Ellipsis and Substitution Advanced Grammar Reference

Ellipsis and substitution
Ellipsis
1 ‘Ellipsis’ means leaving out a word or words when they are obvious from the context.
In informal speech, it is common to miss out the beginnings of certain phrases when it is
clear who or what is being referred to. This often happens with:
imperative be: (Be) careful! (Be) sensible!
pronouns: (I) don’t think so. (I) don’t know.
pronouns + be + articles: (It’s) nice to meet you. (I’m) sorry.
pronouns + be + articles: (It’s a) nice day. (It’s a) pity.

(It’s a) good thing you were here to help.
auxiliary verbs + pronouns: (Have you) got the time? (Are you) coming?
(Have you) finished?
2 Words are often missed out after an auxiliary verb to avoid repetition.
If you won’t take the ticket, I’m sure Jeremy will take the ticket.
3 If a verb is followed by an infinitive with to, we include the to but omit the verb.
Don’t take the ticket if you don’t want to (take it).
Substitution
Substitution is when a single word is used to replace a word or phrase, often to avoid repetition.
I got two tickets for tonight’s concert. Would you like one?
‘Is the weather going to be good this weekend.’ ‘I think so. The forecast was good.’
I don’t understand Kiswahili but Terrence does.’
‘I’m going to university in Hull next year.’ ‘Really? So am I.’
‘We’re not going away this weekend.’ ‘Neither/nor are we.’
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Pearson PHOTOCOPIABLE
1 Personal pronouns
a If a pronoun is used in isolation, we always use the object pronoun form.
‘Who would like some cake?’ ‘Me!’
Similarly, in modern English we use object pronouns as the complement of a phrase.
‘Who left the door open? ‘It was I. It was me’
b When the sex of a person is not clear or unimportant, we can use:
– Either he/she or his/her, depending on the likelihood of the person being male or female.
One of a footballer’s main responsibilities his to make sure he is a role model for
young people.
– the plural pronoun they or them.
‘There’s someone ringing the doorbell’ ‘Who are they. Tell them I’m not home.’
c You is often used to mean ‘people in general’.
You just never can tell what will happen.
d The pronoun one is used in more formal contexts with the meaning ‘people in general’.
One usually drinks tea at four o’clock.
If the speaker is not stated, they is used.
They’re going to build a new theatre in the town centre.
e It and there can be used as the subject of a sentence.
There are two things I really hate. Mayonnaise and tigers.
‘Who’s at the door?’ ‘It’s Georgina.’
It can also be used to refer to ‘the situation’.
I’ve made it clear that I really like her.

2 Reciprocal nouns
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a We use reciprocal nouns (each other, one another) when an action involves two or more
people or things doing the same thing to each other.
Rachel and Samantha really hate each other.
b Some verbs take the preposition (with or to).
Rachel and Samantha haven’t spoken to each other for months.
c One another is a little more formal and old-fashioned.
Government departments must try to work with one another.
3 Reflexive pronouns
a Reflexive pronouns emphasise that a person is doing the action to him/herself, not to
another person or thing.
At a buffet meal, you serve yourself, there are no waiters.
b We can also use reflexive pronouns to emphasise who the pronoun refers to.
Did you make this cake yourself? It’s delicious.
4 this/that, etc.
a When we refer forward to something we are going to say, or something that is going to
happen we use this.
I hate to tell you this, but I’m leaving you…
b When we refer back to something we said, or something that has already happened we
use that.
Sorry about that. It was an accident.
c On the telephone in British English, the speaker uses this to refer to him/herself; we refer
to the other person as that.
Hello, this is Sharon. Is that Chantal?
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Ellipsis and substitution

imperative be: (Be) careful! (Be) sensible!

pronouns: (I) don’t think so. (I) don’t know.

pronouns + be + articles: (It’s) nice to meet you. (I’m) sorry.

pronouns + be + articles: (It’s a) nice day. (It’s a) pity.

Don’t take the ticket if you don’t want to (take it).

I don’t understand Kiswahili but Terrence does.’

‘I’m going to university in Hull next year.’ ‘Really? So am I.’

‘We’re not going away this weekend.’ ‘Neither/nor are we.’

‘Who would like some cake?’ ‘Me!’

Similarly, in modern English we use object pronouns as the complement of a phrase.

‘Who left the door open? ‘It was I. It was me’

b When the sex of a person is not clear or unimportant, we can use:

– the plural pronoun they or them.

c You is often used to mean ‘people in general’.

You just never can tell what will happen.

One usually drinks tea at four o’clock.

If the speaker is not stated, they is used.

They’re going to build a new theatre in the town centre.

e It and there can be used as the subject of a sentence.

There are two things I really hate. Mayonnaise and tigers.

‘Who’s at the door?’ ‘It’s Georgina.’

It can also be used to refer to ‘the situation’.

I’ve made it clear that I really like her.

Rachel and Samantha really hate each other.

b Some verbs take the preposition (with or to).

Rachel and Samantha haven’t spoken to each other for months.

c One another is a little more formal and old-fashioned.

Government departments must try to work with one another.

At a buffet meal, you serve yourself, there are no waiters.

Did you make this cake yourself? It’s delicious.

I hate to tell you this, but I’m leaving you…

Sorry about that. It was an accident.

Hello, this is Sharon. Is that Chantal?

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