Ellipsis and Substitution Exercises with Answers: Download Free Worksheet PDF

Ellipsis and substitution are smart ways to avoid repeating words in sentences. By practising Ellipsis and substitution exercises with answers, you can boost your English fluency and clarity, making your writing and speaking sound more natural, smooth, and to the point.

Exercise 1: Analyse Elliptical Constructions

Instructions: In this Ellipsis and substitution exercises with answers identify where ellipsis occurs in the following sentences and write out what has been omitted.

1. Maria loves classical music, and her brother jazz.

2. The red car is faster than the blue.

3. I can speak French fluently, but my sister cannot.

4. Some students prefer online classes; others, traditional lectures.

5. Tom ordered pizza, Sarah pasta, and Mike a salad.

She reads novels; he, biographies.

The morning was cold, the afternoon warm.

I will finish this task today, and you tomorrow.

Dogs are loyal pets, cats independent.

The first test was easy, the second difficult.

Answers:

1. Maria loves classical music, and her brother [loves] jazz.

Omitted: loves

2. The red car is faster than the blue [car is fast].

Omitted: car (noun ellipsis) and is fast (comparative ellipsis)

3. I can speak French fluently, but my sister cannot [speak French fluently].

Omitted: speak French fluently

4. Some students prefer online classes; others [prefer] traditional lectures.

Omitted: prefer

5. Tom ordered pizza, Sarah [ordered] pasta, and Mike [ordered] a salad.

Omitted: ordered (twice)

6. She reads novels; he [reads] biographies.

Omitted: reads

7. The morning was cold, the afternoon [was] warm.

Omitted: was

8. I will finish this task today, and you [will finish this task] tomorrow.

Omitted: will finish this task

9. Dogs are loyal pets, cats [are] independent [pets].

Omitted: are and pets

10. The first test was easy, the second [test was] difficult.

Omitted: test was

Exercise 2: Substitution with Pronouns

Instructions: Replace the repeated nouns with appropriate substitution words (one, ones, do, or did)

1. I bought three books yesterday. The first book was interesting, but the second book was boring.

2. Sarah cleaned her room, and her brother cleaned his room too.

3. The expensive restaurants downtown serve better food than the cheap restaurants.

4. If you study hard, you will pass the exam. If you don’t study hard, you won’t pass the exam.

5. My computer crashed last week, just like your computer crashed last month.

6. The new students seem nervous, but the old students appear confident.

7. When Tom arrived, Tom noticed that Tom had forgotten Tom’s keys.

8. The teacher graded the papers, and the assistant graded the papers as well.

9. Mary likes chocolate cake, but Mary doesn’t like vanilla cake.

10. The mechanic fixed my car faster than the mechanic fixed your car.

Answers:

1. I bought three books yesterday. The first one was interesting, but the second one was boring.

2. Sarah cleaned her room, and her brother did too.

3. The expensive restaurants downtown serve better food than the cheap ones.

4. If you study hard, you will pass the exam. If you don’t do so, you won’t.

5. My computer crashed last week, just like yours did last month.

6. The new students seem nervous, but the old ones appear confident.

7. When Tom arrived, he noticed that he had forgotten his keys.

8. The teacher graded the papers, and the assistant did as well.

9. Mary likes chocolate cake, but she doesn’t like vanilla cake/one.

10. The mechanic fixed my car faster than he did yours.

Also Read: Pronoun Exercise with Answers: PDF Available

Exercise 3: Filling in the Missing Words in Elliptical Sentences

Instructions: Complete these elliptical sentences by adding the missing elements.

1. While walking to school, _______ (Maria saw her teacher)

2. If possible, _______ (we will finish the project today)

3. Although tired, _______ (the athletes continued training)

4. When in Rome, _______ (you should do as the Romans do)

5. Unless told otherwise, _______ (students should complete all assignments)

6. Before leaving home, _______ (check all the windows)

7. After finishing dinner, _______ (we watched a movie)

8. Though intelligent, _______ (he lacks common sense)

9. While cooking breakfast, _______ (she listened to music)

10. If necessary, _______ (call the emergency services)

Answers:

1. Maria saw her teacher.

2. We will finish the project today.

3. The athletes continued training.

4. Do as the Romans do.

5. Students should complete all assignments.

6. Check all the windows.

7. We watched a movie.

8. He lacks common sense.

9. She listened to music.

10. Call the emergency services.

Exercise 4: Ellipsis in Comparisons

Instructions: Rewrite these sentences using ellipsis to avoid repetition in comparisons.

