Western University

Core English

Faculty of Arts, Languages, and Humanities

Year III, Semester I

TABLE OF CONTENT
I.

Repetition: .................................................................................................................. 1

What is repetition? ..................................................................................................... 1

How to avoid it? ......................................................................................................... 1

II.

Using auxiliaries to avoid repetition: ......................................................................... 1

What does auxiliary mean? ..................................................................................... 1

What is the usage of auxiliary verbs? ........................................................................ 1

List of Auxiliaries: ..................................................................................................... 1

1.

How to use an auxiliary to avoid repetition? .............................................................. 2

In short answer: .......................................................................................................... 2
Commenting on given information: ........................................................................... 2
Responding with a different auxiliary: ....................................................................... 3
Using more than one auxiliary: .................................................................................. 3
No auxiliary: ............................................................................................................... 3

III.

Reduced Infinitive: ..................................................................................................... 3

What is Infinitive? ...................................................................................................... 3

How to avoid it? ......................................................................................................... 4

IV.

Exercise ...................................................................................................................... 5

V.

Answer Sheet: ............................................................................................................ 8

References ........................................................................................................................... 10

Group 1

Avoid Repetition

Western University
Core English

Faculty of Arts, Languages, and Humanities

Year III, Semester I

AVOIDING REPETITION
I. Repetition:

What is repetition?

Repetition means a thing, word, action, etc, that is repeated. It means that
everything is again and again.
Ex: I want to go to school, and she want to go to school, too.
(want to go to school is repeat again and again, so it is repetition)

How to avoid it?

It can be avoided by using: auxiliaries or reduced infinitives.
Ex: I want to go to school and she does, too.
(want to go to school is reduced by using an auxiliary verbdoesin
another clause)

II. Using auxiliaries to avoid repetition:

What does auxiliary mean?

An auxiliary (=auxiliary verbs or sometimes call helping verbs or special
verbs) are a kind of verb that comes before the main verb in a sentence.
Together the helping verb and the main verb form a verb phrase. Or an
auxiliary is a verb used to form tenses, moods, voices, etc. of the verb.

What is the usage of auxiliary verbs?

Auxiliary verbs are used together with a main verb to give grammatical
information and therefore add extra meaning to a sentence, which is not given
by the main verb.

List of Auxiliaries:
-

Group 1

be
have
do
can, could
may, might
will, shall
must

ought to
dare
used
need
would
should

Avoid Repetition

Western University
Core English

Faculty of Arts, Languages, and Humanities

Year III, Semester I

1. How to use an auxiliary to avoid repetition?

In short answer:
Avoiding repetition in short answer is not really a big problem. It can be

avoided easily by using its own auxiliary verb.

Ex: A: Will you go to your hometown this Pchum Ben?
B: Yes, I think I will (go to my hometown).
(go to my hometown is deleted in order to avoid repetition, or
we can say that the speaker doesnt want to repeat the whole
verb again)
A: Can you do me a favor?
B: No, I cant (do you a favor).
(do me a favor isnt used again in sentence B because the
speaker doesnt want to repeat the whole verb again, or the
whole verb is understood)
* It is very easy to avoiding repetition in the short answers. If we use
can/cant in the question (sentence A), so we use can/cant again in the
answer (sentence B) and delete the whole verb that is the same in both
sentences A and B.
Ex: A: Can I ask you a question?
B: Yes, you can/should/must/will ask me a question.
(should/must/will cant be used in sentence A because can is used
in sentence A, so can is the right answer)
(ask me a question is the same in sentence A and B, so no need to
use it again in sentence Bit is understood.)

Commenting on given information:

Sometime we make a comment in a conversation, so we usually avoid

repetition when we want to reply to the comment.

Ex: A: He can drive a car.
B: He can (drive a car), cant he (drive a car)?
(drive a car is the same in sentence A and B, so it is not necessary to
use it again in replying to a comment)

Group 1

Avoid Repetition

Western University
Core English

Faculty of Arts, Languages, and Humanities

Year III, Semester I

Responding with a different auxiliary:

Sometime when we reply to a comment or answer a question, we are

necessary to use a different auxiliary from the comment or question. In this

kind of avoiding repetition, the auxiliary verb should be used and considered
carefully about the grammar before using it.
Ex: A: I wont go to my hometown in the next holiday.
B: You should (go to your hometown).
(should is used rather than will/wont because in sentence B, the
speaker want to give advice so that why the speaker use should not
will/wont)

Using more than one auxiliary:

In one sentence, sometime there are more than one auxiliary, so to avoid

repetition, we can use either one or two auxiliary or both of the verbs when we
want to reply.
Ex: A: Do I need to have a license in order to run this program?
B: Yes, you need to (have a license).
Yes, you do need to (have a license).
Yes, you do (have a license).
(in this example you can use a lot of way of using auxiliary verb to
respond)

No auxiliary:
When there is no auxiliary verb in a sentence, we need to use do/does/did

in order to avoid repetition.

Ex: A: I like to play football.
B: I do, too.
(in this example there is no auxiliary verb, so when we want to
reply to the answer or comment, we need to use do/did/does )

III. Reduced Infinitive:

What is Infinitive?
Infinitive is the basic form of a verb that usually follows by to in the
sentences.
Ex: I want to know what this word means.
(to know is an infinitive)

Group 1

Avoid Repetition

Western University
Core English

Faculty of Arts, Languages, and Humanities

Year III, Semester I

How to avoid it?

