Tony likes music. Tina doesn't.　　湯尼喜歡音樂, 蒂娜卻不喜歡。

Tony is an athlete. Tina isn't.　　湯尼是個運動員, 蒂娜則不是。

以上兩句中的"Tina doesn't."及"Tina isn't."均為省略句。省略句的功能就是省略兩句重複的部份, 使句子結構簡單又不失清楚的涵義。省略句形成的先決條件是:

a. 兩句的結構必須相同 (亦即兩句有相同的時態及動詞), 第二句方可形成省略句。

b. 第一句若為肯定句, 第二句則為否定句; 第一句若為否定句, 第二句則為肯定句。

形態有三:

a. be動詞

例: He is a good student. She is not a good student.

　→ He is a good student. She isn't.

  　= He is a good student, but she isn't.

　(他是好學生，但她卻不是。)

b. 助動詞 (如can、will等)

例: He cannot do it. She can do it.

　→ He cannot do it. She can.

  　= He cannot do it, but she can.

　(他不能做這事，但她卻能。)

c. 動詞

此時省略句要按主詞的人稱分置助動詞do或does, 用來代替第一句中的動詞。

 例: He likes music. I do not like music.

　→ He likes music. I don't.

  　= He likes music, but I don't.

　(他喜歡音樂，但我卻不喜歡。)

　I do not like music. He likes music.

　→ I do not like music. He does.

  　= I don't like music, but he does.

　(我不喜歡音樂，但他卻喜歡。)

Tony is an athlete.　　湯尼是個運動員。

注意:

上句名詞athlete之前的冠詞是an而非a。

a. 一般而言, 可數名詞若為單數形時, 之前要有不定冠詞 (a, an) 表示單數的概念。

例: This is book. (╳)

　→ This is a book. (○)

　(這是一本書。)

　There is ox there. (╳)

　→ There is an ox there. (○)

　(那裡有隻公牛。)

b. a置於子音起首的單字前, 而an則置於母音起首的單字前。

book , ox , athlete由上列音標得知book起首為子音, ox與athlete為母音, 故應說a book、an ox、an athlete。

另一方面, 蒂娜喜歡電影, 但湯尼則不喜歡。

on the other hand是介詞片語, 表示『另一方面來說』或『話又說回來』, 有副詞的功能, 通常置於句首, 修飾整個句子。

例: He is poor at English. On the other hand, he speaks French very well.

　(他英文很差。但話又說回來，他法語講得很好。)

= Tina does not.

　Tina isn't.　　蒂娜不是。

= Tina is not.

　No, they aren't.　　不, 他們不是。

= No, they are not.

　They're very different.　　他們大不相同。

= They are very different.

以上各句旨在強調be動詞及助動詞do (與I、they、you、we或其他複數主詞並用)、does (與he、she、it或其他單數主詞並用) 與not的縮寫形。這種縮寫在英文的寫作或口語中極為普遍。

a.be動詞與not並用時:

is not → isn't

are not → aren't 注意:  am not無縮寫形。

例: He is not a teacher.

  　= He isn't a teacher.

　(他不是老師。)

　They are not happy.

  　= They aren't happy.

　(他們不快樂。)

b. do、does與not並用時:　

do not → don't

does not → doesn't

例: They do not like music.

  　= They don't like music.

　(他們不喜歡音樂。)

　I do not like coffee.

  　= I don't like coffee.

　(我不喜歡咖啡。)

　She does not like tea.

  　= She doesn't like tea.

　(她不喜歡茶。)

上句中brother與sister是可數名詞, 照理本句應為:

They are a brother and a sister.

但若兩個名詞所表示的是相對的關係, 如父子、兄妹、母子等, 這些名詞之前的不定冠詞就應省略。故我們應說:

   他們是兄妹/母子/父女/師生。