single word requests - Ellipsis or substitution?



If they want to get revenge, Abra, I don't mind.


But perhaps they don't.



They don't in that utterance is included in the verbal substitution do or ellipsis? Is the full form



They don't want to get revenge




Answer



Per Wikipedia, what you have is ellipsis: "words are omitted when the phrase needs to be repeated." The omitted words are "want to get revenge."


Substitution happens when a word is substituted for another word or words. That's not happening here. It would if your second sentence were "But perhaps they don't want that." In such a case, "that" would substitute for "to get revenge."


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