Features of Using Elliptical Constructions in Headlines of English-language Media

The subject of the study is the linguistic nature of ellipsis, its structural-semantic features, as well as its communicative-pragmatic functions in headlines and brief news reports of English-language media. The object of the research is contemporary English-language media discourse, represented by press texts. The author examines in detail the nature of the phenomenon of language in headlines, within which elliptical constructions serve as a conscious stylistic norm. Special attention is paid to systemic-functional, pragmatic-linguistic, and discursive approaches. The work relies on current illustrative material from authoritative publications such as The Guardian, The New York Times, and The Economist. During the study, the main functions of ellipsis are identified and classified: information compression, dynamization of narration, accentuation of key semantic nodes, creation of conversational style, formation of ironic evaluation, and intertextuality. The methodology and methods of this study are based on a systemic-functional approach. Descriptive, comparative, and sampling methods, functional-semantic analysis, and contextual analysis are employed. The conclusions of the study are: 1. Ellipsis in contemporary English-language media has transformed into a systemic stylistic norm. 2. Pragmatic determinacy: the realization of ellipsis directly depends on the background knowledge of the audience. Media rely on the principle of communicative cooperation, which allows conveying meaning through "omission" without loss of informativeness. 3. Multifunctionality: ellipsis fulfills a complex of functions beyond compression: from creating a "live broadcast" effect to forming ironic subtext and establishing an intellectual connection with the reader through intertextual allusions. 4. Cognitive efficiency: elliptical constructions enable the reader to instantly identify the news core by cutting off grammatically redundant components. The author's main contribution to the research topic: an expanded typology of the functions of ellipsis in media texts is substantiated, and factual material reflecting the specifics of the functioning of ellipsis in modern digital platforms is introduced and analyzed in the scientific discourse, implementing an interdisciplinary approach that combines methods of formal syntactic analysis with pragmatic-linguistic and discursive approaches. The novelty of the study: ellipsis in the media is considered as a tool for pragmatic influence and management of the cognitive resources of the reader in the digital environment. A connection between the type of publication and the depth of ellipsis is established: it is revealed that quality press uses ellipsis to create complex intertextual codes, while news agencies use it to achieve maximum operational dynamics.