Verb Phrase Ellipsis

Verb Phrase Ellipsis is a language feature where a speaker leaves out part of a sentence—specifically the verb phrase—because it's understood from the context. For example, in "John can dance, and Mary can too," the phrase "dance" is omitted after "can," but everyone understands it’s the same verb phrase. This makes communication more efficient. It's common in everyday speech and writing and relies on shared understanding to fill in the missing parts without confusion.