A New English Grammar Course Book

Lecture 37
Substitution
Substitution is a grammatical device for avoiding repetition and achieving textual cohesion.
There are three kind of substitution: nominal substitution, verbal substitution, and clausal
substitution, and therefore three kinds of substitutes: nominal substitutes, verbal substitutes,
and clausal substitutes.
37.1 Nominal substitution
We shall start with nominal substitution and nominal substitutes.
1) What is nominal substitution
Nominal substitution means the replacement of a noun or a noun phrase by a nominal
substitute, eg:
He doesn’t like this book. Show him a more interesting one.
If you want a typewriter, they will provide you with one.
There are good films as well as bad ones.

Nominal substitutes include such items as one, ones, the same, the kind, the sort, eg:
Slang disappears quickly, especially the juvenile sort.

Nominal substitutes also include some indefinite pronouns, such as all, both, some, any
enough, several, none, many, much, (a) few, (a) little, the other, others, another, either, neither,
etc. eg:
Can you get me some nails? I need some.
I don’t want any more food. I’ve had enough.

2) Uses of one/ ones as substitutes

Special attention will be paid to the uses of nominal substitutes one and ones.
a. Substitute one is commonly used to replace a count noun or a countable noun phrase, but
ones can only replace a plural noun and cannot replace a whole noun phrase. Both one and
ones can be used for personal as well as non-personal reference, eg:
The new design is much better than the old one.
There were a few young people with some old ones in the house.

b. When one replaces the headword of a noun phrase, it usually takes a determiner, but this
substitute cannot be immediately preceded by an indefinite article or a possessive determiner
unless they are intervened by a pre modifier, eg:
Can I have a melon? I’d like a big one.
Your car isn’t fast enough. Let’s take his new one.

One and ones cannot collocate with both or own, nor can they collocate with the cardinal
numerals, eg:

stnt Page 1 4/26/2011

 A New English Grammar Course Book
I prefer red roses to white ones, but my wife likes both. (not * both ones)
If there’s any difficulty about cars, we can bring our own. (not * our own ones)
You have four children. I have only two. (not * two ones.)

c. When one is substituted for a whole noun phrase, it does not take any determiner or pre
modifier, In that case, one is used in generic reference. Here lies the difference between
nominal substitution and personal / demonstrative reference. Compare:
I need this dictionary, but I can’t afford it.
I need a good dictionary, but I can’t afford one.

d. As a nominal substitute, ones can only replace the headword of a noun phrase, and therefore
is always preceded by “determiner + pre modifier”, eg:
I have a new dictionary and several old ones.

e) One and ones can be omitted when they take such determiners as this / these, that / those,
which, either, neither, another, the last and the next, eg:
Judy broke the coffee-pot, so she has to buy another (one).
Some of your answers were correct, but I can’t remember which (ones)

Some of possible when one and ones take the definite article with a restrictive pre modifier, eg:
I prefer the large bottle to the small (one).

or when they collocate with a pre modifying adjective in comparative or superlative degree, eg:
If you offer him cookies, he will take a handful of the biggest (ones).

3) Nominal substitute vs. generic pronoun or cardinal numeral

We must learn to distinguish between the one used as nominal substitute and the one as
generic pronoun or cardinal numeral. Compare:
One can’t be too careful in matters like this.
My old car is much better than the new one.
I don’t want too many copies. One is enough.

4) Nominal substitute vs. one / ones as lexical item

Distinction should also be drawn between nominal substitute one / ones used in special senses.
Compare:
Oh, you are a one (= a bold amusing person), telling that joke in front of the priest.
George went on drinking, and by and by he fell to misusing his wife and the little ones (= his children).

37.2 Verbal substitution

Let us move on to verbal substitution and verb substitutes.
1) What is verbal substitution
Verbal substitution means the replacement of a verb element by a verbal substitute- do or do
so. What is replaced by substitutes do may be “main verb + complementation”, eg:
stnt Page 2 4/26/2011
 A New English Grammar Course Book
A: We all hate hypocrisy.
B: Yes, everybody does.(does = hates hypocrisy)

It may also be the main verb alone, eg:

A: Have they moved the furniture?
B: They have done (=moved) the desks, but that’s all so far.

