Mixing
What does “and she them†mean?
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Moaning Myrtle was crying noisily in her cubicle, but they were ignoring her, and she them.
I guess it just means she was ignoring them too. But I have never seen this kind of structure before. Is it common? Any other examples for this kind of structure? What does it truly mean?
-- From Harry Potter.
sentence-construction phrase-meaning phrase-usage
asked 2 hours ago
dan
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up vote
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Moaning Myrtle was crying noisily in her cubicle, but they were ignoring her, and she them.
I guess it just means she was ignoring them too. But I have never seen this kind of structure before. Is it common? Any other examples for this kind of structure? What does it truly mean?
-- From Harry Potter.
sentence-construction phrase-meaning phrase-usage
asked 2 hours ago
dan
2,89721851
It's called ellipsis and it's fairly common, when the omitted word[s] can be assumed by the listener.
– amI
1 hour ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
3
down vote
favorite
up vote
3
down vote
favorite
Moaning Myrtle was crying noisily in her cubicle, but they were ignoring her, and she them.
I guess it just means she was ignoring them too. But I have never seen this kind of structure before. Is it common? Any other examples for this kind of structure? What does it truly mean?
-- From Harry Potter.
sentence-construction phrase-meaning phrase-usage
asked 2 hours ago
dan
2,89721851
Moaning Myrtle was crying noisily in her cubicle, but they were ignoring her, and she them.
I guess it just means she was ignoring them too. But I have never seen this kind of structure before. Is it common? Any other examples for this kind of structure? What does it truly mean?
-- From Harry Potter.
sentence-construction phrase-meaning phrase-usage
sentence-construction phrase-meaning phrase-usage
asked 2 hours ago
dan
2,89721851
asked 2 hours ago
dan
2,89721851
asked 2 hours ago
dan
2,89721851
asked 2 hours ago
dan
2,89721851
asked 2 hours ago
dan
2,89721851
2,89721851
It's called ellipsis and it's fairly common, when the omitted word[s] can be assumed by the listener.
– amI
1 hour ago
add a comment |Â
It's called ellipsis and it's fairly common, when the omitted word[s] can be assumed by the listener.
– amI
1 hour ago
It's called ellipsis and it's fairly common, when the omitted word[s] can be assumed by the listener.
– amI
1 hour ago
It's called ellipsis and it's fairly common, when the omitted word[s] can be assumed by the listener.
– amI
1 hour ago
add a comment |Â
1 Answer
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Yes, you're exactly right about the meaning. This is an example of a kind of ellipsis, or leaving words out. It's commonly used for words that would repeat exactly in a single sentence, so
I ate a banana, I ate a pear, and I ate an apple.
would usually omit all but the first "I ate":
I ate a banana, a pear, and an apple.
Note that sometimes we also leave out the articles, even though they aren't exactly the same because of the a/an distinction.
In this case, the "expanded" version of the sentence would be
Moaning Myrtle was crying noisily in her cubicle, but they were ignoring her, and she was ignoring them.
In this case the verb conjugation has changed because the subject of the two clauses is different. This is a little less common than omission when the subject of the clauses is the same, but it's not ungrammatical. One example is the stereotypical formal dialogue between lovers:
A: I love you!
B: And I you!
B leaves out the verb "love" because A already said it. As you guessed, this is just a different way to say "I love you, too": by leaving out the verb, B acknowledges that it was just said by A.1
As an American, this particular kind of ellipsis feels a bit old-fashioned or British to me, so I'm not surprised that it's in a work by a British author. The linked article is from "Grammar and Style in British English", which offers another example where the subject changes:
- I was to take the east path and Steve was to take the west path
becomes –
- I was to take the east path and Steve, the west.
[by omitting words] that would appear twice in the full sentence. In our example, these are the words was to take and path –
I was to take the east path and Steve was to take the west path.
1The couple is so in love, A can finish B's sentences before B even says them!
answered 1 hour ago
1006a
3,532817
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1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
3
down vote
Yes, you're exactly right about the meaning. This is an example of a kind of ellipsis, or leaving words out. It's commonly used for words that would repeat exactly in a single sentence, so
I ate a banana, I ate a pear, and I ate an apple.
would usually omit all but the first "I ate":
I ate a banana, a pear, and an apple.
Note that sometimes we also leave out the articles, even though they aren't exactly the same because of the a/an distinction.
In this case, the "expanded" version of the sentence would be
Moaning Myrtle was crying noisily in her cubicle, but they were ignoring her, and she was ignoring them.
In this case the verb conjugation has changed because the subject of the two clauses is different. This is a little less common than omission when the subject of the clauses is the same, but it's not ungrammatical. One example is the stereotypical formal dialogue between lovers:
A: I love you!
B: And I you!
B leaves out the verb "love" because A already said it. As you guessed, this is just a different way to say "I love you, too": by leaving out the verb, B acknowledges that it was just said by A.1
As an American, this particular kind of ellipsis feels a bit old-fashioned or British to me, so I'm not surprised that it's in a work by a British author. The linked article is from "Grammar and Style in British English", which offers another example where the subject changes:
- I was to take the east path and Steve was to take the west path
becomes –
- I was to take the east path and Steve, the west.
