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Cup cake Posted 10 years ago
Grammar

How many pronouns?

Hi Everyone,

Can someone please check my explanation of the following sentence:

' This tent is too small for us to fit into it.'

The last - it - isn't necessary because 'into' refers to the tent. Adding another - it- would be repeating the noun unnecessarily.

Many thanks
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Top answer

The explanation for this is ellipsis: words omitted and understood from the context. Ellipsis is very often encountered in English. Here "it" can be omitted, and it would be understood from the context.

— Anonymous

  • The explanation for this is ellipsis: words omitted and understood from the context.
  • Ellipsis is very often encountered in English.
  • Here "it" can be omitted, and it would be understood from the context.
  • Note that the following elliptical versions are also possible: This tent is too small to fit into.
  • This tent is too small to fit into it.
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4 Answers
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The explanation for this is ellipsis: words omitted and understood from the context. Ellipsis is very often encountered in English. Here "it" can be omitted, and it would be understood from the context. Note that the following elliptical versions are also possible:

This tent is too small to fit into.

This tent is too small to fit into it.
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Consider the construction a tent too small to fit into as a reduction of a tent which/that is too small to fit into. Such a relative clause never contains a pronomialization of the noun that which or that refers to. For example, it would be wrong to say *the pets that we love them, *a rule which we can always rely on it, or *the
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Thanks CJ.

I'm looking for ways to explain it to students, should they ask.

Great explanation, as always.
Emotion: smile
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