Verbal substitute do, when used to replace “main verb + complementation”, usually occurs in
the affirmative form. Its negative form does not represent verbal substitution but verbal ellipsis.
Compare:
A: Does Peter speak French?
B: Yes, he does (= speaks French).
No, he doesn’t (speak French).

2) Uses of verbal substitutes

The principal uses of the verbal substitutes may be summarized as follows:
a. From the examples cited above, we can see that the verb replaced by substitute do is usually
a notional verb. If the verb replaced is transitive, its object is usually retained, eg:
She plays the piano better than she does the guitar.

As substitute do is itself a main verb, it can go with auxiliaries, eg:

John has never acted as he should have done.

When the substitute occurs in negative or interrogative sentences, it will of the combine with an
appropriate form of auxiliary do, eg:
A: Mary studies modern history and doesn’t do modern languages.
B: Does she do ancient history, too?
A: No, she doesn’t.

When substitute do is used to replace a main verb, it dynamic verbs only, but when it replaces
“main verb + complementation”, it applies to both dynamic and stative verbs. Here is a
difference between British and American English. In british English, substitute do applies to any
kind of main verb except the stative be and have; in American English, however, an ellipsis or
repetition of the stative verb is preferable. Compare:
Paula looks very happy. She seems happier now than she did (=seemed happy) last time we
met. (British English)
Paula looks very happy. She seems happier now than she seemed last time we met. (American
English)
b. Substitute do can combine with so to form a compound substitute do so, which can be used
to replace a predication of “verb + object” or “verb + adverbial”, eg:
He said he would tell me the news, but he didn’t do so.
He smokes like a chimney. Does his brother do so?

stnt Page 3 4/26/2011

 A New English Grammar Course Book
c. Substitute do can also combine with so to form two patterns of short-response: “So + do +
subject” and “So + subject + do”, eg:
A: I like playing football.
B: So do I.
So does my brother.
So did my father.
A: The students all work hard.
B: So they do.

37.2 Clausal substitution

Whereas the substitutes discussed previously only replace parts of phrases or clauses, so and
not may substitute for complete clauses.
1) What is clausal substitution
Clausal substitution means the replacement of a clause by a clausal substitute- so or not, eg:
A: Do you think he’ll come tomorrow?
B: Yes, I think so.
No, I think not.

As clausal substitutes, so and not can go with if to form verbless clause “if so” and “if not”, eg:
They say he will come tonight. If so, the meeting will be held tomorrow. If not, there won’t be any meeting
tomorrow.

2) Uses of clausal substitutes

As clausal substitutes, so and not are commonly used to replace that-clauses representing a
belief, an assumption or an emotion with a tone of uncertainty or tentativeness. These
substitutes normally go with such expressions as I’m afraid, I believe, I guess, I fear, I suppose,
I think, etc. IN sentences with transferred negation, it is more natural to say “I don’t think so”, “I
don’t suppose so”, etc. In sentences expressing certainty or doubt, substitute so is impossible,
eg:
A: are the girls coming to the party?
B: I’m sure they are / I’m sure of it.
I doubt if they are / I doubt it.

There is also difference between so and not used as clausal substitutes. Substitute so can go
with some communication verbs such as say, tell, etc, eg:
A: The Yankees will win the game.
B: All my friends say so.
A: How do you know that he is leaving soon?
B: He told me so.

Substitute not cannot be used this way except in sentences with a generic pronoun as subject,
eg:

stnt Page 4 4/26/2011

 A New English Grammar Course Book
A: Are the Yankees a very strong team?
B: No, they say not.

Substitute not can go with some modal adverbs such as perhaps, possibly, probably, certainly,
surely, etc to form some short responses, eg:
A: Is your brother going with you?
B: Perhaps not / Possibly not / Surely not.

But substitute so cannot be used in such utterances.

Substitute not can also go with why to form an elliptical question “why not?”, whereas so is
rarely used in such collocation, eg:
A: I didn’t stop him.
B: Why not?

stnt Page 5 4/26/2011