Ellipsis and pleonasm are viewed as symmetrical with respect to a middle state, normal discourse. In this pathological view of language, the trouble may be considered mild because excess and lack are properties of the signifiant only, while the signifié remains unaffected. Diagnosing ellipsis implies a grammatical doctrine, which is based on the notion of the internaI rationality of language -as the middle state does not coincide with piûse usage. Exaroples of ellipsis and function of the contexte