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See the sentences below. What do you make of their grammar?
She was sure whom she knew.
She was never certain whom she knew.
Are the sentences above elliptical constructions with missing prepositions?
She was sure (of [whom she knew]).
She was never certain (about [whom she knew]).
What about these sentences?
She was never sure what that was about.
She was never sure about what that was.
She was never certain about what they said.
She was never certain what they talked about.
She was never certain whom they talked about.
How about this beauty?
Never teach a child anything of which you are not yourself sure” (John Ruskin).
* * * *
el·lip·sis (pl. el·lip·ses):
1.
a. The omission of a word or phrase necessary for a complete syntactical construction but not necessary for understanding.
b. An example of such omission.
2. A mark or series of marks ( . . . or * * * , for example) used in writing or printing to indicate an omission, especially of letters or words. (from the American Heritage Dictionary)
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