Introducing English Linguistics

Frank [Zappa]
and Dweezil Zappa
In other cases, it is necessary to propose ellipsis: the omission of some item
that is identical to another item. The example below illustrates an instance
of gapping: the deletion of some item in the middle of the second con-
junct:
It looked like the sort of place where muggers might lurk and accidents
[ ] wait to happen.
(ICE-GB W2F-006 #16:1)
In this example, the auxiliary might before wait in the second conjunct is
deleted under identity with the instance of might before lurk in the first
conjunct. By proposing ellipsis in the second conjunct, it is possible to
claim that two like units – main clauses – are coordinated rather than one
main clause and an incomplete second clause.
English syntax
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