Grammar: 🚀 Advanced Grammar Concepts (C1) - Lesson 6: Understanding Ellipsis and Substitution for cohesion and naturalness

Grammar: Cohesion & Flow

C1 Lesson 6: Ellipsis & Substitution

What you will learn: By the end of this lesson, you will be able to use ellipsis and substitution to avoid repetition and create more natural, cohesive English.

Why It Matters: Robotic vs. Natural

Advanced speakers and writers use special techniques to avoid unnecessary repetition. This makes their language sound more fluent and natural.

🤖 Robotic & Repetitive

A: Would you like to go for a coffee?
B: Yes, I would like to go for a coffee.

👍 Natural & Fluent

A: Would you like to go for a coffee?
B: Yes, I'd love to.

Advanced Cohesion Techniques 📖

1. Ellipsis (Omitting Words)

Ellipsis is leaving out words when the meaning is clear from the context. It is extremely common in spoken English.

• In responses: "A: Did you enjoy the trip? B: Yes, I did." (The word "did" replaces "enjoyed the trip".)
• In comparisons: "She speaks Khmer much more fluently than I do." (The word "do" replaces "speak Khmer".)
• In informal speech: "Coming with us?" (The words "Are you" are omitted because they are understood.)

2. Substitution (Replacing Words)

Substitution is replacing a word or phrase with a shorter word to avoid repeating it.

Using 'one' or 'ones' to replace nouns:

• "I need to buy a new phone. The one I have is very old." (one = phone)
• "I prefer the red scarves to the blue ones." (ones = scarves)

Using 'so', 'not', or 'do so' to replace clauses:

• "A: Will we arrive on time? B: I think so." (so = we will arrive on time)
• "The guide told us to be quiet, and we did so." (did so = were quiet)

💡 Pro Tip: Formality

Ellipsis, especially omitting the subject (e.g., "Coming with us?"), is very common in informal spoken English. It should be used carefully in formal writing. Substitution (using 'one', 'do so') is appropriate in both formal and informal contexts.

Practice Your Skills 🎯

Quiz: Sound More Natural

Choose the most natural-sounding response or completion using ellipsis or substitution.

1. "Do you have a pen I can borrow?"
   a) Yes, I have a pen you can borrow.
   b) Yes, you can borrow this one.
   → Answer: b. It uses 'one' to substitute for 'pen'.
2. "She can't speak Japanese, but her brother _______."
   → Answer: can. (Ellipsis: "can" replaces "can speak Japanese").

Your Grammar Mission ⭐

Writing Task: Avoid Repetition

Rewrite the second sentence in each item to make it sound more natural and less repetitive.

1. I lost my old guidebook. I need to buy a new guidebook.
   → I need to buy a new one.
2. A: Is this the bus to Phnom Penh? B: No, this is not the bus to Phnom Penh.
   → B: No, it isn't.
3. He asked me to send the email, and I sent the email immediately.
   → He asked me to send the email, and I did so immediately.

Key Vocabulary

• Cohesion (Noun) | ភាពស្អិតរមួត
  The way different parts of a text are linked together to create a unified whole.
• Repetition (Noun) | ពាក្យដដែលៗ
  The act of saying or writing something again.
• Ellipsis (Noun) | ការលុបពាក្យ
  Omitting words from speech or writing when they are understood from the context.
• Substitution (Noun) | ការជំនួស
  Using a word or phrase to replace another to avoid repetition.