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MUSCOVITE Posted 14 years ago
Grammar

missing words

Hi,

No matter how big the lie; repeat it often enough and the masses will regard it as the truth.” ? John F. Kennedy

Consider
( a) It's no matter how big the lie is...
(b) No matter how big the lie is...
(c) No matter how big the lie...

Q1: Is the version (c) correct grammar (in the strict sense )?
Q2: What do you call this "grammatical technique" [ = omitting some words, e.g. omitting it's and is in (c) ]?

Thank you!

mus-te
  

Top answer

MUSCOVITE No matter how big the lie; repeat it The semicolon ( ; ) should be a comma ( , ). 1. ( c ) is correct grammar.

— CalifJim

  • MUSCOVITE No matter how big the lie; repeat it The semicolon ( ; ) should be a comma ( , ).
  • 1.
  • ( c ) is correct grammar.
  • ( b ) is also correct.
  • ( a ) is not correct.
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1 Answers
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MUSCOVITENo matter how big the lie; repeat it
The semicolon ( ; ) should be a comma ( , ).

1. ( c ) is correct grammar. ( b ) is also correct. ( a ) is not correct.
2. It can be called "elision" when you omit words.

This might be considered the special grammar of the expression "no matter".

It does not matter [what / how /
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