在英語中，有時為了避免 結(jié)構(gòu)上或內(nèi)容上的重復(fù)，并使上下文緊密連接；有時因為語法的客觀要求，句子中的一個或幾個成分不需要表達(dá)出來，這種現(xiàn)象稱為省略。英語中的省略要求不破壞語法結(jié)構(gòu)，要保持句子意義的準(zhǔn)確無誤。省略有詞法上的省略，也有句法上的省略，還有一種替代省略。省略部分的成分和含義可從上下文或具體語言環(huán)境中找到而且是有章可循的，英語的省略大致有以下幾種情況：

　　一、簡單句中的省略

　　1）感嘆句中常省略主語和謂語，如： What a hot day  !

　　How wonderful!

　　2） 在一些口語中可以省略某些句子成分，如：Anything else ?

　　—Are you feeling better now ? — Much better .  This way,  please.

　　二、 并列句中的省略

　　1） 如果主語不同，而謂語動詞中的一部分相同，則省略謂語動詞中相同的部分，如：John must have been playing basketball and Mary doing her homework.

　　2） 主語相同，謂語動詞也相同，則二者都可以省略，如： His advice made John happy, but Mary angry.

　　3） 主語相同，而謂語不同，則可以省略主語，如： He gave up drinking for several days, but soon returned to his old ways.

　　4）在并列復(fù)合句中，如果that從句從屬于第二個并列句且它的謂語動詞和賓語等其它一些成分與第一個并列句相同， that從句通常可以省略這些相同的部分，如：Jack will danceat the party, but I know Tom won't .

　　三、復(fù)合句中的省略

　　I） 名詞性從句中的省略

　　（1）作賓語的what從句中的謂語動詞與主句的相同，則what從句可以省略謂語，甚至主語，如：Someone has used my bike, but I don't know who .

　　He has gone, but no one knows where.

　　（2）引導(dǎo)賓語從句的連詞that在口語中常常省略,或并列的賓語從句中的第一個連詞that也能省略，如:

　　He said he had arrived here two days before and that he had lived in a hotel.

　�。�3）在某些表虛擬語氣的主語從句、賓語從句、表語從句和同位語從句中，從句謂語動詞中的助動詞should可以省略。這些句子一般包含如下動詞一及其派生詞：一個堅持(insist)，二個命令(order, command)，三建議(suggest, propose, advise )，四要求(demand, require, request, ask) ，如：It's important that we speak to the old politely.

　　Jane's pale face suggested that she was ill and her parents suggested that she have a medical examination.

　　(4) It is necessary(important, impossible, strange, natural, a pity, no wonder) that...主語從句中，如: It is necessary that the problem be solved at once.

　　(5)有時也可以根據(jù)說話的情景來省略主句中的一些成分，如： Sorry I've kept you waiting so long.

　　II）定語從句中的省略

　�。�1）在限制性定語從句中，作賓語的關(guān)系代詞that, which, who (whom)�？梢允÷�，如： The man I saw is called Tom.

　　Where is the pen I bought this morning?

　�。�2）關(guān)系副詞when, where, why及that在the time when, the place where, the reason why, the way that結(jié)構(gòu)中引導(dǎo)限制性定語從句時，在非正式場合下，可以省略關(guān)系副詞when, where, why和that等，如：I shall never forget the day we first met.

　　The reason he came so early is his own affair.

　　I don't like the way you speak to yourmother.

　　III）狀語從句中的省略

　�。�1）當(dāng)狀語從句中的主語和主句的主語一致，或狀語從句中的主語是it，并且又含有be動詞時，常可以省略從句中的主語和be動詞，如：He did as told.      Though tired, they went on working.

　　You shouldn't come to his party unless invited.

　　He paused as if expecting her to speak.

　　(2)虛擬條件句中,含助動詞,情態(tài)動詞,動詞be或have等,若將它們提到句首,則需省略if，如: Should it rain tomorrow ,we would have to put off the visit till next week.

　　（3）在as(so)... as..., than引導(dǎo)的比較狀語從句中，如： I know you can do better than Peter .

　　This car doesn't run as fast as that one  .

　�。�4）在as引導(dǎo)的讓步狀語從句中，當(dāng)作表語的單數(shù)名詞提前時，不定冠詞要省略，如：Child as he is, he knows a lot.

　　四、動詞不定式中的省略

　　1）有些動詞，如：believe, find, think, feel, consider, imagine, prove等后作賓補的結(jié)構(gòu)to be + n. / adj. 中的to be可以省略，如：I consider him stupid.

　　His mother found him a clever boy.

　　2）感官動詞see, hear, feel, watch, notice 等以及使役動詞let, make, have后作賓補的動詞不定式中的不定式符號to要省略，但變?yōu)楸粍咏Y(jié)構(gòu)時，to必須保留，如：They made the boy go to bed early.

　　The boy was made to go to bed early.

