165. The personal pronouns I, you, he, we, they, when they occur in the midst of phrases like as near as you can, as much as I can, may be omitted, if the context will clearly and certainly suggest the word to be supplied. In testimony, such phrases are very common in both questions and answers, and are often uttered very rapidly. The expression of the personal pronoun in such cases would often compel the breaking of a natural and useful phrase, which, when the pronoun is elided, flows from the pen unbroken.

*The author's practice is to write can without the n hook in all cases. This is not in accord with Graham or Benn Pitman, but is recognized by Munson and Isaac Pitman.

Exercise

Write the following phrases, omitting in each the personal pronoun:

as fa(r) as (I) can as far as (you) can as far as (he) can as far as (we) can as far as (they) can as fas(t) as (I) can as fas(t) as (you) can as fas(t) as (he) can as fas(t) as (we) can as fas(t) as (they) can as long as (I) can as long as (you) can as long as (he) can as long as (we) can as long as (they) can as many as (I) can as many as (you) can as many as (he) can as many as (we) can as many as (they) can

as much as (I) can as much as (you) can as much as (he) can as much as (we) can as much as (they)can as near as (I) can as near as (you) can as near as (he) can as near as (we) can as near as (they) can as soon as (I) can as soon as (you) can as soon as (he) can as soon as (we) can as soon as (they) can as well as (I) can as well as (you) can as well as (he) can as well as (we) can as well as (they) can