Is the verb omitted here? Also, can I say "stretch" instead "stretching" here?
Native speaker’s answer
Rebecca
The verb in this sentence is not omitted. The verb in this sentence is actually "stretching." This verb is in the present participle form, which is why the -ing is added at the end of the word. The sentence does sound a little odd when she uses "stretching" rather than "stretch." This type of sentence appears often in news. And you can use "stretch" here instead of "stretching." The sentence may sound more natural if she said "stretch" instead of "stretching." Ex: Those words stretch two city blocks near the historic St. John's Church.