Sluicing

Sluicing is a phenomenon in language where part of a sentence is left out, but the meaning remains clear. This often happens in questions or responses. For example, in the sentence "I know who is coming, but I don't know who," the second "who" serves as a stand-in for the information that was omitted. Sluicing allows speakers to convey incomplete thoughts without losing clarity, focusing on the crucial information. It demonstrates how much can be inferred based on context and prior knowledge in conversation.