Grammar Worksheet — Intro
Ellipsis and Substitution
Explanation
Ellipsis leaves out words that are understood from context, while substitution replaces repeated words with shorter forms.
Use so and not after verbs such as think, hope, expect, suppose, and appear.
Use do so to replace a repeated action, and one/ones to replace repeated countable nouns.
Form
| Use | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Core form | Verb + so/not | I hope so. / I hope not. |
| Variation | do so for repeated action | They promised to revise the plan and did so quickly. |
| Advanced form | one/ones for countable nouns | The older proposal is clearer than the new one. |
Use one or ones only for countable nouns, not uncountable nouns.
Auxiliaries can stand alone when the main verb is understood: She can attend, but I cannot.
Examples
- The first proposal was detailed; the second one was shorter.
- They promised to publish the data and did so in June.
- I expected the results to improve, but they did not.
- If the committee approves the plan, we hope so.
- Some participants completed the survey; others did not.
- The expensive laptops performed no better than the cheaper ones.
- She can attend the hearing, but I cannot.
- The policy may change, although officials say not.
Common Mistakes
- The first proposal was detailed; the second proposal was shorter. → The first proposal was detailed; the second one was shorter. Use one to avoid repeating a singular countable noun.
- They promised to publish the data and did it in June. → They promised to publish the data and did so in June. Use did so for a repeated action in formal style.
- I hope it. → I hope so. Use so after hope when replacing a whole clause.
- The cheaper equipment performed no worse than the expensive ones. → The cheaper equipment performed no worse than the expensive equipment. Do not use ones for uncountable equipment.