The Communicative Grammar of English Workbook - Edward Woods, Rudy Coppieters 2002

9.5. Substitutes for ^/-clauses and to-infinitive clauses
Unit nine. Linking

Sections 387-389; 94; 99; 376

The whole of a wh-clause following the wh-word can be omitted.

With infinitive clauses, you can omit the whole clause following to.

The definite pronouns it, that and this are widely used as substitutes for noun clauses as well as for noun phrases.

Task **

Find simpler substitutes for the clauses underlined.

1. He’s gone out, but I don’t know where he’s gone.

2. A: Let’s go and see a film. B: I’d love to go and see a film, but I’m busy tonight.

3. I intend to go to Brazil, but I don’t know when I’ll go to Brazil.

4. You can go climbing if you want to go climbing. I’m staying here. I’d rather read a book.

5. You should keep exercising. To keep exercising is the best way to stop your knees becoming stiff.

6. The garden is organised into several areas. The organisation of the garden into several areas gives a lot of variety to the garden and makes it seem much bigger than it is.

7. It rained every day while they were in Spain. That it rained every day meant that they couldn’t enjoy the beautiful countryside.

8. You need to get a tourist ticket. I can do that for you if you want me to get the tourist ticket.

9. He wants me to go and see that film about a monk’s journey to Indonesia, but I don’t want to go and see that film about a monk’s journey to Indonesia.

10. A: Two hundred jobs are to go in the car factory. B: How do you know two hundred jobs are to go in the car factory?

11. A: Do you ever go back to the restaurant where you and your wife met? B: No, I can’t bear to go back there since she left me.

12. Many Internet companies were unable to cope with the slow business build-up. The slow business build-up meant that many went bankrupt.