This tag is for questions about the omission of words that are superfluous and/or can be inferred from context. For the omission of only sounds or syllables, consider the "elision" tag instead.
Questions tagged [ellipsis]
614 questions
25
votes
7 answers
Does "take a second" mean "take a second look"?
This one drives me insane, and it’s become extremely common among bloggers. All it takes to avoid this error is to take a second and think about what you’re trying to say.
Source:…
bart-leby
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23
votes
6 answers
Why should "rip a man apart like a rag doll" be read "... like [it can rip apart] a rag doll" instead of "... like a rag doll [can rip apart a man]"?
A tiger can't win a mental fight with a man, but it can rip the man apart like a rag doll.
Why is the sentence above read as?
A tiger can't win a mental fight with a man, but it can rip the man apart like [it can rip apart] a rag doll.
But not…
user126190
8
votes
3 answers
Is it necessary to add "do it" in the following case?
My headache was so bad by then I could barely go to class. And when I
managed to do it, I couldn't listen to the professor at all.
Can I just write, "And when I managed to, I couldn't..."?
wyc
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5
votes
3 answers
"She was seriously ill as (she was) an infant." — Is this a case of ellipsis?
oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com:
(1) She was seriously ill as an infant.
my variant:
(2) She was seriously ill as she was an infant.
Is it right to say:
(1) comes from (2) by omitting "she was" (ellipsis).
If not, then why not?
Loviii
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4
votes
2 answers
Omitting a repeated verb
What is the rule and meaning of does in the following sentence (I think the appear omitted by it but if I am wrong please correct the title and tag):
The Moon illusion is an optical illusion which causes the Moon to appear larger near the
…
Dante
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4
votes
3 answers
Why we could omit “it is”?
Sentence 1: We try to help whenever it is possible.
Sentence 2: We try to help whenever possible.
Sentence 3: I should like to be back here by 10.30 if it is possible.
Sentence 4: I should like to be back here by 10.30 if possible.
I am wondering…
April
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4
votes
3 answers
Omission of verb in a sentence realizing contrast, while using the verb without and with preposition
Is it correct and appropriate to omit the verb in the second part of the sentence below?
The reviewer X questioned the scientific background of my Ph.D. thesis but the reviewer Y about too many references.
colombien
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4
votes
2 answers
the first to do
Neil Armstrong was the first (man) to walk on the moon.
Can I use this sentence without man, just "the first to walk." It might be grammatically correct, but how does it sound?
mosceo
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3
votes
2 answers
When to add "in" before "this way" or "adj +way:
It's my own example:"I was just born this way" "you should carry out this ceremony in more simple way" "he scolded me (in) the worst way"
오준수
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3
votes
4 answers
Deleting subject and verb in a clause
When not a teacher, he lived a life of a monk.
This sentence is perfectly possible and is missing a subject, so I was just curious if I can say this also.
Students were absentminded, thinking what to do when (they) get home
early.
If (they…
uoeirja
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3
votes
1 answer
Does it make sense to say: "I am trying to"?
Last week, my friends and I went fishing. I heard two people talking beside us while fishing. I don't know them and will name them A and B. This is what they said.
A: How long have you been fishing today?
B: two hours
A: Have you caught any…
user45235
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2
votes
1 answer
I am certain (that?) I can help (to?) improve your company
in a school book which has an example application letter it says the following:
I am certain I can help improve your accounting functions while increasing your company's bottom-line profitability.
If I were to write this sentence, I would probably…
Dylan Lynch
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2
votes
2 answers
Grammar in "Miss Caroline subsequent mortification"
In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird:
If I could have explained these things to Miss Caroline, I would have saved myself some inconvenience and Miss Caroline subsequent mortification, but it was beyond my ability to explain things as well as Atticus,…
CYC
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2
votes
3 answers
nonellipsed forms: "to glory" vs. "to hell" -- Is there a rule?
To glory!
I've come across the bizarre (is it?) question that's asking me to write the complete form of this exclaiming 'sentence'. I came along the sentence below as the nonellipsed expansion:
[Let's go] to glory!
However, it gets a bit…
M.A.R.
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2
votes
1 answer
...like you would a person -- missing "with", grammar question
Usage example with a context:
Clauses combine to form the entire SQL statement, which combines keywords with data to form a database query. Since you cannot have an actual conversation with the database like you would a person, keywords,…
Michael Rybkin
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