Cambridge Grammar of English Hardback with cd-rom a comprehensive Guide

Interrogatives with no auxiliary or subject 

94c

Auxiliary verbs and second person subject pronouns are often considered

unnecessary in interrogative clauses:

Started yet?

(understood: Have you started yet?)

Hi Jim. Playing tonight?

(understood: Are you playing tonight?)

Hi, Colin, been working?

(understood: … have you been working?)

Got any money?

(understood: Have you got any money?)

Interrogatives: subject pronoun and no auxiliary verb  

94d

In interrogatives, an initial auxiliary is often unnecessary, even when the subject is

present:

You been eating the biscuits again?

(understood: Have you been eating …?)

The dog bothering you? Shall I throw him out?

(understood: Is the dog bothering you?)

A: Anybody want soup?

B: No thank you.

(understood: Does anybody want soup?)

✪

This type of ellipsis does not normally occur with I:

Am I interfering?

(I interfering?)

182 | From utterance to discourse

Cambridge Grammar of English

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