📝 Created by: El Arby Ameur | 📅 August 2026 | 🌐 lesson.tn
📖 Estimated reading time: 12 minutes | Word count: ~1900 words
📖 Ellipsis and Substitution Rules: Avoiding Repetition in English
Rule 1: Positive agreement (So + auxiliary + subject)
"I am happy." → "So am I." / "She likes jazz." → "So does he." / "We can win." → "So can they."
Rule 2: Negative agreement (Neither/Nor + auxiliary + subject)
"I don't smoke." → "Neither do I." / "She hasn't called." → "Nor have we."
Rule 3: Substitution with 'do so / do it / do that'
Use 'do so' for formal, 'do it' neutral, 'do that' emphatic. Example: "He asked me to leave, and I did so."
Rule 4: 'So' after verbs of opinion
think so, hope so, suppose so, believe so, expect so, be afraid so, guess so. Negative: use 'not' (I think not / I hope not).
Rule 5: Nominal substitution: one, ones, the same
"I'll take the red one." / "These are too small. Do you have larger ones?" / "I'll have the same."
Rule 6: Ellipsis in comparisons
"He runs faster than she does." (omit 'run') / "I'm taller than my brother." (omit 'is tall')
💡 Remember: The auxiliary in 'so/neither' responses must match the original statement tense and form.