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grammar > auxiliaries - avoiding repetition

full statement + linker + shortened statement with auxiliary

I don't like action movies but Andy does.
I 'm not going to the party but Mandy is.
She thought she 'd locked the door but she hadn't.
General usage

In the examples above, the auxiliaries are used to make the sentences shorter.
If we didn't use auxiliaries in this way we would have to say:
I don't like action movies but Andy likes action movies.
I'm not going to the party but Mandy is going to the party.
She thought she 'd locked the door but she hadn't locked the door.
Of course, we could shorten the second part a little by using pronouns, but the sentences would still
contain a repeated verb and this sounds rather clumsy in English.
I don't like action movies but Andy likes them.
I'm not going to the party but Mandy is going there.
She thought she 'd locked the door but she hadn't locked it.
When the first part contains an auxiliary...

When the first part of the sentence - the part we don't want to repeat - contains an auxiliary (all
tenses except present and past simple), we use that auxiliary in the second part:
First part:
I've never been to Australia... (auxiliary verb: have)
Second part:
...but Donna has. (auxiliary verb: have)
First part:
I didn't see the film... (auxiliary verb: did)
Second part:

...but the others did. (auxiliary verb: did)

When the first part does not contain an auxiliary...

When the first part of the sentence - the part we don't want to repeat - does not contain an auxiliary
(present simple / past simple), we use do / does for present simple, and did for past simple in the
second part:
First part:
I like action movies... (present simple, no auxiliary)
Second part:
...but my brother doesn't. (auxiliary verb doesn't)
First part:
I went to the party... (past simple, no auxiliary)
...but Sarah didn't. (auxiliary verb didn't)
When the main verb is 'be'...

When the main verb is 'be', we can also avoid repetition in this way:
Who was absent yesterday?
I wasn't but Sandy was

Grammar 41 - Avoiding Repetition

When we speak or write we often feel like kicking ourselves for repeating some words or sentences
unnecessarily. Sometimes, we want to stress something and we repeat so as to drive home the point. At other
times the repetition may be superfluous. There are many methods we can use when avoiding repetition and
this is the first of three High English grammar quizzes which will show you some of them.
Generally, there are instances where repetition is acceptable in sentences and there are other instances where
it is not acceptable. The sentence:
I am very, very happy, can easily be changed to:
I am very happy.
However, in this instance the repetition is desirable or acceptable as the sentence is trying to enhance the
effect that a person is happy. Now look at this sentence:
I see that the second one-day international between India and Bangladesh is being played in Dacca and I
plan to see the second one-day international between India and Bangladesh being played in Dacca.
Here the repetitions are jarring, so how could we go about avoiding the repetition? The same sentence could
be written as:
I see that the second one-day international between India and Bangladesh is being played in Dacca and I
plan to see the MATCH THERE.
Notice that we have replaced the first part, the second one-day international between India and Bangladesh
by MATCH, and the second part, being played in Dacca by THERE. Now, the sentence is more cogent and
less jarring.
In the example above the references to context are clear and we can avoid repetitions easily. In other cases
the references may not be so clear. Using pronouns is a normal way for avoiding repetitions. Sometimes we
could use other words also. For instance:
Mustaq and Riyan are brothers. Mustaq and Riyan like Hindi movies. can be written as:
Mustaq and Riyan are brothers. Both brothers like Hindi movies.
Here we have replaced Mustaq and Riyan by both brothers. When you break down the elements of
sentences it is easy to avoid repetitions of words and the quiz that follows tells you exactly how.

Avoiding repetition
It is often used when we want to avoid repeating a verb which we have already used in the first part of
the sentence. Consider the following:

'Can I have another go with your game boy?' 'Yes, do!'

'She said shed help me with the ironing and she did!'

'Did you see Maria when she was over in London?' 'Yes, I did!'

How to avoid the repetition of words

If it is possible, we avoid the repetition of a word or phrase that has been used before. One way of doing this
is to use a general purpose substitute word like it, that, one, do, there and so.
She folded the paper and put it in the envelope. (More natural than She folded the paper and put the paper in
the envelope.)
Do you think that he will come? I think so. (= I think that he will come.)
How about a drink? I would like that. (= I would like a drink.)
What sort of house are you looking for? One with a big garden.
Lets meet at the club. OK see you there. (= See you at the club.)
Pronouns are the most common substitute words. They can substitute for nouns or noun phrases. They
include personal pronouns (e.g. he, she, they), reflexive pronouns (e.g. himself, herself, itself), possessive
pronouns (e.g. my, his, her), relative pronouns (who, that, which), demonstratives (e,g. this, that, these and
those), interrogatives (e.g. what, who) and indefinite pronouns (e.g. somebody, anybody).
Jane was happy because she had won a prize. (NOT Jane was happy because Jane had won a prize.)
The old woman talks to herself all the time. (NOT The old woman talks to the old woman all the time.)
Have you ever met the people who live next door?
I would like something to eat.
We can use do so and do it / that as substitutes for a verb and words that follow.
Can you repair my computer? I will do it at once. (= I will repair your computer at once.)
I asked him to help me but he wasnt willing to do so.

Cohesion and avoiding repetition

Sponsored links
This lesson shows you different ways you can improve the cohesion of your writing and avoiding repetition
killing two birds with one stone. These are extremely important skills to master and the good news is that
much of the language you need here is simple language. Simple is very often best.

See how it works

This paragraph is a model of how you should write your sentences and paragraphs so that they are cohesive
and avoid repetition. As you read it, you should see there are different ways I link my sentences together.
Most of techniques have something in common in that I use a word in every sentence that links back to
something that has come earlier. What this means is that the readers finds it easier to follow my argument,
because as they read they can make the connections between my sentences. This is cohesion. You might also
notice that I tend not to repeat words very often, but that I do choose words with a similar meaning which is
also something you should aim to do. There are several different ways I achieve this. Perhaps the most
important one is by the use of pronouns which are among the most common words in English. Although you
should also not forget about using synonyms and different word forms two more advanced language skills.
Think about pronouns

Pronouns are words such as:

he/she/it

this/that/these/those

one

both

The way these words work is that they refer back to something already mentioned and
replace that word. So used well, they help you avoid repeating words and link your writing.

Former/latter/respectively/such

These words work in much the same way and are typical of more academic writing. You should note:

former and latter are used with the

such is typically used with a word following it: e.g. such a case

There and then

Another way you can use this type of linking language is when you are writing about times and places. The
key words here are there and then, though you can also use at that time and in that country

Synonyms

This is a key technique. The idea is that you dont repeat the word, you use another similar word or phrase.
Very often, you will need to use phrases and not individual words to do this well.

Change of word form

Sometimes it is often enough to change the form of the word from a verb to a noun or a noun to an adjective.
By doing this, you are showing how you can use language flexibly. You should note that when you are
learning words, you should learn the different forms of the words (see my academic word list exercises for
more on this).

Test yourself

Take a look at these exercises based on my sample essays and task 1 reports. Fill in the missing link words
and look to see which words they refer back to.
cohesion and repetition exercises