Ellipsis, cohesion and ambiguity
Omit only what the reader can restore safely.
Test the missing words
An ellipsis is controlled when the reader can recover the omitted material from the same construction. «Undici commenti sono favorevoli; sette, critici» leaves out «commenti sono» after «sette». It still identifies the two groups of the eighteen voluntary comments. By contrast, «Undici sono favorevoli; sette, critici; il progetto, approvato» falsely implies an approval and lacks a stable relation for the last fragment. Do not use a compact parallel pattern to smuggle in a new fact. Rewrite the full propositions if the actors or actions change.
- Undici commenti sono favorevoli; sette, critici.· Eleven comments are favourable; seven, critical.
- Il rapporto è firmato; la delibera, ancora assente.· The report is signed; the resolution, still absent.
- Le verifiche riguardano il personale e l’accessibilità.· The checks concern staffing and accessibility.
- Se manca il referente, ripeti il nome invece di ometterlo.· If the referent is missing, repeat the noun instead of omitting it.
Repair referents and logical links
A hypothetical editing sentence, «Elena ha mostrato la bozza a Chiara quando lei era in biblioteca», does not say clearly who was in the library. Choose the intended fact first, then write «Quando Chiara era in biblioteca, Elena le ha mostrato la bozza» or name Elena instead. Neither version asserts a new fact about the Bellacqua case; the sentence is an ambiguity exercise. Likewise, «tuttavia» marks contrast, «quindi» a warranted conclusion, and «inoltre» an addition. A connective cannot repair weak evidence: eighteen voluntary comments still do not become a town survey.
- Quando Chiara era in biblioteca, Elena le ha mostrato la bozza.· When Chiara was in the library, Elena showed her the draft.
- I commenti sono utili; tuttavia non costituiscono un sondaggio.· The comments are useful; however, they are not a survey.
- Il voto manca; quindi non possiamo annunciare il pilota come approvato.· The vote is missing; therefore we cannot announce the pilot as approved.
- Chiara propone un conteggio; inoltre suggerisce domande facoltative.· Chiara proposes a count; in addition, she suggests optional questions.