[by omitting words] that would appear twice in the full sentence. In our example, these are the words was to take and path –
I was to take the east path and Steve was to take the west path.
1The couple is so in love, A can finish B's sentences before B even says them!
answered 1 hour ago
1006a
3,532817
add a comment |Â
up vote
3
down vote
Yes, you're exactly right about the meaning. This is an example of a kind of ellipsis, or leaving words out. It's commonly used for words that would repeat exactly in a single sentence, so
I ate a banana, I ate a pear, and I ate an apple.
would usually omit all but the first "I ate":
I ate a banana, a pear, and an apple.
Note that sometimes we also leave out the articles, even though they aren't exactly the same because of the a/an distinction.
In this case, the "expanded" version of the sentence would be
Moaning Myrtle was crying noisily in her cubicle, but they were ignoring her, and she was ignoring them.
In this case the verb conjugation has changed because the subject of the two clauses is different. This is a little less common than omission when the subject of the clauses is the same, but it's not ungrammatical. One example is the stereotypical formal dialogue between lovers:
A: I love you!
B: And I you!
B leaves out the verb "love" because A already said it. As you guessed, this is just a different way to say "I love you, too": by leaving out the verb, B acknowledges that it was just said by A.1
As an American, this particular kind of ellipsis feels a bit old-fashioned or British to me, so I'm not surprised that it's in a work by a British author. The linked article is from "Grammar and Style in British English", which offers another example where the subject changes:
- I was to take the east path and Steve was to take the west path
becomes –
- I was to take the east path and Steve, the west.
[by omitting words] that would appear twice in the full sentence. In our example, these are the words was to take and path –
I was to take the east path and Steve was to take the west path.
1The couple is so in love, A can finish B's sentences before B even says them!
answered 1 hour ago
1006a
3,532817
add a comment |Â
up vote
3
down vote
up vote
3
down vote
Yes, you're exactly right about the meaning. This is an example of a kind of ellipsis, or leaving words out. It's commonly used for words that would repeat exactly in a single sentence, so
I ate a banana, I ate a pear, and I ate an apple.
would usually omit all but the first "I ate":
I ate a banana, a pear, and an apple.
Note that sometimes we also leave out the articles, even though they aren't exactly the same because of the a/an distinction.
In this case, the "expanded" version of the sentence would be
Moaning Myrtle was crying noisily in her cubicle, but they were ignoring her, and she was ignoring them.
In this case the verb conjugation has changed because the subject of the two clauses is different. This is a little less common than omission when the subject of the clauses is the same, but it's not ungrammatical. One example is the stereotypical formal dialogue between lovers:
A: I love you!
B: And I you!
B leaves out the verb "love" because A already said it. As you guessed, this is just a different way to say "I love you, too": by leaving out the verb, B acknowledges that it was just said by A.1
As an American, this particular kind of ellipsis feels a bit old-fashioned or British to me, so I'm not surprised that it's in a work by a British author. The linked article is from "Grammar and Style in British English", which offers another example where the subject changes:
- I was to take the east path and Steve was to take the west path
becomes –
- I was to take the east path and Steve, the west.
[by omitting words] that would appear twice in the full sentence. In our example, these are the words was to take and path –
I was to take the east path and Steve was to take the west path.
1The couple is so in love, A can finish B's sentences before B even says them!
answered 1 hour ago
1006a
3,532817
Yes, you're exactly right about the meaning. This is an example of a kind of ellipsis, or leaving words out. It's commonly used for words that would repeat exactly in a single sentence, so
I ate a banana, I ate a pear, and I ate an apple.
would usually omit all but the first "I ate":
I ate a banana, a pear, and an apple.
Note that sometimes we also leave out the articles, even though they aren't exactly the same because of the a/an distinction.
In this case, the "expanded" version of the sentence would be
Moaning Myrtle was crying noisily in her cubicle, but they were ignoring her, and she was ignoring them.
In this case the verb conjugation has changed because the subject of the two clauses is different. This is a little less common than omission when the subject of the clauses is the same, but it's not ungrammatical. One example is the stereotypical formal dialogue between lovers:
A: I love you!
B: And I you!
B leaves out the verb "love" because A already said it. As you guessed, this is just a different way to say "I love you, too": by leaving out the verb, B acknowledges that it was just said by A.1
As an American, this particular kind of ellipsis feels a bit old-fashioned or British to me, so I'm not surprised that it's in a work by a British author. The linked article is from "Grammar and Style in British English", which offers another example where the subject changes:
- I was to take the east path and Steve was to take the west path
becomes –
- I was to take the east path and Steve, the west.
[by omitting words] that would appear twice in the full sentence. In our example, these are the words was to take and path –
I was to take the east path and Steve was to take the west path.
1The couple is so in love, A can finish B's sentences before B even says them!
answered 1 hour ago
1006a
3,532817
answered 1 hour ago
1006a
3,532817
answered 1 hour ago
1006a
3,532817
answered 1 hour ago
1006a
3,532817
3,532817
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
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It's called ellipsis and it's fairly common, when the omitted word[s] can be assumed by the listener.
– amI
1 hour ago