarah

A: Andrew