How do you use "Sluicing (ellipsis after wh-word)" in a sentence?

She bought something, but I don't know what. He's going somewhere, but he won't say where. Someone took my pen, but I don't know who. Something's wrong, but I can't tell what.

Sluicing (ellipsis after wh-word)

Q: What does "Sluicing (ellipsis after wh-word)" mean?

Omitting everything after a question word Sluicing leaves only the wh-word: 'Someone called but I don't know who.' 'He's hiding something but I can't figure out what.' Very common in natural speech.

Grammar Pattern BritishAmericanAustralian ★★★★★ Very Common Neutral

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意味: Omitting everything after a question word

疑问词后省略所有内容

Omitir todo después de una palabra interrogativa

疑問詞の後をすべて省略する

의문사 뒤의 모든 것을 생략하는 것

Sluicing leaves only the wh-word: 'Someone called but I don't know who.' 'He's hiding something but I can't figure out what.' Very common in natural speech.

截断省略只保留疑问词：'Someone called but I don't know who.'（有人打电话但我不知道是谁。）在自然口语中非常常见。

El sluicing deja solo la palabra interrogativa: 'Someone called but I don't know who.' Muy común en el habla natural.

スルーシングは疑問詞だけを残します：「Someone called but I don't know who.」自然な会話で非常に一般的です。

슬루싱(Sluicing)은 의문사만 남깁니다: 'Someone called but I don't know who.' 'He's hiding something but I can't figure out what.' 일상 대화에서 매우 흔합니다.

例文

She bought something, but I don't know what.
她买了什么东西，但我不知道是什么。
Ella compró algo, pero no sé qué.
彼女は何か買ったけど、何かは知らない。
그녀가 뭔가를 샀는데, 뭔지는 모른다.
He's going somewhere, but he won't say where.
他要去某个地方，但他不说去哪里。
Él va a algún lugar, pero no dice dónde.
彼はどこかに行くけど、どこか言わない。
그는 어딘가에 가는데, 어딘지 말하지 않는다.
Someone took my pen, but I don't know who.
有人拿了我的笔，但我不知道是谁。
Alguien tomó mi bolígrafo, pero no sé quién.
誰かが私のペンを取ったけど、誰かわからない。
누군가 내 펜을 가져갔는데, 누군지 모른다.
Something's wrong, but I can't tell what.
有什么不对劲，但我说不出是什么。
Algo está mal, pero no puedo decir qué.
何かがおかしいけど、何かわからない。
뭔가 이상한데, 뭔지 모르겠다.

発音

使い方ガイド

場面: spoken, written, everyday

トーン: natural

✓ 正しい言い方

There's a reason, but I don't know what.
有原因，但我不知道是什么。
Hay una razón, pero no sé cuál.
理由があるけど、何かわからない。
이유가 있겠지만, 뭔지 모른다.
He's upset about something, but I don't know what.
他对某事不高兴，但我不知道是什么。
Él está molesto por algo, pero no sé qué.
彼は何かに怒っているけど、何かわからない。
그는 뭔가 때문에 화가 났는데, 뭔지 모른다.
Someone complained, but I'm not sure who.
有人抱怨了，但我不确定是谁。
Alguien se quejó, pero no estoy seguro de quién.
誰かが苦情を言ったけど、誰かわからない。
누군가 불만을 제기했는데, 누군지 확실하지 않다.
I don't know what she bought.
我不知道她买了什么。
No sé qué compró ella.
彼女が何を買ったか分かりません。
그녀가 무엇을 샀는지 모르겠습니다.

✗ 間違った言い方

Full form: 'I don't know what she bought' is also correct but wordier.
完整形式：'I don't know what she bought'也正确但更冗长。
Forma completa: 'I don't know what she bought' también es correcto pero más largo.
完全形：「I don't know what she bought」も正しいがより冗長。
완전한 형태: 'I don't know what she bought'도 맞지만 더 장황합니다.

起源と歴史

Clausal ellipsis

文化的背景

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

このトピックの他の表現

so...that / such...that (result clauses) ★★★★★ Expressing degree with a result Extraposition ★★★★☆ Moving clause subjects to the end using 'it' Ellipsis ★★★★☆ Leaving out words that can be understood from context Pseudo-Cleft Sentences ★★★★☆ What/All/The thing...is constructions for emphasis Substitution with so/not/do ★★★★☆ Avoiding repetition by substituting or omitting Advanced 'there' Constructions ★★★★☆ Complex existential sentences