　　3) 動詞不定式在like, love， care， want， hope， wish， expect， prefer， refuse， decide, mean, intend, try， promis等動詞后作賓語時，為了避免重復(fù),常承前省略不定式后的內(nèi)容,但要保留不定式符號to， 如: I have asked her to come， but she does not want to．

　　---Are you and Jane getting married？---We hope to．

　　注意：want， like用在 when，if ,what，as 引導(dǎo)的從句中，其后的to也�？墒÷�，如：I've decided to do what I like．

　　I'll teach you if you like．

　　I would do it for you, but I don't know how to

　　4）在can not but, can not choose but,   do nothing but...,  can't help but...,  prefer to do  rather than do ....,  would do... rather than... 之后的動詞不定式一般不帶to；but之前有實義動詞do的某個形式do, does, did, done 而且其賓語是something，nothing，anything和everything等不定代詞時，也不帶to, 否則要帶to，如： We have nothing to do now but wait.

　　I can not but admire his courage.

　　He has no choice but to accept the fact.

　　5）在并列結(jié)構(gòu)中為了避免重復(fù)，后一個to省略，如：I'm really puzzled what to think or say.

　　但兩個不定式有對照或?qū)Ρ鹊囊饬x時，則后一個to不能省略，如：I came not to scold but to praise you.

　　6）在why, why not 引導(dǎo)的特殊問句中后跟省略to的動詞不定式，如： Why talk so much about it?

　　Why not try it again?

　　7）動詞不定式與 be able to， be going to， have to， ought to， used to等構(gòu)成復(fù)合謂語時，不定式結(jié)構(gòu)�？墒÷�，但要保留不定式符號to，如I don’t want to wait for him， but l have to．

　　He doesn’t like fish， but he used to．

　　---Why didn’t you come to our party？---I was going to，but l had a report to write．

　　8）動詞不定式中動詞原形部分是否省略，主要看句子前面是否已出現(xiàn)過同樣的動詞。如果句子前面出現(xiàn)過同樣的動詞，為了避免重復(fù)，句子后面的不定式常省略動詞原形，而保留不定式符號to，如：They may go if they wish to.

　　Don't go till I tell you to.

　　9）動詞不定式在 ask， warn， tell， advise， force， wish， expect， allow， permit , invite,  persuade, order,  would like, forbid等動詞后作賓語補足語或主語補足語時，�？墒÷�，如：She wants to come， but her parents won't allow her to．

　　Don’t touch anything unless your teacher tells you to．

　　You'd better give a performance if you are asked to．

　　He didn't come, though we had invited him to.

　　10）動詞不定式在happy， glad， eager，anxious，willing， ready等形容詞等后承前省略動詞原形，只保留不定式符號to ,如: ---Will you join me in a walk？---I'll be happy to．

　　I think he should get a job，but you can't force him to if he's not ready to.

　　注：承前省略的動詞不定式如果有助動詞have或be，則要保留be或have，如：---Are you a doctor? ---No, but I used to be .

　　五、某些詞法上的省略

　　1. 名詞所有格后修飾的名詞在以下情況可以省略

　　1）如果名詞所有格修飾的名詞在前文已出現(xiàn)，則可以省略，如： These are John's books and those are Mary's .

　　2） 名詞所有格所修飾的名詞，若表示住宅、店鋪、教堂或上文已暗示或明確指出過的事物時，常�？梢允÷�。如：at the doctor's 在診所 ，at Mr. Green's ，to my uncle's  ，at the barber's.

　　2. 冠詞的省略

　　1） 在the next day (morning, week, year...)等短語中，有時為了使語氣緊湊定冠詞the �？梢允÷裕�如：We went to the farm to help the farmers with the harvest (the) next day.

　　2）在副詞的最高級前面的定冠詞�？梢允÷�，如：She sings best in the class.

　　3）在某些獨立主格結(jié)構(gòu)中，如：

　　Our teacher came in, book in hand.

　　Our teacher came in, with a book in his hand.

　　3. 介詞的省略

　　1）both 后常跟of短語，其后可以接名詞復(fù)數(shù)形式，也可以接代詞賓格復(fù)數(shù)形式。接復(fù)數(shù)名詞時，介詞of可以省略，但接代詞賓格時，of不能省略，如： Both (of) the films were interesting.

　　She invited both of us to her birthday party.

　　2）在現(xiàn)在完成時表持續(xù)和重復(fù)的句型中，一段時間前的介詞for可以省略，如：These shoes are worn out.

　　They have lasted (for) a long time.

　　3）被動結(jié)構(gòu)中，如果沒有必要強(qiáng)調(diào)動作的執(zhí)行者，則可以省略介詞by短語，如： The letter was posted yesterday.

　　4）和一些動詞搭配構(gòu)成的短語中的介詞，如：consider... (as)..., prevent / stop... (from)doing..., have trouble / difficulty... (in) doing...,spend... (in / on) doing... 等中的介詞可以省略，如： I have some difficulty (in) answering the question.

　　Can you stop him (from) going swimming in the river?

　　六 、替代性省略

　　1）在一些交際用語中的某些動詞，如：think, suppose, expect, believe，guess等后常常和so， not等連用，以替代上文出現(xiàn)的內(nèi)容，如： ---Do you suppose he is going to attend the meeting? ---I suppose not.

　　2）"So / Nor(Neither)+謂語+主語"這種句型是用來替代前面提到的情況,表明它也適用于后者，如: ---I don't think I can walk any further. ---- Neither can I . Let's stop here for a rest.