1. John is taller than Peter is tall.

2. This movie is more interesting than that movie is interesting.

3. She works harder than he works hard.

4. The weather today is better than the weather yesterday was good.

5. My car consumes less fuel than your car consumes fuel.

6. The new building is more modern than the old building is modern.

7. She sings more beautifully than her sister sings beautifully.

8. This restaurant is more expensive than that restaurant is expensive.

9. He arrived earlier than I arrived early.

10. The first chapter was more difficult than the second chapter was difficult.

Answers:

1. John is taller than Peter.

2. This movie is more interesting than that one.

3. She works harder than he does.

4. The weather today is better than yesterday.

5. My car consumes less fuel than yours.

6. The new building is more modern than the old one.

7. She sings more beautifully than her sister.

8. This restaurant is more expensive than that one.

9. He arrived earlier than I did.

10. The first chapter was more difficult than the second.

Exercise 5: Using Substitution Words in Sentences

Instructions: Choose the correct substitution word (do, does, did, one, ones, so, not) to complete each sentence.

1. “Are you coming to the party?” “I think _______.”

2. The blue shirts are nice, but I prefer the red _______.

3. Lisa studies every evening, and her roommate _______ too.

4. “Will it rain tomorrow?” “I hope _______.”

5. “Did you enjoy the concert?” “Yes, I _______ very much.”

6. The small bags are sold out, but we have large _______ available.

7. “Is she planning to resign?” “I believe _______.”

8. Mark exercises regularly, and his brother _______ as well.

9. “Can you solve this problem?” “I think I can _______ it.”

10. The wooden chairs are comfortable, but the plastic _______ are not.

Answers:

1. So

2. Ones

3. Does

4. Not

5. Did

6. Ones

7. So

8. Does

9. Do

10. Ones

Explore: 75+ Best Classroom Phrases in English You Must Know

Exercise 6: Choose the Correct Ellipsis

Instructions :Read each sentence carefully and choose the correct omitted word(s) that complete the meaning.

1. Riya likes to paint in the evenings, and her brother ______ in the mornings.

a) painted

b) paints

c) likes to paint

d) painting

2. We saw dolphins near the shore, and they ______ whales too.

a) were seeing

b) saw

c) will see

d) see

3. Many students submitted their essays early, while others ______ late.

a) did

b) submitted

c) turned in

d) emailed

4. I enjoy swimming in the sea more than ______ in the pool.

a) swim

b) swimming

c) to swim

d) swam

5. The first chapter was interesting, but the second ______ a bit slow.

a) is

b) was

c) chapter

d) chapter was

6. She visited the museum, and we ______ the library.

a) visited

b) went

c) see

d) tour

7. My sister speaks Hindi fluently, but I cannot ______.

a) speak

b) do

c) can

d) talk

8. On Monday we played football, on Tuesday we ______ cricket.

a) play

b) did

c) played

d) had

9. Some students like biology, others ______ chemistry.

a) like

b) liked

c) prefer

d) study

10. Priya brought snacks, Rohan ______ drinks, and Meena ______ plates.

a) bring, brings

b) brought, brought

c) brings, brought

d) had brought, bring

Answers:

1. c) likes to paint

2. b) saw

3. b) submitted

4. b) swimming

5. d) chapter was

6. a) visited

7. a) speak

8. c) played

9. a) like

10. b) brought, brought

Exercise 7: Verb Phrase Ellipsis

Instructions: Complete these sentences using verb phrase ellipsis with auxiliary verbs.

1. “Have you finished your homework?” “No, but I _______ soon.”

