Advanced Placement (AP) English Language and Composition Practice Exam

Which type of ellipsis involves leaving out the subject but retaining the main verb structure?

1. Verb phrase ellipsis

2. Gapping

3. Sluicing

4. Stripping

The correct answer is: Verb phrase ellipsis

The correct choice is the one that specifically refers to the omission of the subject while keeping the main verb intact. This type of ellipsis is commonly found in conversational English and allows speakers to avoid redundancy by not repeating known information. In verb phrase ellipsis, the subject of the sentence may be omitted because it has already been established in the conversation or context, but the main verb remains, often accompanied by other elements like objects or modifiers. For instance, in a dialogue where one person says, "I will go to the store," and another replies with "I will too," the full verb phrase "go to the store" is omitted in the second sentence, streamlining the communication while retaining clarity. The other types of ellipsis listed do not focus on just the omission of the subject with the main verb preserved. Gapping involves the omission of parts of the sentence that occur in parallel structures, such as "She likes ice cream, and he (likes ice cream) too." Sluicing typically involves omitting a larger part of the clause, often leaving a question form like "I saw someone, but I can’t say who." Stripping, on the other hand, typically involves removing all elements except a verb and sometimes an object,