Implicit word repetition: “Could have” vs “Could have done”
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I recently read a sentence similar to the following, which seemed awkward to me:
Bob didn't drive his car today but he could have done.
If I were writing this sentence, I probably would have left the word "done" implied, writing the following instead:
Bob didn't drive his car today but he could have.
The author of the sentence is British, is this just a difference between American English and British English? Are both versions of the sentence correct?
grammaticality sentence-structure
asked Nov 26 at 5:15
objectivesea
1185
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I recently read a sentence similar to the following, which seemed awkward to me:
Bob didn't drive his car today but he could have done.
If I were writing this sentence, I probably would have left the word "done" implied, writing the following instead:
Bob didn't drive his car today but he could have.
The author of the sentence is British, is this just a difference between American English and British English? Are both versions of the sentence correct?
grammaticality sentence-structure
asked Nov 26 at 5:15
objectivesea
1185
Speakers are allowed to save some breath by leaving the done and the so to be implied, for the listener to provide himself. "Bob didn't drive his car today but he could have (done (so)).
– Kris
Nov 26 at 8:57
1
That helps a bit, as the third variant hadn't occurred to me, "Bob didn't drive his car today but he could have done so." That version seems perfectly natural to me. It's just the intermediate version that feels awkward. If you're leaving some words implied, it seems unnatural to omit one word where it is just as good to omit two.
– objectivesea
Nov 26 at 18:44
Ellipsis (linguistics): "In linguistics, ellipsis (from the Greek: ἔλλειψις, élleipsis, "omission") or an elliptical construction is the omission from a clause of one or more words that are nevertheless understood in the context of the remaining elements. " (WP) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellipsis_(linguistics) HTH.
– Kris
2 days ago
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
favorite
up vote
0
down vote
favorite
I recently read a sentence similar to the following, which seemed awkward to me:
Bob didn't drive his car today but he could have done.
If I were writing this sentence, I probably would have left the word "done" implied, writing the following instead:
Bob didn't drive his car today but he could have.
The author of the sentence is British, is this just a difference between American English and British English? Are both versions of the sentence correct?
grammaticality sentence-structure
asked Nov 26 at 5:15
objectivesea
1185
I recently read a sentence similar to the following, which seemed awkward to me:
Bob didn't drive his car today but he could have done.
If I were writing this sentence, I probably would have left the word "done" implied, writing the following instead:
Bob didn't drive his car today but he could have.
The author of the sentence is British, is this just a difference between American English and British English? Are both versions of the sentence correct?
grammaticality sentence-structure
grammaticality sentence-structure
asked Nov 26 at 5:15
objectivesea
1185
asked Nov 26 at 5:15
objectivesea
1185
asked Nov 26 at 5:15
objectivesea
1185
asked Nov 26 at 5:15
objectivesea
1185
asked Nov 26 at 5:15
objectivesea
1185
1185
Speakers are allowed to save some breath by leaving the done and the so to be implied, for the listener to provide himself. "Bob didn't drive his car today but he could have (done (so)).
– Kris
Nov 26 at 8:57
1
That helps a bit, as the third variant hadn't occurred to me, "Bob didn't drive his car today but he could have done so." That version seems perfectly natural to me. It's just the intermediate version that feels awkward. If you're leaving some words implied, it seems unnatural to omit one word where it is just as good to omit two.
– objectivesea
Nov 26 at 18:44
Ellipsis (linguistics): "In linguistics, ellipsis (from the Greek: ἔλλειψις, élleipsis, "omission") or an elliptical construction is the omission from a clause of one or more words that are nevertheless understood in the context of the remaining elements. " (WP) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellipsis_(linguistics) HTH.
– Kris
2 days ago
add a comment |
Speakers are allowed to save some breath by leaving the done and the so to be implied, for the listener to provide himself. "Bob didn't drive his car today but he could have (done (so)).
– Kris
Nov 26 at 8:57
1
That helps a bit, as the third variant hadn't occurred to me, "Bob didn't drive his car today but he could have done so." That version seems perfectly natural to me. It's just the intermediate version that feels awkward. If you're leaving some words implied, it seems unnatural to omit one word where it is just as good to omit two.
– objectivesea
Nov 26 at 18:44
Ellipsis (linguistics): "In linguistics, ellipsis (from the Greek: ἔλλειψις, élleipsis, "omission") or an elliptical construction is the omission from a clause of one or more words that are nevertheless understood in the context of the remaining elements. " (WP) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellipsis_(linguistics) HTH.
– Kris
2 days ago
Speakers are allowed to save some breath by leaving the done and the so to be implied, for the listener to provide himself. "Bob didn't drive his car today but he could have (done (so)).
– Kris
Nov 26 at 8:57
Speakers are allowed to save some breath by leaving the done and the so to be implied, for the listener to provide himself. "Bob didn't drive his car today but he could have (done (so)).
– Kris
Nov 26 at 8:57
1
1
That helps a bit, as the third variant hadn't occurred to me, "Bob didn't drive his car today but he could have done so." That version seems perfectly natural to me. It's just the intermediate version that feels awkward. If you're leaving some words implied, it seems unnatural to omit one word where it is just as good to omit two.
– objectivesea
Nov 26 at 18:44
That helps a bit, as the third variant hadn't occurred to me, "Bob didn't drive his car today but he could have done so." That version seems perfectly natural to me. It's just the intermediate version that feels awkward. If you're leaving some words implied, it seems unnatural to omit one word where it is just as good to omit two.
– objectivesea
Nov 26 at 18:44
Ellipsis (linguistics): "In linguistics, ellipsis (from the Greek: ἔλλειψις, élleipsis, "omission") or an elliptical construction is the omission from a clause of one or more words that are nevertheless understood in the context of the remaining elements. " (WP) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellipsis_(linguistics) HTH.
– Kris
2 days ago
Ellipsis (linguistics): "In linguistics, ellipsis (from the Greek: ἔλλειψις, élleipsis, "omission") or an elliptical construction is the omission from a clause of one or more words that are nevertheless understood in the context of the remaining elements. " (WP) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellipsis_(linguistics) HTH.
– Kris
2 days ago
add a comment |
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Speakers are allowed to save some breath by leaving the done and the so to be implied, for the listener to provide himself. "Bob didn't drive his car today but he could have (done (so)).
– Kris
Nov 26 at 8:57
1
That helps a bit, as the third variant hadn't occurred to me, "Bob didn't drive his car today but he could have done so." That version seems perfectly natural to me. It's just the intermediate version that feels awkward. If you're leaving some words implied, it seems unnatural to omit one word where it is just as good to omit two.
– objectivesea
Nov 26 at 18:44
Ellipsis (linguistics): "In linguistics, ellipsis (from the Greek: ἔλλειψις, élleipsis, "omission") or an elliptical construction is the omission from a clause of one or more words that are nevertheless understood in the context of the remaining elements. " (WP) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellipsis_(linguistics) HTH.
– Kris
2 days ago