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Recently, I read on the reddit sentence: "Grinned from ear to ear when I heard it". I would like to ask why there is no subject at the beginning of "I". Is this something acceptable, is it normal for colloquial language? I understand the sentence, but the subject is missing, in my opinion.

  • It's normal for informal written language, for example in a diary. Monday. Went shopping, bought a new dress. – Kate Bunting Feb 16 '19 at 16:46
  • Yes, it is acceptable. Yes, it is normal for colloquial language. And you yourself have supplied proof that it is. More information in the linked question, which I'm closing this one as a duplicate of. – RegDwigнt Feb 16 '19 at 19:57

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Native speakers often leave the subject implied if it's clear from the context of the sentence who is acting. That happens often in colloquial writing/speech and occasionally in formal speech.

Like all things with language, whether it's "wrong" or not depends on your audience and whether your meaning is clearly expressed. For a social website like Reddit, the sentence is fine, but you wouldn't want to write such a sentence for a formal report at your workplace.

R Mac
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