Hidden / Omitted Element
What is not said but understood?
Signification
A participant, verb, object, pronoun, connector, or meaning that is left unsaid because context or grammar supplies it.
Comment le repérer
Ask what the listener understands even though it is not spoken.
Exemples
understood subject|missing verb|omitted object
Want some?|See you later|Coming?
Coming with us?
Visual guide
Spoken: Coming with us? Understood: [Are you] coming with us? Hidden element: subject + helper supplied by context
Silent slots vary: Subject: [you] coming? Helper: [do you] want some? Copula: price [is] high Object: I know [it] Some languages allow Ø; others must say it.
Vue par langue
Dans votre langue maternelle
French allows ellipsis in context, but finite clauses normally keep explicit subjects.
Tu viens avec nous ?
You come with us?
Dans votre langue d’apprentissage
En anglais, on omet souvent des mots récupérables grâce au contexte, surtout à l’oral, dans les coordinations et les réponses courtes.
I can come if you can.
le deuxième can = groupe verbal sous-entendu (« come »)
Les apprenants peuvent omettre trop d’éléments, ou au contraire tout répéter d’une manière peu naturelle.
Good transfer potential
This block behaves relatively similarly, so you can transfer intuition more safely between the two languages.