为了避免重复，突出关键词语，并使 上下文紧密连接，在句子中有时就省 去了一个或几个句子成分。这种语法 手段就称为省略。省略是重要的修辞 原则，因此，只要不损害语法结构， 不产生歧异，能省略的就应省略。省 略大体可以分为以下几种：
I. 句首省略:在非正式谈话中，如果意思 清楚，句首的非重读词语常常省略。 可以省略的词包括冠词a/an, the、物 主代词 my, your等、人称代词I ， you等、助动词 am， have等、和 there be句型中的there。例如：
4) 在would like/ love/ hate/ prefer, want和choose后面通常不能省略to：
1. ---Are you interested in going to university? ---I’d like to. 2. Her parents encouraged her to study art, but she didn’t want to. 然而当want 和like用于从句中时，to常略: 1. Come when you want.
2) 在than或as引起的从句中的省略: 如果意思清楚,as和 than后的词可省略: • Many others are doing better than we are. • He works harder than ever. • They will try to put the plan into practice as soon as possible.
出现在并列句中的be, have, do,如果在 一个分句中作助动词，而在另一个分 句中作行为动词，则不可省略: 1. The man has a gun and has threatened to use it. 2. Mary did the work but did not finish it. 并列句的省略有时还可出现在前面的分 句中，这时被省略的词语便出现在下文: George will (take the course) and Bob might take the course.
4) 在限定性定语从句中作宾语的关系代 词可以省略: 1. What do you think of the film we saw last night? 2. She is somebody I really can’t tolerate.
X if anything, if any, if ever, if so, if not
III. 介词的省略 1）在以next, last, this, that, these, those, one, every, each, some, any, all等开始的一些表示时间的常 用词组前面以及tomorrow morning， yesterday afternoon前面，不用介 词： 1. See you next Saturday. 2. I’ll never forget meeting you that afternoon. 3. We met one Tuesday in August. 4. Come any day you like. 5. The party lasted all night.
7) 在非正式文体中，与place连用的一 些词组里，to可以省略： 1. Let’s go some place where it’s quiet. 2. He doesn’t have money to go places.
在非正式文体中,在place, day, way, time+不 定式+介词结构中，可省略介词： 1. They need a place to live (in). 2. She has no place to go (to). 3. I can't think of a worse way to spend my time.
II. 答语的省略
答语在语法上经常不完整，因为不需要重复刚 才说过的话。 1. ---Have you finished your composition? ---Not yet. 2. ---Linda has arrived. ---when? 3. ---He won’t go to the party. ---why not?
2. I have decided to do what I like.
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注意：如果不定式为to be和to have “有”， 时,则不能省略。如: 1. He has not been promoted yet, but she ought to be. 2. You have got more challenges than you used to have. 3. Are you a sailor? No, but I used to be.
1) if anything在比较结构中，表示“如果有 区别的话”；还可表示“如果有……的 话”；另一含义是：“相反，反而”： 1.The carriages of German state railways are, if anything, better than those of the large French companies. 2. True greatness has little, if anything, to do with rank or power. 3. Your suggestion could only make things worse if anything.
IV.不定式的省略
1）如果意思清楚的话，可以用to代替整 个不定式： 1. I went there because I want to. 2. ---will you join us? ---Yes I’d love to.
2）在and 或or连接的不定式并列结构中，第 二个不定式的to通常省去。如： • I will ask them to come over and talk the matter over.
V.并列成分和并列句中的省略现象 当用and, but或or连接词语和句子时,常可省略 各种重复的词: 1. a knife and (a) fork; 2. in France, Germany or Spain 3. His office was on the tenth floor, and hers (office was) on the twelfth (floor). 4. I’ll buy a house. He will (buy a house) too. 5. John was the winner in1994, and Bob (was the winner) in 1995. 6. She can read, but can’t write.
3）在某些动词后可省略整个动词不定 式。这种情况常出现在名词和形容词 以及try后：
1. ---Can you start the car?
---Ok, I will try. 2. You can’t force him to get a job if he is not ready (to). 3. He’ll never leave home; he hasn’t got the nerve (to).
2）在非正式文体中，尤其在美国，一周七天 前面的on有时省略：
• And see you Monday. 3)在非正式文体中，在about +时间词组 前面at经常省略： • I’ll see you about 3 o’clock. 4) 在非正式文体中，表示某事维持多长 时间的词组里，for常省略： • We have lived here (for) ten years.
2) 在somewhere, anywhere, everywhere, nowhere和place后,常 用that代替where, 或者省略: 1. Have you got anywhere (that) I can lie down for a while? 2. We need a place (that) we can stay for a few days.
VII. 引导宾语从句的连词以及形容词后面的 that通常都可省略。 • I hope (that) all will go well. • We were surprised (that) he came. 但如果从句较长或从句的语境较复杂, 连词 that 不能省略: 1. She has made it clear that she will have nothing to do with him. 2. Everybody could see what an important person he was, and that they ought to be careful not to offend him.
在简略答语中,如果句子无动词,要用宾格 代词作主语,而不用主格代词: 1. ---Who wants a ride in my car? ---Me!/ Not me! 2. ---I hear you’re a professor. ---Me a professor! 3. ---I really want to have a good sleep. ---Me, too.
IX. 定语从句中的省略 1) 省略关系副词where, why, when和 关系代词。在指时间的普通名词后, 在非正式文体中when经常用that代 替或省去:
1. Come and see us any time (that) you’re in town. 2. I’ll never forget the day (that) I had my ankle sprained. 3. That was the year (that) he first went abroad.