Substitution: purpose
In speaking and in writing, we try to avoid repeating words, phrases or clauses. We use substitute forms to do this:
A:Pam always brings us back chocolates when she travels.
B:Oh, nice.
A:She brought some Belgianonesfrom her last trip, which were delicious.
B:Lucky you!
(A usesonesto avoid repeatingchocolates.)
[A has a problem with her computer]
A:Do you think I should phone Barry and ask him to come and look at it.
B:Yes,do. (B usesdoto avoid repeatingphone Barry and ask him to come and look at it.)
We can use substitution to refer backwards or forwards. Forward substitution is far less common than backward substitution (The noun being referred to is underlined in the examples.):
If you needthem, there arenailsin the toolbox(forward substitution).
A large saucepanis what we need for making jam, but I don’t haveone(backward substitution).
Substitution: what forms can we use?
We can use many different words and phrases in substitution, including words such asboth, either, some(indefinite quantifying pronouns),doandso, and expressions such asthe sameandthus.
Indefinite quantifying pronouns
The following words and phrases are commonly used as substitutes:
(a) little | each | less | one(s) |
another | either | many | other(s) |
all | enough | much | several |
any | few | neither | some |
both | half | none |
A:There’s this card with a clown on it and this one with a monkey. Which do you think Mark would prefer?
B:I think he’d likeeither.
A:Does she have a lot of friends at work?
B:No, notone.
Substituting withdo
We usedo, do so, do it, do the sameto substitute for a verb and whatever accompanies it (complement):
A:We always have toast and coffee in the morning.
B:Wedotoo. I can’t function without breakfast. (Dosubstitutes forhave toast and coffee in the morning.)
See also:
Doas a substitute verb
Substituting withso
We can usesoas a substitute in a number of ways: for an adjective (it remains so), an object clause (I think so), with reporting verbs (so I heard) and in exclamations (so he is!).
See also:
So
Soas a substitute form
So am I,so do I,Neither do I
Substitution for nouns
One,some,ones
We mostly useoneandsome/onesto substitute for countable nouns:
She tried to get a ticket but she couldn’t getone.(She couldn’t get a ticket.)
A:Is there a bookshop around here?
B:There are two second-handonesat the end of the street on the right.
Where there is nothing before or afterones,someoranyare used as a plural substitute:
A:Have either of you got any one pound coins for this machine?
B:Let me see, I’ve definitely gotsome.
C:I’m afraid I don’t haveany.
Not:Let me see, I’ve definitely got ones.
Not:I’m afraid I don’t have ones.
See also:
Any
One
Some
Someandany
Indefinite quantifying pronouns (little, all, both, neither)
We can use indefinite quantifying pronouns such as(a) little, all, both, many, much, neither, fewto substitute for noun phrases:
Hundreds of people went to the village festival andallseemed to enjoy themselves very much.
See also:
Pronouns
Determiners used as pronouns
That,those
We can usethatandthoseas substitutes meaning ‘the one(s)’ in more formal contexts:
The water for the factory wasthatfrom the local reservoir.
The books he read werethosewhich he found in the old library.
In formal contexts, especially in academic style, we usethat of/those of:
The head has a similar shape and size tothat ofa mammal.
See also:
This,that,these,those