# What is this called grammatically? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 6, 2014, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-called-grammatically/680645 "2014-02-06T08:18:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![blueslipper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5a626/32.png) [@blueslipper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blueslipper)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-called-grammatically/680645/1 "2014-02-06T08:18:44Z")
If I say - ‘This is not a public company, it is private.’ Instead of saying full - ‘This is not a public company, it is a private company.’ ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-called-grammatically/680645/2 "2014-02-06T08:36:35Z")
Ellipsis. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-called-grammatically/680645/3 "2014-02-06T08:49:44Z")
No, I don’t think so. Ellipsis involves leaving out words _which are grammatically necessary_ but which are taken to be understood. So if I talk about “the human” or “the forgotten” a noun seems to be required for the adjective to qualify. A word such as “being” or “person” or “people” is taken to be implied; that’s ellipsis. But in the sentence given in the OP, no word needs to be implied for grammatical completeness. “It is private” is grammatically complete in itself, just like “I am sick” or “the horse is dead”. Both senses that the OP offers are grammatically complete, and the difference between them is that the first is more concise, and perhaps stylistically superior. But I don’t the difference raises any grammattical issue. ---
**Author:** ![blueslipper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5a626/32.png) [@blueslipper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blueslipper)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-called-grammatically/680645/4 "2014-02-06T08:59:20Z")
I want to describe what I am saying to another person. It is not an issue, but I think there is a name for it. I want to show them they cannot just say ‘It is private.’ without the rest of the sentence. ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-called-grammatically/680645/5 "2014-02-06T09:06:16Z")
Ambiguous pronoun. Any use of “it” is equally as ambiguous. The mouse was already sick, and it died of a heart attack when the cat chased it. ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 9:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-called-grammatically/680645/6 "2014-02-06T09:36:36Z")
The 2nd sentence seems alright with regard to using the adjective ‘private’ naked like that. That usage is ambiguous as to in what way it is private, but the paragraph would normally be restricted to the one topic ,or at least limit the scope in some way, and its painful to right every sentence like you were drafting legislation or military orders. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-called-grammatically/680645/7 "2014-02-06T09:37:51Z")
I think in your first sentence, the term “private” is an adjective used as an adverb, to describe the company. The pronoun “it” is used in the same manner in both sentences. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-called-grammatically/680645/8 "2014-02-06T10:21:23Z")
> [@Isilder](#): > > ~ its painful to right every sentence like you were drafting legislation or military orders. And it illustrates why we all find it difficult and tedious to read and understand original laws and regulations. Drafting these requires the removal all ambiguity which might later be exploited. This applies to punctuation as well - You won’t find commas in a legal document. ---
**Author:** ![blueslipper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5a626/32.png) [@blueslipper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blueslipper)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-called-grammatically/680645/9 "2014-02-06T11:06:57Z")
I am not talking about pronoun usage. 'Blue Sky is not an ethical company, Blue Sky is unethical. ’ What I am talking about is leaving out the word ‘company’. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-called-grammatically/680645/10 "2014-02-06T11:19:45Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > I think in your first sentence, the term “private” is an adjective used as an adverb, to describe the company. How is _private_ being used as an adverb? I see the word being used to modify a noun, thus making the word an adjective. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-called-grammatically/680645/11 "2014-02-06T12:11:06Z")
I don’t think you’re leaving anything out in the second phrase. It’s the first phrase which has EXTRA information. “Blue Sky is unethical, it is not ethical.” No need for “company” at all. You are free to insert it, in either phrase, or both phrases, if you choose to emphasize its status as a “company”…but you don’t have to. (The redundancy in stating the same thing two ways – “unethical” and “not ethical” --is another issue. Also not a problem grammatically, but usually odd stylistically, again unless you’re choosing to emphasize the point, or if your audience are English-as-second-language learners or children, and you fear they might not understand the word “unethical.”) ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-called-grammatically/680645/12 "2014-02-06T12:18:33Z")
“This is not a public company, it is private” is a perfectly legit sentence. The “it” clearly refers back to “this” and the word “private” is an adjective. I don’t think there’s a term for it, because there’s nothing left out. “Agatha is not the left-handed murderer, she is right-handed.” ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-called-grammatically/680645/13 "2014-02-06T12:20:22Z")
So, to answer the question “what is it grammatically?”: Some sentences have (noun) “is” (adjective), and some other sentences have (noun) “is” (noun). In grade school, I think we called the “is” a “linking verb” (I believe the grownup term is “copula”). In terms of roles in the sentence, the first type is “subject – verb – predicate adjective,” while the second type is “subject – verb – predicate noun.” A third option is to make a sentence (our clause) with BOTH types: (noun) “is” (adjective) (noun). Technically, it’s a variant of the second type, but really it’s doing the work of both types. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-called-grammatically/680645/14 "2014-02-06T12:33:21Z")
Instead of talking about grammar, I’d like to comment on the meaning of the phrases: “private company” is a legal term, meaning that one cannot buy shares of it in any stock market. But “private”, as used at the end, means low-key and not attracting attention, right? So if I were to characterize the OP’s sentence, I’d call it confusing, or even misleading. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-called-grammatically/680645/15 "2014-02-06T13:08:04Z")
Not confusing or misleading in this case. The first phrase sets up the implied meaning of “private” in the second phrase to mean “not owned as publicly traded stocks.” But you’re right, if the whole context were one where there still might be a question about this, best to say “…a private one.” ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-called-grammatically/680645/16 "2014-02-06T13:19:26Z")
The phrase you need to explain it to somebody is that you’re using a predicative adjective (link: [Predicate Adjectives: Explanation and Examples](http://www.grammar-monster.com/glossary/predicate_adjectives.htm)). They are typically used after pronouns (more precisely, after the verb that you use with that pronoun) and modify the noun that the pronoun refers to. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-called-grammatically/680645/17 "2014-02-06T13:30:45Z")
I think the word you are seeking is **incorrect**. You should replace the comma with a semi-colon. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-called-grammatically/680645/18 "2014-02-06T13:42:48Z")
The part that is left out is _understood_ and assumed to be present for logical reasons. That’s a really simple explanation. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-called-grammatically/680645/19 "2014-02-06T16:04:21Z")
> [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](#): > > “This is not a public company, it is private” is a perfectly legit sentence. Nah, I’m inclined to agree with **Quartz**. It trips my “comma splice” meter. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2014, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-called-grammatically/680645/20 "2014-02-06T16:10:39Z")
It’s simply replacing a noun phrase with an adjective. “He is a big man.” “He is big.” Both of these sentences mean the same thing, but they’ve simply been written differently, for stylistic reasons. There is a somewhat outdated way of speaking I hear/read sometimes where the adjective is used as if it were a noun: “Did you see her dress?” “The blue?” Blue is not a noun, but it is used here in place of “the blue one” or “the blue dress”. This seems like a similar issue to the OP’s, but I’m not sure what it’s called. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-called-grammatically/680645.md?page=2)