Ellipsis and substitution can cause problems when learning English as it is easy to expect more information than what has been provided. Either information is left out (ellipsis) of a short word is used in it’s place (substitution).
Ellipsis
When speaking or writing, we endeavour to provide ONLY the necessary information that is necessary to express ourselves. This process involves leaving out words and phrases. Ellipsis is divided into ‘situational’ and ‘textual.
situational ellipsis
When speaking, we leave out the pronoun. The context of the conversation makes it clear what is missing:
Question: What are we eating tonight for dinner?
Answer: Don’t know. (rather than: I don’t know)
It is common to leave out grammatical words, particularly at the beginning of sentences:
Everything OK? (rather than: Is everything OK?)
Pity that it is raining today. (rather than: It’s a pity it is raining today)
textual ellipsis
Here words are left out in predictable sentence patterns. This occurs in both speaking and writing. Here we leave out nouns, verbs, articles and subjects if they were mentioned in the previous clause:
I asked for five pizzas but they only delivered four! (rather than: I asked for five pizzas but they only delivered four pizzas!)
I would like to go to Spain again but I can’t (rather than: I would like to go to Spain again but I can’t go to Spain again)
Substitution
Substitution indicates something that has been left out. A good example of this is the use of yes and no:
Question: Have you ever wondered what would have happened if we met earlier?
Answer: No. (rather than: No, I have never wondered what have happened if we had met earlier)
____
How about you?
Have you been learning English for a long time?
Have you been considering how different your life would be if you were to speak other languages?
Have you ever thought of trying to get a job abroad?