Which device involves leaving out words that are recoverable from context to avoid repetition?

• A. Ellipsis
• B. Substitution
• C. Reference
• D. Repetition

Answer: (A)

Ellipsis involves leaving out words that can be recovered from context to avoid repetition. It keeps writing concise by letting the reader supply the missing material from what has already been stated. For example, in a sentence like “I will go to the park, and you will too,” the repeated verb phrase can be omitted in the second clause, yielding “I will go to the park, and you will too.” The meaning stays clear because the context provides the omitted words. This differs from substitution, which uses a stand-in like “do” or “so” to fill the gap rather than dropping the words. Repetition would simply restate the same words instead of omitting them. So, the technique described is ellipsis.