About ellipsis

Status
Not open for further replies.

notletrest

Senior Member
Joined
May 3, 2010
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Chinese
Home Country
China
Current Location
China
Dear teachers ,
Could you tell me whether the sentences are good and why not.
1."I'll come and so'll Peter."
2.She'll write to Tom and he'll to his sister.
3.There're many girls in the class.
Thank you very much!
 

notletrest

Senior Member
Joined
May 3, 2010
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Chinese
Home Country
China
Current Location
China
Pity, answers can enjoy I none! Maybe it is so simple that teachers will not do. But it counts for me.
Thanks!
 

Barb_D

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Mar 12, 2007
Member Type
Other
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
None of those work in writing.
The first one might be spoken in quick speech.
No one I know would say the second. They would repeat "write."
The third might be spoken.
 

notletrest

Senior Member
Joined
May 3, 2010
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Chinese
Home Country
China
Current Location
China
None of those work in writing.
The first one might be spoken in quick speech.
No one I know would say the second. They would repeat "write."
The third might be spoken.
////
Thanks !
 

philo2009

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 16, 2009
Member Type
Academic
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
Japan
As already noted, #1 and #3 represent transcripts of informal speech.

#2 is unacceptable, since
(1) we can never end a sentence/clause with a contracted form (he'll, etc.)
(2) even with the restoration of full form 'will', you cannot ellipt the verb without implying its complement (to Tom), whereas here a new prepositional complement (to his sister) is suddenly introduced.
 
Last edited:

notletrest

Senior Member
Joined
May 3, 2010
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Chinese
Home Country
China
Current Location
China
As already noted, #1 and #3 represent transcripts of informal speech.

#2 is unacceptable, since
(1) we can never end a sentence/clause with a contracted form (he'll, etc.)
(2) even with the restoration of full form 'will', you cannot ellipt the verb without implying its complement (to Tom), whereas here a new prepositional complement (to his sister) is suddenly introduced.
Thank you for your reply.
According to your first reason, it seems to me that we can't say :" He'll write to me."
According to your second reason , it seems to me that "#2.She'll write to Tom and he'll to his sister." should change into #2.She'll write to Tom and he will write to Tom and his sister. Thus is it right. But it is not the author's idea.
There is someone holding that in a sentence, if we use the apostrophe in the first part, then we mustn't use it again in the next part. So #2 should be changed into "2.She'll write to Tom and he will to his sister. If the conclusion is right, the correction of "2.She'll write to Tom and he'll write to his sister." which was made by Barb,is not right.
Many thanks!
 
Last edited:

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
There is someone holding that in a sentence, if we use the apostrophe in the first part, then we mustn't use it again in the next part.
Who claims that?
So #2 should be changed into "2.She'll write to Tom and he will to his sister.
Both Barb and philo have said that this is not acceptable.
If the conclusion is right, the correction of "2.She'll write to Tom and he'll write to his sister." which was made by the above American woman teacher, is not right.
The correction is right. 'The above American woman teacher' has a name, Barb. Your method of referring to her, with completely unnecessary mention of her nationality and gender, comes across as offensive. I am sure you did not intend this, but be careful in the future.
 
Last edited:

notletrest

Senior Member
Joined
May 3, 2010
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Chinese
Home Country
China
Current Location
China
Thank 5jj for help and I have corrected it.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top