ELLIPSIS

Dialogue 1: A: What´s your name?

B: My name is John

Dialogue 2: A: What´s your name?

B: John

Which one sounds more natural to you? Dialogue 1 or dialogue 2? Of course dialogue 2 sounds more friendly, conversational and simply more natural. That´s not to say that dialogue 1 isn´t correct or even possible. (And that´s the way many students still learn.) But the linguistic phenomenon represented in dialogue 2, the omission - or ellipsis - of unnecessary information is one of the areas which are key to spoken fluency.

Match the dialogues:

1 - You´re Brazilian, right?

2 - I wasn´t hurt because

I was wearing my helmet.

3 - How do you like this table?

I made it myself

4 - Oh, I have an idea! We can get there faster

if we take the tunnel.

5 - Yes, I know what you mean. The Internet

is a source of stress sometimes, but

it also helps a lot of people.

a - Good thing.

b - Good job.

c- Good thinking.

d - Good point.

e - Good guess.

Adapted from Como dizer tudo em inglês - Avançado by Ron Martinez