2. “Can you speak Spanish?” “No, but my sister _______.”

3. “Are you going to the meeting?” “I _______ if I can.”

4. “Did they arrive on time?” “They _______ yesterday, but not today.”

5. “Will you help me with this project?” “I _______ if you need me to.”

6. “Have you been to Paris?” “No, but I _______ next year.”

7. “Can she drive a manual car?” “She _______ better than most people.”

8. “Are they planning to move?” “They _______ considering it.”

9. “Did you remember to lock the door?” “I thought I _______, but maybe I didn’t.”

10. “Will the weather improve tomorrow?” “It _______ according to the forecast.”

Answers:

1. Will

2. Can

3. Am

4. Did

5. Will

6. Will

7. Can

8. Are

9. Had

10. Should

Exercise 8: Mixed Ellipsis and Substitution

Instructions: Rewrite these sentences to eliminate repetition using appropriate ellipsis or substitution techniques.

1. I like the red dress more than I like the blue dress, but the blue dress is cheaper than the red dress is cheap.

2. When Sarah was cooking dinner, Sarah realised that Sarah had forgotten to buy vegetables.

3. “Did you see the movie?” “Yes, I saw the movie and I enjoyed the movie very much.”

4. The first exam was difficult, the second exam was easier, and the third exam was the most challenging exam.

5. Some tourists visit museums, other tourists visit parks, and still other tourists visit shopping centres.

6. “Are you ready to leave?” “No, I am not ready to leave yet.”

7. My brother studies medicine, my sister studies law, and I study engineering.

8. The expensive hotel has better service than the cheap hotel has service.

9. “Will you attend the conference?” “I will attend the conference if I can get time off work.”

10. Lisa can play tennis well, but Lisa cannot play tennis as well as her coach can play tennis.

Answers:

1. I like the red dress more than the blue one, but the blue one is cheaper.

2. When Sarah was cooking dinner, she realised that she had forgotten to buy vegetables.

3. “Did you see the movie?” “Yes, I did and enjoyed it very much.”

4. The first exam was difficult, the second was easier, and the third was the most challenging.

5. Some tourists visit museums, others visit parks, and still others visit shopping centres.

6. “Are you ready to leave?” “No, I’m not yet.”

7. My brother studies medicine, my sister studies law, and I study engineering.

8. The expensive hotel has better service than the cheap one does.

9. “Will you attend the conference?” “I will if I can get time off work.”

10. Lisa can play tennis well, but she cannot do so as well as her coach can.

Also Read: Gerund Exercises: Enhance Your English Grammar (Free Worksheet)

Ellipsis and Substitution Exercises with Answers: Free PDF

Improve your grammar with this easy ellipsis and substitution exercises with answers. Download the PDF for practice.

We hope you enjoyed working through these Ellipsis and Substitution Exercises with Answers. Practicing these grammar techniques will help you communicate more smoothly and efficiently, both in writing and conversation. Remember, using ellipsis and substitution not only avoids unnecessary repetition but also makes your language sound more advanced and natural. 

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FAQs

1. What is ellipsis in grammar?

Ans. Ellipsis is the omission of certain words or phrases in a sentence that are understood from the context. It helps avoid repetition and makes sentences shorter and clearer without losing meaning.

2. How does substitution work in sentences?

Ans. Substitution replaces a word or phrase with another word, such as a pronoun or a simple word like one or do, to avoid repeating the same words multiple times. It simplifies sentences and improves flow.

3. Why is using ellipsis and substitution important?

Ans. Ellipsis and substitution are important because they make communication more concise and natural. They prevent redundancy, improve clarity, and help the speaker or writer express ideas efficiently.

4. Can ellipsis be used in comparisons?

Ans. Yes, ellipsis is commonly used in comparative sentences to omit repeated parts. This makes comparisons shorter and avoids unnecessary repetition while keeping the meaning intact.

5. Are ellipsis and substitution only used in writing?

Ans. No, ellipsis and substitution are used in both spoken and written language. They help make communication smoother and less repetitive in everyday conversation as well as formal writing.

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