Grammar Essentials: The Complete Guide

Elliptical Constructions

An elliptical construction omits parts of the sentence that can be inferred from the context, making the sentence shorter and more efficient.

• Example: “She likes chocolate, and I (like) vanilla.” (The verb “like” is implied in the second clause.)
  

Exercises:

1. Complete the elliptical sentences:
   
   • He is taller than I (be).
     
   • Mary enjoys swimming; John, running.
     
2. Rewrite the sentence in a non-elliptical form:
   
   • He’s smarter than she (is).
     

Answer Key:

1. am, do
   
2. He’s smarter than she is.
   

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