The so-called omission means the essential part in the structure does not appear in certain grammatical conditions. Let’s take several examples firstly that the numerals can modify the noun directly in the dialects of Beijing such as 我昨儿买一自行车and手里拿一瓶儿. In these two sentences, the classifiers or measure words after the numerals are omitted. But it is a grammar principle that the numerals can modify the noun only there is measure word. Since there are no classifiers in the above two sentences, it should belong to omission.

In addition, there are two preconditions for such kind of omission, the first of which is that the numeral is limited as一 and another is that the noun can be modified by 个. Therefore, you can say我昨儿买一自行车but not 我昨儿买一鱼. You can say手里拿一瓶儿but can’t say 手里拿一书. Another example that the foreign students who got internships in China should know is that 吃得is the omission of 吃得得 because it is also a grammar principle that 得is essential to add between predicate and potential complement.

Of course, one point needs attention is that the omission should be applied properly especially in the case that regarding the sentence without sufficient sentence meaning as a sentence with some parts omitted. For example, the passenger on a bus might say一张动物园to the ticket seller, which is a complete sentence without omission. But it is incorrect if we say it is the omission of 我要买一张上动物园去的票because of lack of the specific context.

In principle, teachers in summer program in China would tell you that the parts being omitted can be complemented. Some people believe that a noun is omitted after 的when 的structure is spoken isolated. Let’s take来的是谁as an example, in which 人is omitted after 来的. However, as a matter of fact, many structures with 的 are difficult to complement a proper noun like 孩子们有的唱有的跳. Therefore, you should notice the language phenomenon of 的but you should also apply the omission properly.