128. The principle of ellipsis should not be applied to an unfamiliar phrase, and nothing is to be omitted except what may be called necessary connective words. The student, or even the advanced practitioner, should not venture, in note-taking, to omit words upon the impulse or caprice of the moment, and without regard to any clearly-settled principles of ellipsis. No more dangerous habit can be acquired by the young reporter than that of leaving out words in a heedless, helter-skelter manner, trusting to be able to supply them in reading by means of the context or his own "gumption" - in other words, by mere guessing. The cases where ellipsis may be safely and properly indulged, have, to a large degree, been ascertained and classified; and to these, or to cases similar or analogous, the prudent writer will confine himself. With the exception of "special or irregular phrases," involving methods of ellipsis peculiar to particular cases, it is believed that

Ellipsis

this chapter exhibits substantially all the classes of cases coming under the great law of implication or ellipsis.

In the exercises given in this and subsequent chapters, the words or letters to be omitted are always indicated by parentheses.

ellipsis of "a."

129. The article a, occurring in the midst of a phrase, is often omitted and implied.

Exercise

Write the following phrases, omitting in each the article a:

at such (a) moment for (a) long time (tm) for (a) longer time (tm) for (a) moment in (a) great measure in such (a) case in such (a) place in such (a) position such (a) man that is (a) question