Ellipsis: leaving words out

I haven't finished, but I will; I'd love to; Tom ordered fish, and Anna pasta: leaving out what is clear.

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Ellipsis means leaving out words that the listener or reader can understand from what has already been said. It avoids repeating the same words and makes English sound natural. Native speakers do it all the time; a text without ellipsis can sound heavy and repetitive.

Full	With ellipsis
I haven't finished, but I will finish soon.	I haven't finished, but I will soon.
I'd like to come, but I can't come.	I'd like to, but I can't.
Tom ordered fish and Anna ordered pasta.	Tom ordered fish, and Anna pasta.
Have you seen Tom?	Seen Tom?

After auxiliaries and modals

Instead of repeating a verb phrase, stop at the auxiliary or modal. If there is no auxiliary, use do, does or did.

I haven't read the report yet, but I will.
"Can you come tomorrow?" "I'm not sure. I might."
She said she would call, and she did.
I'd help you if I could.
I've never been to Peru, but my sister has.
Change the auxiliary when the tense or the person changes.

After a modal, keep have for a perfect, and be for be or a continuous.

"Did she get the job?" "I don't know. She might have."
"Is he at home?" "He may be."

In British English, do is often added after a modal or have: "Will you tell her?" "I might do." "Have you rung him?" "I have done."

Incorrect: "Are you tired?" "Yes, I'm."
Correct: "Are you tired?" "Yes, I am."
At the end of a sentence, an auxiliary is stressed, so it can't be contracted.

To instead of the whole infinitive

Keep to and leave out the rest of the infinitive when the verb is clear. This is common after want, would like, would love, try, mean, have to, need, plan, hope and be going to.

"Would you like to join us?" "I'd love to."
You don't have to come if you don't want to.
I meant to call you, but I forgot.
I haven't packed yet, but I'm going to tonight.
Incorrect: "Would you like to come?" "I'd love."
Correct: "Would you like to come?" "I'd love to."
Love needs its object here, so keep to.

After like and want in clauses with if, what or when, to is usually left out: Come with us if you like. Do what you want.

In joined clauses

After and, but and or, repeated subjects, auxiliaries and verbs can go. When the verb is left out of the second clause, the subject and the object stay.

She picked up her bag and left.
and she left
I can play the piano but not the guitar.
Tom ordered fish, and Anna pasta.
Some people went by train, others by bus.
You can pay now or later.

At the start, in conversation

In informal speech and messages, people leave out the start of a sentence: a subject, an auxiliary, or it / that + be. Don't do this in formal writing.