This section is from the book "The Science And Art Of Phrase-Making", by David Wolfe Brown. Also available from Amazon: The science and art of phrase-making.
167. The cases of ellipsis already given in this chapter are capable of regular classification, each case falling under a given principle of omission. But there are some phrases which follow no general principle; for instance, where a part of a word (not a regular word-sign) is in particular phrases written for the whole. Illustrations:
Honor (able) Senator
, in (the) sec(ond)
place
168. Certain familiar questions occurring in the examination of witnesses, and generally spoken very rapidly, are usually written by court reporters in a highly elliptical style. Illustrations: where do you reside
how long have you known him*'
what is your business
or
Phrases of this kind,
as well as those referred to in the last paragraph, being so irregular as to be incapable of classification under any general rule, will be found included and appropriately illus-trated under the head of "Special or Irregular Phrases."**
*This phrase introduces the Graham sign for how.
**In this chapter no reference has been made to Mr. Graham's expe-dient of omitting have in such phrases as would have been, because when been is expressed by the n hook as explained in a subsequent part of this book, would hare been is as briefly written as would been.
 
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