To avoid repetition in infinitive, we need to delete the whole words after to
when we reply to the answer, question, etc.
Ex:

A: I do not mean to read this sentence out loud.

B: I think you do mean to (read this sentence out loud).
(To avoid repetition, we just need to delete all the words after to, so
we delete read this sentence out loud.)

Group 1

Avoid Repetition

Western University
Core English

Faculty of Arts, Languages, and Humanities

Year III, Semester I

IV. Exercise
1. Yes/No Question:
Part 1: Fill in the gaps with an auxiliary verbs:
a. A: Are you from around here?
B: Yes, I am.
b. A: Do you come here often?
B: Yes, I_______________.
c. A: Can you promise that you will love her forever?
B: Yes, I_______________.
d. A: Can I buy you a drink?
B: Yes, you_____________.
e. A: Are you married?
B: No, I________________.

Part 2: Answer the question using auxiliaries. Dont forget avoid repetition:
Note: Answer can be more than one.
a. Do you know this girl?
Yes, I do.
b. Has he gone home?
______________________________________________
c. Will she come to our party?
______________________________________________
d. Did they travel by train?
______________________________________________
e. Have they bought the present?
______________________________________________
f. Are you sleeping?
______________________________________________
g. Are you from Canada?
______________________________________________
h. Is he a doctor?
______________________________________________
i. Is this free?
______________________________________________

Group 1

Avoid Repetition

Western University
Core English

Faculty of Arts, Languages, and Humanities

Year III, Semester I

j. Do you like apples?

______________________________________________
k. Does she live in New Orleans?
______________________________________________
l. Is she going to the dance?
______________________________________________
m. Are they flying home?
______________________________________________
n. Are you coming to the party?
______________________________________________
o. Can you do me a favor?
________________________________________________
p. Have you been to Singapore lately?
_______________________________________________

2. Reduced Infinitive:
Part 1: Fill in the gaps by using the word in the blanket:
a. I hold a party last Sunday; I invited Jane to come, but she refused to (refuse).
b. She asked me to go shopping with her, but I_______________
_____________didnt want to (not want).
c. I promised to marry her, but I never____________________________ (intend
to).

Part 2: Write the responses, using the verb in blankets and a reduced infinitives:
a. Why did you do to me?
I didnt mean to. (not mean)
b. Do you want to go for a walk with me?
I_____________________________________________(not want).
c. Did you forget to send me your e-mail?
Sorry, I_______________________________________(forget).
d. Did you agree with her about the new project?
I_____________________________________________(agree).
e. Are you going to your hometown this weekend?
I_____________________________________________(go).

Group 1

Avoid Repetition

Western University
Core English

Faculty of Arts, Languages, and Humanities

Year III, Semester I

f. Should I try to study hard?

You__________________________________________(try).

3. Mixed all the thing up:

a) Martin:
David:
b) Zoltan:
Ross:
c) Dara:
Vichea:
d) Sok:
Nary:
e) Villa:
Phil:
f) John:
Kris:

Group 1

Hello! Do you know where Jones is?

No, I dont.
Have you watched Harry Potter 7 Part 2 yet?
I__________________(want), but I have no time at all.
Have you ever been to London?
Yes,__________________________.
Will you go to study abroad after you graduated?
Yes,__________________________(expected).
Do you know where can I buy this shirt?
No,__________________________.
Should I study hard?
Yes,__________________________.

Avoid Repetition

Western University
Core English

Faculty of Arts, Languages, and Humanities

Year III, Semester I

V. Answer Sheet:
1. Yes/No Question:
Part 1: Fill in the gaps with an auxiliary verbs:
b. Yes, I do.
c. Yes, I do/can.
d. Yes, you can.
e. No, I am not.

Part 2: Answer the question using auxiliaries. Dont forget avoid repetition:
b. Yes, he has.
c. Yes, she will.
d. No, they didnt.
e. Yes, they have.
f. No, I am not.
g. Yes, I am.
h. No, he isn't.
i. Yes, it is.
j. Yes, I do.
k. No, she doesn't
l. Yes, she is.
m. No, they are not.
n. No, I am not.
o. Yes, I can.
p. No, I havent.

2. Reduced Infinitive:
Part 1: Fill in the gaps by using the word in the blanket:
b. didnt want to
c. intended to

Part 2: Write the responses, using the verb in blankets and a reduced infinitives:
b. didnt want to
c. did forget to
d. did agree to

e. am not going to

Group 1

Avoid Repetition

Western University
Core English

Faculty of Arts, Languages, and Humanities

Year III, Semester I

f. should try to

3. Mixed all the thing up:

b. want to.
c. I have.
d.Yes, I expected to.
e. No, I dont.
f. Yes, you must/should.

Group 1

Avoid Repetition

Western University
Core English

Faculty of Arts, Languages, and Humanities

Year III, Semester I

REFERENCES
1. Broukal, M. (2002). TOEFL Grammar Flash. Peterson's.
2. Burgess, S., & Acklam, R. Gold First Certificate Exam Maximiser. Longman.
3. Hewings, M. Advanced Grammar in Use.
4. Lim, P. L., Kurtin, M., & Wellman, L. (2004). Arco Grammar Workbook for TOEFL
Exam. Peterson's.
5. WREN, P., & MARTIN, H. (1980). High School English Grammar and Composition.
New Delhi: S. Chand & Company LTD.

Group 1

Avoid Repetition

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