Level 02 – Step 07 : Ellipsis and Conversational Shortening (Looks good. Sounds nice.)
/Level 02 – Step 07 : Ellipsis and Conversational Shortening (Looks good. Sounds nice.)
🚪 Let’s Begin
/🚪 Let’s Begin
🦉Professor Owl: Today we will learn how people shorten sentences in speaking and casual writing.
/🦉Professor Owl: Today we will learn how people shorten sentences in speaking and casual writing.
🐧Igupen: Do you mean like saying less but meaning the same thing?
/🐧Igupen: Do you mean like saying less but meaning the same thing?
🦉Professor Owl: Exactly. We often drop small words or use short forms to sound natural.
/🦉Professor Owl: Exactly. We often drop small words or use short forms to sound natural.
🐧Igupen: That sounds useful for talking with friends.
/🐧Igupen: That sounds useful for talking with friends.
📚 Lesson
/📚 Lesson
What is ellipsis and conversational shortening?
/What is ellipsis and conversational shortening?
• Ellipsis means leaving out words that listeners can understand from context.
/• Ellipsis means leaving out words that listeners can understand from context.
• Conversational shortening uses contractions and short answers to sound natural.
/• Conversational shortening uses contractions and short answers to sound natural.
Common patterns you will hear
/Common patterns you will hear
1) Dropping the subject or verb in short replies: “Looks good.” (It looks good.)
/1) Dropping the subject or verb in short replies: “Looks good.” (It looks good.)
2) Short answers with ellipsis: “Want coffee?” (Do you want coffee?)
/2) Short answers with ellipsis: “Want coffee?” (Do you want coffee?)
3) Contractions: “I am” → “I’m”, “do not” → “don’t”, “it is” → “it’s”.
/3) Contractions: “I am” → “I’m”, “do not” → “don’t”, “it is” → “it’s”.
4) Omission of repeated words: “She can play; he can too.” → “He can, too.” or “So can he.”
/4) Omission of repeated words: “She can play; he can too.” → “He can, too.” or “So can he.”
When to use ellipsis
/When to use ellipsis
• Use it in speech, messages, or casual writing to be natural and brief.
/• Use it in speech, messages, or casual writing to be natural and brief.
• Avoid dropping important words in formal writing or when meaning might be unclear.
/• Avoid dropping important words in formal writing or when meaning might be unclear.
🦉Professor Owl’s one-point tip
/🦉Professor Owl’s one-point tip
If a short sentence still gives the same clear meaning, ellipsis is OK; if not, keep the full sentence.
/If a short sentence still gives the same clear meaning, ellipsis is OK; if not, keep the full sentence.
🌼 Sample Sentences
/🌼 Sample Sentences
No.01 Looks good.
/No.01 Looks good.
No.02 Sounds nice.
/No.02 Sounds nice.
No.03 Want tea?
/No.03 Want tea?
No.04 I’m fine.
/No.04 I’m fine.
No.05 Don’t worry.
/No.05 Don’t worry.
No.06 Going now.
/No.06 Going now.
No.07 Saw it yesterday.
/No.07 Saw it yesterday.
No.08 Coffee or tea?
/No.08 Coffee or tea?
No.09 Want to join?
/No.09 Want to join?
No.10 Me too.
/No.10 Me too.
🎓 Practice exercises
/🎓 Practice exercises
Note: Read each item and think which full form or rule fits, then check the answers below.
/Note: Read each item and think which full form or rule fits, then check the answers below.
Q1: Which full sentence matches “Looks good.”? A) It looks good. B) Looks it good.
/Q1: Which full sentence matches “Looks good.”? A) It looks good. B) Looks it good.
Q2: Rewrite in full: “Want tea?”
/Q2: Rewrite in full: “Want tea?”
Q3: Choose the natural short reply to “Are you okay?” A) I am okay. B) I’m okay. C) I okay.
/Q3: Choose the natural short reply to “Are you okay?” A) I am okay. B) I’m okay. C) I okay.
Q4: Is this safe to use in formal writing? “Saw it yesterday.” Yes or No
/Q4: Is this safe to use in formal writing? “Saw it yesterday.” Yes or No
Q5: Fix the non-parallel short sentence: “She cooks and cleaning.”
/Q5: Fix the non-parallel short sentence: “She cooks and cleaning.”
Q6: Which is the contracted form of “do not”? A) don’t B) dosn’t C) dont
/Q6: Which is the contracted form of “do not”? A) don’t B) dosn’t C) dont
Q7: Choose the correct full sentence for “Me too.”: A) I am too. B) So am I. C) I too am.
/Q7: Choose the correct full sentence for “Me too.”: A) I am too. B) So am I. C) I too am.
Q8: What is the full version of “Going now.”?
/Q8: What is the full version of “Going now.”?
Q9: Identify the ellipsis type: “Coffee or tea?” (choice, subject dropped, contraction)
/Q9: Identify the ellipsis type: “Coffee or tea?” (choice, subject dropped, contraction)
Q10: Make a short conversational question from “Do you want to come with us?”
/Q10: Make a short conversational question from “Do you want to come with us?”
Answers
/Answers
A1: A It looks good.
/A1: A It looks good.
A2: Do you want tea?
/A2: Do you want tea?
A3: B I’m okay.
/A3: B I’m okay.
A4: No — better to use full sentence in formal writing.
/A4: No — better to use full sentence in formal writing.
A5: She cooks and cleans. (or She cooks and is cleaning.)
/A5: She cooks and cleans. (or She cooks and is cleaning.)
A6: A don’t.
/A6: A don’t.
A7: B So am I. (or A I am too is also acceptable)
/A7: B So am I. (or A I am too is also acceptable)
A8: I am going now. or I’m going now.
/A8: I am going now. or I’m going now.
A9: choice; the subject and verb are dropped in a short choice question.
/A9: choice; the subject and verb are dropped in a short choice question.
A10: Want to come? or You coming?
/A10: Want to come? or You coming?
🦉 Closing
/🦉 Closing
🦉Professor Owl: Great listening and reading practice today. Short forms help you sound natural, but remember to use full forms when clarity or formality matters.
/🦉Professor Owl: Great listening and reading practice today. Short forms help you sound natural, but remember to use full forms when clarity or formality matters.
Keep trying with short sentences in your messages and conversations — little steps make big improvements.
/Keep trying with short sentences in your messages and conversations — little steps make big improvements.
