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Language point

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Why you can trust SCMP
0

Who wants surprises, anyway? I do. Maybe you do, too.

In English, we often omit words rather than repeating them. This is called 'ellipsis'. Ellipsis is often used in replies.

When you reply to wh- questions, you can often use one word or a group of words rather than a full sentence, in order to avoid repetition.

Example: 'Where are you going for your holiday?'

'Germany.'

('I am going to Germany for my holiday' is correct, but it sounds redundant.)

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